WTF Happened to Alien Nation? (1989)

1988’s Alien Nation was a sci-fi twist on the classic buddy cop formula. While only a modest hit, it did have some devoted fans (we covered it in a Best Movie You Never Saw), and the premise was gold. In fact, it was so good that the fledgling Fox Network decided to spin it off into a TV series the following year. The show, which starred sci-fi vet Gary Graham as Sikes, the human cop, and Eric Pierpoint as George, the alien (or rather newcomer), was well-reviewed. Many thought the show, which V’s Kenneth Johnson ran, improved on the film significantly. Yet Fox, in their lack of foresight, opted to cancel the show after one season, only to bring it back for a series of TV movies a few years later when the show spawned a series of successful comics and novels.
Now mostly forgotten, Alien Nation is nonetheless an interesting, socially conscious addition to the eighties sci-fi cannon, and it’s this week’s Gone But Not Forgotten. In this episode, we look at the show’s origins, its cancellation and eventual return, and whether or not it could ever be rebooted. This episode is written, edited and produced by Dave Arroyo. Jesse Shade narrates. Tell us in the comments if you think Alien Nation is due for a comeback.
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#AlienNation #GoneButNotForgotten #KennethJohnson

[@JoBloOriginals]

Hey guys! This episode of GBNF was made from suggestions from fans who emailed us demanding this show be covered on this series. If you want to make suggestions for future episodes of GBNF then e-mail [e-mail] and maybe we’ll cover your show!

[@theleap2946]

Good episode! Hopefully some day you take a look at the political thriller/sci-fi mystery series that is Nowhere Man!

[@playfulpanthress]

Where’s the ‘Dollhouse’ video?? I always see it in the intro, but have yet to find it.

[@kylejones1828]

dude your a loser do you know what xenophobia means?? seriously do you?

[@chriscarrete5303]

Robot Jox! Please... 🙏🙏🙏

[@KermdoubleO7]

OUTSTANDING! thank you.

[@jaredbaratta8589]

Proud owner of the entire show on DVD.

[@pong86r]

ok, we'll be over around.... maybe 5PM?

[@octoman511]

your parents must be extremely proud of that

[@jaredbaratta8589]

@@octoman511, Gary Graham just died.

[@lindarodman5014]

You are not alone

[@thecunninlynguist]

I loved this show. I always laughed how spoiled milk was their alcohol

[@FULANODETAL]

WELL TECNICALLY Our wine beer and so...are spoiled things too

[@scintill8or]

One time George was holding his head and said, "I am so milked over"

[@batner]

I never could pass the fact that water causing them to get chemical burns. They should be living in a desert.

[@ShawnThomas78]

Raw meat too lol

[@liwojenkins]

@@batner Salt water. They just should avoid the ocean. South CA is a desert, just too close to the ocean. The thing that was really a miss is that human tears, blood and sweat are basically salt water, so human to alien contact could, and would, be extremely dangerous and possibly deadly to the Newcomers.

[@michaellangwaller]

I love this show. I remember watching it when it aired on Fox and how disappointed everyone was when it was cancelled. There was so much left unanswered even after the movies that I would love to see a revisit to that universe.

[@JnEricsonx]

Oh, as a kid, and having seen the OG movie in theaters, and then how the show ended, I was pissed. I ate up all the novels-which then became the TV movies.

[@carter358]

There was a rumor a few years ago of a revival with a grown up Emily joining the police force and Sykes being her supervisor. It would've been interesting. The original series is just so brilliant.

[@melmacd878]

I used to love this show. Reading that Gary Graham passed away triggered the memory of the show so I started watching it again. So good, love it! RIP Gary

[@TodaysDante]

I loved it when the uncle walked into the ocean and wasn't hurt (ocean water is like acid to them). It showed his faith wasn't just a fantasy.

[@treewalker1070]

I loved that episode too.

[@szqsk8]

Makes me think of Matthew 14:22-33.

[@AZRockslide42]

The list of fantastic shows Fox canceled through the years is ridiculous.

[@whoelsebutmeofcoursei]

And the walking corpse that Simpsons is keeps going

[@johnbirkenmaier6641]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series. I wasn’t really a fan of the original movie, but this series was fantastic. I loved the interplay between Eric Pierpoint and Gary Graham. Their portrayals of Sikes and Francisco definitely gave this series its legs. The humor, and camaraderie made this one worth watching over and over. I do wish the standalone films were as good as the show. But this show definitely should have run longer.

[@internziko]

I'm so happy you guys talked about this show. I remember it when i was a kid and it's very underrated

[@angelafinley2662]

I was a teenager when I had the privilege to see this show. Loved it! We need a remake! 💯👊❤️

[@chermebrownsauce8049]

Alien Nation and Forever Knight were among my favorites in the 80s and 90s. I miss those days! I just love the vibe of the movies and series of that era. Nothing will ever top that!

[@mansakali7276]

I loved this show growing up and its a real loss that they cancelled it.

[@LOAblue]

I watched this show as a teen. It deserved a lot more than the 1 or 2 seasons it got.

[@ozthekeymaster]

100% totally adored this series. Bought the set of DVDs and watched them loads. Pity it got cancelled; it had such potential!

[@Murrlin27]

THERE ARE DVDs!?!

[@ozthekeymaster]

@@Murrlin27 Yep - can't remember where I go them from - it was a while ago. I'll try to dig them out...

[@Chanselor_Gowron]

@@ozthekeymasterif you find them, would you be willing to upload them to the internet archive?

[@StaurosPapadakis]

@@ozthekeymaster Did you?

[@V01t2]

Must NEVER forget Alien Nation. Perhaps one of the first series I actively followed. I was pissed how it ended

[@kalphil4385]

Alien Nation and Quantum Leap are some my favorite Sci fi shows .

[@CombatGod]

One of my all time favorite shows... Thanks for keeping it relevant.

[@ajvanmarle]

This show was absolutely brilliant. Such a shame it was not renewed.

[@hemaccabe4292]

I watched this show regularly during the original broadcast. Left us on a cliffhanger.

[@Arroyo2099]

Luckily they resolved it in the TV movie

[@hemaccabe4292]

@@Arroyo2099 Need to get rid of that wicked chick overseer bad person!

[@JnEricsonx]

@@Arroyo2099 And before that it was a novel. All the tv movies were first novels.

[@OperativeD]

I loved catching this show in reruns on the Sci-Fi Channel back in the day. I remember a part of one episode where Sikes is watching one of the female newcomers (I was thinking it was George's wife, but maybe not) doing laundry and she turns around and calls him on it saying how he was "Undressing her with his eyes" which was the first time I heard that expression before. Obviously because I was a preteen at the time the innuendo left an impression, but over all I think this show is a gem that needs to be kept around in some form or fashion.

[@janetkizer5956]

I loved that show so much, and I was broken hearted when it got cancelled. A remake would be a great idea.

[@baronvg]

Okay, 3 points: 1, hell yeah I loved this show and hated the fact it got cancelled but loved the fact there were 5 TV movies and you bet I watched them all. 2, I didn’t think I’d tear up a little at the review of this but all the talk about how the show handled racism and tolerance got me. 3, I’m about the same age as Lauren Woodland and I had a HUGE crush on her, and especially as she got older lol

[@singletona082]

I grew up watching Alien Nation. I loved it and credit its writing for giving me a look at the way things Should be rather than how they are at a point in my life when I was young enough to lap it up alongside Star Trek. We need shows like this more than ever.

[@JR-gh8lp]

I remember this show but was too young to appreciate it

[@louisewainwright5438]

This is one of my favorite TV shows! Thanks for this episode :-)

[@feck2594]

Finally, I've mentioned and requested this many times and I know it wasn't me that made you make this video but I will convince myself it was . I loved the movie and the show , which never really gets any credit for their greatness .

[@Arroyo2099]

If it makes you feel better you were one of the first who asked and put it on the radar

[@JS-bd5kf]

This was my favorite scifi show of all time. I'm happy to see it has other fans!

[@JonniD]

STUPENDOUS!!!! Thank you so much for covering this show! I loved it, and agree with all of your points. "If you guessed Fox, then NO FUCKING SHIT," ha ha ha ha haha haha!!! Also, thank you for including that story about Eric's fans on the Subway.

[@daviddrouant2852]

FOX hates television

[@OffRampTourist]

Love this series. Thanks for the well made coverage.

[@pong86r]

i loved this show so much! the book, the lore, everything was just so deep and dark.

[@anitarichmond8930]

I must say, I love that you use the word noble to describe George.👍

[@terryrose4804]

RIP Gary Graham. 01.22.2024

[@brandonmurphy301]

I'd like to see a GBNF about The Greatest American Hero. There's a lot of good stuff about it, both in front of and behind the scenes. Like having to change Ralph's last name in season 2 because someone with the name Hinkley shot Ronald Reagan.

[@JnEricsonx]

Yeah. Cause as a kid I was like...."Hey dad, how come this guy has our last name now?"

[@tiffinypie]

Alien Nation and Max Headroom childhood sci-fi faves

[@Briansgate]

in your intro, I saw Dollhouse. My gosh what an underrated awesome show!

[@lvsammy770]

I absolutely love this episode! Alien Nation was such a great show and was not given a chance. I love it to this day! And I have the series and all the movies and have watched them multiple times. I also love the bromance between Matt and George and I love how involved Matt becomes in George's family. It was one of the best TV series of the late 90s. I wish they would pick it up again but am terrified they would just mess it up.

[@deadNightwatchman]

"Great landing party!" One of my favorite lines from the show.

[@gustavopaez6368]

One scene in this series made me realize that belief is more powerful than anything wanting to harm you. In that scene the grandfather walks to the beach and enters it, salt water is acid for them, so he stands there unscathed, his union with the world and nature had made him part of the water, not an invasive force. That blew my mind. And whenever I feel that the water is going to burn me, I remember that scene and smile and realize that I am still unscathed. Thanks for this amazing video

[@gtmuse329A]

Loved the show, but that ending song was both crazy and brilliant! 🎶

[@chiefthunderhorse4430]

I love this series, I own the complete series and the original movie on DVD

[@stijnvantongerloo720]

Thanks for covering this show - clicked on your video right away! Was v. impressed with some episodes I was able to grab on telly years ago, and no, this show isn't talked about nearly enough...

[@davidpumpkinsjr.5108]

People hold up District 9 as a great example of using sci-fi to make social commentary (I personally think it was very heavy-handed), but Alien Nation handled it with much more subtlety.

[@Been.Here.Since.2007]

I enjoyed it back in the day. It was fresh. The watched the movie in theaters and is also great

[@serginio091]

Damn glad to have you back ! i enjoy every video you make.

[@Arroyo2099]

Thanks but our other team is great. Jesse and I will always be there

[@SabianArts]

I still live this series. I have the seaosn and all the movies on DVD. The only thing that doesn't hold up is how the police interact with those they arrest. That part was very of its time. I would to see this come back and focus more on the newcomers. They were the entire reason I started watching this show in the first place. Their culture is fascinating and the makeup was so good. Even now that makeup holds up.

[@wstine79]

I saw it a few times during its original run, but I loved watching it when the reruns were on Sci-Fi Channel. I appreciate the way this show tackled race issues. It may be hard to make today without feeling preachy.

[@Dancingontgesun1942]

Silence you Slag!

[@hendo337]

It was on the nose and ultra preachy then.

[@alienboy1322]

@@hendo337 I see that as a good thing. Unfortunately nowadays, too preachy isn't preachy enough.

[@vryusvin3905]

Let it be preachy, it is awesome and the message is important.

[@alienboy1322]

@@vryusvin3905 My thoughts exactly.

[@xXGenuwineXW0lfensteinXx]

i wished someone would do somethin like this on the movie "I come in peace"

[@nightdragon8364]

The 5 TV movies really expanded the series, and thank goodness I found all of them here on KZbin. They're part of my collection. As far as Fox network goes; what a joke they are. I wrote an article for my club newsletter about short-lived sci-fi shows, and about 30% of them were on Fox.

[@kitsunegiblaze8022]

Yes! This was my favorite TV show as a kid. It was like nothing else I had ever seen... like... if Star Trek was a Buddy Cop Show.

[@Briansgate]

I watched this back in the day. Didn't LOVE it, but it entertained me enough to watch it.

[@rmjmoviereviews6876]

I use to love this show! And the War of the Worlds counter part. Great memories!

[@JnEricsonx]

Yeah. Except WOTW got a 2nd season that was SHIIITTTTT!

[@jasondaniels1647]

While I was watching this I checked Etsy. They had alien nation comics, several VHSs, and some tie 8n novels. I did see any dvds.

[@V3ntilator]

I watched whole series as recent as 1-2 years ago. Great show.

[@SuperZippyzippy]

I remember this show.. watched with my dad growing up

[@feliciakidd9358]

I loved that show especially the theme song. I watched it when it first aired. 😄

[@Craxin01]

I like the analogy of this being an alien In the Heat of the Night. Both the movie and TV series In the Heat of the Night were excellent, and Alien Nation as a series was likewise quite excellent. It's been too long, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.

[@pong86r]

it really sets itself apart from everything else considered "sci-fi". i'm so glad the series creator didn't do what the suits wanted with the "buddy-cop" show and decided to take it seriously

[@Diggy22]

R.I.P. Gary Graham 🙏🏽

[@telengardforever7783]

When I was a kid, I never saw the movie, but I loved the TV series. I never knew it had movies to conclude it -- Funny how Firefly would go through the same process and wrap everything up with a movie after being cancelled.

[@christopherulichney]

This was a great series that deserves a remake. I have waiting for yuou to do Dollhouse ever since you started doing these. you even have its title in the intro for the series.

[@FunkatronicGeek]

RIP Gary Graham

[@napomkillz]

Ugh it's always Fox canceling shows that I liked growing up. Sarah Conner Chron, Firefly, Brimstone (the one featuring the Devil and Ezekiel), Alien Nation was for sure one that stood out. I'm positive that there are others that I can't remember at the moment.

[@JnEricsonx]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqCwhaCqg5yffqs

[@nosarcasm1]

Alien Nation is one of the Main Steps to Science Fiction. Love this series. Like Frasier, series I visit on regular base.

[@JnEricsonx]

Gotta love how Michelle Scarabelli also appeared in a episode of the War of the Worlds TV show a couple years before hand. And how Gary Graham-who I talked to for like 20 minutes at a convention....and completely forgot to get my copy of the series signed...would also be known in sci-fi for playing the exact OPPOSITE of Sykes.

[@Craxin01]

First thing I remember seeing her in were two PC videogames with video cut scenes. The Journeyman Project 2 and 3. Excellent games.

[@Oonagh72]

V was good too! I loved that one.

[@JoBloOriginals]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqKwaICHa656ldU

[@rickcole2265]

My family was usually so-so when it came to what to watch, (as far as TV shows went), But this wasn't the case with Alien Nation because we almost always made sure we had drinks/popcorn ready before it came on. My wife wasn't too hip on Si-Fi but she loved the series, (but not so much the movie), as much as me and son, (and that says allot)!

[@sisterdebmac]

Downsizing or a move, I went through a bunch of VHS tapes today to only save the best. I still have 2 working VCRs. I have a lot of eps of this show taped.

[@BlondeNordic]

I saw this series as a kid i was glued to the tv when it aired stupid Fox if the show makes u shit ton of money then why do u care if u get it or not. They should 100% bring it back as it was. Some of the issues are still very much relevant today.

[@fredlandry6170]

I remember this show as a teenager and the film.

[@Whisky_4_1]

i watched this show growing up. it was a real bummer when it got canceled

[@mainstreetsaint36]

For those who don't know, someone did upload the TV movies here on KZbin. Hopefully they are still there for people to watch.

[@treewalker1070]

I was an extra in one episode in alien makeup. It was tremendously fun, the friendliest set I've ever been on.

[@coreyhiggins3475]

Hell yea they need to reboot this show!

[@Taigan_HSE]

One thing I always wanted this show to address was something I felt was certain but was never addressed: the Overseers weren’t the real masters. They were just a higher ranking slave, and somewhere out there were the real masters.

[@janetkizer5956]

I totally adored this eries, and couldn't believe it when it was cancelled. That was a huge mistake, Fox. Huge.

[@camerongage1237]

I watched just about every episode during its original run but I remember that none of the kids I went to school with were watching it.

[@darryl3422]

The movie was ok a guilty pleasure especially Mandy Patinkin as George The series was a vast improvement and we got to knowa lot more about the Newcomers

[@jeremycheely6585]

I miss this show. It was great. When programming was good.

[@dsm5817]

hey guys! David from old things has the mini tv series all of them thanks for the uploads

[@yrsued]

I loved this show, I have it all on DVD and Loved the subsequent movies, read all the novels too!

[@BKDDY]

Crazy that this show was from the 80s. Seems like it was maybe 15 years ago

[@johnberry5296]

Great video

[@NHRebelsthoughts]

This was a Very Good show with sublimenital social commentary as most Sci Fi show love to do

[@mth469]

The show Alien 👽 Nation is making a comeback as a 10 part TV series. Disney has revived the project which was intended to be launched as a movie and instead opted for a TV series. Let's hope it makes it to the screen.

[@biguy617]

Do a video on Sliders.

[@matthewdaley746]

He has, John Rhys-Davies was totally wasted on it, awful.

[@JoBloOriginals]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqKZg3tuZbl7bZY

[@matthewdaley746]

@@JoBloOriginals What a bizarre program.

[@mathieuduval7544]

I never knew there was a show based upon that good movie!?.... but i thought that NETFLIX movie directed by David Ayer starring Will "Slappy" Smith was a remake of Alien Nation!?

[@ivane5110]

I'll have to look into those Alien Nation comics. I do recall some comic crossover years ago (Ape Nation? Alien Nation & Planet of the Apes). I hope they were done with respect for the heart of the series and not just as another generic alien series)

[@nassmatic]

Please do a Gone But Not Forgotten on "Sledge Hammer!" (1986-1988) ..that was a great 80s show. Thanks!

[@loganholmberg2295]

I loved the TV show and the movie.

[@anitarasmussen2810]

Haven't thought about this show in years then saw this today good show.

[@robesdebah4811]

As a kid, this blew my mind. I was young enough and it had verisimilitude that I just thout it might be real, and it ended with me.

[@Linklex7]

While many have probably forgotten about this show, I would definitely put it in that same camp as Stargate or Buffy The Vampire. The tv series that far exceeded the original movie. I know fans of this show who didn’t even know a movie existed.

[@samdiego1965]

You REALLY don’t want them to bring the show back. Anything that gets a revival in this era of movies and tv gets ruined.

[@MrShoward73]

I really loved this show and the movie it was based on. I was really sad when they cancelled it, and hoped it would come back...obviously not! While I would love to see it come back, I'm afraid of how it would be treated. I would want a director/producer team who loved the series and would do it justice (like all fans would love)!

[@edvaira6891]

It had an Absolute Kick Ass theme song, too!

[@TheDeFiler316]

This show was freaking fantastic.

[@alexanderdefalcojr.6840]

alien nation was a great show we all grew up on that back then it was something big to be speaking of aliens mixed into our population . a genius whomever created alien nation

[@yahnatanlevi6894]

I hope they bring this show back 🙏

[@TheRealKaiProton]

Liked the movie, the show totally blew my mind, and I loved watching it, its not a reboot it needs, its a sequel, bring back the original cast, and have them "pass the torch" I suppose to a new set, or just reboot it, anything to get this show back again, it was soooooo good.

[@overwerk]

I avoided watching Bright on Netflix, but it seems heavily inspired by this?

[@JnEricsonx]

Probably. I still want a proper Shadowrun adaptation.