Terra Nova: Keep It Simple, Spielberg!

As you may/may not have heard by now, Steven Spielberg has this new dinosaur drama project for Fox called Terra Nova. I have a beef with it.

Here's the basic plot: A family living in the year 2149 goes back in time 150 million years to the dinosaur era to join a human colony and start civilization afresh.

My beef: What is the point of starting a show in the future if the whole premise of the show is to go back in time?

Does anybody else think this is totally pointless?

I don't have a problem with a show taking place in the future. But if it's going to take place in the future, I want to see future-y things, like flying cars and talking appliances and alien-human-blended families. I want to see what other people's concept of the future looks like. I don't want to see a bunch of dinosaurs and sand.

Here is my suggestion: Instead of going back in time, why not have it stay in 2149? Let's say dinosaurs are walking around, destroying everything and eating people. And let's say a couple of scientists have found a way to kill off all the dinosaurs once and for all. But the scientists are torn on whether to use it because it raises questions of morality. Is human life more valuable than dinosaurs?

Or, if they really want to hang on to the idea of starting a human colony, why not have just a few surviving people remaining on earth in 2149? And maybe some of them want to figure out how to live amongst the dinosaurs, while the others want to kill them? And maybe two people from opposite camps fall in love. You get the gist.

My plea to you, Steven Spielberg: Employ the KISS method for this show. You can thank me later.