Summer Glau

A US TV series based on the Terminator movies is to revamp a key storyline following the Virginia Tech massacre.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles, scheduled to begin next year, follows a mother trying to protect her son - who may be destined to save mankind.

But a scene in which the young boy is attacked in his school will be revised, TV network Fox has confirmed.

The scene was filmed before a student shot dead 32 people at Virginia Tech University in April.

The gunman, 23-year-old Cho Seung-hui, later turned his weapon on himself.

Josh Friedman, an executive producer on the Fox TV show, has defended the scenes, which see 15-year-old John Connor come under attack in his classroom.

He believed the incident was central to the show’s theme, Fox Entertainment chairman Peter Liguori told the US Television Critics’ Association.

"This woman is charged with protecting and preparing her son to be the future leader of the resistance," Mr Liguori said.

"The one single place a parent has to give up control of their child is school."

Mr Friedman was the first to acknowledge the scenes should be changed in the wake of the deaths in Virginia, Mr Liguori added, but he was unable to say how the story would be changed.

The producer was asked whether TV programmes should avoid this type of fictional violence, given that school shootings were a recurring problem in the US.

"Creative questions are answered on an ad hoc basis, not on a broad one, and we need to respect our audience," he replied.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles is due to begin in January 2008, with Fox hoping the programme will inherit the predominantly female audience from the hit American Idol show.

The title role has been given to British actress Lena Headey, who has previously appeared in films such as The Brothers Grimm and Ripley’s Game.