The Pretender (1996)
A genius escapes a lifetime of captivity and uses his extraordinary abilities to help strangers while evading the powerful organization that created him.
The Pretender - Series Information
- Original Title: The Pretender
- First Air Year: 1996
- Last Air Year: 2000
- Created by: Craig W. Van Sickle, Steven Long Mitchell
- Type: TV Series
- Genres: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
- Episode Runtime: Average runtime per episode (43 minutes)
- Number of Seasons: 4
- Number of Episodes: 86
- Status: Ended
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English
- First Air Date: September 19, 1996 (France - NR), September 19, 1996 (Australia - M), September 19, 1996 (Brazil - 14)
- Networks: NBC
- Production Companies: 20th Century Fox Television, NBC Studios, MTM Enterprises
The Pretender - Plot
Raised in a secret facility built for experimenting on children, Jarod is a genius who can master any profession and become anyone he has to be. When he realizes as an adult that he's actually a prisoner and his captors are not as benevolent as he's been told, he breaks out. While trying to find his real identity, Jarod helps those he encounters and tries to avoid the woman sent to retrieve him.
The Pretender - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and get a glimpse of Jarod's world of endless reinvention:
Hero of a thousand faces. Man of a thousand lives.
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The Pretender - Cast & Crew
Creator(s)
- Craig W. Van Sickle
- Steven Long Mitchell
Main Cast
- Michael T. Weiss
- Andrea Parker
- Patrick Bauchau
- Jon Gries
- Richard Marcus
- James Denton
- Sam Ayers
- Paul Dillon
- Ryan Merriman
- Alex Wexo
Writers
- Craig W. Van Sickle
- Juan Carlos Coto
- Tommy Thompson
- Daniel Truly
- Javier Grillo-Marxuach
The Pretender - FAQs
Where can you stream The Pretender online?
The Pretender is available to purchase digitally through Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home. The series is not currently available on major subscription streaming platforms, so buying individual seasons or episodes is the primary way to watch it online.
Did The Pretender ever get a proper ending?
The series was cancelled after Season 4 in 2000 without resolving its central mysteries. Two TV movies — The Pretender 2001 and The Pretender: Island of the Haunted — were produced to provide some closure, though many fans felt the storylines remained unresolved.
Who are the main cast members of The Pretender?
The Pretender stars Michael T. Weiss as the genius fugitive Jarod, Andrea Parker as the relentless Miss Parker sent to recapture him, Patrick Bauchau as his mentor Sydney, and Jon Gries as tech expert Broots. Richard Marcus and James Denton also appear in key recurring roles.
Is The Pretender based on a true story?
No, The Pretender is not based on a true story. It is an entirely fictional drama created by Craig W. Van Sickle and Steven Long Mitchell. The concept of a genius who can simulate any profession is a creative invention, though it draws on real psychological ideas around gifted individuals and institutional exploitation.
How many seasons and episodes does The Pretender have?
The Pretender ran for four seasons on NBC from 1996 to 2000, comprising 86 episodes in total. Season 1, 2, and 3 each featured 22 episodes, while Season 4 contained 20 episodes. A specials collection includes 2 additional bonus episodes.
What is The Pretender TV series about?
The Pretender follows Jarod, a brilliant man raised in a covert facility who discovers he has been exploited his entire life. After escaping, he uses his extraordinary ability to adopt any identity or profession to help people in need, while evading the shadowy organization — known as the Centre — hunting him down.
Who created The Pretender TV series?
The Pretender was created by Craig W. Van Sickle and Steven Long Mitchell. The duo developed the series for NBC, where it aired from 1996 to 2000. They also served as writers and executive producers throughout the show's run, shaping its serialized mythology and episodic structure.
Was The Pretender cancelled or did it end naturally?
The Pretender was cancelled by NBC in 2000 after four seasons, meaning it did not reach a planned conclusion. The show's status is listed as Ended. Two follow-up TV movies were subsequently produced to address the unresolved storylines left by the abrupt cancellation.
More About The Pretender
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