Jarod was raised by "The Centre" (based in the fictional town of Blue Cove, Delaware), where he was specially trained to develop his unique intelligence and abilities as a Pretender.

Sydney, his mentor, and father-figure, coached him to run simulations in which Jarod used his unique gift to help people.

Jarod later found out that The Centre wasn't using the simulations to help people but to harm them. Having escaped, Jarod is trying to clear his conscience, but The Centre is never far behind.

Miss Parker (daughter of the man in charge, Mr. Parker), Sydney (Jarod's mentor), and Broots (a computer genius), are the Centre team charged with recapturing Jarod. (Although Parker, Bauchau, and Gries were constant presences throughout the series, other members of the pursuit team came and went- notably Jamie Denton as Mr. Lyle, the show's most unambiguous villain.)

Richard Marcus and Harve Presnell appear as their superiors at the Centre.

Andrea Parker also plays Miss Parker's mother, Catherine Parker, in flashback scenes, and Patrick Bauchau Sydney's twin brother Jacob.

After the series was cancelled, it was picked up in syndication by Turner Network Television. Two telemovies -- The Pretender 2001 and Island of the Haunted -- were aired on TNT in 2001; partly as a result of pressure from fans who staged a global email campaign.

A third telemovie was promised, but has not been made as of 2007, despite further pressure from fans who feel that it is needed to tie up the remaining loose ends.

The creators of the show, Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle stated in an interview on the French DVD of the telemovies that they have already written an ending and all they need is financing to produce the final Pretender movie.

Reruns of The Pretender have aired and still air in many countries worldwide

:The words to the first season opening narration are: There are pretenders among us. Geniuses with the ability to be become anyone they want to be. In 1963, a corporation known as the Centre isolated a young pretender named Jarod and exploited his genius for their research. Then, one day, their pretender ran away...

:The pilot gives the wording as follows: There are extraordinary individuals among us known as PRETENDERS. Geniuses with the ability to insinuate themselves into any walk of life, to literally become anyone. In 1963, a corporation called the Centre isolated one such PRETENDER, a young boy named Jarod. Locked in a controlled environment, they exploited his genius for their "unofficial" research. Then, one day, their PRETENDER ran away.

:This version appeared a paragraph at a time in a static position on screen unlike the opening used from episode two on which scrolled from bottom to top (except for the final sentence which dramatically appeared in the center of the screen after the other text had faded). Both openings appeared as blue text on a black background.

:The building seen in nearly every episode and identified as "The Centre" is actually the R.C. Harris Filtration Plant, located in Toronto, Canada. The same building also appears as Genomex headquarters in the series Mutant X, the clinic in In the Mouth of Madness and in some episodes of Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal.

:Most regular characters are almost always addressed by one name, either their first or their surname, never by their full name. Most of the character's full names are never even revealed (The only exceptions to this would be Dr. William Raines and Catherine Elaine Parker (whose maiden name was Catherine Jamison). Catherine's middle name is revealed on a DSA by Dr. Raines preceding her autopsy in Season 4 Episode 19.

:The second season's episodes "Scott Free" and "Stolen" and the fourth season's episode "Cold Dick" are the only Pretender episodes in which Jarod doesn't use his first name in the "pretend"; in these episodes, he impersonates other characters (R.H. Cross, George Harper, and Dick Dixon respectively).

:According to show creators Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle, the character of Jarod was inspired by serial impostor Ferdinand Waldo Demara.

For more interesting facts and figures, go to
source

Jarod played by Michael T. Weiss
Appeared more recently on Boston's Huntington Theatre stage in "Burn This" (2004) and "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" (2006).

Miss Parker played by Andrea Parker
Last seen in the tv series "Less Than Perfect".

Sydney played by Patrick Bauchau soon to be seen in
"The Perfect Sleep" he is also the brother-in-law of Brigitte Bardot, after marrying her sister.

Broots played by Jon Gries also recently appeared as Uncle Rico from the indy hit "Napoleon Dynamite".

Dr. William Raines played by Richard Marcus

Mr. Lyle played by Jamie Denton seen lately as Mike Delfino in Desperate Housewives.

Mr. Parker played by Harve Presnell

Sam the Sweeper played by Sam Ayers

Angelo aka Timmy played by Paul Dillon

Brigitte Parker played by Pamela Gidley

Young Jarod/Gemini played by Ryan Merriman

Willie the Sweeper played by Willie Gault

Young Miss Parker played by Ashley Peldon

Magaret, Jarod's mom played by Kim Myers

Thomas Gates played by Jason Brooks

Mr. Cox played by Lenny Von Dohlen

Young Angelo/Timmy played by Jake Lloyd

Major Charles played by George Lazenby

Ethan Clausen/Mirage played by Tyler Christopher