Science fiction media franchise
Alien Nation
is an American
science fiction
media franchise
created by
Rockne S. O'Bannon
(later known for
Farscape
), comprising film, television, and other media productions about alien refugees living on Earth. The series began with the 1988 film
Alien Nation
, which was adapted into a
Fox Network
television series
of the same name
in 1989. Fox cancelled the series abruptly after one season, but continued the story in five
TV movies
. The series also produced other media and merchandising
tie-ins
, including novels and comics. Aside from the sci-fi angle, the franchise fits into many different genres including drama,
police procedural
and
buddy cop
.
Setting
[
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]
The franchise is set in the near future in the United States. In 1991 a
flying saucer
crashes in the
Mojave Desert
containing a race of
extraterrestrials
, the Tenctonese (called Newcomers by humanity) escaping from slavery under a cruel Overseer race. They resemble humans, but have various anatomical differences (their erogenous zones are located on their backs and the male sex gives birth to babies) and have been bred to have greater physical strength and intelligence. The Newcomers are accepted as the latest immigrants to America, and the franchise explores issues around their integration into the multicultural society of the US.
Film
[
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]
The franchise originated with the
Alien Nation
feature film, released by
20th Century Fox
in 1988. It portrays alien Tenctonese refugees, called Newcomers by humanity, integrating into human society in the
Los Angeles
area. The Newcomers, former slaves and overseers whose ship ran aground on Earth, attempt to make new lives for themselves on Earth. Combining elements of
science fiction
and
police drama
elements, the film stars
Mandy Patinkin
as Sam "George" Francisco, a new Newcomer detective in the
Los Angeles Police Department
, and
James Caan
as Matthew Sykes, George's initially reluctant human partner.
Television
[
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]
In 1989, Fox adapted the film into a new television series, also called
Alien Nation
, for its burgeoning
Fox Network
. As with the film, the series follows the Newcomers, an alien race bred as slaves on a distant planet whose ship crashes on Earth. With their ship found to be irreparable, the authorities on Earth decide to settle the refugees in Los Angeles. Retaining the film's police drama format, the series stars
Eric Pierpoint
as George Francisco and
Gary Graham
as Matthew Sikes. Episodes explore themes of racism and the treatment of minority ethnic groups.
[1]
The series ran for one season of 21 episodes and a feature-length pilot episode, ending in 1990. Fox abruptly cancelled the series after the season.
[1]
Beginning in 1994, the network continued the story in five
TV movies
, which brought back the entire cast. The installments include
Dark Horizon
(1994),
Body and Soul
(1995),
Millennium
(1996),
The Enemy Within
(1996), and
The Udara Legacy
(1997), the last two made back-to-back.
[2]
Novels
[
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]
Pocket Books
, a division of
Simon & Schuster
, began publishing a novel series in connection with the franchise starting in 1993. The writing team of
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
, known for their work in
Star Trek
, committed to a novel entitled
Day of Descent
.
[3]
Some of the novels were pretexts for the movie sequels, such as the novel
Cross of Blood
authored by K.W. Jeter, which became a tie-in to the Dark Horizon film,
[4]
or the novel
Body and Soul
authored by
Peter David
, which became one of the sequels of the same name.
[5]
Subject matter such as racism and discrimination with extraterrestrial themes were regularly encountered within the books. Authors
K. W. Jeter
and
Barry B. Longyear
were regular contributors to the series with novels like,
The Change
[6]
and
Slag Like Me
.
[7]
Comics
[
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]
From 1990 to 1992,
Malibu Comics
began printing several comics from an adaptation of the
Alien Nation
storyline. Among first released titles were,
The Spartans
created with the help of author Bill Spangler and illustrator James Tucker,
[8]
and
A Breed Apart
, authored by Steve Jones.
[9]
Other titles included
Public Enemy
, authored by
Sandy Carruthers
and illustrated by
Lowell Cunningham
,
[10]
and a
crossover
series with the
Planet of the Apes
franchise titled
Ape Nation
. The
Ape Nation
series included four different adventures called
Plans
,
Pasts
,
Pawns
and
Pains
along with a collector's edition.
[11]
Other contributors to the series included illustrators Terry Pallott and
Leonard Kirk
to titles like,
The Skin Trade
.
[12]
Remake
[
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]
On March 25, 2015, Fox announced a remake with
Art Marcum and Matt Holloway
writing.
[13]
On September 9, 2016,
Deadline
reported that
Jeff Nichols
will write and direct the film.
[14]
On January 25, 2021, it was announced that
Jeff Nichols
, director of films
Take Shelter
(2011),
Mud
(2012), and
Loving
(2016), will remake the film as a ten-part television series.
[15]
[16]
References
[
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]
- ^
a
b
Mann, George (2012)
"Alien Nation"
.
The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
. Hachette.
ISBN
1780337043
. Accessed on December 3, 2014.
- ^
Gross, Ed (1998).
Alien Nation: The Unofficial Companion
. Renaissance Books.
- ^
Reeves-Stevens, Judith and Garfield (March 1, 1993).
The Day of Descent
. Pocket Books.
ISBN
978-0-671-73599-9
.
- ^
Jeter, K.W. (July 1, 1995).
Cross of Blood
. Pocket Books.
ISBN
978-0-671-87184-0
.
- ^
Jeter, K.W. (December 1, 1993).
Body and Soul
. Pocket Books.
ISBN
978-0-671-73601-9
.
- ^
Longyear, Barry (March 1, 1994).
The Change
. Pocket Books.
ISBN
978-0-671-73602-6
.
- ^
Longyear, Barry (July 1, 1994).
Slag Like Me
. Pocket Books.
ISBN
978-0-671-79514-6
.
- ^
Spangler, Bill (w). Tucker, James (p). "Alien Nation"
The Spartans
1
(1): (1990).
Malibu Comics
.
- ^
Jones, Steve (w). Timmons, Stan and Palmiotti, Jimmy (p). "Alien Nation"
A Breed Apart
1
(1): (1990).
Adventure Comics
.
- ^
Carruthers, Sandy (w). Cunningham, Lowell (p). "Alien Nation"
Public Enemy
1
(1): (1991).
Malibu Comics
.
- ^
Handley, Rich (November 2008).
Timeline Of The Planet Of The Apes: The Definitive Chronology (Volume 1)
. Hasslein Books. p. 124.
ISBN
978-0-615-25392-3
.
- ^
Cunningham, Lowell (w). Pallott, Terry and Kirk, Leonard (p). "Alien Nation"
The Skin Trade
1
(1): (1991).
Adventure Comics
.
- ^
Kit, Borys (March 25, 2015).
"
'Alien Nation' Remake in the Works With 'Iron Man' Writers (Exclusive)"
. The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^
Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 9, 2016).
"
'Loving' Helmer Jeff Nichols To Direct 'Alien Nation' Remake"
. Deadline.
- ^
"
'Alien Nation' Update: Jeff Nichols Turned His Film Remake into a 10-Episode TV Pitch"
.
/Film
. 2021-01-25
. Retrieved
2021-02-03
.
- ^
"Alien Nation Reboot Show In Development At Disney"
.
ScreenRant
. 2021-01-26
. Retrieved
2021-02-03
.