Series synopsis
The Martian Chronicles is an American sci-fi & fantasy television series that premiered on NBC on January 15, 1980. It ended on January 29, 1980. It was created by Ray Bradbury. It stars Rock Hudson, Darren McGavin, Roddy McDowall and Joyce Van Patten.
The Martian Chronicles deals with the exploration of Mars and the inhabitants there.
Premise
The Martian Chronicles deals with the exploration of Mars and the inhabitants there.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Rock Hudson as Col. John Wilder
- Darren McGavin as Sam Parkhill
- Roddy McDowall as Father Stone
- Joyce Van Patten as Elma Parkhill
- Gayle Hunnicutt as Ruth Wilder
- Phil Brown as Narrator
- Barry Morse as Peter Hathaway
- Peter Marinker as McClure
Supporting cast
- Richard Oldfield as Captain Nathaniel York
- Maggie Wright as Ylla
- Burnell Tucker as Bill Wilder
- Derek Lamden as Sandship Martian
- Anthony Pullen Shaw as Edward Black
- Alison Elliott as Lavinia Spaulding
- John Cassady as Briggs
- Richard Heffer as Captain Conover
Guest cast
- Bernie Casey as Maj. Jeff Spender
- Maria Schell as Anna Lustig
- Robert Beatty as Gen. Halstead
- Bernadette Peters as Genevieve Seltzer
- Jon Finch as Christ
- Christopher Connelly as Ben Driscoll
- Fritz Weaver as Father Peregrine
- Nicholas Hammond as Commander Arthur Black
- Nyree Dawn Porter as Alice Hathaway
- Michael Anderson Jr. as David Lustig
- Terence Longdon as Wise Martian
- Wolfgang Reichmann as Lafe Lustig
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 3 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 3 | January 15, 1980 | January 29, 1980 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Expeditions January 1999: The Zeus Project makes its first manned flight to Mars. Its ultimate goal: colonisation. On Mars, Ylla dreams of the coming astronauts and her husband, Mr K, plots their doom... The second expeditions lands and finds a Mars a deceptively familiar but deadly home from home. Finally, Col. Wilder's Zeus III expedition arrives to find the Martians dead, wiped out by chicken pox. For one crew member, Spender, the thought of Earth culture tearing the planet apart is too much to bear. |
January 15, 1980 |
| 2 |
The Settlers February 2004: The colonisation of Mars proceeds rapidly, the rockets arriving like 'silver locusts'. Settlers pour in, each in search of a dream - Fr Peregrine wants to meet Christ; the Lustigs want to find their missing son; the Parkhills want to make their fortune; and Wilder himself wants to meet a Martian... |
January 22, 1980 |
| 3 |
The Martians November 2006: Earth is an amber cinder, all life annihilated by total nuclear war. A handful of settlers left on Mars are the sole survivors of the human race, facing a desolate future, cut off and isolated even from each other. Wilder finally meets his Martian 'counterpart'. |
January 29, 1980 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | NBC |
|---|---|
| First aired | January 15, 1980 |
| Last aired | January 29, 1980 |
| Runtime | 120 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Monday, Tuesday, Sunday |