History Files History Files
 

Please help the History Files

Contributed: £84

Target: £400

2023
Totals slider
2023

The History Files still needs your help. As a non-profit site, it is only able to support such a vast and ever-growing collection of information with your help, and this year your help is needed more than ever. Please make a donation so that we can continue to provide highly detailed historical research on a fully secure site. Your help really is appreciated.

EARTH 2

 

 

"Four days ago, aliens landed on a distant planet, and we are them."

An American science-fiction adventure series with a powerful opening arrived on Sky One in 1995. A band of people trying to escape the wasting disease and functional lifestyle which is afflicting them on the space station homes where they were born decide to emigrate to a new world. Their mission does not go well, however. From the start they are blocked by Earth's authorities, who are portrayed as officious and callous, only too willing to destroy the mission rather than see it leave against their will. After living for generations in space, on vast stations orbiting a used-up Earth, the small band of people, who want only to leave and live in peace, have their sights set on a virgin planet, twenty-four years away, which has been monitored and surveyed for six years, and all the information suggests it is a Garden of Eden, without any major fauna. Unfortunately, the government has edited the reports, as the colonists soon discover. But despite their problems, the mission founder, Devon Adair, is determined to make her dream work, and leads the would-be colonists to the only place on the new planet which is capable of supporting human life on a large scale, 3,400 miles away from the site on which they crash. A further 250 families are approaching on the main ship, still in suspended animation, and the advance guard must prepare a home before they arrive two years hence.

The main cast are a mixed bunch: Yuli was a sickly child, unable to walk without a mechanical frame strapped to his body, but his mother, Devon, was determined in her usual forthright manner to find a new, unpolluted home for him. Yale was semi-cyborg, a reconditioned criminal, part of an abandoned, and mostly failed project. One of the most important part of his reconditioned mind was his inability to handle guns, and violence of any kind was alien to his new nature. John Danziger, played by Highlander's Clancy Brown, and his daughter True shouldn't even be there. They were part of the team hired to pilot the ship and ended up stranded with the rest when the initial approach to the new planet went wrong. Julia Heller was the mission's doctor, a junior MD who had qualified only two weeks before they left Earth, but when her superior was left behind in the rush to escape Earth authority, she found herself on her own. Bess and Morgan were the usual 'yuppie' types, caring only about their own advancement and well-being. Needless to say, they were not very popular with anyone, colonist or audience. Amongst the remains of their pilfered supply pod, the colonists managed to recover a construction android, a rather workmanlike, heavy duty model - no smug Star Wars droids here.
    The series, made in 1994-5, was fairly average after an initially interesting start, but unusual camera work and fresh, mainstream US presentation kept it ticking over, as did the various ongoing linking themes. It was unlike the usual Amblin produce, so betraying the fact that Steven Spielberg didn't have a hand in its making. A novel idea was to begin each episode with a kind of diary entry, narrated by various main characters each episode, so presenting their view of current events and their subsequent involvement in an episode which concentrated on them. Filmed on location in New Mexico, the way in which the new, alien planet was presented made it seem a real wilderness, dangerous and uncharted, in which death was only a momentary slip away. A minor drawback was that some of the aliens looked a little too much like foam rubber 'Muppets'. Despite making attractive viewing, it was never going to be a serious threat to the likes of the Star Trek stable or Babylon 5, and after an intriguing first season it was cancelled in the US.

 


REGULAR CAST

Devon Adair Debrah Farentino   John Danziger Clancy Brown
Yale Sullivan Walker   Julia Stern, MD Jessica Steen
Bess Martin Rebecca Gayheart   Morgan Martin John Gegenhuber
Ulysses Adair Joey Zimmerman   True Danziger J Madison Wright
Alonzo Solace (Ship's Pilot) Antonio Sabato Jr
Zero Tierre Turner   Walman Walter Norman
Magus Marcia Magus   Baines Rockmond Dunbar

 


Created by: Billy Ray with Michael
  Duggan, Carol Flint
and Mark Levin
Executive Producers: Michael Duggan,
  Carol Flint
and Mark Levin
Co-Producer: P K Simonds
Production Manager/Producer: Tony To
Associate Producers: Janace Tashjian
 
and Chip Masamitsu
Coordinating Producer: John Melfi
Music: David Bergeaud

 


First Contact

Devon Adair, a woman with a son suffering from a disease related to living permanently away from Earth, has been planning an expedition to a new planet which could well support life and help all children suffering from the disease. But when the crew discover a plot by the council to destroy their ship and sabotage the mission they launch prematurely. All seems well on arrival at their destination, but then things go wrong again in orbit and the advance colonists must abandon ship, crash-landing onto the planet which is inhabited by strange and dangerous creatures. One race of aliens kidnaps Devon's son, and Alonzo, plagued by alien dreams, may be the key.

Commander O'Neill Richard Bradford
Newscaster Beth Colt
Controllers Hedy Thom and John Verea
Navigator Marcia Firesten
Terrians Brian Steele and Russell Werkman

The Man Who Fell To Earth (Two)

The colonists encounter another human, Gaal, who claims to be a stranded astronaut, but not everyone believes his tale. Morgan is 'killed' by a creature, but when the colonists discover that he isn't really dead, they realise that the recently buried Commander O'Neill must still be alive! Meanwhile, Terrian dreams continue to haunt Alonzo.

Gaal Tim Curry
Commander O'Neill Richard Bradford

Life Lessons

Alonzo, now a pilot without a craft, tries to deal with life on the ground. Gaal, seeking to turn the colonists to his side one by one, decides to take a very special interest in True who is disenchanted with the new rules bought about by life on the planet, and the lack of understanding from her father.

Gaal Tim Curry
Grendler #1 Jeff Deist
Grendler #2 Lisa Ebeyer

Promises, Promises

Alonzo learns of the Terrians' plight when one of the Terrians comes forward to collect on a promise made by Devon when the colonists first landed on the planet, a promise the other colonists are not happy that Devon made. Uly's condition suddenly takes a turn for the worse after the colonists encounter rain for the first time.

Gaal Tim Curry
Terrian #1 Brian Steele
Terrian #2 Russell Werkman

A Memory Play

As rumours spread that the ship may have been the victim of sabotage by one of the crew, the colonists grow distrustful of one another. Meanwhile, a search party finds another escape pod with additional survivors in, but the celebrations are held back with the discovery of a highly infectious virus that kills within a matter of days, and the search party may well be infected. Danziger discovers what really happened to the ship.

Les Firestein Julius Carry
Alex Wentworth LaTanya Richardson
Grendler Jeff Deist

Water

The colonists' water supply is running low and Devon and Danziger go out in search of a reliable water source. On their journey they once again encounter Terrians. Mean-while, Julia feels uncomfortable about her feelings for Alonzo, whom she has healed. This isn't helped by the fact that she has other, more important matters on her mind.

Reilly Terry O'Quinn
Terrians Brian Steele and Russell Werkman

The Church Of Morgan

Morgan's and Bess' relationship begins to show signs of strain and a series of startling revelations ends in a possible marriage breakdown. Meanwhile Julia prepares to perform a risky operation on Uly after the boy exhibits strange traits that may be related to his experiences with the Terrians.

Reilly Terry O'Quinn

The Enemy Within

Devon begins to suspect that Julia is up to something. Julia resists Reilly's pressure to hand over Uly to the council. Instead she injects herself with Uly's Terrian-tainted DNA and begins to notice changes in her strength and mental prowess. Eventually she decides to confide in Morgan but ends up having to strike out on her own.

Reilly Terry O'Quinn
Terrian Brian Steele
Jesse James John David Garfield
Frank James Clifford Happy

Redemption

Alonzo regrets the decision to leave Julia behind and goes back for her. The colonists are not happy to see her return, and trust her even less, but they face a new and even more dangerous problem. They have a new enemy, a genetically-enhanced soldier stripped of emotion and programmed to kill anyone in his path using a deadly arsenal of weaponry.

Reilly Terry O'Quinn
Z.E.D. Jeff Kober

Moon Cross

As the cold weather gets even colder, Uly's discovery of a strangely deserted biosphere could be the colonists' saviour for the coming winter months. Devon, however, begins to hear and see the ghosts of its former occupants. Alonzo is saved from an encounter with rebel Terrians by a young Terrian-raised woman who grows attached to him.

Mary Kelli Williams
Terrians Brian Steele and Russell Werkman
Mary's Mother Laurie Ciarmetaro
Mary's Father Kevin Wiggins

Natural Born Grendlers

Bess starts bartering with a Grendler and manages to acquire edible fruit. As the colonists start to look for other things they can barter with, they discover that the Grendler has found some equipment from the Eden Project's damaged cargo containers and decide to follow the Grendler to his cache. Meanwhile Alonzo has bizarre dreams as he begins to come to terms with his new life on the ground.

Walman Walter Norman
Magus Marcia Magus
Baines Rockmond Dunbar

Better Living Through Morganite (Part 1)

Yale begins to experience terrifying nightmares about his former criminal life and begins exhibiting violent tendencies. The colonists, fearing that he may regress to his former criminal self, discuss what they must do to protect themselves, and Devon, unwillingly, must decide the best course of action. Morgan stakes a claim to a newly discovered power source that may cost the lives of the colonists.

Terrians Brian Steele and Russell Werkman

Better Living Through Morganite (Part 2)

Morgan's claim to a piece of Terrian land goes horribly wrong and results in the Terrians capturing Yale, Morgan, Bess and Alonzo. The other colonists find themselves up against time. They must set things right with the Terrians when Mary reveals the Terrians' plan for retribution. Yale, sacrificing himself for the others, finally learns the truth about his past. But what will be the cost for Mary after helping Yale?

Mary Kelli Williams
Terrians Brian Steele and Russell Werkman
Soldier David Elliot
Woman Leslie Cook
Newscaster Patrick Henry Finnegan

Grendler's In The Myst

Trapped in the icy depths of winter, the colonists have been tracking a Grendler in an effort to find his stash of clothing and food. They unwittingly stumble onto a pair of penal colonists who are locked in battle. Whalen Curry is an apparent psychopath intent on destroying his wife to free himself from her 'demonic' plans. Dell Curry is broadcasting a signal for help that the colonists can pick up on their VR gear, and they desperately try to track her down before her husband can get to her. But were they too late before they even began the hunt?

Dell Curry Francia Di Mase
Whalen Curry Tim Ransom
Grendler Jeff Deist

The Greatest Love Story Never Told

Danziger, isolated and dehydrated, is taken in by a group of human subterranean dwellers from Earth. Devon, along with True, sets off to find Danziger, and is surprised to find she knows the group's leader, a person she has strong feelings for. But the other dwellers are suspicious of the newcomers and will not let them leave, beginning to suspect their leader's motives as well.

Sheppard Patrick Bauchau
Katrina Lilyan Chauvin
Ragamuffin Andrew J Ferchland
The Elder Roy Dotrice
Ivan Ivan Schwarz
Larken Dain Turner
Terrians Brian Steele and Russell Werkman

Brave New Pacifica

While a Grendler discovers a tasty delicacy with which only the colonists can supply it, the colonists make a discovery too; an intriguing mode of transportation on the planet that may well speed up their journey to New Pacifica.

Grendler #1 Jeff Deist
Grendler #2 Lisa Ebeyer

After The Thaw

Julia discovers an ancient Terrian which has been almost perfectly preserved in ice. With the help of the other colonists, she hauls the Terrian back to camp, planning to study it. But then strange and violent occurrences begin to spook the colonists. The camp's food supply is also dwindling, and the subterranean dwellers are once more encountered.

The Elder Roy Dotrice
Ragamuffin Andrew J Ferchland
Grendlers Jeff Deist and Lisa Ebeyer

Flower Child

With the sight and smell of spring approaching, the colonists prepare to leave the biosphere and continue their journey. Bess and Danziger begin to exhibit strange symptoms after a colourful flower sprays them with a pollen-like substance.

Grendler Jeff Deist

Survival Of The Fittest

With dwindling supplies it is a trying time when four of the colonists are pushed to their emotional and physical limits whilst on a mission to recover one of Eden Project's lost cargo pods. An accident complicates matters.

Grendler Jeff Deist

The Boy Who Would Be Terrian King

As the colonists celebrate Uly's ninth birthday Devon has a startling dream which, she realises, is about the future Uly, now a young adult, attempting to talk to her. In that future, Earth 2 has been officially colonized, but the Terrians are now at war with the humans who are forcing them off their lands. The future Uly has sided with the Terrians, but he is captured and Devon must get the present-day Uly to perform a dangerous task in order to save her son in the future. Meanwhile True seeks Yale's help after finding an ill creature.

Future Uly Michael Reilly Burke
Max Nicholas Sadler
Future True Kathy Molter
Terrians Brian Steele and Russell Werkman
Prison Guard Tierre Turner
Main Guard Mike McCoy
Security Guard Karen Whittle

All About Eve

As the colonists are becoming seriously ill one by one, they come across a startling discovery; what appears to be a stranded spaceship from Earth. Inside are its surviving inhabitants, two scientists who help the colonists link the illness to a computer monitoring their movement on the planet. But the entire thing appears to be run from Earth, and the colonists fear they were never free to begin a new life at all.

Reilly Terry O'Quinn
Doctor Franklin Bennett Christopher Neame
Elizabeth Margaret Gibson
Eve Hedy Thom
Eben Synge Erin Murphy

 

All details are trademarked and copyrighted by their respective producers. All character and location names are also copyright. No infringement of any copyright is intended.
Home.