# War of the Worlds (1988)

> Decades after their 1953 defeat, the Martians revive and a small band of scientists and soldiers must resume humanity's war against them.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2137

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 44
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: science fiction, action, adventure
- Created by: Greg Strangis
- Network: Syndication
- Cast: Jared Martin, Adrian Paul, Lynda Mason Green, Philip Akin, Richard Chaves, Catherine Disher, Denis Forest, Ken Pogue
- TMDB rating: 6.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094578/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: earnest, brisk, adventurous, tense, nostalgic

## Synopsis

War of the Worlds (1988-1990) is a Canadian-French-American syndicated science fiction series, a two-season continuation of H.G. Wells' invasion story that picks up after the Martians were beaten in the 1950s. Astrophysicist Harrison Blackwood (Jared Martin) leads a small band that includes paraplegic computer expert Norton Drake (Philip Akin), microbiologist Suzanne McCullough (Lynda Mason Green) and military man Colonel Paul Ironhorse (Richard Chaves). Their engine is simple and urgent: the aliens have revived from hibernation, they have learned from their earlier defeat, and humanity must find ways to stop them with whatever technology and secret knowledge survives from the first war. The series runs forty-four episodes of hour-long adventure, mixing sci-fi problem solving with action set pieces and a recovered alien arsenal. Its tone is earnest and brisk, a family-friendly pulp adventure with a sense of buried history and a lingering dread of invasion. Set in a present-day world shaped by the old cold war era, it suits viewers who enjoy 1980s syndicated sci-fi. Fans of V and Earth: Final Conflict will find much to enjoy here.

## Shows like War of the Worlds

- [First Wave (1998)](https://ember.film/tv/2089)
- [Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/4471)
- [V (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/13175)
- [The Andromeda Strain (2008)](https://ember.film/tv/18463)
- [V (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/65789)
- [The Martian Chronicles (1980)](https://ember.film/tv/3068)
- [V (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/19801)
- [Lost in Space (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/65677)
- [The 4400 (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/1397)
- [Land of the Giants (1968)](https://ember.film/tv/3183)

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