Alien Nation

This series is fantastic! I do not understand why it only lasted one season. It gave us so many insights into the relationships between people of all "races". It allowed us to see the pain of "inter-species" relationships and the acceptance of beings "different" from us. As the series unfolded, it was uplifting to see how people can overcome their differences to get along and thrive on earth. There are so many lessons that we can ALL learn from this series. We can get along in peace and harmony.

"Alien Nation" is a perfect examples of a well-executed spin off. The original James Caan movie was a decent buddy cop flick, but the premise really lends itself to long0for television; and there's some great character development here as a result. It's a good mixture of sci-fi and cop show, and the big themes - racism, slavery, xenophobia - are handled with subtlety. But the important thing is that you do grow to like these people, and it's a worthwhile investment.

I know that there were TV movies produced to settle the dangling plot threads, but part of me is still disappointed it was cancelled on a cliffhanger (Fox was still young; it didn't yet have a reputation for killing off quality shows).

A good show, nevertheless.

7/10

Normally I'm not a fan of sci fi but something about this series changed my opinion Alien Nation is probably one of the best cop shows that was on TV. A slave ship carrying an alien race known as the Tenctonese crashed in the Mojave Desert near the city of Los Angeles five years ago. They have been bred to have great strength and quick intelligence, hard edged Officer Matt Sikes, played by Gary Graham is teamed up with a newcomer officer George Francisco (Pierpoint). Although the two mismatched cops have many differences and issues they have to work together thrown into the mix is George's family wife Susan (Scarabelli), young daughter Emily (Woodland) and teen aged son Buck (Six). Meanwhile Sikes must also deal with his budding romantic feelings for his neighbor and scientist Cathy Frankel (Treas) a gorgeous newcomer.

What I like most about the show is the humorous and difficult moments that are displayed when prejudice is shown towards the newcomers, also it's interesting to see a romantic relationship developing between a human male and a tenctonese female but what's a love story without the hurdles of interspecies romance.

For fans of sci fi classics Alien Nation is the number #1 show to watch.

Capitalizing on the success and popularity of the movie, this series used many of the same plot devices and dynamics, yet eventually found a footing of its own. The aliens were in effect the "newcomers" or latest immigrants to the US that society was now compelled to absorb. Many of the episodes centered around what one would expect for any immigrants; settling in, retaining one's own culture, defining a new identity etc. At the same time, there was the "other-worldly" aspect (visible from the appearance of the aliens) which kept the viewers learning about their past little by little. On top of this, the show actually dealt with sub-themes of aging, sexuality (even homosexuality in one episode), caste-system, human (or alien) trafficking and other topics that are even relevant for today. Though short-lived, it really is worth watching.

Having grown up in a household where Science Fiction was Dad's staple, I never really picked up on it, preferring more real-life drama. Having said that, this show is about the top of the line for TV scifi. The characters are believable, fully developed and imperfect.The acting is top-flight, and the stories, mostly carrying a message, are not overly burdened or preachy. The culture, habits, language, slang of the Aliens is presented in a matter-of-fact manner. Other than Heinlen or Finney, this is about the best scifi I've come across. And I don't like scifi.