Wizards vs Aliens

Wizards vs Aliens is a British science fantasy television programme produced by BBC Cymru Wales and FremantleMedia Enterprises for CBBC and created by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford. The series focuses on the exploits of 16-year-old wizard Tom Clarke (Scott Haran) and his scientifically gifted best friend Benny Sherwood (Percelle Ascott) in their fight against the Nekross, a magic-consuming alien race who have arrived on Earth with the intention of hunting down wizards and feasting on their magical energies.

Wizards vs Aliens

Sam Watts, Dan Watts

United Kingdom

English

36 (list of episodes)

Russell T Davies (Series 1–2)
Bethan Hunt (Series 1–2)
Nikki Wilson (Series 3)
Phil Ford (Series 3)

Brian Minchin (Series 1)
Peter Bennett (Series 2–3)

Will Oswald
Tim Hodges

28 minutes approx.
54 minutes approx. (Series 3 premiere)

CBBC

29 October 2012 (2012-10-29) –
25 November 2014 (2014-11-25)

Production-wise, Wizards vs Aliens was created to fill the schedule gap left by the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures after its cancellation due to the death of the programme's lead Elisabeth Sladen.^[1]^[2] The show however is set in its own separate continuity, taking place in a separate universe and having nothing to do with Doctor Who.

Two series were originally commissioned by the BBC in late 2011. The programme premiered on 29 October 2012 with a first series of 12 episodes (6 two-part serials). Series 2, made up of 14 episodes (7 serials) aired between 28 October to 10 December 2013, while a third and final series of 10 episodes (5 serials) was broadcast between 27 October to 25 November 2014.

Co-creator and former executive producer Russell T Davies stated that the programme could "easily run for ten years",^[3] but by January 2015, the series had been placed on hiatus due to budget constrictions.^[4]

Premise[edit]

Wizards vs Aliens is a science fantasy adventure series which sees the collision of two different worlds.

The first series focuses on Tom Clarke, a 16-year-old wizard, and his adolescent best friend Benny Sherwood as they come across the forces of an alien race called the Nekross who have invaded Earth to consume anything or anyone connected to magic.

The second series continues the battle between the two sides and sheds more focus on magical creatures and locations and Jathro and Kooth's plan to overthrow the Nekross royals.

In the third series,^[5] Tom and Benny part ways when Benny receives an opportunity to work with MIT in America. The Nekross return to Earth's galaxy, with Varg, now king of the empire, intending to have vengeance on Tom for turning his sister Lexi into a human (which he did to save her life) and sending her to Earth. He is assisted by his wife Lady Lyzera, who is secretly a sorceress who wishes to take Earth's magic for herself and take over the universe.

as Thomas Robert "Tom" Clarke – a football-loving teenage wizard who defends wizardkind and Earth from the alien Nekross. He is Michael and Helen's son and Ursula and Simeon's grandson.

Scott Haran

as Benjamin Claude "Benny" Sherwood – Tom's nerdy "unenchanted" best friend whose vast knowledge of science finds its use with Tom's magic against the Nekross. In The Quantum Effect, Benny leaves to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in America but not before bidding farewell to Tom. He comes out as gay at the end of the Series 2 finale.

Percelle Ascott

as Ursula Crowe – Tom's happy-go-lucky grandmother, Simeon's wife, and Michael's mother-in-law, a wizard descended from the Magical Line of Crowe. She is also Tom's tutor when training him in magic and spells.

Annette Badland

as Michael Clarke – Tom's widowed father and Ursula's son-in-law, an unenchanted who works as a veterinarian. His main concern is his son's safety and making sure he grows up without having to rely on magic all the time.

Michael Higgs

as Randal Moon – a hobgoblin who lives in the Chamber of Crowe – the source of the magical line of Crowe's magic – and aids the Wizards and their unenchanted allies with his vast knowledge of potions and spells.

Dan Starkey

International broadcasts and releases[edit]

Wizards vs Aliens made its American debut on the cable channel Hub Network, where it ran from 27 May – 15 June 2013. The series was available on Netflix until December 2018.^[7]

In Australia the show airs on ABC 3.

In Poland, the show aired on teleTOON+ between 6 April 2013 – 1 January 2014. In Polish lector, the last episode of Series 2 was slightly censored – Benny's dialogue during his coming out was changed from "I'll go on a date, one day. Just not with her. Not with a girl" to "I'll go on a date, one day. Just not with her. Not yet".

In Italy the show aired on Rai Gulp between 2014 and 2015.

Wizards vs Aliens