For some reason, the public domain science fiction classic from H.G. Wells, War of the Worlds, is experiencing yet another resurgence.
But this time, there are actually two TV series overlapping with one another — one set in London (which is a period piece) and one in the U.S., which is a modern take starring Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects) and Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey).
Like the UK version, which is just three episodes long, the U.S. version is limited at just eight episodes.
Aside from the modern versus period approaches, the BBC version, which kicked off a few months ago in 2019, seems to focus more on the science fiction aspects of the classic tale, while the modern version seems rooted more in human relationships in a post-apocalyptic world.
The U.S. version of War of the Worlds is airing now and showing on Epix.
Cover image via BBC/YouTube
