Alien Nation the Complete TV Series created by Kenneth Johnson (1989-1990)
23 April 2008I loved the 1988 film when it came out, and was a huge fan of the series when it came on in 1989, and was sad to see it leave the air. Sure it is a bit cheesy at times, veering from Monster of the Week to what new revelations about these aliens will their be this week, but it has great and likeable characters, that really grow with you. And I have to say it is too bad I didn’t see the made for TV movies that continued the series when they came out, but I am glad they are available now (even if they don’t always directly follow continuity from the series or from each other). Sure this show shows that it was made in the 1980’s, but it does deal with some very real world things, like racism and bigotry, and that thread is what made it such a good show, and intertwines with elements like Alien Reproduction, that makes it enjoyable to watch even today.
The show starts just after the movie, which takes place 5 years after an Alien Spacecraft landed in the Mohave desert carrying 250,000 Tenctonses Slaves, an Alien race bred to be adaptable with heightened senses and strength and dexterity. After a long quarantine the Tentonses Newcomers have been released and live in Los Angeles, though many people don’t like them, specifically the Earth first Purists, who want to keep these slags in their slagtown. The series follows a slightly bigoted detective named Matthew Sikes (Gary Graham) who after his partner was killed is partnered with the first Newcomer detective George Francisco (Eric Pierpoint). And through the series we see their friendship grow as they each learn more about each other.
REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS…
George’s family consists of his wife Susan (Michele Scarabelli) who gets work in advertisting. Their elder son Buck (Sean Six) the Alien without a cause who joins a Newcomer Gang, and then becomes all Tenctonese first, never able to find himself. And the younger daughter Emily (Lauren Woodland) who wants to fit in.
Sikes neighbor is a beautiful newcomer named Cathy Frankel (Terri Treas) who is a doctor, and who with sparks fly, but their differences always seem to keep them apart.
The detectives report to the arrogant Captain Byron Grazer (Ron Fassler), and have a newcomer Janitor named Albert Einstein (Jeff Marcus).
Through the show we learn about the newcomers, and their abilities, and even their mating tiruals, which require a second male, a different type (ALbert) to catalyze the female, and eventually the male carries the pod for a while!
And we see the newcomers trying to fit in or not.
And we learn about the Overseers, the Newcomers with tattoos on their wrists that used to control the slaves with gas and brutality, and had total control over their lives, stripping children from their families and making life a constant terror.
The series ended with a cliffhanger with George and his family being poisoned by Purists with a virus, which wasn’t to be answered until the first TV movie, in which they retold the beginning slightly.
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A really good show that makes me wish for more good Science Fiction television.