View source for War of the Worlds (1988 TV series)

{{Short description|Science fiction television series}}
{{Infobox television
| image         = War of the Worlds TV series.jpg
| caption       =
| num_seasons   = 2
| runtime       = 45 minutes
| genre         = [[Science fiction]]
| creator       = Greg Strangis
| starring      = {{Plainlist|
* [[Jared Martin]]
* Lynda Mason Green
* [[Philip Akin]] (season 1)
* [[Richard Chaves]] (season 1)
* [[Adrian Paul]] (season 2)
}}
| composer      = {{Plainlist|
* [[Billy Thorpe]] (season 1)
* [[Fred Mollin]] (season 2)
}}
| country       = {{Plainlist|
* Canada
* United States
}}
| network       = [[Television syndication|First-run syndication]]
| company       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Paramount Domestic Television]]
* Ten Four Productions (season 1)
* Hometown Films (season 2)
* Triumph Entertainment
}}
| location      = [[Toronto]], Ontario, Canada
| first_aired   = {{Start date|1988|10|7}}
| last_aired    = {{End date|1990|5|14}}
| num_episodes  = 44
| list_episodes = #Episodes
}}
'''''War of the Worlds''''' is a science fiction television series that ran for two seasons, from October 7, 1988 to May 14, 1990. The series is a continuation of the 1953 film ''[[The War of the Worlds (1953 film)|The War of the Worlds]]'', a loose adaptation of the 1898 [[The War of the Worlds|novel of the same title]] by [[H. G. Wells]], using the same [[Tripod (War of the Worlds)|war machine]] designs and often incorporating aspects from the film, [[The War of the Worlds (radio)|radio adaptation]], and the original novel into its mythology.
Though the original film's producer, [[George Pal]], envisioned a TV follow-up sometime in the 1970s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/war_of_the_worlds_tv_pal.htm|title=George Pal's War Of The Worlds TV Series (Circa 1975)|work=War of the Worlds – Invasion: The Historical Perspective|access-date=March 20, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174259/http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/war_of_the_worlds_tv_pal.htm|archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref> it was not until the late 1980s that a series was finally realized, this time by television producer Greg Strangis. The show was a part of the boom of first-run syndicated television series being produced at the time. It was later shown in reruns on the [[Syfy|Sci Fi Channel]].
The series was filmed in [[Toronto]], Ontario, Canada.
== Premise ==
According to the series, rather than being killed outright by [[Microorganism|germ]]s at the end of the 1953 film, the aliens had all slipped into a state of [[suspended animation]]. Their bodies were stored away in toxic waste drums and shipped to various disposal sites within the United States (ten such sites are known to exist in the country)<ref>Dumpsite locations are visible on a map from the episode "The Last Supper".),</ref> and a widespread government [[cover-up]] combined with a condition dubbed “[[selective amnesia]]” has convinced most people that the invasion had never happened.
Although the original movie narration had explicitly stated that the aliens were Martians (even featuring artwork indicating an alien city on the planet [[Mars (planet)|Mars]]), since 1953 the concept of vastly intelligent life on Mars had lost plausibility. In the series, the aliens are revealed to actually be from Mor-Tax—a garden planet 40 [[light-year]]s away in the [[Taurus (constellation)|Taurus constellation]] orbiting a dying sun.
Thirty-five years later, in 1988 (modern day when the series began), a terrorist group calling itself the People's Liberation Party accidentally irradiates the drums containing the aliens while raiding the dumpsite near Fort Jericho. The radiation destroys the bacteria that were keeping the aliens unconscious. Once free, the aliens take possession of the bodies of the six terrorists who overran the site. From there they use a series of human bodies and crudely adapted Earth technology to find means of appropriating the planet, both in removing humanity and developing a permanent means to inoculate themselves against the planet's indigenous bacteria. Their attempt to successfully make Earth into their new homeworld is imperative, for in roughly five years three million colonists from Mor-Tax are expected to arrive.
== Plot ==
=== First season ===
Opening narration (spoken in [[voice-over]] by Martin in character as Blackwood):
{{Blockquote|In 1953, Earth experienced a War of the Worlds. Common bacteria stopped the aliens, but it didn't kill them. Instead, the aliens lapsed into a state of deep hibernation. Now the aliens have been resurrected, more terrifying than ever before. In 1953, the aliens started taking over the world; today, they're taking over our bodies!<ref>This is the quote originally used. For reasons unknown a different take of Martin's reading is used in the second half of the season. The quote is verbatim of the first except he now says that the aliens are "more terrifying than {{em|ever}} before."</ref>}}
Along with other [[science fiction|sci-fi]]/[[horror fiction|horror]] series that ran in syndication in the late 1980s (such as ''[[Friday the 13th: The Series]]'' and ''[[Freddy's Nightmares]]''), ''War of the Worlds'' constantly pushed the “acceptable content” envelope, regularly featuring violence on par with the [[MPAA film rating system|R-rated]] horror movies of the time. Gore is commonplace in the first season: dead aliens and their tossed-away hosts’ bodies melt in a grotesque puddle and the ruthless Mor-Taxans have no compunctions about torturing or mutilating any human who gets in their way. One of their trademark methods of murder would be gouged-out eyes courtesy of the third arm that would often burst out from their chest.
During the first season, the aliens are led by a [[triumvirate]] known as the Advocacy. They are a part of their society's ruling class, overseeing the invasion force on Earth while their leaders, the invisible and never heard Council, remain back on Mor-Tax. Outfitted throughout most of the season in contamination suits that pump coolant to counteract the killing heat of the radiation they need, they stay in their base of operation: a cavern in the [[Nevada]] desert, which is perfect due to the ambient radiation from [[nuclear weapon|atomic bomb]] tests. Due to the risks to their lives, they rarely venture into the outside world because without the Advocacy the lower classes would have no guidance and be useless.
Their goal is to pick up where they left off in 1953 by making way on Earth for the three million colonists heading in exodus from their dying world. Their major objective in order to accomplish this [[terraforming]] is to remove humanity from the planet. The aliens’ hatred of human beings goes beyond simple prejudice. Having come from a planet that can be compared to the [[Garden of Eden]] based on its description, the aliens see that humans do nothing but desecrate what they would call a paradise, and most importantly, a new home. Without humans in the way, they can restore the vegetation, and better replicate the conditions of their deceased world. To carry out a successful war, they seek out weapons (some of which are their own left behind from previous visitations), help amass their army, and engage in infiltration and all sorts of acts of warfare. But to make things more problematic, they must also find immunity against the germs that befell them in 1953.
The simplicity of the alien invasion storyline is countered in the first season by the addition of anomalous entities whose motives are only partially explained:
* Quinn: An alien trapped in a human host since the invasion of ’53, mysteriously immune to bacteria, and ready to play both of the major warring factions against each other for his own favor.
* The Qar’To: An unknown alien race represented by a synthetic lifeform sent to Earth, they want the Mor-Taxans dead and humanity preserved, but for sinister reasons.
* Project 9: A shadow government organization much like the Blackwood Project, but more interested in alien research than in resisting or countering the Mor-Taxan invasion plans.
A number of recurring allies are presented for the Blackwood team. Sylvia Van Buren (a character from the George Pal film reprised by the original actress, [[Ann Robinson]]), who was a colleague of Dr. Forrester, has since the end of the war developed the ability to sense the aliens and is prone to fairly accurate precognitive visions. The aliens’ scientific arsenal has little power over the supernatural powers of shaman Joseph Lonetree (whose presence is seemingly foreshadowed in the first episode). The team even makes friends with the remaining [[Grover's Mill]] militia of 1938 who had their own run-in with the aliens.
A recurring element in the series is the [[3 (number)|number three]]. This is an extension of the film, wherein the aliens’ physiology, technology and society are rooted in multiples of three: from their caste system (ruling class, soldiers, and scientists) to their bodies (three arms with three fingers), weaponry (in “The Resurrection”, they make [[bolas]] with three weighted ends), and even their mating cycle is every nine years (three times three years). The appearance of the number in some form is sprinkled throughout the season in reference to the aliens.
The episodes all had (often ironic) [[Bible|Biblical]] titles, such as "The Walls of Jericho", "To Heal the Leper", and "Among the Philistines".
“To Life Immortal” (''too doe nakotae''<ref>This spelling can be seen onscreen in "Among the Philistines" on Norton's computer monitor. Another spelling variation is visible as well, but it is not seen clearly enough.</ref> as it would be said in the aliens’ [[first language|native tongue]]), a phrase by which the aliens seem to sum up their belief system, is a common exchange between aliens, as a pledge to their shared goal or as a battle cry before honorable self-sacrifice. It later became a popular [[catchphrase]] among the show's fans.
=== Second season ===
Opening voice-over:
{{Blockquote|There's rioting breaking out through the city. Fire is continuing to burn everywhere. Troops are shooting people. My God, I... I don't know why! There's a woman dying in front of me, and no one's helping her! There are conflicting reports about who or what started the chaos. Will someone tell me what's happening? This is madness! What is this world coming to?|source=Off screen news reporter as the camera flies around a model night-time cityscape}}
The creative team of Season 1 was replaced, bringing in [[Frank Mancuso, Jr.]], who was also busy producing ''[[Friday the 13th: The Series]]''. Many aspects of the show were retooled, such as the title sequence and music, and much of the black humor and Biblical references were removed. Norton and Ironhorse, two major characters from the first season, are killed off in the season premiere and replaced by mercenary John Kincaid ([[Adrian Paul]]).
The modern-day setting of the first season shifted to a not-too-distant future of "Almost Tomorrow" in which the world has since spiraled into a dismal state with its economy, environment, and government all beaten down. The antagonists of the first season are replaced by the Morthren, from Mothrai; while the first season aliens were said to be from the planet Mor-Tax, there is a half-hearted explanation for this change in the final episode. The Morthren exterminate all the aliens from the first season for their failure to eradicate humanity.
Whereas bacteria and radiation are constant problems for the aliens in the first season, the Morthren have quickly found a cure-all means for this by transmutating into human bodies. With this, they forwent the ability to possess human bodies, retaining only one human body. These bodies are, however, easily damaged; as seen in the series a single bullet wound is enough to cause the aliens' human form to break down, killing them. Their equivalent of body-swapping is a cloning machine that makes exact copies of someone, the only difference being the duplicates loyalty to the Morthren cause. Their continued existence is also linked to the original person being kept alive by the aliens, as Ironhorse fatally proves in the first episode of the season. Ironically, as sores are the telltale signs of alien possession in the first season, a lack of scars or any physical flaw was a telltale sign of a clone, as the Morthren are fixated with perfection. While the Eternal is their god, the Morthren are led by Malzor (played by [[Denis Forest]], who had a large part in the Season 1 episode “Vengeance Is Mine”). Just under him was the scientist Mana ([[Catherine Disher]], whose husband also played a major role in a Season 1 episode) with Ardix ([[Julian Richings]] who appeared briefly in “He Feedeth Among the Lillies”) as her assistant.
Meanwhile, with General Wilson missing, the Cottage destroyed, and two team members lost in battle, the remnants of the team, with mercenary Kincaid, seek shelter. They take up base in an underground hideout in the sewers.  Some of the characters experience shifts, such as Harrison carrying a gun, becoming more sullen and losing his more quirky personality traits. The friction between the militaristic Ironhorse and the other team members was not transferred with Kincaid, who got along well with everyone, who themselves became more militaristic in season 2. The show's theme of warfare between two races, and all the issues that come with it, was replaced by a theme of a bleak life on a desolate world, but with possible hope for the future.
Although the series was canceled after 14 episodes had been broadcast, six more episodes were completed. This gave the production team the time and opportunity to create a finale, "The Obelisk", which offers a conclusive ending to the series as a whole.
== Cast ==
=== Main cast ===
An eclectic group is formed by the government to deal with the new alien threat, and the series follows their missions and adventures (and often failures) in fighting the aliens. The Blackwood Project, named after its central member, consists of the following:
* Dr. Harrison Blackwood ([[Jared Martin]]): [[astrophysics|Astrophysicist]] whose parents were killed in the 1953 invasion. He was adopted following the events of the film by [[Doctor Clayton Forrester (War of the Worlds)|Dr. Clayton Forrester]] and Blackwood's character is played very much to resemble Forrester down to his demeanor, dress, and even his speech and appearance. He is a [[pacifism|pacifist]] and a [[vegetarianism|vegetarian]], and is often seen practicing many alternative health techniques such as [[yoga]] during the first season, but becomes grittier in the second.
* Dr. Suzanne McCullough (Lynda Mason Green): [[Microbiologist]] and single mother to Debi. She firmly embraces standard procedure in her work, which causes friction with Blackwood and his chaotic and eccentric work habits.
* Debi McCullough ([[Rachel Blanchard]])
* Norton Drake ([[Philip Akin]], season 1): A long-time friend of Harrison, he is a [[paraplegic]] computer genius who is granted mobility via a voice-activated wheelchair named Gertrude. He is often portrayed as being cool and laid back with a good sense of humor. In earlier episodes he had a pseudo-Caribbean accent; this was later dropped.
* Lt. Col. Paul Ironhorse ([[Richard Chaves]], season 1): Military man. He is rather conservative and often clashes with the other members of the team, especially Blackwood who is his political and philosophical opposite.
* John Kincaid ([[Adrian Paul]], season 2): Human resistance member
* Malzor ([[Denis Forest]], season 2): Alien commander
* Mana ([[Catherine Disher]], season 2): Alien scientist
=== Notable guest stars ===
The first season featured some recognisable actors in the series. Aside from getting [[Ann Robinson]] to reprise her role as Sylvia van Buren from the film, the series also obtained [[John Colicos]] (from ''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' and ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'') as rogue alien Quinn who, while only appearing twice, was no doubt intended to play an integral part of the series as it went on (the character's power-hungry nature and middleman status between two worlds is noticeably reminiscent of Colicos’ role as [[Lord Baltar]]). The list of notable guests begins in the show's very start with [[John Vernon]] appearing in the first two episodes as General Wilson. Other guest stars throughout the series: [[Patrick Macnee]], [[Greg Morris]], [[Jeff Corey]], [[John Ireland (actor)|John Ireland]], [[Colm Feore]], and [[James Hong]].
The series was also the early working ground for future stars. [[Chris Potter (actor)|Chris Potter]] made his acting debut in the second episode of season one. Singer [[Alannah Myles]] appears in the 20th episode of season one, which aired less than three weeks after the release of her platinum-certified [[Alannah Myles (album)|eponymous debut album]]. Aside from exclusive season two star [[Adrian Paul]] (of ''[[Highlander (TV series)|Highlander]]'' fame), the second season also featured the first onscreen appearance of [[Mia Kirshner]]. The second season also gave more screentime to [[Rachel Blanchard]], who only had minor play in the first season.  [[Julian Richings]] also makes regular appearances as Ardix, an alien scientist working under Mana.
== Episodes ==
===Season 1 (1988–89)===
Note that three episodes ("The Walls of Jericho", "The Good Samaritan", and "Epiphany") are credited to pseudonyms based on the original film characters Clayton Forrester and Sylvia van Buren.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=T0aCSs1-23sC&dq=%22Forrest+Van+Buren%22+%22Sylvia+Clayton%22&pg=PA193 ''War of the Worlds: From Wells To Spielberg'', by John L. Flynn]</ref>  These were the first three regular episodes produced, during the [[1988 Writers Guild of America strike]], and the writers (possibly including series creator Greg Strangis) went uncredited to avoid being charged with strikebreaking.
{{Episode table
|background=#B0171F
|overall=5
|season=5
|title=22
|director=17
|writer=34
|airdate=17
|episodes=
{{Episode list
| NumParts   =  2
| EpisodeNumber_1   = 1
| EpisodeNumber_2   = 2
| EpisodeNumber2_1  = 1
| EpisodeNumber2_2  = 2
| Title           = The Resurrection
| DirectedBy      = Colin Chilvers
| WrittenBy       = Greg Strangis
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1988|10|7}}
| ShortSummary    = In 1953, a worldwide alien invasion would have eliminated humanity had the extraterrestrial invaders not been vulnerable to the indigenous bacteria on the planet. Now an accident at a dumpsite revives the comatose aliens who then shortly attempt to resume the war they started 35 years ago.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 3
| EpisodeNumber2  = 3
| Title           = The Walls of Jericho
| DirectedBy      = Colin Chilvers
| WrittenBy       = Forrest Van Buren
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1988|10|10}}
| ShortSummary    = After a period without any further evidence of the aliens' existence, the powers-that-be try to shut down the Blackwood Project. Meanwhile, the aliens try desperately to find a way to combat the threat brought on by the radiation that is killing them.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 4
| EpisodeNumber2  = 4
| Title           = Thy Kingdom Come
| DirectedBy      = Winrich Kolbe
| WrittenBy       = Herbert Wright
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1988|10|17}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens trek to Canada in order to free more of their sleeping brethren. The Blackwood Project's only hope in finding them lies in the scattered mind of War of the Worlds veteran Sylvia Van Buren.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 5
| EpisodeNumber2  = 5
| Title           = A Multitude of Idols
| DirectedBy      = Neill Fearnley
| WrittenBy       = Tom Lazarus
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1988|10|24}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens move toward an operation that will begin integrating themselves into human society, thus developing agents to be active anywhere in the world.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 6
| EpisodeNumber2  = 6
| Title           = Eye for an Eye
| DirectedBy      = Mark Sobel
| WrittenBy       = Tom Lazarus
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1988|10|31}}
| ShortSummary    = As Grover's Mill celebrates the 50th anniversary of the [[The War of the Worlds (1938 radio drama)|radio drama]] that made it famous, little do they know what really happened that night in 1938, or that the "Martians" have returned.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 7
| EpisodeNumber2  = 7
| Title           = The Second Seal
| DirectedBy      = William Fruet
| WrittenBy       = David Tynan
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1988|11|7}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens begin infiltrating a military base in hopes of possessing a list containing the location of 10,000 of their stored-away comrades.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 8
| EpisodeNumber2  = 8
| Title           = Goliath Is My Name
| DirectedBy      = George Bloomfield
| WrittenBy       = Tom Lazarus
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1988|11|14}}
| ShortSummary    = A fantasy game and reality collide for students when the aliens invade a campus to steal a lethal biological substance. Things become even worse when an alien is exposed to the toxin and becomes a mentally unstable rogue.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 9
| EpisodeNumber2  = 9
| Title           = To Heal the Leper
| DirectedBy      = William Fruet
| WrittenBy       = David Tynan
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1988|11|21}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens are in jeopardy, as the Advocacy's collective counsel is crippled from the weakened state of one of the three. It seems that a dark cloud is lifting, but only Harrison believes they remain a threat.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 10
| EpisodeNumber2  = 10
| Title           = The Good Samaritan
| DirectedBy      = Paul Tucker
| WrittenBy       = Sylvia Clayton
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1988|12|26}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens have produced a deadly toxin, and a miraculous new development to feed the world becomes their means of mass poisoning.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 11
| EpisodeNumber2  = 11
| Title           = Epiphany
| DirectedBy      = Neill Fearnley
| WrittenBy       = Sylvia Van Buren
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|1|2}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens plan to provoke a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union, taking advantage of humanity's own violent nature in order to speed along its inevitable self-destruction.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 12
| EpisodeNumber2  = 12
| Title           = Among the Philistines
| DirectedBy      = William Fruet
| WrittenBy       = Patrick Berry
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|1|9}}
| ShortSummary    = A set-up for the aliens by the Blackwood Project is soon spun on its head as an alien manages to infiltrate the Cottage.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 13
| EpisodeNumber2  = 13
| Title           = Choirs of Angels
| DirectedBy      = Herbert Wright
| WrittenBy       = Durnford King
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|1|16}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens plant subliminal messages in a musician's recordings to brainwash a brilliant scientist into creating a cure for them against the bacteria on Earth.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 14
| EpisodeNumber2  = 14
| Title           = Dust to Dust
| DirectedBy      = George Bloomfield
| WrittenBy       = Richard Krizemien
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|1|23}}
| ShortSummary    = The theft of an Indian object provokes disgust from Ironhorse. But it also garners the aliens' interest, as it holds something that belongs to one of their ancient war machines.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 15
| EpisodeNumber2  = 15
| Title           = He Feedeth Among the Lilies
| DirectedBy      = George Bloomfield
| WrittenBy       = Tom Lazarus
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|1|30}}
| ShortSummary    = To better understand their problem, the aliens begin abducting humans to learn the secret of their immune systems.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 16
| EpisodeNumber2  = 16
| Title           = The Prodigal Son
| DirectedBy      = George McCowan
| WrittenBy       = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Patrick Berry|t=Herbert Wright|tfirst=y}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|2|6}}
| ShortSummary    = In 1953, aliens invaded Earth, but were stopped when they fell to the planet's bacteria—except one. Now this rebellious rogue alien uses Blackwood's meeting with the United Nations to help his own plan for global domination.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 17
| EpisodeNumber2  = 17
| Title           = The Meek Shall Inherit
| DirectedBy      = William Fruet
| WrittenBy       = D.C. Fontana
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|2|13}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens plan to have human society disorganized by paralyzing its means of communication.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 18
| EpisodeNumber2  = 18
| Title           = Unto Us a Child Is Born
| DirectedBy      = George Bloomfield
| WrittenBy       = David Braff
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|2|20}}
| ShortSummary    = After a pregnant woman is possessed by an alien and gives birth, the child becomes the focus of a search as it may offer an immunity to Earth's bacteria.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 19
| EpisodeNumber2  = 19
| Title           = The Last Supper
| DirectedBy      = George McCowan
| WrittenBy       = George Lazarus
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|3|6}}
| ShortSummary    = A secret meeting between countries is conducted in order to evaluate the global alien threat. However, the Advocacy learns of this grouping, and seize it as an opportunity to swiftly crush resistance.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 20
| EpisodeNumber2  = 20
| Title           = Vengeance Is Mine
| DirectedBy      = George Bloomfield
| WrittenBy       = Arnold Margolin
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|4|17}}
| ShortSummary    = Ironhorse must deal with a mistake that no soldier wants to make: the killing of an innocent civilian. Meanwhile, the aliens resort to robbery to acquire the rubies they need to power a new line of laser weapons.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 21
| EpisodeNumber2  = 21
| Title           = My Soul to Keep
| DirectedBy      = William Fruet
| WrittenBy       = John Kubichan
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|4|24}}
| ShortSummary    = The time to reproduce, and thus increase their army, has come for the aliens. But the offspring are endangered by radiation and the aliens take a risky move to ensure their future.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 22
| EpisodeNumber2  = 22
| Title           = So Shall Ye Reap
| DirectedBy      = George Bloomfield
| WrittenBy       = Michael McKormack
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|5|1}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens infiltrate the illegal drug trade in order to circulate a narcotic that will turn humans into violent killers.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 23
| EpisodeNumber2  = 23
| Title           = The Raising of Lazarus
| DirectedBy      = Neill Fearnley
| WrittenBy       = Durnford King
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|5|8}}
| ShortSummary    = A strange alien pod is found and taken to a nuclear research facility. The Blackwood Project is summoned to investigate, but their authority is soon overridden by a mysterious Project 9.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 24
| EpisodeNumber2  = 24
| Title           = The Angel of Death
| DirectedBy      = Herbert Wright
| WrittenBy       = Herbert Wright
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|5|15}}
| ShortSummary    = After more than a year of being resisted by humans, the aliens are finally shaken by the arrival of a familiar enemy that has arrived on Earth. But is ''the enemy of our enemy'' our friend?
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
}}
===Season 2 (1989–90)===
{{Episode table
|background=#B0171F
|overall=5
|season=5
|title=22
|director=17
|writer=34
|airdate=17
|episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 25
| EpisodeNumber2  = 1
| Title           = The Second Wave
| DirectedBy      = [[Francis Delia]]
| WrittenBy       = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Michael Michalian|t=Michael Michalian & [[Jonathan Glassner]]|tfirst=y}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|10|2}}
| ShortSummary    = The Morthren, a new race of aliens from the planet Morthrai, eliminate the Mor-Taxans for their failure and take over the invasion.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 26
| EpisodeNumber2  = 2
| Title           = No Direction Home
| DirectedBy      = Mark Sobel
| WrittenBy       = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Thomas Baum|t=Nolan Powers|tfirst=y}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|10|9}}
| ShortSummary    = After the destruction of the Cottage, the team finds a new base of operations to continue the fight against the Morthren.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 27
| EpisodeNumber2  = 3
| Title           = Doomsday
| DirectedBy      = Timothy Bond
| WrittenBy       = Tony DiFranco
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|10|16}}
| ShortSummary    = When a severe heat wave strikes, the aliens cut off the city's water supply and exploit a local Reverend to drive humans into worshipping the Morthren Eternal.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 28
| EpisodeNumber2  = 4
| Title           = Terminal Rock
| DirectedBy      = Gabriel Pelletier
| WrittenBy       = John Groves
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|10|23}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens replace the leader of a punk rock band with a clone, in order to incite humans into killing each other through music.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 29
| EpisodeNumber2  = 5
| Title           = Breeding Ground
| DirectedBy      = Armand Mastroianni
| WrittenBy       = Alan Moskowitz
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|10|30}}
| ShortSummary    = Harrison goes to the Metro Hospital for medical supplies, and discovers that an old friend of his is being forced to implant alien embryos in human hosts. Ultimately, a human/alien hybrid baby is born and successfully acquired by the Morthren.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 30
| EpisodeNumber2  = 6
| Title           = Seft of Emun
| DirectedBy      = William Fruet
| WrittenBy       = J.K.E. Rose
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|11|6}}
| ShortSummary    = With their power supply running low, the Morthren revive a high priestess from another world they destroyed, who is able to convert raw materials into energy-generating crystals. She psychically contacts Harrison, urging Blackwood to save her and her son from the Morthren.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 31
| EpisodeNumber2  = 7
| Title           = Loving the Alien
| DirectedBy      = Otta Hanus
| WrittenBy       = Janet MacLean
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|11|13}}
| ShortSummary    = Tired of hiding underground, Debi McCullough sneaks into the outside world and forms a bond with Ceeto, a rebellious young alien.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 32
| EpisodeNumber2  = 8
| Title           = Night Moves
| DirectedBy      = Mark Sobel
| WrittenBy       = Lorne Rossman
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1989|11|20}}
| ShortSummary    = Suzanne and Debi attempt to move to a country farm owned by Suzanne's mother, only to find that the Morthren are using it to incubate alien crops.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 33
| EpisodeNumber2  = 9
| Title           = Synthetic Love
| DirectedBy      = Francis Delia
| WrittenBy       = Nancy Ann Miller
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|1|15}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens develop a new drug made from human brain tissue, planning to use it to control human society.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 34
| EpisodeNumber2  = 10
| Title           = The Defector
| DirectedBy      = Armand Mastroianni
| WrittenBy       = Sandra Berg & Judith Berg
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|1|22}}
| ShortSummary    = When an alien weapon intended to kill humans via computer systems backfires, its creator, Kemo, is maimed in the process and then sentenced to death for his incompetence. Having developed human emotions as a result of his accident, Kemo teams with Kincaid to destroy the weapon.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 35
| EpisodeNumber2  = 11
| Title           = Time to Reap
| DirectedBy      = Joseph L. Scanlan
| WrittenBy       = Jim Trombetta
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|1|29}}
| ShortSummary    = A rare planetary alignment allows the aliens to create a time portal. Blackwood must stop them from immunizing the Mor-Taxan invaders in 1953.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 36
| EpisodeNumber2  = 12
| Title           = The Pied Piper
| DirectedBy      = Allan Eastman
| WrittenBy       = Alan Moskowitz
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|2|5}}
| ShortSummary    = The human-alien hybrid boy, Adam, is sent to infiltrate the Creche, a human institution where children with "superior" abilities are genetically engineered. Suzanne forms a bond with Adam and hopes to dissuade him from bringing the other children into the Eternal's grasp.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 37
| EpisodeNumber2  = 13
| Title           = The Deadliest Disease
| DirectedBy      = William Fruet
| WrittenBy       = {{StoryTeleplay|s=William Coneybeare|t=Carl Binder|tfirst=y}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|2|12}}
| ShortSummary    = Threatened by Earth's bacteria yet again, the aliens decide to attain a tissue-repairing med-cell. When it is stolen and ends up on the black market, both the aliens and Blackwood provoke a violent gang war.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 38
| EpisodeNumber2  = 14
| Title           = Path of Lies
| DirectedBy      = Allan Eastman
| WrittenBy       = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Rick Schwartz|t=Rick Schwartz & Nancy Ann Miller|tfirst=y}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|2|19}}
| ShortSummary    = A newspaper reporter, Marc Traynor, attains photographic evidence of the aliens, and only Blackwood can protect him from termination.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 39
| EpisodeNumber2  = 15
| Title           = Candle in the Night
| DirectedBy      = Armand Mastroianni
| WrittenBy       = Carl Binder
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|4|9}}
| ShortSummary    = Blackwood diverts his efforts into giving Debi the best birthday possible, while the aliens deal with a runaway probe.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 40
| EpisodeNumber2  = 16
| Title           = Video Messiah
| DirectedBy      = Gabrielle Pelletier
| WrittenBy       = Norman Snider
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|4|16}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens infiltrate an advertising agency, planning to brainwash humans via subliminal messages in TV commercials.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 41
| EpisodeNumber2  = 17
| Title           = Totally Real
| DirectedBy      = William Fruet
| WrittenBy       = Jim Trombetta
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|4|23}}
| ShortSummary    = Debi is caught up in a fight simulation developed by the aliens to study human creativity.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 42
| EpisodeNumber2  = 18
| Title           = Max
| DirectedBy      = Jorge Montesi
| WrittenBy       = Naomi Janzen
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|4|30}}
| ShortSummary    = Kincaid's dead brother is revived by the aliens as a deadly cyborg and sent to crush Blackwood and the underground military resistance.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 43
| EpisodeNumber2  = 19
| Title           = The True Believer
| DirectedBy      = Armand Mastroianni
| WrittenBy       = Jim Henshaw
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|5|7}}
| ShortSummary    = The aliens are running low on resources, and Malzor attempts to maintain his standing with the Eternal by turning the human authorities against Blackwood.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber   = 44
| EpisodeNumber2  = 20
| Title           = The Obelisk
| DirectedBy      = William Fruet
| WrittenBy       = Rick Schwartz & Nancy Ann Miller
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1990|5|14}}
| ShortSummary    = Malzor plans to release deadly Telesian spores in a desperate last bid to destroy all life on Earth. However, Debi's alien friend Ceeto steals an obelisk containing shocking secrets that bring the war to an unexpected conclusion.
| LineColor       = B0171F
}}
}}
== Releases ==
=== Novelization ===
A novelization of the pilot episode was written by J. M. Dillard. While following the same narrative structure of the episode, the book contains characters from the 1953 film and scenes not included in the final cut of the pilot; it also explores more deeply the aliens' political motivations, and emphasizes denial instead of the "selective amnesia" aspect of the plot.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.trenchcoatsoft.com/2015/09/30/parenthesis-jm-dillards-novelization-of-war-of-the-worlds-the-resurrection/|title=Parenthesis: JM Dillard's Novelization of War of the Worlds: The Resurrection|date=September 30, 2015|access-date=September 19, 2018}}</ref>
=== Home media ===
On November 1, 2005, [[Paramount Home Media Distribution]] released season 1 on DVD in Region 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/War-Worlds/3894|title=War of the Worlds - Paramount's official package shot for the 1st season|last=Lambert|first=David|work=TV Shows on DVD|date=August 12, 2005|access-date=March 20, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401154748/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/War-Worlds/3894|archive-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref>  The set's release coincided with the DVD re-release of the 1953 film from which the show was spawned (the [[War of the Worlds (2005 film)|updated version]] from Steven Spielberg being released on DVD later the same month). A common criticism of the DVDs has been the poor image quality; fans in particular also point out the omission of the alien hand animation from the opening credits that had been inexplicably removed from every episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.war-of-the-worlds.org/Series/Schedules.shtml|title=Brief DVD review at The Complete War of the Worlds Website|work=War-of-the-Worlds.org|access-date=March 20, 2016}}</ref> The set contains no special features. It does, however, allow the viewer to jump to a chapter, which are divided by act, including the opening and closing credits, but are not available via any menu.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} It also includes [[closed captioning]], but these may not be entirely reliable as there are several clear errors - for example, it is inconsistent in how it spells the name of the aliens' homeworld, neither of which is the canonical spelling. By contrast, however, in a few episodes, the captioning refers to the Advocates by the name of their original host bodies from the pilot episode (i.e. Chambers, Urick, and Einhorn), even in the absence of the original actors.{{original research inline|date=May 2012}}
The second and final season was released on October 26, 2010, nearly five years after the release of the first season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/War-Worlds-Season-2/14212|title="War of the Worlds: The Second Invasion" Comes to DVD At Last with the Second and Final Season|last=Lambert|first=David|work=TV Shows on DVD|date=August 9, 2010|access-date=March 20, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401100232/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/War-Worlds-Season-2/14212|archive-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref>
In Region 2, [[Revelation Films]] has released both seasons on DVD in the UK.  Season 1 was released on April 30, 2012<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Of-The-Worlds-Season/dp/B00790RMRS|title=War Of The Worlds - Season 1|date=30 April 2012|via=Amazon}}</ref> and Season 2 was released on August 30, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Of-Worlds-Complete-Season/dp/B007IV5GQM|title=War Of The Worlds - Season 2|date=27 August 2012|via=Amazon}}</ref>
On February 6, 2018, [[CBS Home Entertainment]] and Paramount Home Media Distribution released seasons 1 and 2 as a single package entitled ''War of the Worlds: The Complete Series'' on DVD.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/War-Worlds-The-Complete-Series/23799|title=War of the Worlds - Missed the ''War'' the First Time Around? {{'}}''The Complete Series''{{'}} is Announced!|last=Lambert|first=David|work=TV Shows on DVD|date=November 14, 2017|access-date=November 14, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115083114/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/War-Worlds-The-Complete-Series/23799|archive-date=November 15, 2017}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0094578|War of the Worlds}}
{{The War of the Worlds}}
[[Category:1980s American science fiction television series]]
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