No More Calling on Tru

by Laura Ingram

Tru won’t be responding to any more pleas from dead bodies in the morgue. Fans who gathered Friday to commemorate and mourn the demise of Tru Calling agreed they have little hope of a resurrection, even if Tru could turn back the clock again.

“We’re small, but we’re loyal. There are just not enough of us,” said a resigned Lilly Rose during the “No More Do Overs!” panel Friday.

The panel only attracted a group of about 25 attendees. That kind of attendance does not bode well for another DVD miracle similar to the likes of Family Guy and Firefly. Resolving the show through other media, such as books, seems unlikely because of the complicated property rights, said another panelist, Kelley Harkins.

Tru Calling starring Eliza Dushku (Buffy, Angel, Bring it On, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) ran for two seasons from October 23 to April 2005. The Fox TV network ignored pleas from fans and killed the show without resolution. Tru possessed the amazing ability to go back in time 12 hours and change circumstances that lead to the death of the person reanimated in front of her and asking for help. If the series had continued, would she have realized her father killed her mother because she had the same ability and was now plotting against her? Would Tru have triumphed over her fellow morgue attendant, Jack Harper (Jason Priestly, 90210), and her father or started working with Jack against a more dangerous threat? Would her quirky co-worker and boss Davis (Zach Gilfianakis) ever have had a date that wasn’t using him to sabotage Tru’s noble effort to save lives? Fans may never know.

Rose insisted the show’s four strong characters, Tru, her brother, Harrison, Davis and Jack, could have carried Tru Calling for another two to three seasons. The show struggled against two already popular shows, Friends and Survivor, and the push of a supposedly new hot show for that time slot, Point Pleasant, on that particular network, according to panel members.

The second season, especially the unaired shows, promised exciting twists, according to those who viewed them on DVD (now available).

“Evil really has its ducks in line,” said Harkins, who hinted at a subtle targeting of all Tru’s friends.

The compelling nature of every episode kept Harkins a fan. She noted that the good writing and acting kept the show fresh and full of surprises. The other panelist, Patrick Cranford, said he was drawn to the idea of time travel and the talents of Dushku.

Though chances are slim, Tru Calling fans eye that little hope. Harkins said that last episode did not wrap up the series, and in fact, made story lines wide open. A new element in play now is the abundance of stranger shows, such as Supernatural, on the upcoming fall season TV schedule.