Unless you’ve literally been living under a rock, you’ve heard at least a little bit about Terra Nova, FOX’s incredibly ambitious new series about a family that travels millions of years into the past to live among the dinosaurs. With a budget of about $4 million per episode, the word “epic” doesn’t even begin to describe the buzzy new series, whose two-hour premiere airs at 8 p.m. tonight on FOX. Think Land of the Lost, but cooler. And sexier. And better. OK, fine, stop thinking about Land of the Lost!

Here are the five reasons I have Terra Nova cued up on my DVR at home:

1. Come on, it’s Steven Spielberg. My memory isn’t quite what it used to be, but I don’t recall Mr. Spielberg ever steering us wrong in the past. Among his past hits are a little movie called E.T., the new hit show Falling Skies, and of course, the Jurassic Park series. Oh, and speaking of Jurassic Park…

2. The next Jurassic Park movie isn’t coming out for a long, long time. According to Deadline.com, a fourth installment in the Jurassic Park saga is expected to hit theaters at some point within the next two to three years. I don’t know about you, but two years is an awfully long time to wait for my next dino fix. The only downside to Terra Nova vs. Jurassic Park? Not nearly enough Jeff Goldblum.

3. It has a Degrassi connection! Are you curious what Declan (Landon Liboiron) and his eyebrows have been up to since leaving the hallowed halls of Degrassi Community School? Well, you’ll be happy to know Landon scored a starring role on Terra Nova as the angsty teen of the Shannon family! (And yes, I promise to separate Landon from his Degrassi persona… eventually.)

4. It’s something different! Terra Nova is a total escape from the shows we’re used to seeing on TV these days. You won’t find any Upper East Siders, or witches, and you definitely won’t come across any vampires! Now, don’t get me wrong — I love all three — but you’ve got to admit, it’s nice to mix it up every once in a while.

5. It’s really not just about dinosaurs. Contrary to what the promos — and everything I’ve written so far — would have you believe, Terra Nova is not just a show about giant, ancient beasts. It’s also about real human relationships. In fact, Jason O’Mara teased a bit of what we can expect from the emotional side of the series in this cool interview with our sister site, TVLine!

Watch a sneak preview of Terra Nova below, then vote: Will you be watching it tonight?

Click here to view the embedded video.

— Andy Swift

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