War of the Worlds 

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

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 (23 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)
Ilse von Glatz	...	Advocate #2 / ... (19 episodes, 1988-1989)

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 | alien possession | black humor | alien language | satire | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA Canada

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 (43 episodes )

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Three of the first season episodes were credited with pen names: "The Walls of Jericho", Forrest van Buren; "The Good Samaritan", Sylvia Clayton; and "Epiphany", Sylvia van Buren. The names were taken from the two main characters of the film, Clayton Forrester and Sylvia van Buren.

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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

Quinn: To Life Immortal... sucker.

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Crazy Credits

A mysterious credit that appears at the end of all episodes from Season One is for "The Far Side" cartoons by Gary Larson, courtesy of Chronicle Features. It's unclear why this credit appears since there is no evidence of the cartoon's use or even a reference throughout the show. It is because in an early episode, a Larson cartoon appears on a bulletin board in a shot and the credits were not changed after that episode.

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Connections

References The Blues Brothers (1980)

User Reviews

Fantastic TV series!

"War of the Worlds: The Series" continues the storyline from the original movie while giving it a new twist, with the Martians, or the "alien invaders" as they are called now, taking over people's bodies to prevent them from succumbing to the bacteria that "killed" them in the original movie. Taking place 35 years after they destroyed Los Angeles and almost took over the world, they are revived after a botched attack at a nuclear waste dump, where their remains were sealed in metal barrels. They awaken, take over the bodies of the terrorists and plan out their second invasion of the world. The series was a bit graphic, but the storylines of the episodes were terrific. The new cast also shines, as a small group willing to fight the aliens before it's too late. Also seen were their war machines with the heat rays, and Sylvia Van Buren (Ann Robinson), the heroine of the original who fell in love with Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry's character). All in all, this series is great and I wish it was back on TV! Sci-fi at it's best!