After a wash of cancellations and series finales in recent months, it’s nice to get some good news in the science fiction community. TNT announced yesterday that they have renewed Falling Skies for a second season.
The new drama is set six months after the invasion and occupation of Earth by a hostile alien race. It stars Noah Wyle (ER) and Moon Bloodgood (Journeyman, Terminator: Salvation), and features Stargate‘s own Colin Cunningham (Major Paul Davis) in the important, recurring role of John Pope — leader of a gang of outlaws.
The second season will be comprised of 10 episodes, like the first, and will air next summer.
The show is TNT’s first foray into genre programming since the failed launch of the Babylon 5 spin-off Crusade 12 years ago.
Falling Skies airs Sundays at 10/9c on TNT in the United States. Four episodes have aired to date.
(Thanks to Ibby for the tip!)
Does this have anything to do with Stargate?
No.
So then why report about it?
Oh I don’t know, he does a lot of reporting on former cast members, especially when they do genre work, so it counts based on this: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0192271/ I’m a little surprised it was picked up. It’s fine, I enjoy watching it, and will watch it until it gets canceled, but it’s really not much more than like an “Earth 2″/”Jericho” mash-up of sorts. Little heavy on the Christian themes (or maybe that one girl just bugs me and makes me feel like I’m being preached to) for my tastes (being a recovering Catholic and a lone, blue dot in a… Read more »
The Admiral, have read it, at least? If you did you would know that it has something to do with Stargate because Colin Cunningham is on it.
[…] humans genre of movies (I do), then there’s good news — the new TNT alien invasion show Falling Skies will be back for season 2. TNT took a chance with this instead of just mining a fourth or fifth spin-off to The Closer, so […]
Admiral: A Stargate actor features prominently in this series, and it’s a genre show. Therefore the news is deemed noteworthy to GateWorld’s readership.
Really, I’m getting tired of the complaining about what we choose to publish. If it doesn’t interest you, don’t click on it. Every guffaw that enters your fron does not have to go up in the comments section.
@ Darren
Well said. I think The Admiral and other complainers are just depressed about the end of Stargate for the foreseeable future.
I personally like reading about new or ongoing projects that Stargate alums are working on.
Keep the information flowing. :)
I totally agree with Darren amd Slayme. It’s important to support new and upcoming sci-fi shows– especially with the tough time they staying relevant with reality-centric programming. The best way to do that is to inform fans on forums such as Gateworld, so that we can support shows that we enjoy and prevent them from the same fate as our beloved Stargate.
*they have (typing so fast I missed a word)
@ The Admiral:
In case you forgot, Stargate is cancelled, off the TV, done. So there probably won’t be hardly ANY Stargate news for a long while.
And did your post have anything to do with Stargate?
No.
So why post it? ;)
Hey Darren, well said. I always thought fron was spelt fraun though. In my fraun, that’s how fraun was spelt. Your thoughts?
well this is the only scifi page i have bookmarked lol so its nice to see the other scifi shows listed here if it was just stargate there would be barely any news to post, so im fine with it u need to remember ALOT of scifi actors stick to doing scifi shows so falling skies will feature more stargate actors in the future.
Guys, please stop shouting to the editor about non-stargate news. You will have to understand his position. You will have to get in his shoes. If he doesn’t provide a steady stream of even semi-related news (in this case scifi TV news), then the site will be dead within a few months. All his work, all these years, *done*. I fully support the editors here to report in scifi TV news, even if they’re not always about stargate, because I have been in the same boat as they have. 10 years ago I used to write for BeNews.com, a news… Read more »
I agree with Mazey – I like getting info about any science fiction, and this is the only genre site that I regularly check out. The Stargate series are gone. Period. I hope this website can continue to evolve and maintain my interest. So far, it seems to covering it’s original mandate as well as can be hoped as well as keeping a thumb on the pulse of science fiction in general. I hope it gets more into the science fiction literature as well, including the Stargate books as well as others. Good job, Darren!
Too bad falling Skies sucks. At least there are only 10 episodes a year. Noah Wyle was great in the Librarian series and they are much better than this. Steven Spielberg still does not know how to do TV. He should stick with movies.
I don’t watch Falling Skies, but fully support Darren in posting sci-fi news, SG related or not.
I actually thought Falling Skies was kind of boring. I guess I was hoping for more sci-fi story elements but nothing really happened. It was just all about running, shooting and things blowing up. Granted, the preview of next weeks episode looks better so I think I’ll stick with it for a bit longer. Noah Wyle is great and I was really excited when I recognized Colin Cunningham as I didn’t know he was in it prior to watching. I really enjoy hearing about what Stargate actors are doing so thank you GateWorld! Please keep it up and try to… Read more »
This is great news! Love or hate the show you should be tuning in – We need to show the industry that Science Fiction is still viable (not including the junk on Syfy of course)
@ Darren, Thank you for writing this article, I was glad to hear that Falling Skies was renewed for season 2. Its basically the closest to “real” scifi show left on TV (that’s new of course) Note: I put closest to real, for all those who argue that Falling Skies is a “wannabe” interpretation of a science fiction show. I enjoy falling skies so far, and I believe its the closest thing we have to true science fiction on popular television anymore. It is science fiction in subject matter and its entertaining. Regarding Major Paul Davis as John Pope…. I… Read more »
Nothing happens in that show so far. I’ve heard they fired the writers and a new crew will be there for the second season. Is it true?
@ orfeu I think you are confusing Falling Skies with another TV show in production also produced by Steven Spielberg called Terra Nova. The writers for Falling Skies were not fired as far as I know. But the writers for Terra Nova were fired. Just relaying the info that I know. :) Falling Skies is actually a pretty good show, and has some good writing to it, some people might not like it, but overall its pretty well done. Check it out sometime your bored or on a rainy day, you never know if you give it a real chance… Read more »
terra nova looks really really good even better then falling skies. cant wait for that
Darren keep up the good work, i like hearing about what former stargate actors have moved on to . Until you pointed it out i did not realize that colin was pope. Ill continue to watch this as it keeps me from the temptation to watch anything on syfy. Thanks darren
@Darren Although I don’t like Falling Skies and find it boring and cliched,not to mention the Christian aspect..the more news on sci-fi shows,the better!Whatever it takes just to keep this AWESOME site going..you do a great job and please just keep on doing it.Ignore the whiners.Respect,man!
You know, I may be a bit biased, but I’m also an honest viewer… but seriously..
Falling Skies isn’t even in the same LEAGUE as Universe was, yet…. this show has 6.8 million viewers???
You know, it goes to show you, when you market diversely and to the CORRECT audience, people WILL watch it.
@ Asendedtauri- You can blame syfy for that !
this is a terrible series… mixup of a lot of different things… very V from the 80s and kinda independence day. this is not good
I think the reporting about other shows is good an article on gateworld is how I first heard about Game of Thrones and that is a really good show.
speaking of shows about earth after an alien invasion featuring a stargate actor.. wasn’t jennifer spence (lisa park from SGU) going to do a show with a similar premise?
SO far everyone has their own views and opinions on this show. I respect everyone and their opinion!! But I do have to agree that Stargate Universe was a much better show!!!!! Maybe because its Stargate. Anything Stargate rules all!! Why does Falling Skies have 6.8 million viewers? Well I believe the reason to be a couple different things. One, Steven Spielberg. We live in a society that will do what the media tells them to. I hate to say it but its true; and because everyone knows Steven Spielberg, his name alone had to have brought in half of… Read more »
Don’t shoot the kids! Well that option is out; now what? I was bored about half way through an episode. I’d rather watch SGU.
@AscendedTauri – 6.8 million viewers probably wouldn’t have been good enough for the execs to save SGU anyway because, unlike the rest of the shows on SyFy, SGU cost more than 6.8 dollars to produce.
I’ve downloaded the pilot. So far it is better than SGU, not exactly something hard to achieve. Still, it lacks that kind of magic which makes you go pass the shortcomings and stick with it.
@acey916 You are right.Although SGU seems as an Emmy-worthy,intelectually superior masterpiece compared to this,one of the most boring,meaningless show on tv,with the silliest aliens I’ve ever seen,where nothing makes sense,everything just is..like Pope,who’s a bad guy..well just because.,it still proves that with a name like Spielberg and a right kind of marketing,anything goes. Take that SyFy!
@acey916 You are right.Although SGU is Emmy-worthy masterpiece compared to this,a name like Spielberg and a right kind of marketing does the trick.
SGU is much better. Falling Skies has religious undertones that don’t sit well with me. Also, both the creative/artistic aspect of the show is not there. It feels pretty cheap.
But I welcome reporting about scifi TV news. :)
I think stars Noah Wyle (ER) and Moon Bloodgood (Journeyman, Terminator: Salvation), and Stargate‘s own Colin Cunningham (Major Paul Davis) are doing a good job with acting. They just slowly developing characters until it gets crazy in second half of season. SGU formula I guess. Also, it’s only been 3 eps!
It is an OK show, am watching it due to lack of other programming…but picking up for second season after 3 episodes is rather hasty? I guess I will not look a gift horse in the mouth and just enjoy it
I think I saw somewhere that it was averaging about 6 million viewers? That’s not bad at all for a cable network. Not sure about it’s budget, though. But a name like Spielberg does go a very long way.
The main reason I gave Falling Skies a chance is because I’m boycotting Syfy and I want to watch something in the summer with a narrative story. I’m in the camp that think’s OK and I agree with folks who think it’s a bit Cliche but it does have some cool action sequences and there’s the mystery of what the aliens are up to keeps me interested at the moment. There are a few good characters, maybe 3, but the rest are a bit cardboard characters at the moment. And yes Christian girl’s little speech in the pilot was annoying… Read more »
@mythos Budget is typically average for that sort of thing..around $2mill per ep.
Terranova,on the other hand will have at least double that.And yes 5-6 mil viewers for a cable tv..TNT no less is unbeliavable.
But man the show is awfull,lol!
I’m trying hard to like this show but it isn’t growing on me. I am just not at all attached to any of the characters and really feels like there’s something missing.
@ Jim, Thank for the reply :) yeah I agree the viewer numbers is amazing for a television show. Advertising during the NBA playoffs was the best thing for Falling Skies… After the episode last night I am starting to agree with more people on here about the show lacking serious direction!!! Falling skies is starting to get weaker and weaker every episode and I agree that the shows budget looks cheap. The aliens look like paper machete that was painted green. I will continue to watch this show, interested in why the aliens want the children other than the… Read more »
I just want add my support to news that is even vaguely related to Stargate. Keep up the good work guys.
As someone said here..I can’t remember who it was,sorry;Unfortunately we as a human race at this point are obviously not ready for going out there and exploring.That can be seen in reality as well.Instead what’s popular and sells is a fear of invasion,”them”,”the others” coming to our land,planet whatever,trying to hurd us and exploit us and our resources..take our jobs.They are the others,foreigners,different and by making them bugs,you can kill them without any guilt..they’re not human after all and they’re here to enslave us.Fear and isolationism,instead of pioneering spirit of exploration and marvel at the world around us..a very sad… Read more »
@acey916 Even whychildren is cliched and predictable.Humans don’t want to shoot and kill their offspring..the Halloween costume aliens have obviously been studying us for some time,know about us mamals more than we suspect and are using that knowledge.
Also they’ve developed a really bizzare way of getting kids high on opiats..child’s brain is much more suceptable to getting addicted and manipulated than a grown up brain,I guess.
Falling Skies is missing some bits in the story. I think they should have made a few episodes including the actual invasion. But still.. it seems like an ok show.
I watched the first ep, kinda zoned out after the first 15 mins, probably because its not on par with SGU story lines. I think I’ve grew up, either that or I’m just not willing to give sci-fi shows a chance anymore, in case they get axed. Although I must say that Echoes looks more promising, I shall be giving my all when it finally gets a network. Other than that I’ve started to watch CSI from EP1. Shall keep my occupied until Game of Thrones comes back on :)
@ace_love A Song of ice and Fire books are amazing,I got hooked to it!Simply couldn’t wait for a whole year to see the next season of GoT!!
If you’re into reading,I highly recommend it to you!
I have already read it Jim, its just amazing! I’m part way through Clash Of The Kings.. Really can’t wait to see of the screen too. I think the writers (well its already written) and producers have made such an amazing job recreating it, especially (no spoilers) keeping true to the book with the 2nd to last EP
Sorry ment Feast of Crows lol