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Season 1 – Falling Skies

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – Falling Skies Jun 2011 Drama Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 37 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
In the wake of an alien attack that has crippled most of the world, shock has turned to resolve as the survivors gather to fight back. Leading the charge is Boston history professor Tom Mason, whose wife was killed in the attack, and one of his three sons is among a group of captive teens. Desperate to rescue his son, Tom joins forces with the 2nd Massachusetts, a makeshift regiment assigned to protect the survivors. As second in command to Weaver, Tom uses his knowledge of military history to gain intelligence about the aliens and form a plan of attack. But the plan keeps changing and more questions surface as the survivors discover what they're really up against: a highly intelligent, heavily armed alien force whose purpose on Earth is the biggest mystery of all.
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Falling Skies — Season 1

Falling Skies — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

Despite the lack of edginess and gore of more popular dystopian tv programming, Falling Skies still engages with a new spin on the classic alien invasion trope.

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Critics Reviews

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Eric Deggans NPR 11/21/2019
Unfortunately, this eight-week series, dramatizing the efforts of a scrappy band of humans to fight a superior alien invasion, sandwiches every sci fi cliché from Battle: Los Angeles to War of the Worlds into one predictable program. Go to Full Review
James Walton Daily Telegraph (UK) 09/10/2018
Falling Skies doesn't look like being yet another of those American dramas whose sheer quality means we'll have to spend hours in front of the telly for months to come - or catch up with a box-set marathon long after everybody else has seen it. Go to Full Review
Verne Gay Newsday 05/22/2018
B-
Competently directed, acted and written to a point. Go to Full Review
Megan Basham WORLD 09/10/2018
Though alien-invasion shows have not fared well on television as of late, with its tremendous production quality and a seeming partiality for faith and patriotism, TNT may succeed where the big boys failed. Go to Full Review
Ed Whitfield What Culture 05/22/2018
3/5
It may be formulaic, using the iconography of every alien invasion saga of the past thirty years... but the first two episodes do, at least, seed some potentially interesting developments. Go to Full Review
Matt Richenthal TV Fanatic 05/22/2018
4.8/5
With the feel of a summer blockbuster and an emotional center anchored by the steady presence of Wyle... Falling Skies is at the top of my summer programming list. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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John R 04/24/2022 Although hampered by an obviously small budget, this show still manages to be unique and interesting. It also has a number of intriguing and well fleshed out characters that give episodes some emotional weight which is generally lacking in most of this sort of TV. A great first season. See more jed i 12/25/2021 5.7/10 — "Mediocre"/"Passable" See more don s 10/18/2017 Solid sci-fi series about a pocket group of human resistance fighters just trying to survive after an alien invasion wipes out much of the population. Noah Wylie plays a likable history professor turned militiaman, second in command to a perfectly portrayed military leader (the underrated Will Patten). These characters feel real and grow over the season. Not quite edge of your seat stories, but cohesively written and well acted. Good stuff. See more waleed a 06/08/2017 i stopped after 5 episodes. i was pretty sure i didn't like it during the first episode, i started watching fast partway through. none of the characters are likable. and it seemed dumbed down for less experienced audiences. i'm kinda shocked it got 5 seasons. i think this is the first TNT show i've watched. i'll stick with FX. (1 viewing) See more 02/24/2017 Despite being a big fan of science-fiction television fare, I never really gave "Falling Skies" much of a chance upon its initial airing. The main reason? I'm not into post-apocalyptic drama. Upon continuous pressuring from family members telling me how much I would like the show, I finally decided to give it a try. Boy, had I ever been missing some great television. For a basic plot summary, this first season of "Falling Skies" introduces a group of survivors from the Massachusetts area who are engaged in a war with alien creatures that are trying to colonize planet Earth. The aliens (primarily mechanical robots--Mechs--and spiderlike crawlies---Skitters--) always seem to have the upper hand, and it looks grim for the survivors. Yet, as we get to know this band of resistance fighters, we discover that they have quite a human spirit burning inside them and will do whatever it takes to survive and endure. Though the post-apocalyptic setting initially turned me off, rest assured that it is only in setting. "Falling Skies" is really a show that focuses on the "human element" of the drama, featuring strong characters and many moral situations that must be faced in the wake of the alien attack. Some of my favorite moments/characters from this first season include: -Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), who could be consider the somewhat-central character of the show. A former schoolteacher now thrust into very much a military role, it is interesting to see how Tom adapts to this "new society" while still retaining the lessons of the past. Tom's relationship with sons Hal (Drew Roy), Ben (Connor Jessup), and Matt (Maxim Knight) also provide some great drama as he must balance his love for them with their usefulness to the war effort. -Captain Weaver (Will Patton), commander of the military forces. Over the course of this first season, his character easily makes the most dramatic strides. What you think might be a cardboard, one-dimensional character turns out to be the exact opposite! -Pope (Colin Cunningham), a drifter who pledges loyalty to no man but himself. Provides an interesting perspective on how certain individuals could interpret a world catastrophe. Basically, what it comes down to is that I never should have doubted a show executive produced by Steven Spielberg. "Falling Skies" features come of the greatest science fiction scenarios ever put to screen, while also balancing out that action and unique scenarios with incredible human drama as well. With only ten episodes this season, the action has to (and does) steadily progress in order to get anything accomplished. Even though that seems like a relatively short run-time, a remarkable amount of character development and plot progression occurs from episode one through episode ten. I compare "Falling Skies" very favorably to the remake of "Battlestar Galactica". Both shows touch on very, very similar themes, but while BSG did it in space, FS is grounded here on Earth. I will hit Season Two off and running as soon as I can! See more 12/11/2016 Really boring, predictible, is not an action serie, or even familiar, is about the human relationships in despair times, but the arguments are not convincing... See more Read all reviews
Falling Skies — Season 1

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jun 19, 2011 Live and Learn A young father struggles to protect his family and humanity following an alien attack. Details Episode 2 Aired Jun 19, 2011 The Armory A young father struggles to protect his family and humanity following an alien attack. Details Episode 3 Aired Jun 26, 2011 Prisoner of War Tom encounters an alien skitter during a rescue mission; a doctor may have a way to save harnessed children. Details Episode 4 Aired Jul 3, 2011 Grace Tom and his men are attacked while on a mission to retrieve motorcycles; Anne and Dr. Harris make an important discovery. Details Episode 5 Aired Jul 10, 2011 Silent Kill Hal comes up with a plan to infiltrate a skitter's lair and rescue Ben and other captives. Details Episode 6 Aired Jul 17, 2011 Sanctuary Another resistance militia leader arrives in camp warning of a coming alien assault; Tom and the camp must weigh an offer to take their children to a safe haven. Details Episode 7 Aired Jul 24, 2011 Sanctuary Hal begins to distrust Clayton's image of the farm; Mike and Hal must battle an unforeseen enemy. Details Episode 8 Aired Jul 31, 2011 What Hides Beneath Tom worries about Weaver's increasingly strange behavior; Hal and Tom encounter a left-behind woman; Anne and Lourdes make a discovery about the skitters; Pope tries to find a more efficient way to kill mechs. Details Episode 9 Aired Aug 7, 2011 Mutiny Tension between Weaver and Tom threatens to tear the group apart on the eve of their attack on the alien base structure. Details Episode 10 Aired Aug 7, 2011 Eight Hours Hal, Weaver, Pope and others embark on an ambitious assault; Tom must defend the civilian camp against a surprise attack; Tom encounters an alien being. Details
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Season Info

Director
Greg Beeman, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Frederick E.O. Toye, Holly Dale, Anthony Hemingway, Carl Franklin
Executive Producer
Steven Spielberg, Mark Verheiden, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Robert Rodat, Graham Yost
Screenwriter
Mark Verheiden, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Joe Weisberg, Fred Golan, Graham Yost, Joel Anderson Thompson, Robert Rodat
Network
TNT
Rating
TV-14 (V)
Genre
Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jun 19, 2011
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