‘War of the Worlds’ Brings A New Apocalypse

No one envisions the invasion of Earth better than HG Wells in his classic sci-fi tale ‘War of the Worlds’.

The series takes place during the Edwardian period in England, when the telegraph was still the mode of communication. The book was written in 1898, which coincides with the period the series portrays.

The story of the alien invasion spans three episodes, each offering a current view of the aftermath – from the loss to the invaders and the build-up to what led to the annihilation of the planet.

Most of the story narrows in on the survival of George and Amy, who are trying to get their life together, but George is being shunned by society because of his divorce. Remember, divorce was a major taboo back then.

Everything gets turned upside down as an orb from Mars lands close to where the couple have decided to start their new life. A friend of theirs, Ogilvy, a scientist, lets his curiosity about the orb get the better of him and the townsfolk.

Events then start to move along at a rapid pace, and the special effects set the tone for the pending disaster. At the crash site, the orb activates and starts to attack indiscriminately.

The humans realise that there is no hope against an unstoppable enemy which has machinery on its side.

The cast is relatively unknown, considering this is a UK production. The setting is very basic, which allows for the story to shift very quickly, and you might notice that the camerawork is very clever as a lot of the scenes are supposed to be in and around Edwardian London.

Eleanor Tomlinson and Rafe Spall play the protagonist couple Amy and George, Rupert Graves is George’s politician brother Frederick, Robert Carlyle is the scientist Ogilvy and Woody Norman plays the couple’s child after the invasion.

Tomlinson was part of the series ‘Poldark’, which screened on DStv channel 123 and online, in which she played the wife to Ross Poldark.

Spall sports more supporting roles than leads in various productions that he has featured in. As for Carlyle, he would be best remembered for his roles in the ‘Trainspotting’ films, as well as the series ‘Once Upon a Time’.

‘War of the Worlds’ is the first British adaptation produced for the BBC, as there have been two American productions before. Directing the series is Craig Viveiros. There will be no second season as the story is completed in this three-episode production. The American/French version, however, has been commissioned for a second instalment with no date indicated for production. The series can be found online on popular streaming platforms.

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