Tru Calling

Tru Calling
Genre	Supernatural Drama
Created by	Jon Harmon Feldman
Starring	Eliza Dushku Zach Galifianakis Shawn Reaves A.J. Cook Matt Bomer Jessica Collins Benjamín Benítez Jason Priestley
Opening theme	"Somebody Help Me" by Full Blown Rose
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	26
Production
Executive producers	Jon Harmon Feldman Marty Adelstein Neal H. Moritz Dawn Parouse R. W. (Bob) Goodwin
Production locations	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Running time	43 minutes
Production companies	Original Film Oh That Gus!, Inc. 20th Century Fox Television
Original release
Network	Fox (episodes 1-25) Syfy (episode 26)
Release	October 30, 2003 (2003-10-30) – September 22, 2005 (2005-09-22)

Tru Calling is an American television supernatural drama series that aired on Fox. Original episodes aired between October 30, 2003, and March 11, 2005; however, the final episode was shown in other territories before it was aired in the U.S. due to lower than anticipated ratings.

The show starred Eliza Dushku as Tru Davies, a twenty-two-year-old medical school student who takes a job at the city morgue when her internship falls through. When the corpse of a deceased woman seems to awaken and asks for her help, Tru discovers that she has the incredible power to relive that day in order to try to prevent that death. Over the course of the series, Tru struggles to keep her secret, juggle her responsibilities with her complicated personal life, and learn to control her power.

Created by Jon Harmon Feldman, who later created Big Shots, the show was produced by Original Film, Oh That Gus!, Inc., and 20th Century Fox Television.

Series overview

The show starred Eliza Dushku as Tru Davies, a medical school student who takes a job at the city morgue when her internship at a local hospital falls through. On her first night, the corpse of a murdered woman seems to awaken and ask for her help and Tru discovers that she has the incredible power to relive the day in order to try to prevent that death. Over the course of the series, Tru struggles to keep her secret, juggle her responsibilities with her complicated personal life, and learn to control her power.

Tru is aided (and at times abetted) by her boss, Davis (Zach Galifianakis), who acts as a sort of guide and mentor, who is later revealed to have known about Tru's mother (who was, apparently, the last person to receive the "calling" before her daughter), her best friend Lindsey (A.J. Cook), who doesn't know Tru's secret, and her impulsive, good-natured and bumbling younger brother Harrison (Shawn Reaves). Tru keeps her secret from her boyfriends, as well as her sister Meredith (Jessica Collins), who has a drug problem.

Halfway through the first season, Tru's life gets much more complicated when she meets Jack Harper (Jason Priestley), a man who shares Tru's abilities but who works to preserve what he sees as the hand of Fate by ensuring that the people Tru tries to help stay dead, though the series was canceled before the conclusion of their struggle was written. In the first-season finale, it is revealed that Tru's father knows Jack Harper and that he had played a similarly antagonistic role versus Tru's mother, terminating her by hiring a hitman to kill her, though neither Harrison nor Tru found out.

Cast and characters

Main

Eliza Dushku played the role of Tru Davies.

• Eliza Dushku as Tru Davies
• Shawn Reaves as Harrison Davies
• Zach Galifianakis as Davis
• A.J. Cook as Lindsey Walker (season 1)
• Matt Bomer as Luc Johnston (season 1)
• Jessica Collins as Meredith Davies (season 1)
• Benjamín Benítez as Gardez (season 1)
• Jason Priestley as Jack Harper

Recurring

• Liz Vassey as Dr. Carrie Allen (season 2)
• Cotter Smith as Richard Davies (season 2)
• Eric Christian Olsen as Jensen Ritchie (season 2)
• Lizzy Caplan as Avery Bishop (season 2)
• Parry Shen as Tyler Li (season 2)

Episodes

Season 1 (2003–04)

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
1	"Pilot"	Phillip Noyce	Jon Harmon Feldman	October 30, 2003 (2003-10-30)	1AHP79
After graduating from college, hopeful medical school student Tru Davies is forced to take a job with the city morgue after finding out that her planned internship at a local hospital was no longer available. When a woman arrives at the morgue who died before her time, Tru sees the woman seemingly awaken and ask for Tru's help. The entire day rewinds, and Tru finds herself racing against the clock in order to save the woman's life before she dies, alongside trying to fix some of her own mistakes.
2	"Putting Out Fires"	Thomas J. Wright	Story by : Chris Brancato & Albert J. Salke Teleplay by : Chris Brancato	November 6, 2003 (2003-11-06)	1AHP01
When her relationship with one of her former professors falls through, Tru finds herself questioning the possibility of a relationship contending with her secret. However, when two victims of a fire – a girl and an attractive fireman – ask for her help, Tru finds herself falling in unexpected love as she tries to prevent arson.
3	"Brother's Keeper"	Paul Shapiro	Jon Harmon Feldman	November 13, 2003 (2003-11-13)	1AHP02
Tru is relieved when Harrison finally seems to have met the right woman. But questions are asked and unsettling suspects raised when Harrison's new girlfriend's murdered ex-husband arrives at the morgue and asks for Tru's help.
4	"Past Tense"	Jeff Woolnough	Zack Estrin & Chris Levinson	November 20, 2003 (2003-11-20)	1AHP03
Tru tries to get a handle on living with her gift, but soon finds her hands full as five men all arrive at the morgue, each having died at the same bachelor party, as all five of them ask for her help. The only problem is, each came in under a gurney sheet and Tru has no idea what any of them look like.
5	"Haunted"	Michael Katleman	Douglas Petrie	December 4, 2003 (2003-12-04)	1AHP04
When a brilliant young med student arrives at the morgue, Tru tries to help her even as she questions her own life as her dreams of going to med school herself seem to have been put on hold by her newfound responsibilities. Things get even more complicated, however, when Tru discovers that the young woman was part of a highly illegal and risky experiment to temporarily die in order to recover lost memories. Davis tells Tru that he knows about her secret.
6	"Star-Crossed"	Sanford Bookstaver	Chad Hodge	December 11, 2003 (2003-12-11)	1AHP05
What at first looks similar to "Romeo & Juliet" turns complicated and dangerous when Tru investigates the deaths of two students who both attended the same expensive academy who died together in a car accident.
7	"Morning After"	Dave Barrett	Robert Doherty	December 18, 2003 (2003-12-18)	1AHP06
After a belated house-warming party, Tru wakes up with the dead body of her ex-boyfriend lying in her bed.
8	"Closure"	David Solomon	Jon Harmon Feldman	January 8, 2004 (2004-01-08)	1AHP07
Tru's personal life gets complicated after a harsh phone call from the Davies' mostly absent father prompts Tru's sister Meredith to take her boss Davis out on a date.
9	"Murder in the Morgue"	David Solomon	Zack Estrin & Chris Levinson	January 15, 2004 (2004-01-15)	1AHP08
When Tru catches a man in the act of covering up a murder, he shoots Davis and fires at Tru before the day rewinds.
10	"Reunion"	Allan Kroeker	Douglas Petrie	January 22, 2004 (2004-01-22)	1AHP09
When Tru and Lindsay attend their high school reunion, Tru finds herself trying to save the life of the girl who was once her best friend but callously dumped her five years earlier in order to steal her prom date and become Prom Queen.
11	"The Longest Day"	David Grossman	Story by : Dana Greenblatt Teleplay by : Chad Hodge	February 5, 2004 (2004-02-05)	1AHP10
Tru finds herself stuck in a tragic loop as she rushes to prevent a murder at a local grocery store, only to have the day rewind over and over again as each of her actions inadvertently cause the death of a different unintended victim each time.
12	"Valentine"	Paul Shapiro	Robert Doherty	February 12, 2004 (2004-02-12)	1AHP11
Tru, Lindsay, Luc, and Harrison visit a remote mountain retreat for Valentine's Day.
13	"Drop Dead Gorgeous"	Michael Katleman	Story by : Scott Shepherd Teleplay by : Robert Doherty & Jon Harmon Feldman	March 18, 2004 (2004-03-18)	1AHP12
Davis shares an earth-shattering secret with Tru about the woman before her who also relived days.
14	"Daddy's Girl"	Jesús Salvador Treviño	Chris Levinson & Zack Estrin & Jon Harmon Feldman	March 25, 2004 (2004-03-25)	1AHP13
Tru, still reeling from Davis' revelations about her mother, is further shocked when her cold, aloof father returns to town with a new wife and two children.
15	"The Getaway"	Guy Bee	Story by : Scott Shepherd Teleplay by : Stephanie Williams & Paula Yoo	April 1, 2004 (2004-04-01)	1AHP14
A newspaper reporter has been struggling to reveal Tru's secret by questioning her and Davis about why Tru is at the location of so many prevented crimes, and about Tru's seemingly psychic ability to know when trouble is going to happen.
16	"Two Pair"	Rick Rosenthal	Doris Egan	April 8, 2004 (2004-04-08)	1AHP16
Jack tries to piece together the mystery of Davis' past that he shares with no one.
17	"Death Becomes Her"	Michael Katleman	Robert Doherty	April 15, 2004 (2004-04-15)	1AHP15
Carly Anders (special guest star Tamyra Gray), a famous movie star, befriends Tru while spending the day with her doing research for a job. Things abruptly take a turn for the worse when Carly dies, and Tru must race to save her.
18	"Rear Window"	Michael Katleman Paul Shapiro	William Sind	April 22, 2004 (2004-04-22)	1AHP17
Tru must figure out who the identity thief is when two Chris Berensons enter her life.
19	"D.O.A."	Dan Lerner	Zack Estrin & Chris Levinson	April 29, 2004 (2004-04-29)	1AHP18
Tru is overjoyed at the idea of having another person in the world who actually understands her burden, Tru is horrified to find that while she uses her power to try to save lives, Jack believes in a different path.
20	"Two Weddings and a Funeral"	Michael Katleman	Jon Harmon Feldman	April 29, 2004 (2004-04-29)	1AHP19
As Lindsay's nuptials approach, Tru is torn apart when Harrison is murdered. When Harrison asks for her help, however, the day rewinds – but Tru must fight to defend what she loves when every move she makes to save Harrison is opposed by Jack, leading to an explosive ending and a shocking secret.

Season 2 (2005)

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
21	"Perfect Storm"	Michael Katleman	Jon Harmon Feldman	March 31, 2005 (2005-03-31)	2AHP01
After the explosive events of "Two Weddings and a Funeral," Tru is relieved to have had two months of peace, during which time Davis pulled some strings and Tru began auditing med-school classes. Her life is once again turned upside-down when Jack reappears, fighting to prevent Tru from saving the life of a Harbor Patrol officer who drowned in a rescue attempt.
22	"Grace"	Dan Lerner	Doris Egan	March 31, 2005 (2005-03-31)	2AHP02
The battle between Tru and Jack surges to dangerous new heights when Jack deviously frames Tru for the murder of the psychologist Tru was trying to save, leaving her on the run from the law.
23	"In the Dark"	Rick Rosenthal	Jane Espenson	April 7, 2005 (2005-04-07)	2AHP03
In an effort to cheer Tru up, Harrison gets Tru's new med-school friends and Davis to help him throw her a surprise birthday party at the morgue. Things quickly get complicated, however, when the lights surge out and somebody asks for Tru's help -- but due to the dark, Tru has no idea who he was or what he looks like.
24	"The Last Good Day"	Michael Katleman	Richard Hatem	April 14, 2005 (2005-04-14)	2AHP04
Tru and Jack have no idea how to react when a girl Jack is interested in commits suicide, causing Tru to experience what Jack's power feels like and causing Jack to experience what Tru's power feels like, leading Tru to believe that Jack is meant to save her. A distraught Jack turns to Tru's father for advice.
25	"Enough"	Guy Bee	Robert Doherty	April 21, 2005 (2005-04-21)	2AHP05
After her entanglements with Jack and the growing tension of fighting to save lives every day, Tru snaps when Jensen (Eric Christian Olsen) is killed in an accident and his body doesn't ask for help. Jack finds himself trying to convince Tru of the wrongness of her actions as she desperately tries to outwit Fate by finding another body to ask for help so her day will rewind and she can save Jensen.
26	"'Twas the Night Before Christmas...Again"	Jesús Salvador Treviño	Zack Estrin	September 22, 2005 (2005-09-22)	2AHP06
On Christmas Eve, Tru reluctantly finds herself working with Jack to save an old cadaver, leaving her confused as to Jack's true motives. Harrison, believing his father is having an affair, accidentally catches Richard having a meeting with Jack, leading to disastrous consequences. Jensen begins to feel the wrongness of Tru subverting Fate by saving him.

Cancellation

The series was canceled in 2005, due to low ratings, the reasoning behind the final episode airing in many other territories before it screened in the U.S. The cancellation resulted in the second season–and series–finale, ending in multiple cliffhangers:

• Tru's season two romantic interest, a fellow medical student named Jensen, begins to remember reliving an occurrence he and Tru had together from the negated timeline where he was killed, causing him to obsess over death.
• 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, Richard.
• Dr. Carrie Allen, the new psychologist at the morgue, who is revealed as an agent of Jack's working to seduce and subvert Davis, learns the truth about Tru's power to rewind from Davis; Davis has yet to tell Tru about this.
• Jack, talking to Tru's father, hints he is still intent on killing Jensen, despite having failed to seal his fated death in a previous episode.

Proposed storylines

After the cancellation, Doris Egan (one of the show's writers) discussed the series mythology and plans they had had for the future story arc in four consecutive live journal entries which set the premise of two opposing forces influencing humanity, one (presumably helping Jack) that refuses to interfere and allows humans to evolve at their own pace and the other which wishes to intervene and 'improve' things in a 'revolt against heaven' (presumably helping Tru). Proposed storylines included:

• Tru's boyfriend Jensen becoming more and more fascinated by death after her narrowly saving his life when he was fated to die. He would eventually become a serial killer and she would be forced to ask Jack for help in killing him to stop his reign of terror. Jack and Tru's father would cite this as justification for them stopping Tru from saving people, as she is messing with pre-destination.
• Harrison would eventually discover that his father is in league with Jack, but is torn over informing Tru and deciding whose side to take, given what happened to Tru's boyfriend Luc in the previous season.
• Davis' fake girlfriend Dr. Carrie Allen, arranged by Jack and Richard to divide him from Tru, begins to genuinely care for him and a romance develops between them. However, Davis discovers that she really did kill her violent and abusive husband and must decide whether or not to turn her in to the police.
• Davis also finally discovers that Tru's mother was supposed to be her mentor like Richard is to Jack but, with her dead, he now takes the role.
• Tru and Jack would find themselves beginning to experience other anomalies in reality allowing for more variations on the standard storyline (as was hinted in the last few episodes of the series), including being able to take other people with them on their rewind days and explore parallel dimensions.
• Jack and Tru would become involved in a bank siege in one episode which Jack and her father use a mysterious journal in order to pick which hostages will die. Afterwards, Jack would begin a relationship with a beautiful female motorcycle cop he meets during the incident and his feelings for her make him question the morality of his actions and his monk-like solitary existence.
• The last corpse in the second season final to ask for Tru's help is that of her 12-year-old half sister. Tru succeeds in saving her, and when Jack attempts to stop her, he is killed by Tru's father, who cannot bear to let his youngest child die, whatever else he believes. Here, Tru would finally discover her father's alliance with Jack as well as both of her parents ability to rewind time and change Fate. The series would end on a cliffhanger with Jack's corpse in the morgue asking Tru to save him.

Russian adaptation

The series has been adapted in Russia using the title Я отменяю смерть, pronounced as “Ja otmenjaju smertj′”, and translated to I Revoke the Death, premiering in the country on TV-3 on October 9, 2012.

Broadcast

The series completed airing in its entirety in New Zealand first. The second season began airing in the country on TV3 on February 4, 2005, with the final episode shown on March 11, 2005. After nearly a year-long hiatus in the U.S., new episodes began on Fox on March 31, 2005. However, the series was pulled again in favour of Fox's new show Point Pleasant and the final episode was screened in many other territories before it finally aired in the U.S. on January 21, 2008 on Syfy.

The complete series also aired in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.

Home media

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
	U.S. / Canada	United Kingdom	Australia
Episodes	20	—	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
				Bonus Featurettes: "Tru Calling: Opposing Forces"
	Canada / United States	United Kingdom	Australia
Episodes	6	—	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 Easter Egg: Zach Galifianakis' audition tape
	Canada / U.S.	United Kingdom	Australia
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	None
No. of Discs	8	8	8
Region(s)	1 (NTSC)	2, 4 (PAL)	4 (PAL)
Rating	Not Rated	15	M
Release dates	August 12, 2008	June 27, 2005	October 24, 2006

Reception

U.S. Nielsen ratings

Season	Timeslot	TV season	U.S. season premiere	U.S. season finale	Season rank	Viewers (in millions)
1	Thursdays at 8 p.m.	2003–2004	October 30, 2003	April 29, 2004	#151	4.50
2	Thursdays at 9 p.m.	2005	March 31, 2005	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.

Awards and nominations

Accolades for Tru Calling

Year	Award	Category	Recipients	Resulti
2004	2004 Teen Choice Awards	Choice Breakout TV Show	Tru Calling	Nominated
		Choice Breakout TV Star – Female	Eliza Dushku	Nominated
	30th Saturn Awards	Best Actress in a Television Series	Eliza Dushku	Nominated

External links

• Tru Calling at AllMovie
• Tru Calling at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show