The Aliens (TV series)

Coel told Radio Times that The Aliens addresses "urgent contemporary concerns" not limited to racism; during the filming of the series at Nu Boyana Film Studios in Bulgaria, she reported she experienced racist attacks.{{Cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-03-01/chewing-gum-star-michaela-coel-experienced-racist-attack-while-filming-the-aliens-in-bulgaria|title=Chewing Gum star Michaela Coel experienced 'racist attack' while filming The Aliens in Bulgaria|website=RadioTimes|access-date=2016-03-04}} Speaking to The Guardian's Gabriel Tate, Ryan acknowledged links with the show's narrative and the ongoing European migrant crisis: "With immigrants, there's a colonial history that leaves you in debt to them. Here, we don't owe them [the aliens] anything, but they've landed on our planet and we've got to do something with them."

Viral marketing for The Aliens was organised by Channel 4's in-house creative agency 4Creative. Centred on the slogan "Fight Human Oppression", the faux-political campaign interrupted several Channel 4 shows throughout February 2016. It also appeared on radio and cinema, interrupting DCM's usual ident.{{Cite web|url=http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/dcms-cinema-ad-interrupted-aliens-channel-4-takeover/1382446|title=DCM's cinema ad interrupted by The Aliens in Channel 4 takeover|website=www.campaignlive.co.uk|access-date=2016-03-04}} Shots featured a female member of the "Alien League" asking the viewer for help "fighting human oppression", before being wrestled away.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/02/22/aliens-fight-human-oppression-anticipation-e4s-new-show|title='The Aliens' fight human oppression in anticipation of E4's new show|website=The Drum|access-date=2016-03-04}}

Following its April conclusion, the show also aired on Space in Canada in May.{{cite web |url=http://thetvwatercooler.com/2016/04/the-aliens-tv-series-canada/ |title=U.K. hit The Aliens to premiere in Canada on May 4|date=15 April 2016 }} It concluded on 8 June 2016. In Germany, ZDFneo aired the show in October 2016.

• Michael Socha as Lewis Garvey
• Jim Howick as Dominic
• Michaela Coel as LilyHot
• Michael Smiley as Antoine Berry
• Holli Dempsey as Holly Garvey
• Trystan Gravelle as Fabien
• Chanel Cresswell as Paulette
• Chetna Pandya as Chief

{{Episode table |background=#773953 |overall=|title=|director=|writer= |airdate= |episodes=

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 1

| Title = Episode 1

| DirectedBy = Jonathan van Tulleken

| WrittenBy = Fintan Ryan

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|03|08|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = Lewis is a border guard at the checkpoint that patrols the wall that surrounds the area of the city where the aliens are allowed to live. After a chance encounter with a mysterious alien Lilyhot, his life is thrown into turmoil.{{Cite web|title=The Aliens|url=https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-aliens|access-date=2020-10-06|website=Channel 4|language=en}}

| LineColor = 773953

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 2

| Title = Episode 2

| DirectedBy = Jonathan van Tulleken

| WrittenBy = Fintan Ryan

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|03|15|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = Lilyhot convinces Lewis to help his father break out of prison and get safely to Troy.

| LineColor = 773953

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 3

| Title = Episode 3

| DirectedBy = Jonathan van Tulleken

| WrittenBy = Fintan Ryan

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|03|22|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = Lilyhot wants to start a gang-war in Troy. Meanwhile, Lewis reluctantly agrees to smuggle drugs through the checkpoint.

| LineColor = 773953

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 4

| Title = Episode 4

| DirectedBy = Lawrence Gough{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/michael-socha-and-michaela-coel-star-e4-s-aliens|title=Michael Socha and Michaela Coel star in E4's Aliens (w/t)|date=2 September 2016|accessdate=11 April 2016|publisher=Channel 4}}

| WrittenBy = Fintan Ryan

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|03|29|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = With his suspicions about Lewis growing, Truss follows him into Troy discovering that Lewis is half-alien.

| LineColor = 773953

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 5

| Title = Episode 5

| DirectedBy = Lawrence Gough

| WrittenBy = Jon Brown and Fintan Ryan

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|04|05|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = Dominic is forced to become a hitman, while Lewis is blaming himself for what happened to Truss.

| LineColor = 773953

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 6

| Title = Episode 6

| DirectedBy = Lawrence Gough

| WrittenBy = Fintan Ryan

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2016|04|12|df=yes}}

| ShortSummary = Lewis realises he has to bring the conflict to an end.

| LineColor = 773953

}}

}}

The List's Brian Donaldson compared the show to the 2015 Humans, and wrote that "from almost its opening scene, The Aliens dives headlong into the issues it wants to tackle... politicians talking about building walls is barely off the news just now and The Aliens taps right into this." Tim Dowling of The Guardian called "Tremendous fun."{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/mar/09/the-aliens-review-e4-happy-valley-last-nights-tv|title=The Aliens review: otherworldly fun from the makers of Misfits|last=Dowling|first=Tim|date=2016-03-09|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|access-date=2016-03-20}}

Channel 4 announced in May 2016 that The Aliens would not be renewed for a second series.{{Cite news|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-05-24/channel-4-axes-michaela-coel-and-michael-socha-drama-the-aliens|title=Channel 4 axes Michaela Coel and Michael Socha drama The Aliens|work=RadioTimes|access-date=2017-05-03|language=en}}

{{reflist|40em}}

• {{official website|http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-aliens}}
• {{IMDb title|id=5458832|title=The Aliens}}

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Category:Television series by Clerkenwell Films

Aliens, The

Category:British fantasy drama television series