I am only here because I gave La Brea a try. I made it through 8 episodes and I started to think of Terra Nova while watching it. Terra Nova had its problems, mostly the teenage anger that had to be worked though. Both shows have the problem of overabundance in that regard. Enough about La Brea, I mention only to demonstrate how intangibles can make or break.
I watched this show some 11 years ago so my memory is not perfect. My kids were nearly 10 and 12 at the time. We could watch this as a family and we all enjoyed it. It could have done with better writers and it is a shame they didn't get them.
Yes the kid characters were a tad annoying. Teenagers just won't be constantly angry with their dad with dinosaurs around unless that dad commits a serious transgression. My kids got surly but never anything severe and they didn't have the danger or a dinosaur eating them.
The story line worked well (keeping in mind this is science fiction) and a interesting premise. There is what I expect is a glaring plot hole. We know it is amazingly expensive in terms of resources to send people from the future to the past and we have to assume it is similar going from that same past to the current day. It just won't be cost effective to send resources forward to the present. If it were a good option I suspect they would send a lot of modern heavy machinery back to make Terra Nova easier going.
I was disappointed this did not get 5 seasons. My wife was disappointed. Worst, my kids were disappointed and this kept it between the lines and we could enjoy it as a family. I think it would still be a good option for Netflix/Amazon/Any of them to pick it up and run with it but I don't think that will happen.
Oh, and La Brea gets dumber and dumber with every episode.
