TNT’s Falling Skies Returns for Second Season Sunday June 17th 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

Press Release: Mystery Deepens for Survivors of Massive Alien Invasion

As TNT’s Falling Skies Returns for Second Season

Basic Cable's #1 New Series Returns June 17

The wait is nearly over. TNT’s epic drama Falling Skies, basic cable's #1 new series of last year, is set to return with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, June 17 2012 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT). 

This season will continue its extraordinary story about life and survival in the wake of a catastrophic alien invasion. Noah Wyle (ER) stars as Tom Mason, a former college professor and father of three, who has become an unlikely leader for the 2nd Massachusetts civilian resistance group. 

Falling Skies comes to TNT from DreamWorks Television and is executive-produced by Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. Remi Aubuchon and Greg Beeman are also executive producers. Fans can find the latest Falling Skies news online at fallingskies.com and via twitter @FallingSkiesTNT.

Falling Skies chronicles the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. In the nine months since the initial invasion, the few remaining survivors have banded together outside major cities to begin the difficult task of fighting back. Each day is a test of survival as citizen soldiers work to protect the people in their care while also engaging in an insurgency campaign against the occupying alien force, whose nature and purpose remains a mystery.

"The objective this season was to ramp everything up: the stakes, the personal drama, the tension," says executive producer Remi Aubuchon. "If the first season was about our characters trying to cope with the trauma of having their world turned upside down, this season is about taking action and fighting back. Our heroes of the 2nd Mass will be faced with many challenges and obstacles throughout the season. Some will not survive the journey. But in the end, those that do will be much stronger and ready for anything."

As the second season of Falling Skies opens, three months have passed since Tom went willingly with the aliens in one of their ships. Nobody has seen or heard from him during this time, and his absence has taken its toll on his sons. Tom hoped that by agreeing to a dialogue with the invaders, he would not only free his son Ben from the invaders’ influence but also get a better picture of the aliens’ overall plan.

Many lives have been lost since Tom left, but the survivors of the 2nd Mass still struggle on with courage and resilience. Ben and his older brother, Hal, have stepped up as fighters but quickly butt heads as they both seek to secure their roles as leaders in their father’s absence. Hal has developed a strong, if not flirtatious, friendship with former renegade Maggie. Ben, meanwhile, has become a particularly strong soldier. But even though his prowess is a huge asset to the 2nd Mass, he has an independent streak that could place others in harm's way.

Amidst the turmoil, Tom’s youngest son, Matt, struggles to find his place in a world torn apart by war and destruction. Also in Tom's absence, Anne has become more of a maternal figure for the Mason boys. And Weaver, the commander of the 2nd Mass, continues to lead his fighters into battle against the aliens. The unknown effect of the harness continues to be an unfolding mystery and the 2nd Mass will discover the transformative powers the harness has on humans.

Throughout the season we will also be introduced to more mysterious alien creatures. One of these creatures has a connection to Tom and Ben that will be surprising. The survivors will have a nomadic existence as they march toward Charleston, S.C., where they hope to meet up with other remaining existence groups and begin to rebuild society.

Joining Falling Skies as guest stars this season are Brandon Jay McLaren (The Killing), who plays resident engineer and technology expert Jamil Dexter, and Terry O'Quinn (Lost), who will play Arthur Manchester, Tom's mentor and former professor, in the two-part season finale.

Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) also stars as Anne Glass, a pediatrician who works with the survivors to help them cope with the traumatic upheaval in their lives. Will Patton (Armageddon, TNT’s Into the West) plays Weaver, a fierce military leader of the resistance and Tom’s commanding officer. 

The series also stars Drew Roy (Secretariat) as Hal, Tom’s oldest son and a growing fighter in the resistance movement; Maxim Knight (Brothers & Sisters) as Matt, Tom’s youngest son; Connor Jessup (The Saddle Club) as Ben, Tom’s son who was captured by aliens and has since returned to the group; and Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) as Lourdes, an orphaned pre-med student who helps Anne in the group’s makeshift medical clinic. 

Mpho Koaho (Rookie Blue) and Peter Shinkoda (The L Word) play Anthony and Dai, two resistance fighters in the 2nd Mass.; Colin Cunningham (Living in Your Car) is John Pope, the head of a gang of marauders called the Berserkers; and Sarah Sanguin Carter (Shark) is Maggie, a wary survivor from Pope’s gang.

In its debut season, TNT’s Falling Skies averaged more than 6.9 million viewers, 3.3 million adults 18-49 and 3.7 million adults 25-54 to rank as basic cable’s #1 new series of 2011. 

On the international front, Falling Skies premiered in more than 115 global markets, achieving hit status in the United Kingdom, Australia and Latin America, among others. The premiere of Falling Skies also ranks as the biggest series launch ever for TNT networks in Spain, Germany and Austria.

About TNT

TNT, one of cable’s top-rated networks, is television’s destination for drama. Seen in 99 million households, the network is home to such original series as The Closer, starring Emmy® winner Kyra Sedgwick; Rizzoli & Isles, starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander; Falling Skies, starring Noah Wyle; Franklin & Bash, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; and Southland, from Emmy-winning producer John Wells, as well as the upcoming series Major Crimes, Dallas, Perception and The Great Escape. 

TNT also is the cable home to powerful dramas like The Mentalist, Bones, Supernatural, Las Vegas, Law & Order, CSI: NY, Cold Case and, starting this year, Castle; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; blockbuster movies; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR, the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

CONTACTS:
Maya Brooks, Atlanta, 404/885-2098, maya.brooks@turner.com
Eileen Quast, Los Angeles, 818/729-7353, eileen.quast@turner.com

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