More Time Traveling in Store for Jason O'Mara

Jason O'Mara ('Life on Mars') has signed on to star in FOX's ambitious new drama series, 'Terra Nova.'

The big-budget spectacle will be executive produced by powerhouses Steven Spielberg ('The Pacific'), Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga ('FlashForward') and David Fury ('Lost'), and will reportedly use writers from the now-defunct '24.'

O'Mara will play Jim Shannon, a father in the year 2149 on a dying planet who travels back in time with his family to the pre-historic era to help colonists rebuild civilization from the ground up. Stars who were previously thought to be considering the role include Kyle Chandler ('Friday Night Lights').

The Irish-born O'Mara is best known for his role as Sam Tyler in the U.S. version of 'Life on Mars,' which debuted on ABC in the fall of 2008. Co-starring Harvey Keitel and Michael Imperioli, the show followed the adventures of a modern-day NYPD detective who awoke one day to inexplicably find himself living in 1973. Although it was well-received by critics, it never won high ratings and was canceled after one season.

Speaking about O'Mara's new role in 'Terra Nova,' Brannon Braga said, "Writing the character of Jim Shannon, we've thought of Jason O'Mara as something of an archetype ... He has an everyman quality to him, but there's something dangerous underneath." Although most episodes will be stand alone stories, there will also be an underlying mythology to the show.

FOX has ordered 13 episodes of the drama and the pilot -- to be helmed by Alex Graves ('Fringe') -- will begin filming this summer. The show's expected to debut early in 2011.