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Thrown into Anglia's late night non-network slot, this
was never going to be a big hit in Britain. Made in 1988-89, it achieved
its first showing (at least in the South of England) on Anglia in 1992,
not reaching the London area on Carlton until late 1993. It was average US
fare with a certain fascination-factor, and particular episodes produced
scenes of rather grisly effects.
The story was a direct sequel to the Hollywood film of
1953, set over forty years later. A group of terrorists 'liberate' an army
chemical dump with the intention of blackmailing the Government. During
the attack something is released and the terrorists are knocked out and
taken over in quick succession. They, as the Martian hosts of ex-human
bodies, then establish contact with the advance base on Mars and are told
to prepare the ground for an invasion fleet. Using assorted weaponry they
manage to defeat a special attack squad, which forces the US top brass to
concede to scientist Harrison Blackwood that there is a problem. A crack
team is set up, lead by Harrison, to work out a scientific way of
defeating the aliens, and, after Harrison destroys the three surviving
alien ships captured after the 1953 movie, the weekly series itself began
with the aliens desperately trying to find a way around Harrison's
blocking attempts.
It was a delight to see the original film ships on the
rampage again, however briefly, in the pilot episode, but the series
quickly turned to the usual formula of continual sparring between the
opponents each week, as one sought to out-do the other, although there
were darker and more thoughtful moments, and some rather unexpected
defeats and victories for the Harrison's team. Although the series
achieved no notable publicity, and the second, final, season was shown in
another graveyard slot, its introduction to a London audience on Carlton
bought it a certain cult following, and articles sprung up in the
science-fiction-related literature of the time. The role of Sylvia Van
Buren was reprised by Ann Robinson, who played the same part in the 1953
movie.
When the series began a repeat on ITV from 22nd June
1995, the pilot episode was chopped to a mere fifty minutes running time,
making it fairly incomprehensible. Season Two ran on Carlton alone in the
same graveyard slot in 1996.
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Executive Producers: Sam and Greg
Strangis (Season 1), Frank Mancuso
(Season 2)
Producer: Jonathan Hackett
Exec Script Consultant: Tom Lazarus
(Season 1), Jeremy Hole, Jim Trombetta
(Season 2)
Executive in Charge of Production: Robert
Wertheimer
Music: Billy Thorpe (Season 1), Steve
Cohen and Fred Mollin (Season 2)
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US Production/UK Screening:
Season One: 23 Episodes 1
1988-89/19th September 1993 - 27th February 1994
Season Two: 20 Episodes
1989-90/1st April - 19th August 1996
A Triumph Entertainment Corporation/Ten Four
Production for Paramount - Season One
A Triumph Entertainment Corporation/Hometown Films Production for
Paramount - Season Two
43 colour episodes, pilot x 110-minutes, rest x 50-minutes
First UK Screening: 4th May - 21st September 1992
(Anglia/Carlton)
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