Fall TV Preview

What’s It All About? Aliens have come to Earth in this update of the 1983 miniseries that scarred many of the children who watched it with its peeling skin and rodent eating. That includes star Morena Baccarin (Firefly), who plays the lead Visitor, Anna. But what resonates with her in this version is the social commentary. “I really like the idea that there are these people from a different planet who can show us how to be human beings better than we can remember,” she says of the Visitors. At least that’s what they’re selling. Healing diseases and offering highly advanced technology — in exchange for access to the Earth’s water supply — seems like a literal godsend for many humans, pitting those who believe in the Visitors against those who don’t. “There’s really the element of surprise and fear in it that’s a total hook,” Baccarin says. “I really wanted to know what was going to happen in the next few episodes, because it was so incredibly scary as you start to discover how long they’ve really been here and what’s been going on.” The pilot is a bit plodding, but pays off nicely by the end and is a good setup for what’s to come. And yes, you do get to see some lizard skin.