THE NEXT WAVE: 'WAR OF THE WORLDS' SEASON TWO ON UK DVD

In their hands? WAR OF THE WORLDS Season Two arrives on UK DVD. Images: CBS DVD/REVELATION FILMS.

"I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship..."

Famous last words spoken by Dr. Harrison Blackwood, scientist and alien fighter, played by Jared Martin, at the end of the first audience successful season of the hit PARAMOUNT TV series of the late eighties: WAR OF THE WORLDS, a re-imagining/continuance of the classic novel of 1898 charting the invasion of Earth by a fleet of Martians in their unstoppable war machines, written by that literary genius H. G. Wells. Their first major battle won against an en masse hidden enemy (having removed themselves from their radiation soaked Mojave desert base and the continued planning of terrorist-style atrocities against Humanity), thanks to the help of another alien, and an enemy of the Martian (Mor-Tax) invaders, the killing machine synthetic android female Q'Tara (Elaine Giftos), Harrison and this Project Blackwood team unfortunately failed to recognise an even greater enemy on the horizon ready to hamper, then ruin, their continued plans to strike back against the invaders: namely their own creators at PARAMOUNT TELEVISION!

Hiring a new producer to oversee the new second season of WAR, the company, thinking the show needed some tinkering to entice further new audiences, hired Frank Mancuso, Jr. as the new series producer, on the strength of his success for the company with another of their weekly series then in syndication/production: the horror/anthology FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SERIES. Wanting to inject new blood and make a mark, as all incoming producers like to do, Mancuso made the big mistake of completely and unnecessarily revamping the shows format in its entirety, abandoning any continuity, removing some of its now familiar motifs, and basically hurting the show just when the series had built up a strong format, was hitting its creative stride and was liked by audiences. Gone would be the series original aliens, the Mor-Tax, wiped out and replaced by a new race: the more humanoid and emotionally complex Morthren. Gone was the scientific/military resistance force that was the Blackwood Project, its base of operations blown to smithereens at the end of the new series opening episode, with its small but dedicated team scattered across an America now at the point of meltdown, its resources starved and its society/people desperate to survive in a kind of post-apocalyptic nightmare environment now ripe for out of this world takeover. But worst of all for the series fans was the killing off of two of the shows main characters: the wheelchair bound electronic genius Norton Drake, played with enthusiasm by Phil Akin, and, even worse, the shows most popular character, the alien butt-kicking Lt. Colonel Paul Ironhorse, as played with conservative military determination, but also humanity, by Richard Chaves. Though given a strong and memorable exit, Chaves forced exit from the series was ultimately Mancuso's biggest mistake, replacing him with a less interesting character/actor, British born Adrian Paul, later to become internationally known as the star of the HIGHLANDER TV series, as new action hero/lead character, and an ex-member of Ironhorse's Delta Squad now turned mercenary, John Kincaid. In honour of his fallen former commander, Kincaid soon aides our remaining heroes (Martin as Blackwood, Lynda Mason Green as Suzanne McCullough and Rachel Blanchard as her daughter, Debi) as they now go on the run across America and try to devise a way of surviving the new fate that has befallen them all...

New Morthren aliens Mana (Catherine Disher) and Malzor (Denis Forest) watch our heroes: Harrison Blackwood (Jared Martin), John Kincaid (Adrian Paul), Suzanne McCullough (Lynda Mason Green) and Debi (Rachel Blanchard).

Title sequence: War of the worlds season 2 opening - YouTube

Premiering in 1989 , the new syndicated series of WAR, despite much publicity and hype of the time regarding its new look, would split the audience fan base right down the middle. Many people out there liked the second season and its new format- now completely removed from what had been seen before- as well as it's better overall production values. But there were many that didn't-particularly the die-hards that loved the first season and its potent and enjoyable mix of horror/sci-fi and action, the story's re-imagining, and the way it also tried to maintain continuity with both Wells novel and the classic George Pal 1953 movie. Plus there were those many fans and general audience members mourning the loss of Colonel Ironhorse...

Lt. Colonel Paul Ironhorse (Richard Chaves) is gone but not forgotten by the series viewers.

Now, with the passage of time, viewers old and new can make their own mind up on this controversial season of 20 episodes, as Season Two of WAR OF THE WORLDS finally gets a well-deserved five disc set UK DVD release-after years in limbo- from CBS DVD/REVELATION FILMS later this month (August 27th), and transferred in the best available picture and sound quality possible- a positive upgrade from its recent repeat run on the UK's HORROR CHANNEL.

Here's a KOOL TV look at some of Year Two's more notable episodes...

The Mor-Tax are defeated in the controversial opening episode The Second Wave.

THE SECOND WAVE (SEASON OPENER)


Earth is on the brink of ecological and society collapse, and the heroes of the Blackwood Project come under attack from a new group of arriving alien invaders, the Morthren. Quickly wiping out the remaining Mor-Tax and their advocacy leaders, the new kids on the extraterrestrial block capture Colonel Ironhorse and send a duplicate to eliminate his compatriots. But they haven't reckoned on the emergence of mercenary John Kincaid (Adrian Paul), or the dying Ironhorse's last vestiges of courage and humanity in fighting back... 


A sold, well-made, if often gloomy, series opener, with strong production values and a generally well paced structure. But it's a huge format transition for just one episode! Things happen too quickly, and the loss of Ironhorse, whose duplicate kills the also missed Norton Drake (Phil Akin), is a real blow for the series. 


NO DIRECTION HOME 


Their cottage destroyed, our on the road heroes try to reorganise themselves and find a new base of operations as the turmoil around them continues to intensify. The aliens, too, solidify their new plans for Earth and it's population.


BREEDING GROUND 


Trying to find some desperately needed medication, Harrison discovers a hospital where the aliens plan to use Humans as incubators for their brood.

Laura Press plays Harrison's alien love in Seft of Emun.

SEFT OF EMUN


Harrison falls in love. Unfortunately, it's with one of the aliens! Can their blossoming friendship help bring peace and love between Human and Morthren?


NIGHT MOVES 


Country matters for Suzanne as she goes all alien-fighter having to defend her mothers farmstead from Morthren aggressors. Think the usual THE A-TEAM episode, but with monsters!


SYNTHETIC LOVE 


Love is not the drug, as the aliens create a new pharmaceutical to try and control the Human condition and it's violent ways. There may be trouble ahead...

Harrison and Kincaid prepare for battle.

THE DEFECTOR


There's always one, as Harrison and the gang find out when a friendly Morthren tries to help them stop a takeover of the Earth's remaining computer systems.


THE DEADLIEST DISEASE 


The common cold remains incurable to Mankind, and it's a pain! So, it's Sod's Law that, when the aliens get infected with something far worse, only the Human government actually has the cure!


MAX


Kincaid discovers that his dead brother is now alive, well and full of beans. But have the aliens brought him back to life for a new and deadly purpose? 

The end in sight for our heroes?

THE OBELISK (SERIES FINALE)


In the series reasonably satisfying, if slightly head-spinning finale, which also pretty much changes all of the previously established continuity of both series of WAR OF THE WORLDS, more is discovered about the Morthren and their secrets linked to the original 1953 invasion of Earth. Meanwhile, its a last stand for our heroes to stop the aliens from releasing a deadly plague of alien spores.

Season One of WAR OF THE WORLDS is also available on DVD from CBS/REVELATION FILMS.

KOOL TV REVIEW: 'WAR OF THE WORLDS' - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

Back from the dead, alien invasion plans begin anew in WAR OF THE WORLDS, finally out this month on UK DVD. Images: CBS DVD/REVELATION FILMS.

Those pesky alien critters from Mars just can't take a hint and die after their first, ultimately failed invasion of Earth in 1953. Now, accidentally awakened by a gang of nut-job Human terrorists, the slimy, three pronged fingered, one-eyed beasties have been resurrected from their petrol tank storage containers and are more deadly than ever, planning further subtle, if no less vicious, new ways to take over Earth society, in a frightening, underground war of terror campaign. Only a small team of American and international scientists, alongside a crack military group: Delta Force, stand in their way, as the WAR OF THE WORLDS begins again in a newly released to the UK, six-disc, first season box set to be enjoyed from CBS DVD/ REVELATION FILMS...

Humanity's last hope: Colonel Paul Ironhorse (Richard Chaves), Dr. Harrison Blackwood (Jared Martin), Norton Drake (Philip Akin) and Dr. Suzanne McCullough (Lynda Mason Green). 

Fans of the original 1988/89 series who recently saw the first season in reruns on the UK's HORROR Channel last October will be pleased to know that the 24 episodes comprising the first season of this very enjoyable sci-fi/horror hybrid have not been butchered for some of their alien gore or violence content, as they were when previously shown on TV in a mid-evening time slot. There's also no special features, I'm sorry to say, but the picture quality of the video copies is of a better standard than we've seen previously, as is the sound mixing, making these the best quality copies of the series that you're going to get. (There's no way the show will ever be released on Blu-ray, though, unless the entire series is completely and costly restored: WAR was originally made on high quality 35mm film but converted to inferior video so as to make it easier for the series effects men to add their optical work: a process that was also applied to PARAMOUNT's other then starting out new sci-fi series, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION.)

Opening titles: War of the worlds season 1 opening - YouTube
Season One promos: War Of The Worlds Season 1 Promos - YouTube

Check out our other feature on the series and its cast: THE ENEMY WITHIN! THE RETURN OF "WAR OF THE WORLDS"

Protected from Earth's radiation, the evil Advocacy.

Here's a look at KOOL TV's favourite episodes from the Year One box set:


THE RESURRECTION. (Two-part pilot episode) The newly awakened aliens gather up the first of their infected and possessed kind to steal the remaining three fully intact, original Martian war machines that have been stored by their human enemies in a remote AREA 51-type military establishment. Dr. Harrison Blackwood (Jared Martin), Suzanne McCullough (Lynda Mason Green) and the wheelchair bound computer-whizz Norton Drake (Phil Akin), teaming up with Colonel Paul Ironhorse (Richard Chaves), are soon on the aliens trail, but will they be too late to stop the re-launch of the invasion? A very enjoyable, if sometimes a little slow, first episode directed by Brit Colin Chilvers, with some memorable gore and action, plus a worthy finale with the George Pal created alien ships from the 1953 movie being spectacularly recreated for the new series.


THY KINGDOM COME. Blackwood and co. race to Canada to stop the aliens releasing more of their unstable brood from a craft entombed under a lake. Some creepy finale scenes as kidnapped humans are taken over by water emerging aliens.


A MULTITUDE OF IDOLS. Our heroes are followed by an ambitious investigative journalist, of which their infiltration into an alien infested town soon becomes a life or death struggle. Nice ideas, nothing new, but again some fine creepy moments.


EYE FOR AN EYE. When a local town celebrates the 50th anniversary of Orson Welles legendary fake Martian invasion broadcast, the team discovers that a real First Contact/invasion event really happened in 1938, and that the aliens are now planning to resurrect another buried scout vessel! A clever, well-written script and solid guest cast make this one of the best episodes of the first season.

Suzanne confers with a relaxed Harrison prior to the aliens re-emergence.

THE SECOND SEAL. Harrison and Suzanne go deep into the archives of a top secret military installation to find lost and highly important information and technology about the aliens, unaware that the base commander (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE's Greg Morris) has now been infected and is leading his own race against time search. Enjoyable action episode, with a bit more development on the aliens, and some fine heroics from Colonel Ironhorse at the end!


AMONG THE PHILISTINES. The team add a new recruit: an animal linguistics expert who claims he's made a breakthrough in unlocking the mysteries of the way the aliens communicate. But is it all too good to be true? Easily one of the shows best episodes, with an exciting climax, and a death in the family.


HE FEEDETH AMONG THE LILIES.  Overall a pretty grim episode about the aliens abduction of humans for experimentation. Harrison falls in love with one of these tragic, emotionally devastated victims, but we all know that it isn't going to end happily!


THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT. Recognising their status as being ignored and left to go about their own way, the aliens see that infiltrating the Humans homeless population is an inspired way to continue their invasion and sabotage efforts, but they've reckoned without the abilities of the alien aware, mentally unstable Sylvia Van Buren (Ann Robinson), Harrison's step-mother, entering into a friendship with a recently abandoned girl who has first hand witnessed the aliens that are now walking the streets. An interesting, well-made and atmospheric episode with an enjoyable finale on the streets of snowy Vancouver.


UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN. Probably one of the series grossest and most scarily effective episodes, as our heroes cordon off a hospital and begin a search for an alien possessed, pregnant woman about to give birth: the first human/alien hybrid who may have the answers that the dreaded creatures with the built-in resistance needed to survive the effects of the Earth's atmosphere and radiation.

Tense times ahead for the series most popular character, Paul Ironhorse, as played by PREDATOR's Richard Chaves.

VENGEANCE IS MINE. It's a cliched plot but the episode shines overall due to the presence of Chaves as Ironhorse, when he's captured by a vendetta fuelled human who wants revenge against him for the death of his fiancee during an alien skirmish.


THE RAISING OF LAZARUS. Cut off by a hostile snow/weather front, the team are stranded on a remote military base housing vital alien technology, unaware that one of their top scientists (Nicolas Coster) has been experimenting and injecting himself with unstable alien blood, turning him into a dangerous mutation. Another variant on the classic THE THING, but its atmospheric and, in places, a reasonably exciting penultimate episode to the series.


THE ANGEL OF DEATH. Action packed, if plot bonkers, finale, in which a female robot warrior who looks like she's escaped from an eighties discotheque- Katara, from the planet Qar'To- arrives to help Harrison and co, in a last stand battle against the aliens. The series ends on a positive note as Humanity gains a new friend... 


KOOL TV RATING (OVERALL EPISODES): 3.5 out of 5

Finally available on UK DVD! WAR OF THE WORLDS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON.

Get hold of WAR OF THE WORLDS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON here: War Of The Worlds: Season 1 [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Jared Martin, Lynda Mason Green, Philip Akin: Film & TV


Season Two will also be released in the UK shortly.

THE ENEMY WITHIN! THE RETURN OF "WAR OF THE WORLDS"

The Earth in their vice: the alien invaders of WAR OF THE WORLDS. Images: CBS PARAMOUNT.

"To life immortal!"

Having fascinated and terrified readers worldwide since its original publication in 1898, scientist, futurist and novelist H.G. Wells seminal classic tale-WAR OF THE WORLDS-the grand daddy of all alien invasion of Earth stories- would make a terrific transition to the world of cinematic reality, under the skillful hands of pioneering director George Pal and his team of brilliant technical effects wizards, in an updated story set during 1953 and released to quickly packed cinemas house and strong box office takings for PARAMOUNT PICTURES. Still possessing the rights to the book going into the eighties, and with this period seeing in the return of popular television science fiction with series like V and THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE, plus the return of the companies own legendary STAR TREK to the small screen, with an all new cast, after huge cinematic box office success for its original Enterprise crew, the time was ripe for the studio to plough its archives to see which other franchise properties of science fiction and fantasy they could commercially exploit for both American television and in lucrative syndication sales and VHS rentals worldwide. It would seem that an easier to budget and produce continuation of the Wells story, rather than an altogether too expensive and effects heavy re-make of WAR OF THE WORLDS (which was eventually on the cards for the studio anyway with Steven Spielberg's modern 2005 movie adaptation and runaway hit) was the best bet for the studio, which quickly initiated the new series into format conceptualization, behind the scenes team assembling (including STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION writer Herbert Wright) and cast filming in Toronto (an altogether cheaper place to film a series than in Los Angeles-a fact that remains to this day for much US TV series filming). The feature length pilot episode would be directed by British effects veteran Colin Chilvers-the man who helped bring us the illusion that a man- Christopher Reeve- could fly in the early classic SUPERMAN films of the late seventies and early eighties.

Not a good day for planet Earth! The aliens are accidentally awakened from suspended animation in the series pilot.

Created by Greg Strangis (son of trusted long time PARAMOUNT behind the scenes veteran Sam Strangis (also co-producer on WAR, as well as recognised for his noted work on the original BATMAN series as a production executive/director, being involved in the early development of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, and as one of the first producer/show runners of CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION), this new series took place in 1987, where the Martian invaders bodies from 1953, believed dead from the Earth's only natural defence: living bacteria, have been stored away in containers within locked down, high security facilities across the US. Unfortunately, a group of terrorists believing  there to be nuclear weaponry they can acquire for their own uses, break into one such facility and unwittingly reactivate the aliens from their life cycle's suspended animation- now awakened with the gross on-screen realised ability to possess their human hosts. Now possessing the captured Human anarchists, these aliens, cut off from their home world and re-enforcements for the time being, now begin their work anew, operating under the radar, with a silent, but no less bloodthirsty war of terrorism against humanity, determined to possess their enemy and simultaneously weaken the planets government and military defences, making the Human Race ripe for final subjugation and control when their colonisation forces eventually arrive...

Trying to stop the new menace are left to right: Lt. Colonel Ironhorse (Richard Chaves), Harrison Blackwood (Jared Martin), Norton Drake (Philip Akin) and Dr. Suzanne McCullough (Lynda Mason Green)

With the re-emergence of the aliens know only to a scant few, and the creatures original invasion now strangely forgotten by the inhabitants of earth (a cover initiated by the worlds governments), its up to a small group of scientists and a covert military force to stop the Martians by any means necessary.  Activating this group, known as the Blackwood Project, is the eccentric but highly trained and logical scientist leader, Dr. Harrison Blackwood (played by popular TV series actor Jared Martin, most well known to viewers from cult hits like THE FANTASTIC JOURNEY), who, along with his microbiologist colleague, best friend and single parent (to a daughter played by rising star teen Rachel Blanchard), Dr. Suzanne McCullough (played by Lynda Mason Green), are amongst the first to discover and get caught up in the new threat, teaming up with paraplegic computer genius Norton Drake (Philip Akin, who starts the series pilot with the most awful caricature Jamaican accent, which then thankfully disappears with the series proper!) to try and determine the aliens locations, plans and infiltration methods. Adding much needed physical might against the gruesome aliens is Lt. Colonel Paul Ironhorse, of American Cherokee Indian descent, played with stern but highly likable coolness by Richard Chaves (one of the action stars of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi hit PREDATOR), whose character, much like Ham Tyler in V, is the shades of grey conservative army leader, the focal point that gives the series much dramatic weight, acting as a vital counter balance to the clean and perfect, still too pacifistic scientists. Ironhorse wants payback against the invaders after his original first Delta Squad of military men is efficiently wiped out by the aliens, and he's more more than happy to destroy the creatures with all the weaponry and hand to hand combat techniques at his disposal!  Caught in the crossfire of this new war are a fine selection of film and TV guest stars, including John Vernon as our heroes occasionally seen military liaison, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's John Colicos (playing a rogue alien later in the season), John Ireland, Alex Cord, Michele Scarabelli, Michael Parks, Greg Morris and Patrick Macnee.

As action hero Ironhorse, actor Richard Chaves soon became the series most popular character in Season One.

Beyond the an enjoyable pilot episode (which has lots of fun links and references to the original George Pal movie, including the return of its lead actress Ann Robinson as an older Sylvia van Buren), and a finale scene nostalgic activation of three of the films original classic alien ships with their brilliant design and creepy heartbeat sounds (War of the Worlds (1988) - Aliens Attack - YouTube), I recall that the series, which went on to greatly expand the aliens and outline their culture, took a few episodes to get going story-wise, but when it did it certainly had some memorable adventures (and even had time to include a fun tale regarding the original events surrounding Orson Welles 1930's radio drama of WAR-known in US history as "The Night that Panicked America"!) and scenarios (of which, quite often, the humans didn't always win the fight or merely stalled the aliens invasion plans for a certain period). I also remember that the aliens infiltration of the Earth, and their killing or possession of humans, was often pretty gross out: making it perfect viewing for audiences of the UK's HORROR CHANNEL, whom, in a wise purchasing move, are showing the series after such a long absence from our screens (at least fifteen years) starting weekday mid-evenings from today.

Season One title sequence: War of the worlds season 1 opening - YouTube

The series first 1988 season in the US would also go on to garner very good ratings (and led to a second heavily revamped season-but let's not talk about that one: it was a disaster of epic proportions and quickly sealed the shows cancellation fate!) and, years later, would also air for a popular period on the SCI-FI CHANNEL. Sadly, WAR OF THE WORLDS never quite caught the imaginations and popularity of audiences outside of America. In the UK, following a selection of episodes being made available for rental through PARAMOUNT's CIC video label, the first series was often relegated to late night TV viewing slots on ITV, and shown late night across the various networks, with some episodes not aired in story order or cut because of the aforementioned violence and scary moments.

Three of the gruesome looking alien possessed human terrorists from the series pilot. 

Now, finally, the aliens return and the battle for control of our sacred Earth begins anew. Kudos to THE HORROR CHANNEL for their buying in of the series (it isn't available on DVD as far as I'm aware), which, with its consistent time and day viewing slots across the UK, will hopefully win success for the channel and see the lively adventure series garner some well deserved new audience awareness and enjoyment.