Saturday, June 18, 2011

Falling Skies premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. on TNT

Falling Skies     TNT's newst drama is Falling Skies. Produced by Steven Spielberg, it is the story of a group of humans trying to survive six months after the Earth has been taken over by aliens, All the major cities and military bases have been destroyed, most of the population is dead. Survivors band together, but are forced to split up, as large gatherings attract unwanted attention from the new rulers of the planet. The fight seems hopeless, as the 2nd Massachusetts, which comprises all of the main characters of the show, packs up to leave Boston. Sunday's two hour premiere begins at 9 p.m., and will not only introduce the main characters, but also set up a few arcs.

     Leading the 2nd is Weaver (Will Patton, 24, The Agency), a tough as tacks military man not very baby with being tasked to protect the civilians. Luckily for them, Weaver's second in command is former history professor and widower, Tom Mason (Noah Wyle, ER, The Librarian movies). Tom cares very much about others, including his three sons, one of whom has been taken by the aliens. The aliens are enslaving teenagers with some kind of mechanical harness, and Tom is determined to find and rescue his middle son, Ben (Connor Jessup, The Saddle Club).

     Also working for the second are Dai (Peter Shinkoda, I, Robot), Anthony (Mpho Koahu), and child soldier Jimmy (Dylan Authors, Connor Undercover). Tom's oldest son, Hal (Drew Roy, Hannah Montana, Greek), and his girlfriend, Karen (Jessy Schram, Life, Unstoppable), are scouts. Their pairing is threatened by medical student Lourdes (Seychelle Gabriel, Weeds), who shares an interest in Hal.

     The doctor for the small group is a pediatrician, who lost almost her entire family, named Anne Glass (Moon Bloodgood, Terminator Salvation, Day Break). Anne's surviving relatives are her aunt Kate (Lynne Deragon) and uncle Scott (Bruce Gray, Medium, Traders), the latter of whom starts a school to educate the children, including Tom's youngest, Matt (Maxim Knight).

     In the first two hours, the 2nd leaves Boston, knowing the city is lost, and looks for supplies. On their way, they encounter a group of rebels led by the notorious John Pope (Collin Cunningham, Da Vinci's Inquest, Stargate SG-1). Pope would like to get his hands on some of the 2nd's bigger weapons, and will stop at nothing to do so.

     The series evokes AMC's The Walking Dead, because of the conflicting personalities banding together to try to find some place to live, as well as defeating the seemingly unstoppable menace that now has control of their world. Not everyone is willing to help each other, and those that act out of selfishness threaten the existence of everyone. But there's also some of Battlestar Galactica's dark tones and conquered planet, as well as Terminator Salvation's underground army. It's really a compilation of a bunch of different stories, that results in something new and fresh. After watching only two hours, I am hooked.

    Be sure to tune in to TNT this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET for the two hour premiere of Falling Skies.

    If you are anxious to get a taste of the series, a sixteen chapter prequel comic book is available to view now on the official web site.

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