1068 replies to this topic

[xaxat]

Now that it has a title, I thought I'd start a thread for Falling Skies. Produced by Steven Spielberg, starring Noah Wylie and Moon Bloodgood, it will be airing on TNT. Here's how io9 described it.

Aliens have already wiped out most of the human race, and they're rounding up the survivors. But Wylie, a college professor, rallies a group of survivors to fight back, including his two sons, and Karen (Jessy Schram), one of the group's "motorcycle scouts."

Spielberg doing science fiction on TV was enough to get my interest, but alien invasion sealed the deal. The only thing better than post apocalyptic fiction is post-apoc caused by invading aliens (except for Battlefield Earth). I'll definitely be watching this.

(spoilerish info on the pilot)
(photos)

[Zif]

Spielberg doing science fiction on TV was enough to get my interest

Then you must not have seen Taken. (I kid, sort of...Taken was pretty bad. On the other hand, Spielberg was only the EP, and Leslie Bohem was the main creative force behind the series.)

The stills linked, with the crowd of survivors and the grocery carts, reminded me of those sequences in Spielberg's War of the Worlds where the refugees are fleeing the aliens, particularly that sequence at the ferry. Comparisons will also be drawn to the visuals of The Road, in all likelihood, though I doubt this series will be anywhere near as grim as that.

(I'm kind of amused by the fact that in the middle of an apocalypse, the ragtag band of rebel types shown in the stills all managed to find appropriately washed-out, greyish clothing, as if all the brightly coloured items of clothing in existence were annihilated in the invasion or somehow spontaneously changed colour to reflect the change in humanity's circumstances.)

The writer for the series at the IMDB listing is Robert Rodat, who hasn't done much of anything recently, but who wrote The Patriot--that awful Mel Gibson historical drama flick--and Saving Private Ryan. Maybe this will be less a conventional post-apocalyptic flick and more of a rebellion-against-occupying-forces/war movie-esque outing where the "enemies/occupying forces" are aliens? The blurb from TNT via io9 certainly makes it sound that way.

Edited by Zif, Jul 2, 2010 @ 2:45 AM.

[redshirtx]

The Librarian and the War of the Worlds? I'm in.

According to this press release Comic-Con-goers will get a sneak preview of the show in three weeks, and it also notes the most pertinent production-side information: the showrunners--Mark Verheiden (BSG) and Greg Beeman (Heroes). Flip side, it also gives a distant network debut timeframe...summer 2011. More relevant bits, go:

In FALLING SKIES, Wyle stars as a former college professor who becomes the leader of a group of soldiers and civilians struggling against an occupying alien force. Bloodgood co-stars as Anne Glass, a therapist who works with the surviving children to help them cope with the traumatic situation. The series also stars Drew Roy (Lincoln Heights) as Hal and Maxim Knight (Brothers & Sisters) as Matt, Tom's two sons; and Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) as Lourdes, an orphaned teenager who helps run the group's commissary. Will Patton (Armageddon, TNT's Into the West) plays a fierce leader of the resistance.

FALLING SKIES is executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, along with DreamWorks Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank and screenwriter Robert Rodat. Rodat, who earned an Oscar� nomination for his screenplay for Saving Private Ryan, wrote the pilot from an idea he co-conceived with Spielberg. Verheiden and Greg Beeman (Heroes, Smallville) are co-executive producers. The pilot was directed by Carl Franklin (One False Move, Out of Time).

Edited by redshirtx, Jul 2, 2010 @ 9:16 AM.

[AimingforYoko]

First Trailer.
It looks like a cross between V and War of the Worlds.

[redshirtx]

I like it. It looks like they've got serious money behind this, though I'm now wondering how many episodes we're getting out of the gate...

[Cynthia187]

The previews of this looked good. I'm almost too scared to even watch, lest they snatch it from me.

[ScribblerGuy]

I like it. It looks like they've got serious money behind this, though I'm now wondering how many episodes we're getting out of the gate...

"10 episodes" according to thefutoncritic.com.

[Firebunny]

side information: the showrunners--Mark Verheiden (BSG) and Greg Beeman (Heroes).

Is it wrong of me that these are the two names I find most interesting?

Both Verheiden and Beeman worked on Smallville as executive producers before it became crap. Verheiden wrote several episodes and was, IIRC, the main person behind all the internet tie-ins the show used to do. He left after Season 3 which was when the show took its first turn towards crap. Beeman directed a lot of the standout episodes and was responsible for the look of the show (very sunny and warm with vibrant colors in Smallville and cold and blue in Metropolis). He left, I think, after Season 5, which was the second time the show turned towards crap.

With the two of them working together again I have high hopes that Falling Skies will be well written, well directed and visually interesting.

[sp23]

Ooh, that really looks good. Can it be June now?

Also I found this comment beneath the trailer both amusing and sad (except that I don't care about SGU's cancellation):

So, basically, every network will now have a prime-time Science Fiction show except for SyFy...

[thuganomics85]

Apparently, I'm out of the loop because I just heard about this. Looks good in it's own right, but I'm totally tuning in just for Moon Bloodgood. I still missed the dearly departed Journeyman and I love her in most everything else (except her miscast stint on Burn Notice where, admittedly, she wasn't very good in), so I'm all for her in a regular tv series again.

Noah Wylie and Will Patton are also solid bonuses. Plus Spielberg. And aliens. Can't wait for June.

[TVspectator]

Now that it has a title, I thought I'd start a thread for Falling Skies. Produced by Steven Spielberg, starring Noah Wylie and Moon Bloodgood, it will be airing on TNT.

Spielberg doing science fiction on TV was enough to get my interest, but alien invasion sealed the deal. The only thing better than post apocalyptic fiction is post-apoc caused by invading aliens (except for Battlefield Earth). I'll definitely be watching this.-xaxat

Wow, this new show does sound and look promising. I do know that Spielberg alone is enough to get me interested in this show and I do like the story (which is kind of similar to the V).

Edited by TVspectator, Dec 28, 2010 @ 7:28 PM.

[Bruinsfan]

(I'm kind of amused by the fact that in the middle of an apocalypse, the ragtag band of rebel types shown in the stills all managed to find appropriately washed-out, greyish clothing, as if all the brightly coloured items of clothing in existence were annihilated in the invasion or somehow spontaneously changed colour to reflect the change in humanity's circumstances.)

I, for one, would be wearing the most neutral, blend-into-the-surroundings outdoorsy clothing in my wardrobe if I were running around trying to avoid being killed by our new alien overlords. I suspect I'd last longer than the barfly in her red dress and heels or the Packers fan with his attention-drawing cheese wedge hat.

Edited by Bruinsfan, Dec 29, 2010 @ 1:58 PM.

[Santo]

The trailer looks good. I can't wait for this!

[McKittenplan]

I just caught the trailer and the show looks really derivative but Noah Wyle's scruffy hotness sold me. What can I say - I will put up with a lot of unimaginative crap for some decent eye candy. Count me in!

[mustbekarma]

I just saw the trailer during the season finale of The Closer. That promo was pretty awesome. I'll so be checking this series out. It reminds me of V, the original (and good) series. There was more awesomeness and grittiness in this promo then there's been in the entire new V series, at least for me.

[TVspectator]

Just saw the trailer and I love the look of the aliens (which kind of reminds me of a not-so-friendly version of the aliens from District 9 and that scene of the space ship over the city does also reminded me of the movie). I now think that this show is going to be not about a V-ish or Earth Final Conflict-ish invasion (one where aliens come and say they are friends but secretly taking over the planet) but more like War of the Worlds-ish. Where there is an all out war between hostel aliens and a human resistance movement.

Edited by TVspectator, Jan 8, 2011 @ 10:13 AM.

[Reraizure]

I find it funny/interesting, that American Mainstream SciFi has created a series with Americans taking the side of "enemy combatants", protecting their low-tech civilisation against an invading army with superior weapons and a deadly airforce. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to start a political argument, just sain'...

[BeenHere]

I'm in! We got aliens, lasers, Dr. Carter, Will Patton and lots of action. Plus it reminded me of the original V with how a group of people came together led by Mike and Juliet to fight the Visitors. There is also an Independence Day feel to it.

Then you must not have seen Taken. (I kid, sort of...Taken was pretty bad. On the other hand, Spielberg was only the EP, and Leslie Bohem was the main creative force behind the series.)

Taken was so bad. It should never have been made.

Edited by BeenHere, Jan 8, 2011 @ 8:28 AM.

[Doom]

How I'm just now hearing about this, I do not know. But I like the looks of it. I'm in. The Walking Dead conflicts with this and they (TWD) might lose me on live viewings. I hope they'll have patience with some of the scenes.

I find it funny/interesting, that American Mainstream SciFi has created a series with Americans taking the side of "enemy combatants", protecting their low-tech civilisation against an invading army with superior weapons and a deadly airforce.

This is an awesome comment. Truthfully though, sci-fi has been doing this for a while. In my opinion its mostly less playing the victim when you're really the aggressor than it is "hey, warning - how would you like it to happen to you?"

I kind of got spoiled with the suspense TWD was able to master in the early episodes. If they don't beat you over the head with the invasion, and instead make it a creeping death kind of thing, where it feels more realistic and you have a chance to build up dread and panic and fear, I'll like it a lot more. But for now - on the calendar it goes.

[Tulse]

SciFi has created a series with Americans taking the side of "enemy combatants", protecting their low-tech civilisation against an invading army with superior weapons and a deadly airforce.

Do they yell "Wolverines!" when they attack?

[TVspectator]

Hey, has anyone checked out the Falling Skies Web Comics?

Do they yell "Wolverines!" when they attack?-Tulse

Red Dawn was a great movie and seeing Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen fight fake Russians/Cubans was great.

Edited by TVspectator, Feb 14, 2011 @ 7:15 PM.

[Doom]

They ran an extended preview after the All Star (NBA) festivities. The idea is good, but with Battle: L.A. coming out, it kind of makes this show look like its little brother. But by June, maybe they'll be riding off of people who enjoyed Battle: LA and want more. Christian Bale-alike keeps throwing me off.

[rove3]

New promo from TNT but as it won't play for me at work I have no idea if this is new or not.

[taiko]

find it funny/interesting, that American Mainstream SciFi has created a series with Americans taking the side of "enemy combatants", protecting their low-tech civilisation against an invading army with superior weapons and a deadly airforce. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to start a political argument, just sain'...

Its not new, I remember when the original V miniseries came out besides the Nazi and resistance root of the premise a commentator or actor, the memory fades, was saying how on American TV the side of the Salvadorian rebels was basically being shown.

[bagert]

Hey, has anyone checked out the Falling Skies Web Comics?

Yes. There was also a 12-page free comic distributed at the Falling Skies panel held at Wondercon 2011 this weekend. Here's an article about the panel - WARNING: lots of spoilers!!!

http://spinoff.comic...ng-skies-panel/

I suspect that The 12-pager is set before the webcomic. I say this because The video on the making of the web comics at the TNT site shows story pages set before middle son Ben is kidnapped, which happens before Chapter 1 of the webcomic.

[bagert]

Chapter 12 (of 16) of the web comic is posted at http://www.tnt.tv/se...skies/webcomic/

The latest issue of TV Guide (for April 11-17) had a Sci-Fi preview article which devoted a few paragraphs and couple of photos to Falling Skies.

http://m.io9.com/578...-scans/gallery/

[bagert]

The 5-minute sneak peek from WonderCon is at http://www.spoilertv...sneak-peek.html

A continuity issue is exactly when Ben was taken. Even in this clip it sounds like he visiting a friend at the time of the attack and was captured then, pages from the comic book (not the web comic) at http://www.tnt.tv/dr...sion/?oid=75598 show a story with Ben after the attack but before being captured. So Ben must have visited this friend after the aliens took over - why it's not clear.

[cimmer2]

I'm not sure about this. I'll have to take a wait and see approach. I'm always amazed that space faring beings can trash the planet but plucky little humans continue to resist etc. and aren't just squashed like bugs - I must be getting old and cynical. I know it's because the film makers kind of take the American Indians vs. the Cavalry approach in terms of technological clashes but you know, eventually the Indians lost (in most cases, although being AK Native I like to think that the fact we're still here means we didn't lose exactly :)) because of the technology gap. It's great that you can use rifles or lasar guns but if you can't manufacture them you're sort of dependent on the Invaders for the weapons to fight the Invaders, unless you're getting supplied from a third party.

Now I've never read the comics but I'll be interested to see the way around that since the aliens may die like us (Independence Day, Battle: LA once you past their tech but you're still battling far outside of your 'weight class' and your only saving grace would be that they need you or have some reason not to want to commit genocide.( I actually liked that the original V took a kind of bio warfare approach although why the Visitors continued to stay even with the dust being 'harmless' in temperate areas I never knew, since they stated it had made it's way into the eco system, nothing, people included should have been edible but I quibble. LOL)

[Doom]

I'm optimistic this will at least be decent viewing. They've been running lots of promos lately. It should at least be good for one summer. Hopefully there's some good suspense in it, though probably not.

[bagert]

Chapter 13 of the webcomic came out on April 25:

http://www.tnt.tv/se...omic/?oid=94757

Chapter 14 came out yesterday (May 9):

http://www.tnt.tv/se...oid=95778-95779

Chapters 15 and 16 (the last two) should come out on May 23 and June 6, respectively, with the series premiere on Sunday, June 19. I read somewhere a quote from one of the producers that said the end of the webcomic would lead directly into the series premiere.