Falling Skies
Encyclopedia
Falling Skies is an American science fiction
dramatic television series created by Robert Rodat
and produced by Steven Spielberg
. The series picks up six months into a world devastated by an alien invasion
. Tom Mason, a former Boston University history professor, becomes the second-in-command of the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment, a group of civilians and fighters fleeing post-apocalyptic Boston.
The series is broadcast in the United States on the cable channel TNT, and is a production of DreamWorks Television
. It premiered on June 19, 2011. The series was renewed on July 7, 2011, for a second season of 10 episodes due to air in summer 2012.
), is led by the retired Captain Weaver and Boston University history professor Tom Mason who, while in search of his son Ben, must put his extensive knowledge of military history into practice as one of the leaders of the resistance movement.
an untitled alien invasion project. Robert Rodat
wrote the pilot episode from an idea which was co-conceived by Rodat and Steven Spielberg
. In January 2010, TNT ordered a 10-episode first season, which premiered in June 2011.
Wyle, who worked with TNT on the The Librarian films, was sent scripts for various shows on their network. Wyle said part of the reason he chose the part was to gain credibility from his children. He said "...with the birth of my kids, I started to really look at my career through their eyes more than my own, so that does dictate choice, steering me toward certain things and away from other things." Wyle also decided to do it as he could relate with his character, stating "I identified with Tom's devotion to his sons, and admired his sense of social duty."
The pilot was filmed in 2009 and the rest of the season was shot from July to November of the following year in Toronto.
, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank are also executive producers. Yost had previously worked with Spielberg on the HBO miniseries The Pacific. Mark Verheiden
is a co-executive producer and the series show runner. Verheiden had worked as a writer and producer on Battlestar Galactica
. Greg Beeman
is also a co-executive producer. Melinda Hsu Taylor
is a supervising producer for the series; she previously worked on Lost
. John Ryan is the on set producer.
and a 104-page comic was released on Jul 5, 2011.
Character videos are also available online. The videos explore the main characters of Falling Skies.
As part of the promotional campaign, a vehicle, with the TNT logo and called "Falling Skies Technical" was released as a free gift in the social networking game Mafia Wars
on June 14, 2011.
2011. The United Kingdom received the world premiere of the pilot episode in full, at the first annual Kapow! Comic Con, on April 12, 2011. It premiered on TNT on June 19, 2011. Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Drew Roy, Collin Cunningham, Sarah Carter, Executive producers Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, as well as co-executive producer Mark Verheiden appeared at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International.
The series will be debuting in more than 75 countries worldwide. Falling Skies will air on TNT networks in several international markets. In other areas, the series has been licensed to networks that include Fox, Super Channel and Canal+. Warner Bros. International Television holds licensing rights for Canada.
In Germany and Latin America, the series premiered on June 24, 2011, only five days after the U.S. world premiere. Falling Skies is shown Friday nights at 8:15 pm on TNT Serie
in Germany and 10:00 pm in Latin America on TNT Latin America, simultaneously on the sister channel Space Latin America
. The series premiered on FX
in the UK beginning July 5, 2011; on July 4, 2011, at 8:15 pm CAT
for South African viewers on TopTV
's Fox Entertainment channel; and on Foxtel
's FOX8
channel in Australia on July 7, 2011. In Greece
the series will premiere on FX
on September 22, 2011.
called it "...a trustworthy family drama but with aliens." He continued, "It's 'Jericho
' meets 'V
', with the good from both and the bad discarded. It'll raise the summer-TV bar significantly." Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly
gave the series a B+ and wrote, "A similar, gradually developed, but decisive conviction makes Falling Skies an engaging, if derivative, chunk of dystopian sci-fi." He continued, "...Falling Skies rises above any one performance; it's the spectacle of humans versus aliens that draws you in." In the Boston Herald, Mark A. Perigard gave the series a B grade, writing "Don't look now, but Falling Skies could be a summer obsession."
In Variety
, Brian Lowry stated that he enjoyed the action sequences but that "the soapier elements mostly fall flat", and called the series "painfully old-fashioned".
Mike Hale, from The New York Times
, called the series "average" and "good on the action, a little muddled on the ideas". He added that "the tone is placid and slightly monotonous, as if we were watching the Walton family
at the end of the world".
The Washington Post
reviewer Hank Steuver criticized the actor portrayals, writing that "the show is slowed by so many wooden performances, Wyle's included". He also states he found himself "root[ing] for the aliens, which cannot have been the writers' intent".
In The Miami Herald
, Glenn Garvin also criticized the poor acting, stating, "the 'Falling Skies' cast appears unconvinced and unconvincing." Garvin singled out the performance of Sarah Carter as the only exception, and added that Spielberg has "bottomed out" with this family drama series.
At review aggregator Metacritic
the first season scored 71%, based on 26 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."
In the UK, it premiered on non-terrestrial channel FX
, with 402,000 viewers.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
dramatic television series created by Robert Rodat
Robert Rodat
Robert Rodat Robert Rodat Robert Rodat (born Keene, New Hampshire, 1953 is an American screenwriter. Best known for Saving Private Ryan (1998), Rodat also wrote The Comrades of Summer (1992), Tall Tale (1995), Fly Away Home with Vince McKewin (1996), and The Patriot (2000). He recently worked on...
and produced by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
. The series picks up six months into a world devastated by an alien invasion
Alien invasion
The alien invasion is a common theme in science fiction stories and film, in which extraterrestrial life invades Earth either to exterminate and supplant human life, enslave it under a colonial system, harvest humans for food, steal the planet's resources, or destroy the planet altogether.The...
. Tom Mason, a former Boston University history professor, becomes the second-in-command of the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment, a group of civilians and fighters fleeing post-apocalyptic Boston.
The series is broadcast in the United States on the cable channel TNT, and is a production of DreamWorks Television
DreamWorks Television
DreamWorks Television is a television distribution and production company that is a division of DreamWorks SKG, a former subsidiary of Viacom-owned Paramount Pictures. The syndication rights to DreamWorks' live-action TV series were held by CBS Television Distribution until fall 2008, the successor...
. It premiered on June 19, 2011. The series was renewed on July 7, 2011, for a second season of 10 episodes due to air in summer 2012.
Series overview
Falling Skies tells the story of the aftermath of a global invasion by several races of extraterrestrials (including the lizard-like beings known as Skitters; a race of seemingly humanoid grey-skinned beings that seem to be their commanders; and mechanical Attack Drones called mechs) that neutralizes the world's power grid and technology, quickly destroys the combined militaries of all the world's countries, and apparently kills over 90% of the human population within a few days. The invasion and the objectives of the Aliens is not explained, though the aliens try to round up children between 8 and 16 and attach a metallic obedience device onto (and into) their spines. The aliens use mind control to control the children. Forcibly removing the device instantly kills the child. The story picks up six months after the invasion and follows a group of survivors who band together to fight back. The group, known as the Second Massachusetts (an allusion to a historical regiment from the Continental ArmyContinental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
), is led by the retired Captain Weaver and Boston University history professor Tom Mason who, while in search of his son Ben, must put his extensive knowledge of military history into practice as one of the leaders of the resistance movement.
Main cast
- Noah WyleNoah WyleNoah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
as Tom Mason, a former Boston University history professor who becomes the second-in-command of the 2nd Massachusetts, a roughly 300 strong group of civilians and fighters fleeing post-apocalyptic Boston. He has three sons: Hal, the oldest, Ben, the middle child who was taken by the Skitters, and Matt, the youngest. His wife died a short time after the invasion while gathering supplies. He is good friends with Anne Glass, and also shares some of her views on the rights of civilians. - Moon BloodgoodMoon BloodgoodKorinna Moon Bloodgood is an American actress and model. She starred as "Lt. Blair Williams" in the film Terminator Salvation alongside Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. Bloodgood previously starred in the films Eight Below and Pathfinder.-Early life:Bloodgood was born in Anaheim, California...
as Anne Glass, the 2nd Mass's doctor. She was a pediatrician before the invasion. She is very inclined towards the civilians, and believes that they should do all they can to help them. Her husband and son were killed at home in the bombings during the invasion. - Drew RoyDrew RoyDrew Roy is an American actor. Roy was raised in Clanton, Alabama. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.Roy appeared in mostly independent film projects from 2006 to 2008, although he scored an uncredited recurring role in Greek in 2007. In 2009, he landed a role on the television...
as Hal Mason, Tom's oldest son. He is 16 years old, and a Scout in the 2nd Mass. His girlfriend is Karen. - Jessy SchramJessy SchramJessica "Jessy" Schram is an American actress who starred in several TV series including Veronica Mars, Life and Falling Skies.- Life and career :...
as Karen Nadler, a teenage girl who works as a Scout in the resistance army. She lost her family in the invasion. Hal is her boyfriend. She was captured by the skitters, who used Ben (the middle child of Tom Mason), who was harnessed at the time, to drag her away. She later returns having been harnessed. - Maxim KnightMaxim KnightMaxim Knight is an American child actor who started acting at the age of eight. He is probably most known for appearing in the TNT TV series Falling Skies.-Biography:...
as Matt, Tom's youngest son. He is having trouble adjusting to life after the invasion, particularly the death of his mother and the disappearance of his brother Ben. - Seychelle GabrielSeychelle GabrielSeychelle Suzanne Gabriel is an American film and television actress and singer.-Life and career:Gabriel was born in Burbank, California, and is of Mexican descent. She graduated from Burbank High School....
as Lourdes, a former first year medical student who assists Anne. She is religious, and her faith is still strong despite the circumstances. She has a crush on Hal, which is dissuaded for the most part by Karen. - Peter ShinkodaPeter ShinkodaPeter Shinkoda is a Canadian film and television actor who stars on TNT's new science fiction series Falling Skies from Steven Spielberg and the Warner Bros. webseries Mortal Kombat: Legacy directed by Kevin Tancharoen.- Early Life :...
as Dai, a fighter. Dai does not have a wife or children, so in an odd way, he considers himself a little lucky not to have lost a loved one during the attack. - Mpho KoahoMpho KoahoMpho Koaho is a Canadian/South African film and television actor.-Biography:Mpho Koaho was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to South African parents....
as Anthony, a former Boston cop who is a fighter in the 2nd Mass and a part of Tom's team. - Sarah CarterSarah CarterSarah Carter is a Canadian actress, best known for her role in the TNT drama Falling Skies.-Biography:Carter was born in Toronto, Canada and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She attended Balmoral Hall School where she was a dedicated dancer and took part in various school plays including ‘’The Wizard...
as Margaret ("Maggie"), a woman who used to be part of Pope's gang. She helped Tom and his team escape after they were captured by Pope. Margaret was also "recruited" by Pope (and rapeRapeRape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by Pope's brother and other gang members), and she kills Pope's brother and another member of his gang before they leave. She wants to earn a place in the 2nd Mass. When she was 16 she had some form of cancer. - Colin CunninghamColin CunninghamColin Alexander Cunningham is an American television and film actor, now living in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Television:...
as John Pope, the leader of a post-apocalyptic gang. He captured Tom, Hal, Karen, Anthony, and Dai and intended to trade them back to the 2nd Mass in exchange for an M2 Browning, food and one of their Pontiac GTOPontiac GTOThe Pontiac GTO is an automobile built by Pontiac Division of General Motors in the United States from 1964 to 1974, and by GM subsidiary Holden in Australia from 2004 to 2006. It is considered an innovative, and now classic muscle car of the 1960s and 1970s...
. However, the plan backfired when Margaret helped Tom and the rest escape, and Pope was captured and the rest of his gang killed. - Connor JessupConnor JessupConnor William Jessup is a Canadian actor and producer, best known for his role as Ben Mason on TNT's science fiction series Falling Skies, executive produced by Steven Spielberg.-Biography:...
as 14 year old Ben Mason, Tom's second son who was captured by the Skitters. In the pilot, Hal saw Ben with one of the Skitter's harnesses on his back, which they apparently use to control children. He is eventually rescued from the skitters and the harness removed, but unlike the other rescued children, he is not free of its influence. - Will PattonWill PattonWilliam Rankin "Will" Patton is an American actor.-Life and career:Patton was born in Charleston, South Carolina, the eldest of three children. His father is Bill Patton, a playwright and acting/directing instructor who was a Lutheran minister and served as a chaplain at Duke University...
as Captain Dan Weaver, the commander of the 2nd Mass. Weaver is a retired active and reserve military officer, who served with Porter during the Gulf WarGulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. He does not like that the 2nd Mass includes so many civilians, and this is a point on which he and Anne often clash. He tried to save his family when the Skitters came, but he was not fast enough. He tells Tom that if his kids were still alive he would do anything to find them. It is revealed in the episode "Grace" that Weaver was a religious man but that he lost faith when the Skitters came. This is shown when Lourdes is reciting a prayer: Weaver is whispering it to himself as well. He also seems to have a paternal affection for the young soldier Jimmy Boland as shown when he comforts him in "Sanctuary Part 1". He later discovers it is possible that his wife and eldest daughter are still alive.
Recurring cast
- Bruce GrayBruce GrayBruce Gray is a Puerto Rican-born Canadian actor.-Early years:Gray was born Robert Bruce Gray in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Canadian parents...
as Uncle Scott, Anne's uncle who also reviews biology to the children of the 2nd Mass. - Dylan Authors as Jimmy Boland, a 13 year old Soldier who fights alongside the 2nd Mass.
- Daniyah Ysrayl as Rick Thompson, son of Mike. He was harnessed by the Skitters, and is one of the first to have the harness removed.
- Martin RoachMartin RoachMartin Jamie Roach is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles on Aaron Stone as T. Abner Hall and in the films Cube Zero, Diary of the Dead, and The Lookout.-Filmography:* Producing Parker as Dr...
as Mike Thompson, a soldier for the 2nd Mass. His son was captured by the aliens. He was killed in "Sanctuary Part 2Sanctuary (Falling Skies)"Sanctuary" is a two-part episode, consisting of the sixth and seventh episodes of the first season of the TNT science fiction drama Falling Skies. The first part aired on July 17, 2011, and the second part aired on July 24, 2011...
" by Terry Clayton when he learned about his deal to turn over the kids of the 2nd Mass to the skitters. - Dale DyeDale DyeDale Adam Dye is an American actor, presenter, businessman, and retired U.S. Marine captain who served in combat during the Vietnam War.-Early life & Marine service:...
as Colonel Porter, the leader of the resistance against the Skitters in Boston. He was a U.S. military officer on the verge of retirement when the invasion came. In the 9th episode of the first season he was reported missing and presumed dead. - Steven WeberSteven Weber (actor)Steven Robert Weber is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the television show Wings which aired throughout the 1990s on NBC.-Early life:...
as Dr. Michael Harris, a medical surgeon who is good friends with Tom. When the aliens attacked, Harris left Tom's wife to die in order to save himself. He was killed by the skitter when Harris tried to inject it with a lethal serum. - Lynne Deragon as Aunt Kate, Anne's aunt and Scott's wife.
- Melissa Kramer as Sarah, a pregnant civilian woman and member of the 2nd Mass.
Development
In May 2009, TNT announced that it had ordered to pilotTelevision pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
an untitled alien invasion project. Robert Rodat
Robert Rodat
Robert Rodat Robert Rodat Robert Rodat (born Keene, New Hampshire, 1953 is an American screenwriter. Best known for Saving Private Ryan (1998), Rodat also wrote The Comrades of Summer (1992), Tall Tale (1995), Fly Away Home with Vince McKewin (1996), and The Patriot (2000). He recently worked on...
wrote the pilot episode from an idea which was co-conceived by Rodat and Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
. In January 2010, TNT ordered a 10-episode first season, which premiered in June 2011.
Wyle, who worked with TNT on the The Librarian films, was sent scripts for various shows on their network. Wyle said part of the reason he chose the part was to gain credibility from his children. He said "...with the birth of my kids, I started to really look at my career through their eyes more than my own, so that does dictate choice, steering me toward certain things and away from other things." Wyle also decided to do it as he could relate with his character, stating "I identified with Tom's devotion to his sons, and admired his sense of social duty."
The pilot was filmed in 2009 and the rest of the season was shot from July to November of the following year in Toronto.
Crew
Rodat and Spielberg serve as executive producers on the project. Graham YostGraham Yost
Graham John Yost is a Canadian film and television screenwriter. His most famous works are the hit 1994 film Speed, Broken Arrow, and Hard Rain....
, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank are also executive producers. Yost had previously worked with Spielberg on the HBO miniseries The Pacific. Mark Verheiden
Mark Verheiden
Mark Verheiden is an American television, movie, and comic book writer. He is a co-executive producer for the television series Falling Skies for DreamWorks Television and the TNT Network.-Career:...
is a co-executive producer and the series show runner. Verheiden had worked as a writer and producer on Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
. Greg Beeman
Greg Beeman
Greg Beeman is an American director and producer best known for his work on television series Smallville, JAG, and Heroes. As well as numerous comedy films.- Career :...
is also a co-executive producer. Melinda Hsu Taylor
Melinda Hsu Taylor
Melinda Hsu Taylor is an American television writer and producer. She has worked in both capacities on the series Lost. She was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for best drama series for her work on the fifth season of Lost, as well as a 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for the series'...
is a supervising producer for the series; she previously worked on Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. John Ryan is the on set producer.
Promotion
The show's official website offered an online web-comic prior to the show's launch. The comic, released every two weeks, follows the characters of the series just weeks after the alien invasion. It is published by Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
and a 104-page comic was released on Jul 5, 2011.
Character videos are also available online. The videos explore the main characters of Falling Skies.
As part of the promotional campaign, a vehicle, with the TNT logo and called "Falling Skies Technical" was released as a free gift in the social networking game Mafia Wars
Mafia Wars
Mafia Wars is a multiplayer Social network game created by Zynga.In Mafia Wars the gamers play as gangsters building their own mafia. The players fight other players online and complete tasks to gain rewards and strength in the game. The game is a freemium game, meaning it is free to play normally...
on June 14, 2011.
Release
Scenes from the pilot were screened on April 1, 2011, as part of WonderConWonderCon
WonderCon is an annual comic book, science fiction, and motion picture convention, held in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987.The convention was conceived by retailer John Barrett and originally held in the Oakland Convention Center, where it remained until 2003, when it moved to San...
2011. The United Kingdom received the world premiere of the pilot episode in full, at the first annual Kapow! Comic Con, on April 12, 2011. It premiered on TNT on June 19, 2011. Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Drew Roy, Collin Cunningham, Sarah Carter, Executive producers Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, as well as co-executive producer Mark Verheiden appeared at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International.
The series will be debuting in more than 75 countries worldwide. Falling Skies will air on TNT networks in several international markets. In other areas, the series has been licensed to networks that include Fox, Super Channel and Canal+. Warner Bros. International Television holds licensing rights for Canada.
In Germany and Latin America, the series premiered on June 24, 2011, only five days after the U.S. world premiere. Falling Skies is shown Friday nights at 8:15 pm on TNT Serie
TNT Serie
TNT Serie is a German television channel dedicated to television series.The station is operated by Turner Broadcasting System and launched on 28 January, 2009. Since 1 June, 2009 the channel is broadcasting around the clock...
in Germany and 10:00 pm in Latin America on TNT Latin America, simultaneously on the sister channel Space Latin America
Space (Latin American TV channel)
Space is an Argentine cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System and Time Warner. It airs movies, series and television shows. It is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina...
. The series premiered on FX
FX (UK)
FX is a television channel in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, owned by Fox, launched in 12 January 2004. It was originally branded as FX289 in reference to its Sky EPG number. It was rebranded to FX in May 2005 as the channel moved in the Sky EPG.FX targets a demographic between 25...
in the UK beginning July 5, 2011; on July 4, 2011, at 8:15 pm CAT
Central Africa Time
Central Africa Time, or CAT, is a time zone used in central and southern Africa. The zone is two hours ahead of UTC , which is the same as the adjacent South Africa Standard Time and also the same as Eastern European Time....
for South African viewers on TopTV
TopTV
TopTV is a South African satellite TV service that began broadcasting on 1 May 2010. TopTV is owned by On Digital Media, who were granted a pay-TV license by ICASA in September 2007. On Digital Media is 20% owned by TV satellite operator, SES Astra...
's Fox Entertainment channel; and on Foxtel
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
's FOX8
FOX8
Fox8 is an Australian cable and satellite channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television's subscription platforms...
channel in Australia on July 7, 2011. In Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
the series will premiere on FX
FX (Greece)
FX Greece is a television network, launched by the Fox International Channels, which launched on 31 December 2009 and is currently available to the subscribers of Conn-x TV and NOVA Greece....
on September 22, 2011.
Critical reception
Falling Skies received positive reviews, and criticism. Tim Goodman of the Hollywood Reporter wrote "...the entertainment value and suspense of Falling Skies is paced just right. You get the sense that we'll get those answers eventually. And yet, you want to devour the next episode immediately." Thomas Conner of the Chicago Sun-TimesChicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
called it "...a trustworthy family drama but with aliens." He continued, "It's 'Jericho
Jericho (TV series)
Jericho is an American action/drama series that centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States...
' meets 'V
V (TV series)
V is a science fiction franchise created by American writer, producer and director Kenneth Johnson about an invading alien race known as the "Visitors" – reptilian humanoids disguised as human beings – trying to take over Earth, and the human Resistance group attempting to stop them.It...
', with the good from both and the bad discarded. It'll raise the summer-TV bar significantly." Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the series a B+ and wrote, "A similar, gradually developed, but decisive conviction makes Falling Skies an engaging, if derivative, chunk of dystopian sci-fi." He continued, "...Falling Skies rises above any one performance; it's the spectacle of humans versus aliens that draws you in." In the Boston Herald, Mark A. Perigard gave the series a B grade, writing "Don't look now, but Falling Skies could be a summer obsession."
In Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, Brian Lowry stated that he enjoyed the action sequences but that "the soapier elements mostly fall flat", and called the series "painfully old-fashioned".
Mike Hale, from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, called the series "average" and "good on the action, a little muddled on the ideas". He added that "the tone is placid and slightly monotonous, as if we were watching the Walton family
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
at the end of the world".
The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
reviewer Hank Steuver criticized the actor portrayals, writing that "the show is slowed by so many wooden performances, Wyle's included". He also states he found himself "root[ing] for the aliens, which cannot have been the writers' intent".
In The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
, Glenn Garvin also criticized the poor acting, stating, "the 'Falling Skies' cast appears unconvinced and unconvincing." Garvin singled out the performance of Sarah Carter as the only exception, and added that Spielberg has "bottomed out" with this family drama series.
At review aggregator Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
the first season scored 71%, based on 26 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."
Ratings
The two-hour premiere of Falling Skies was watched by 5.9 million viewers, making it cable television's biggest series launch of the year, with more than 2.6 million adults 18–49 and 3.2 million adults 25–54. The first season finale received 5.6 million viewers, the highest rated episode since the series premiere; with 2.5 million viewers in the 18–49 demographic.In the UK, it premiered on non-terrestrial channel FX
FX (UK)
FX is a television channel in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, owned by Fox, launched in 12 January 2004. It was originally branded as FX289 in reference to its Sky EPG number. It was rebranded to FX in May 2005 as the channel moved in the Sky EPG.FX targets a demographic between 25...
, with 402,000 viewers.