Alien Nation

By Wikipedia

Alien Nation was a science fiction television series, based on the movie of the same name. Gary Graham starred as Detective Matthew Sikes, a Los Angeles policeman reluctantly working with "Newcomer" alien George Francisco, played by Eric Pierpoint. Sikes also has an on again-off again flirtation with a female Newcomer, Cathy Frankel, played by Terri Treas.

Although staged as science fiction, the storylines generally revolved around thinly disguised morality plays on the evils of racism, and bigotry against ethnic minorities, women, and gay people. For example, during the run of the series, George became pregnant (in the Newcomer race, males bear children) and series often offered social commentary by illustrating the differences and similarities between humans and the Newcomers.

The show ran for just one season, from 1989 through 1990. Although popular, a financial crunch at the fledgling Fox Network (it was one of the network's first dramatic series) forced the show's cancellation. A second season was clearly expected by the producers as the season ended with a cliffhanger. The show built a strong fan base, and popular demand led to "Dark Horizon", the episode that would have begun the second season, being novelized and adapted as a comic book. Several years later, with Fox now a going concern as a network, the story of Alien Nation was continued with several television movies reuniting the original cast. The first of these was the long-delayed "Dark Horizon." Complete list:

• Alien Nation: Dark Horizon (1994)
• Alien Nation: Body and Soul (1995)
• Alien Nation: Millennium (1996)
• Alien Nation: The Enemy Within (1996)
• Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy (1997)

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