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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 68% 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 Nov 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) Sep 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 May 22, 2018
B-
Competently directed, acted and written to a point. Go to Full Review
Megan Basham WORLD Sep 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 May 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 May 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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Hughe J @Hughe Sep 5, 2026 Falling Skies was a series released on TNT in 2011 with Steven Spielberg as the executive producer and starring the usually reliable Noah Wyle. The show is set in the United States six months after an alien invasion where humanity lost the war and are now struggling to survive. Wyle was a history professor turned super soldier who now kills unkillable aliens that our entire armed forces were unable to defeat. The show ran for five seasons but honestly I'll be stopping with the first as this just isn't very good. The CGI varies but is generally acceptable however the fight scenes are just terrible as none of the actors appear to have been given any training on how to use firearms. Also S1 feels more like a War of the Worlds extension, and Spielberg did release a version of that film, than it's own show which honestly was disappointing. Plus the acting was very wooden, the plot was predictable, and with how bored I was for most of the episodes I just can't recommend this show. See more Peter S @Stotpom Aug 13, 2026 Could there be any more cliches left in the Spielberg box of tricks, 'cos this wishy-washy effort seems to have unashamedly used every single one. Teen love story, 13 year-old gun-totin' soldier, stereotypical military leader, wise dad searching for son, aliens being ugly and behaving mindlessly, Hallmark dialogue......And that's just the beginning. It's almost as bad as La Brea, except at least the puppetry on this is convincing. I can see why it was popular in the US. See more pf C. @Pcowle Jun 21, 2026 The series was OK, but it did not seem to have an overall direction. For the most part, I enjoyed it, but I could not get past Will Patton’s “twat knot”/pony tail and the Papa bear/baby bear references in future seasons. See more KB B @KBinVT Mar 31, 2026 Slow, predictable, boring. Frustratingly dumb. What was Spielberg thinking?? See more Alexandre B @Ilex7310 Mar 21, 2026 It's repetitive, predictable, very badly played with wannabes actors or actresses with the exception of Noha Wyle who can't save the whole series. It's hard to believe the series has 5 seasons or that Spielberg was associated with this series, characters are neither likable nor hatable , aliens stories or aims are not developed enough, it's slightly related to WW2 Nazi regime but not enough to make it interesting, fighting actions are ridiculous as it's always bad when the so called military are holding their weapons like umbrellas or that you have one guy there with a pony tail Will Patton :) I think I stopped watching at season 3 and it was the way to go, there are plenty of good Sy FYI series around to waste your time watching this.... See more Jason H @JASON330 Feb 28, 2026 It's so much better than anything Amazon, Paramount or Apple are putting out over the past few years. 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
Frederick E.O. Toye, Greg Beeman, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, 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, Fred Golan, Joe Weisberg, 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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