BBC’s War of the Worlds TV show is finally expected to release in 2019. Eighty years after an infamous radio broadcast supposedly sparked a mass panic, the BBC is translating H.G. Wells’ classic story, War of the Worlds, for the small screen.
The BBC’s War of the Worlds TV show was first reported in development as far back as 2015, but was put on hold until 2017, by which time the rights to War of the Worlds had passed back into the public domain. Showrunner Peter Harness has recruited an all-star cast, including Rafe Spall as George and Eleanor Tomlinson as his partner Amy, a couple looking to start a life together who are faced with the terrors of an alien invasion. Other key members of the cast include Rupert Graves as George’s elder brother Frederick and Robert Carlyle as the astronomer/scientist Ogilvy.
This year’s War of the Worlds TV show is the first-ever British TV series based on Wells’ novel. But what can viewers expect from the upcoming War of the Worlds TV show, including its release date and story changes?
BBC’s War of the Worlds TV Show Release Date
BBC’s War of the Worlds TV show releases in 2019, though a specific release date hasn’t been revealed yet. Despite that, the War of the Worlds TV show should release by summer 2019, seeing as BBC has already put out a trailer for their War of the Worlds TV show (above); that only happens when a series/season is near release. So it shouldn’t be much longer.
BBC’s War of the Worlds Story Changes
Set in Edwardian England, the three-part War of the Worlds TV show will see new characters, George, and his partner, Amy, struggle to deal with societal prejudice in the disturbing context of an alien attack on England. The War of the Worlds TV show promises to balance the human side of the story with the horror and spectacle of an alien invasion; that’s just the kind of balance that popularized The War of the Worlds in the first place.
Writer Peter Harness, a fan of Wells’ work, stressed that he’s done his best to adapt the story to make a compelling drama. “The version of The War of the Worlds that I wanted to make is one that’s faithful to the tone and the spirit of the book,” he explained, “but which also feels contemporary, surprising and full of shocks: a collision of sci-fi, period drama and horror. There is nothing cozy or predictable about Wells’ novel, and that’s what I want to capture in the show.”
The Edwardian setting for the War of the Worlds TV show is a fascinating experiment on the BBC’s part. All previous adaptations have rewritten the script to make it contemporary (and American). Instead, this latest adaptation attempts to place the story in its original setting, meaning War of the Worlds is essentially a cross between a science-fiction and a period piece. That means the production crew will have to strike a careful balance.
