'The Resurrection' by Greg Strangis

When a group of freedom fighters representing The People’s Liberation Party storms the military nuclear waste dump based at Fort Jericho, a battle swiftly breaks out. During the exchange of fire, several storage canisters are inadvertently hit, allowing their contents to break free; each drum contained a hibernating alien – brutal, devious warriors held captive after their failed attempt to conquer the world back in 1953. Thirty-five years ago, the bacteria present in Earth’s atmosphere defeated the aliens, but now exposure to the radiation leaking from other damaged containers has rendered the alien invaders immune to the germs’ effects. The terrorist leader issues an ultimatum to the government, demanding that unless the President of the United States resigns immediately, he and his comrades will blow up the depot; however, the resurrected aliens have other plans: they take over the terrorists’ bodies and then drive off with the remaining canisters containing their dormant comrades. Meanwhile, the brilliant-but-rebellious astrophysicist Harrison Blackwood and his assistant, computer expert Norton Drake, are joined by their newest recruit, microbiologist Doctor Suzanne McCullough; Blackwood and his wheelchair-bound colleague are analysing transmissions from deep space, and want Suzanne to hypothesize the form that alien life could take so that they can narrow their search for extraterrestrials. When Norton intercepts a series of alien transmissions originating from Earth, and corresponding responses from space, Harrison and Suzanne set off to investigate. They soon encounter Lieutenant Colonel Paul Ironhorse, who, together with his crack squad of soldiers designated Delta Team, has been assigned to investigate the attack on Fort Jericho. Seeing footage of the aftermath, Harrison is shocked to learn that hundreds, if not thousands of containers are missing; Harrison knows only too well the threat posed by the aliens, as his parents were killed in the invasion thirty-five years ago; he turns to Suzanne’s uncle, General Hank Wilson, for help, but the General is sceptical and asks for proof. Norton pinpoints the source of the alien’s transmissions to a woodland farmhouse, but when Harrison and Suzanne visit the premises they are stopped by Ironhorse and his Delta team; ignoring Harrison’s warnings, the soldiers attack the farmhouse, and the assault ends in disaster when all by Ironhorse are cut down. Now faced with proof of the aliens’ threat, General Wilson succeeds in getting the backing of the President; he grants Harrison funding to assemble a specialised team, and allocates him use of the high-tech facilities at the top-secret government stronghold known as ‘The Cottage’. With Lieutenant Colonel Ironhorse as their co-signer, Harrison, Norton and Suzanne begin the task of tracking down the aliens. Meanwhile, the aliens have set up base in an abandoned underground nuclear test site in the Nevada Desert, and are preparing to take control of three of their spaceships, currently in storage in Hanger 15 at Kellog Air Force Base; if these war machines are reactivated then mankind will surely be doomed...

Jared Martin (Doctor Harrison Blackwood), Lynda Mason Green (Doctor Suzanne McCullough), Richard Chaves (Lieutenant Colonel Paul Ironhorse), Philip Akin (Norton Drake), Richard Comar (Chambers / Advocate #1), Ilse von Glatz (Lena Urick / Advocate #2), Michael Rudder (Einhorn / Advocate #3), Rachel Blanchard (Debi McCullough), Corinne Conley (Mrs. Pennyworth) , John Vernon (General Wilson), Ric Sarabia (Teal), Gwynyth Walsh (Charlotte), Eugene Clark (Sergeant Gordon Reynolds), Frank Pellegrino (Mossoud), Martin Neufeld (Finney), Jack Mather (Doc), Desmond Ellis (Orel), David Hughs (Doctor Efrem Jacobi), Donald Tripe (Doctor Jeffrey Gutterman), Richard Sali (Hunter #1), Don Keppy (Hunter #2), Larry Reynolds (Mr. Tom Kensington), Harry Booker (Sheriff Deak), Steve Atkinson (Corporal #1), Kevin Fox (Corporal #2), Judah Katz (Pilot #1), Jeff Knight (Pilot #2), Ted Follows (General Arquette), Daryl Shuttleworth (Signal Corps Technician)

Directed by Colin Chilvers
Produced by Herbert Wright and Jonathan Hackett
Executive Producer Greg Strangis

TX (US): 3rd October 1988

Notes:
*Introducing Doctor Harrison Blackwood, Doctor Suzanne McCullough, Norton Drake and Lieutenant Colonel Paul Ironhorse

*This pilot is a double-length episode