War of the Worlds (TV series): Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''In 1953, Earth experienced a War of the Worlds. Common bacteria stopped the aliens but it didn't kill them. Instead they lapsed into a state of deep hibernation. Now the aliens have been awakened, more terrifying than before. In 1953, the aliens tried to take over the world. Today, they're taking over our bodies.''}}
{{quote|''In 1953, Earth experienced a War of the Worlds. Common bacteria stopped the aliens but it didn't kill them. Instead they lapsed into a state of deep hibernation. Now the aliens have been awakened, more terrifying than before. In 1953, the aliens tried to take over the world. Today, they're taking over our bodies.''}}


For the novel that inspired this series see [[The War of the Worlds]]
For the novel that inspired this series see ''[[The War of the Worlds (novel)|The War of the Worlds]]''.


Based on the 1953 movie, ''[[War of the Worlds]]'' added cold war sensibilities and a liberal dose of ''Invasion of the Body Snatchers'' to create the prototype for alien invasion [[Sci Fi|sci-fi]] in the 1990s.
Based on [[The War of the Worlds (1953 film)||the 1953 movie]], ''[[War of the Worlds]]'' added cold war sensibilities and a liberal dose of ''[[Invasion of the Body Snatchers]]'' to create the prototype for alien invasion sci-fi in the 1990s.


The two-hour premier [[Retcon|retconned]] the ending to the George Pal movie (and, for that matter, the [[H. G. Wells]] novel), deciding that the aliens were really [[Not Quite Dead]], but simply comatose. A terrorist attack on a storage facility exposed the alien bodies to radioactive waste, neutralizing Earth bacteria and awakening the aliens, who promptly revealed a nifty new ability: they could absorb themselves into human bodies, at least until radiation (and the fact that the host was essentially an animated corpse) caused the body to break down.
The two-hour premier [[Retcon]]ned the ending to the George Pal movie (and, for that matter, the [[H. G. Wells]] novel), deciding that the aliens were really [[Not Quite Dead]], but simply comatose. A terrorist attack on a storage facility exposed the alien bodies to radioactive waste, neutralizing Earth bacteria and awakening the aliens, who promptly revealed a nifty new ability: they could absorb themselves into human bodies, at least until radiation (and the fact that the host was essentially an animated corpse) caused the body to break down.


Since, as part of the show's gimmick, almost no one remembered the 1953 invasion, the only opposition to the alien plot were the members of the Blackwood Project, a secret military taskforce assembled to repel the alien menace. The Blackwood project was approximately a [[Five-Man Band]] composed of:
Since, as part of the show's gimmick, almost no one remembered the 1953 invasion, the only opposition to the alien plot were the members of the Blackwood Project, a secret military taskforce assembled to repel the alien menace. The Blackwood project was approximately a [[Five-Man Band]] composed of:
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* Debbie McCullough (Rachel Blanchard, later of ''[[7th Heaven]]''), Suzanne's young daughter.
* Debbie McCullough (Rachel Blanchard, later of ''[[7th Heaven]]''), Suzanne's young daughter.


Taking a cue from the movie, the first season included a heavy religious allegory, with most of [[Idiosyncratic Episode Naming|the individual episode titles inspired by bible quotes]].
Taking a cue from the movie, the first season included a heavy religious allegory, with most of [[Idiosyncratic Episode Naming|the individual episode titles inspired by Biblical quotes]].


After a season of fighting aliens who were, essentially, stand-ins for communists, the show was taken out of the hands of executive producers Sam and Greg Strangis and given to Frank Mancuso Jr., who radically [[Retool|retooled]] the show. Chavez and Akin were written out, replaced by Adrian Paul (later of ''[[Highlander (TV series)|Highlander]]''), and the world of the series was reimagined as a [[Cyberpunk]] (minus the futuristic technology) [[Dystopia]] in the midst of collapse, with the new tagline "Almost Tomorrow" usually taken to mean that the show had shifted [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]], though this never became explicit. A "second wave" of invaders arrived on Earth following the destruction of their homeworld by a "light storm". Physical possession was replaced with cloning process and, basically, everything else about the show changed. (The only remaining sign that this was meant to take place in [[The Verse|the same universe as]] the original movie came in the episode "Time To Reap", when the characters traveled back in time to 1953, and in the series finale, "The Obelisk", where footage from the movie was used in a [[Montages|flashback montage]].) The alien race was even renamed.
After a season of fighting aliens who were, essentially, stand-ins for communists, the show was taken out of the hands of executive producers Sam and Greg Strangis and given to Frank Mancuso Jr., who radically [[Retool]]ed the show. Chavez and Akin were written out, replaced by Adrian Paul (later of ''[[Highlander (TV series)|Highlander]]''), and the world of the series was reimagined as a [[Cyberpunk]] (minus the futuristic technology) [[Dystopia]] in the midst of collapse, with the new tagline "Almost Tomorrow" usually taken to mean that the show had shifted [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]], though this never became explicit. A "second wave" of invaders arrived on Earth following the destruction of their homeworld by a "light storm". Physical possession was replaced with cloning process and, basically, everything else about the show changed. (The only remaining sign that this was meant to take place in [[The Verse|the same universe as]] the original movie came in the episode "Time To Reap", when the characters traveled back in time to 1953, and in the series finale, "The Obelisk", where footage from the movie was used in a [[Montages|flashback montage]].) The alien race was even renamed.


The [[Retool]] is generally reviled by fans, so much so that many believe Mancuso intentionally sabotaged the show in favor of one of its perceived competitors, Mancuso's own brainchild, ''Friday The Thirteenth The Series''. Over the years however the second season has developed quite a few defenders.
The [[Retool]] is generally reviled by fans, so much so that many believe Mancuso intentionally sabotaged the show in favor of one of its perceived competitors, Mancuso's own brainchild, ''[[Friday the 13th: The Series]]''. Over the years, however, the second season has developed quite a few defenders.


The show's violence was substantial, starting as early as the first season. Each time an alien was killed or otherwise injured, they spent significant time focusing on [[Nightmare Fuel|excessive]] [[Squick|alien gore]] and an almost [[Fan Service]]-like fascination with showing the putrifying alien corpses. Think of a floor spill consisting of smoking egg whites cooked sunny side up with a side order of mucus and radiator fluid, and you get an idea of the ''milder'' forms of some of the gore factor. Being that it was a syndicated show the human gore factor wasn't particularly restrictive either, being almost R-rated in terms of human gore. It was relatively toned down during the second season.
The show's violence was substantial, starting as early as the first season. Each time an alien was killed or otherwise injured, they spent significant time focusing on [[Nightmare Fuel|excessive]] [[Squick|alien gore]] and an almost [[Fan Service]]-like fascination with showing the putrifying alien corpses. Think of a floor spill consisting of smoking egg whites cooked sunny side up with a side order of mucus and radiator fluid, and you get an idea of the ''milder'' forms of some of the gore factor. Being that it was a syndicated show the human gore factor wasn't particularly restrictive either, being almost R-rated in terms of human gore. It was relatively toned down during the second season.


Noteworthy guest-stars included Ann Robinson, who reprised her role from the film as Sylvia Van Buren, the now-insane love interest of Clayton Forrester, and John Colicos (of ''[[Battlestar Galactica Classic|Battlestar Galactica]]'' fame, see [[Large Ham]]) as the renegade alien Quinn. Not to mention Australian rock legend, Billy Thorpe, who also provided the music for the first season.
Noteworthy guest-stars included Ann Robinson, who reprised her role from the film as Sylvia Van Buren, the now-insane love interest of Clayton Forrester, and John Colicos (of ''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' fame, see [[Large Ham]]) as the renegade alien Quinn. Not to mention Australian rock legend, Billy Thorpe, who also provided the music for the first season.


Though the show is now mostly forgotten (for many years, the show's owners at Paramount denied that it had ever even existed), its influences can be seen in many of the series that followed, such as ''[[First Wave]]'', ''[[The X-Files]]'', ''[[Earth: Final Conflict]]'' and ''[[Dark Skies]]''.
Though the show is now mostly forgotten (for many years, the show's owners at Paramount denied that it had ever even existed), its influences can be seen in many of the series that followed, such as ''[[First Wave]]'', ''[[The X-Files]]'', ''[[Earth: Final Conflict]]'' and ''[[Dark Skies]]''.
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* [[Artist Disillusionment]] - Catherine Disher (Mana in the second season) has made no secret of the fact that she hates the show ''because'' of irate fans who sent her derogatory and negative letters during (and after) the production of the second season. To this day, she won't talk about the show at fan conventions or participate in DVD commentaries about the show.
* [[Artist Disillusionment]] - Catherine Disher (Mana in the second season) has made no secret of the fact that she hates the show ''because'' of irate fans who sent her derogatory and negative letters during (and after) the production of the second season. To this day, she won't talk about the show at fan conventions or participate in DVD commentaries about the show.
* [[Big Brother Is Your Friend]]
* [[Big Brother Is Your Friend]]
* [[Body Horror]] / [[Nausea Fuel]] - The first season. In spades.
* [[Body Horror]]/[[Nausea Fuel]] - The first season. In spades.
* [[Break the Badass|Broken Badass]]: Iron horse after he kills a civilian decoy.
* [[Break the Badass|Broken Badass]]: Iron horse after he kills a civilian decoy.
* [[Canada, Eh?]] - Shot in and around the Mississauga and Toronto in the Ontario area; many significant landmarks can be spotted during the series.
* [[Canada, Eh?]] - Shot in and around the Mississauga and Toronto in the Ontario area; many significant landmarks can be spotted during the series.
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