TNT Hopes ‘Pretender’ Revival Is Contender

A few years back, TNT had great success producing several movies based on the syndicated sci-fi series “Babylon 5.” And now the cable network has resurrected another fan fave, “The Pretender.” The action-thriller that premiered on NBC in the fall of 1996 was never a big ratings grabber, but it developed a strong and loyal following over its four seasons. Michael T. Weiss starred as Jarod, a man whose exceptional intelligence allowed him to master any profession. He was constantly being thwarted in his goal of helping people by three agents from a clandestine research complex called the Centre. TNT currently shows repeats of the series weeknights at 7. And tonight at 8, the network premieres the first of two new “Pretender” movies. “The Pretender 2001,” which also stars original cast members Patrick Bauchau, Andrea Parker and Jon Gries, picks up where the series left off and also explores how Jarod originally escaped from the Centre. If that’s not pretending enough, TNT is also presenting a “Pretender” marathon beginning at 11 a.m.

--Compiled by Times staff writers