Tru Calling is an American television
supernatural dramaSupernatural drama is a subgenre of fantasy combining elements of supernatural fiction and the drama genre. This genre deals with ghosts and other paranormal topics, but without the tone and scares associated with the horror genre...
series that premiered on
Fox NetworkFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
on October 30, 2003. It ran for two seasons before being canceled.
Created by
Jon Harmon FeldmanJon Harmon Feldman is an American screenwriter and director.He has created and worked on TV series such as The Wonder Years, Tru Calling, Reunion, Dawson's Creek, Doctor, Doctor,American Dreams, Roswell, American Town, Dirty Sexy Money and Big Shots .He wrote and directed the 1997 romantic comedy...
, the series was produced by
Original Film-Films:-TV series:...
, Oh That Gus!, Inc., and
20th Century Fox Television20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
.
The show stars
Eliza DushkuEliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...
as Tru Davies, a woman who intended to go to
medical schoolA medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
after graduating from college, but ends up taking a job at the city
morgueA morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
. It is while working at the morgue that dead bodies start asking her for help and Tru re-lives the day, trying to keep a death from happening.
Premise
Tru Davies (
Eliza DushkuEliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...
) is a young woman who intended to go to medical school after graduating from college. When her internship with a local hospital falls through, Tru takes an unexpected job with the city
morgueA morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
. While working there, a dead woman asks for her help and Tru suddenly wakes up to find that the day has restarted and finds herself compelled to stop the death, which may be the result of anything from suicide to murder. In the course of the re-run day, Tru often takes the opportunity to rectify various personal situations involving her family and friends.
Supporting characters in the series include Harrison Davies (
Shawn ReavesShawn Reaves is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Harrison Davies, the brother of the main character Tru Davies on the Fox television series, Tru Calling....
), Tru's irresponsible younger brother (who becomes a loyal asset to Tru by the end of the first season), and Davis (
Zach GalifianakisZachary Knight "Zach" Galifianakis is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special...
), her socially-challenged but loyal friend, confidante, and supervisor at the morgue.
As the series progresses, it is revealed that several years earlier, Davis had a fateful encounter with Tru's mother (who was, apparently, the last person to receive the "calling" before her daughter).
Supporting characters present in only a portion of the series included: Meredith Davies (Jessica Collins), Tru's older sister; Lindsay Walker (
A. J. CookAndrea Joy "A.J." Cook-Andersen is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau in the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds...
), her best friend in the first season; Luc Johnston (
Matthew Bomer), her love interest in the first season; and Gardez (
Benjamin BenitezBenjamin Benitez is an Mexican-American actor, who played Gardez on the TV Series, Tru Calling.-External links:...
), her former co-worker at the morgue. The character of Meredith was inexplicably written out of the series in the middle of the first season and never mentioned again. Characters would speak about their family history as though Meredith had never existed.
Jack Harper (
Jason PriestleyJason Bradford Priestley is a Canadian-American actor and director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role which catapulted him to recognition in the early 1990s....
), a counterpart to Tru's character, is introduced midseason as a foil. He is there to make sure fate gets its way and introduces a philosophical aspect to Tru's endeavors: should she be saving the lives of people who may have been intended to die? In the second season, Tru and Jack compete to get to a person first — she to save them and he to restore the order of fate and maintain the balance of the universe as he understands it. It is eventually revealed that Tru's father had played a similarly antagonistic role to Tru's mother, eventually terminating her by hiring a hitman. The series was canceled before Tru or Harrison finds out about their father, though it was revealed that he intended to tell Harrison and attempt to get him on their side.
The final episode contains a number of cliff-hangers: (1) Tru's season two romantic interest, a fellow medical student named Jenson, begins to remember reliving an occurrence he and Tru had together - Tru examining his hand. (2) Although initially highly antagonistic to Jack, Tru invites him to a Christmas party with her, hinting he may in time become an ally against her father. In an earlier episode, Jack had been reluctant to carry out the will of fate and Tru' father when a young cancer patient had to die. (3) Carrie, the new psychologist at the morgue continues to be revealed as an agent of Jack's, working to seduce and subvert Davis. (4) Jack, talking to Tru's father, hints he is still intent on killing Jenson, despite having failed to seal his fated death in a previous episode.
Episodes
Twenty-six episodes were produced before the series was canceled. Neither Fox nor CH in Canada aired the final episode due to its Christmas theme. The final episode was shown on TV in the United States on January 21, 2008 when it aired as part of a marathon on
Sci Fi ChannelSyfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
.
Cast
Main characters
- Eliza Dushku
Eliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...
as Tru Davies (2003–2005)
- Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight "Zach" Galifianakis is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special...
as Davis (2003–2005)
- Shawn Reaves
Shawn Reaves is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Harrison Davies, the brother of the main character Tru Davies on the Fox television series, Tru Calling....
as Harrison Davies (2003–2005)
- Jason Priestley
Jason Bradford Priestley is a Canadian-American actor and director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role which catapulted him to recognition in the early 1990s....
as Jack Harper (2004–2005)
- A. J. Cook
Andrea Joy "A.J." Cook-Andersen is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau in the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds...
as Lindsay Walker (2003–2004)
- Jessica Collins as Meredith Davies (2003–2004)
- Benjamin Benitez
Benjamin Benitez is an Mexican-American actor, who played Gardez on the TV Series, Tru Calling.-External links:...
as Gardez (2003–2004)
- Matthew Bomer as Luc Johnston (2003–2004, recurring previously)
Special guest stars
Season two featured some recurring "Special Guest Stars", notably:
- Cotter Smith
Cotter Smith is an American stage, film, and television actor.-Biography:He was born Joseph Cotter Smith in Washington, D.C., the son of Madeline and John Lewis Smith, Jr., who was a federal judge...
as Richard Davies (2004–2005)
- Liz Vassey
Liz Vassey is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Emily Ann Sago on All My Children, Captain Liberty in The Tick, and Wendy Simms in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.- Career :...
as Dr. Carrie Allen (2005)
- Eric Christian Olsen
Eric Christian Olsen is an American actor. He currently portrays Detective Marty Deeks on the CBS television series NCIS: Los Angeles.-Early life:...
as Jensen Ritchie (2005)
Guest stars
Tru's two medical school friends were also recurring characters in Season two:
- Lizzy Caplan
Elizabeth Anne "Lizzy" Caplan is an American actress. In film, she is best known for her roles as Janis Ian in Mean Girls, Marlena Diamond in Cloverfield, and April in Hot Tub Time Machine...
as Avery Bishop (2005)
- Parry Shen
-Early life:He was educated at Archbishop Molloy High School, then an all boys, Roman Catholic school in Briarwood, in Queens, New York, and at the University at Buffalo. When he moved to California he worked as a dorm parent at Villanova Preparatory School, a private college preparatory school in...
as Tyler Li (2005)
Production
Tru Calling was created by executive producer/writer
Jon Harmon FeldmanJon Harmon Feldman is an American screenwriter and director.He has created and worked on TV series such as The Wonder Years, Tru Calling, Reunion, Dawson's Creek, Doctor, Doctor,American Dreams, Roswell, American Town, Dirty Sexy Money and Big Shots .He wrote and directed the 1997 romantic comedy...
and was filmed in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Marty AdelsteinMarty Adelstein is an American television producer. Before becoming a producer, he was a partner at the Endeavor Talent Agency, where he was one of the founding members.-Years as an agent:Adelstein has represented writer David E. Kelley for over 20 years...
,
Neal H. MoritzNeal H. Moritz is an American film producer. He is the founder of Original Film.-Life and career:He has over 70 films to his credit...
, Dawn Parouse and R. W. (Bob) Goodwin are also executive producers. The pilot episode was directed by Australian filmmaker
Phillip NoycePhillip Noyce is an Australian film director.-Life and career:Noyce was born in Griffith, New South Wales, attended Barker College, Sydney, and began making short films at the age of 18, starting with Better to Reign in Hell, using his friends as the cast...
.
Reception
Tru Calling received mixed reviews from fans and critics. The series received two nominations at the 2004
Teen Choice AwardsThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
, "Choice Breakout TV Show" and "Choice Breakout TV Star – Female" for Eliza Dushku. Dushku was also nominated for a
Saturn AwardThe Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films at the
30th Saturn AwardsThe 30th Saturn Awards, honoring the best in science fiction, fantasy and horror film and television in 2003, were held on May 5, 2004 at the Universal Sheraton Hotel in Los Angeles, California.Below is a complete list of nominees and winners...
for Best Actress in a Television Series.
Cancellation
On April 20, 2005, Fox announced that the second season's sixth and final episode would not be aired. The series would end its run one week early due to the following week's episode being Christmas-themed and would not air in line with the Christmas season. After the cancelation was announced,
Doris EganDoris Egan is an American screenwriter, producer, and writer. She has worked on Smallville, Dark Angel, and House as well as many other television programs.-Gate of Ivory trilogy:...
(one of the show's writers) discussed the series mythology and plans they had had for the future story arc in
four consecutive livejournal entries.
American ratings
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of
Tru Calling on Fox. The Last episode was shown on SciFi Channel.
| Season |
Timeslot
(Thursdays) |
TV
season |
U.S. season
premiere |
U.S. season
finale |
Season
rank |
Viewers
(in millions) |
| 1 |
8:00 / 7:00 pm |
2003–2004 |
October 30, 2003 |
October 29, 2004 |
#151 |
4.50 |
| 2 |
9:00 / 8:00 pm |
2004–2005 |
March 31, 2004 |
April 21, 2005 |
#121 |
4.89 |
Notes
- Each U.S. network television season begins in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
International syndication
Season two of
Tru Calling first aired in New Zealand on
TV3TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
beginning February 4, 2005, with the final episode shown on March 11, 2005, in
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, the following March; and, after nearly a year-long hiatus, in the U.S. beginning March 31, 2005. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the second season began October 12, 2006, on Sky One.
The complete series also aired in
ArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
,
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
,
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
,
ChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
,
ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
,
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
,
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
,
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
,
Hong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
,
HungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
,
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
,
IcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
,
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
,
IsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
,
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
,
Malaysia,
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
,
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, the
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and
SlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
.
DVD releases
| The Complete First Season |
| Set details |
Special features |
|
- Bonus Featurettes:
- "Finding The Calling: The Pilot
- "The Tru Path: Season One"
- Evil Comes Calling: A Late Season Twist"
- Selected Episode Commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- "Somebody Help Me" Music Video by Full Blown Rose
Full Blown Rose was an alternative rock band which began in New York City in 2001. Members included Josephine Conigliaro , Matthieu LeChevalier , and Josh Allen . The band officially formed in 2001 and officially ended in 2005 via their official website...
|
|
 Canada  United States North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
|
|
|
|
| Episodes |
20 |
align="center" |
20 |
|
| Aspect Ratio |
1.78:1 |
|
1.78:1 |
|
| Running Time |
880 minutes |
|
880 minutes |
|
| Audio |
English (Dolby Digital Surround) |
|
English (Dolby Digital Surround) |
|
| Subtitles |
English, Spanish, French |
|
None |
|
| No. of Discs |
6 |
|
6 |
|
| Region(s) |
1 (NTSC) |
|
2, 4 (PAL) |
|
| Rating |
Not Rated |
|
M |
|
| Release dates |
November 30, 2004 |
|
August 9, 2005 |
| The Complete Second Season |
| Set details |
Special features |
|
 |
|
Canada United States North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
|
|
|
|
| Episodes |
6 |
align="center" |
6 |
|
| Aspect Ratio |
1.78:1 |
|
1.78:1 |
|
| Running Time |
264 minutes |
|
264 minutes |
|
| Audio |
English (Dolby Digital Surround) |
|
English (Dolby Digital Surround) |
|
| Subtitles |
English, French, Spanish |
|
None |
|
| No. of Discs |
2 |
|
2 |
|
| Region(s) |
1 (NTSC) |
|
2, 4 (PAL) |
|
| Rating |
Not Rated |
|
M |
|
| Release dates |
November 15, 2005 |
|
August 9, 2005 |
| The Complete Series |
| Set details |
Special features |
|
- Bonus Featurettes:
- Selected Episode Commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- 4 Featurettes
- "Finding The Calling: The Pilot"
- "The Tru Path: Season One"
- "Evil Comes Calling: A Late Season Twist"
- "Tru Calling: Opposing Forces"
- "Somebody Help Me" Music video by Full Blown Rose
Full Blown Rose was an alternative rock band which began in New York City in 2001. Members included Josephine Conigliaro , Matthieu LeChevalier , and Josh Allen . The band officially formed in 2001 and officially ended in 2005 via their official website...
- Easter Egg: Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight "Zach" Galifianakis is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special...
' audition tape
|
|
Canada United States North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
|
|
|
|
| Episodes |
26 |
26 |
26 |
|
| Aspect Ratio |
1.78:1 |
1.78:1 |
1.78:1 |
|
| Running Time |
1094 Minutes |
1094 Minutes |
1094 Minutes |
|
| Audio |
English (Dolby Digital Surround) |
English (Dolby Digital Surround) |
English (Dolby Digital Surround) |
|
| Subtitles |
English, French, Spanish |
English, Swedish, French, Spanish |
None |
|
| No. of Discs |
8 |
8 |
8 |
|
| Region(s) |
1 (NTSC) |
2 (PAL) |
4 (PAL) |
|
| Rating |
Not Rated |
15 |
M |
|
| Release dates |
August 12, 2008 |
June 27, 2005 |
October 24, 2006 |