War of the Worlds (1988–1990)

Humanity must resume its war against the Martians after they revive after decades of hibernation after their defeat in the 1950's.

Creator:

Greg Strangis

Stars:

Jared Martin, Lynda Mason Green, Philip Akin

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Jared Martin	...	Harrison Blackwood (43 episodes, 1988-1990)
Lynda Mason Green	...	Suzanne McCullough (43 episodes, 1988-1990)
Philip Akin	...	Norton Drake (24 episodes, 1988-1989)
Richard Chaves	...	Colonel Paul Ironhorse (24 episodes, 1988-1989)
Rachel Blanchard	...	Debi McCullough (22 episodes, 1988-1990)
Denis Forest	...	Malzor (21 episodes, 1989-1990)
Adrian Paul	...	John Kincaid (20 episodes, 1989-1990)
Catherine Disher	...	Mana (20 episodes, 1989-1990)

Storyline

At the end of the 1953 film "War of the World", earth is saved from alien invaders when they are apparently killed by common bacteria. However, what if the aliens weren't really dead? In "War of the Worlds" the aliens from the 1953 invasion are brought out of suspended animation when radiation kills the infecting bacteria. Now the aliens launch a genocidal war against an unsuspecting Earth, using their ability to take over human bodies to allow them to move freely. Dr. Harrison Blackwood teams up with microbiologist Suzanne McCullough, computer programmer Norton Drake, and army Lt. Colonel Paul Ironhorse to save the world from this alien menace. In the second season, Harrison and Suzanne are joined by mercenary John Kincaid, who help them fight in a post-apocalyptic urban wasteland against a second wave of invaders dedicated to the death of all life on earth.

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Plot Keywords:

bacteria | contamination suit | terrorism | mutilation | cyclops | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 October 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

War of the Worlds: The Second Invasion

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hometown Films, Paramount Television, Ten Four

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min 45 min (43 episodes )

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This series was conceived as a sequel to the original 1950s classic movie. In several episodes, the character of Sylvia Van Buren appears, played by the original actress, and in one episode several characters go back through time to the time of the original movie.

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Goofs

In one episode, an actor dressed as an alien jumps down from an air duct onto a human. As he jumps, you can see his socks.

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Quotes

Advocate #3: Why is it the lower classes cannot think for themselves?
Advocate #1: Our job is to think; their job is to do. We must never confuse the two.

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Crazy Credits

Sylvia Van Buren is credited for writing the episode "Epiphany". Two other scripts ("The Walls of Jericho" and "The Good Samaritan") are pen-named under amalgams of her name and that of Clayton Forrester.

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Connections

Version of The War of the Worlds (1953)

User Reviews

A great series that could be revived at any time.

'War Of The Worlds' was an excellent show. There were so many dark moments in the first season, and many endings had hollow victories. The cast was great. Jared Martin gave his all, as did Phil Akin and Richard Chaves. What was unfair was the fact that many things that were building towards the second season NEVER took place, thanks to the fatal change in direction. I personally liked the original aliens compared to the Morthren, but they (the Morthren) had some cool weapons. The first episode of the second season should have been the last episode period, unless the producers could find a way to bring more reinforcements from the original aliens homeworld. That would have been a REAL 'War of the Worlds', as the humans could have faced both sets of warring aliens in a battle to save Earth. I'd like to believe that the series could be revived, since one of the early episodes dealt with a list of 10,000 aliens held somewhere that disappeared. It was never revealed if the aliens had it, so it's possible Quinn (an alien from the 1953 invasion trapped in a disease-free human body) could have taken this list, and gone about his own agenda to take over Earth. It's out there, Paramount, so revive the series that the fans want... the Original 'War of the Worlds'.