If you didn’t know, it’s possible to watch War of the Worlds (2019) in the UK — time to remind you about this series and bring the most recent news

A few years ago, both the BBC and Fox Networks / StudioCanal were developing versions of the classic HG Wells novel War of the Worlds. We’ve had the BBC version in three parts with Eleanor Tomlinson, but the other version (last reported on back in January 2019). That version has (so far) given viewers two series, but watching in the UK was a challenge — not any more.

So what is the War of the Worlds (2019) series, who’s in it, and how do I watch it?

Unlike the BBC, the Fox Networks / StudioCanal series is contemporary. Aliens (not Martians) invade a world we recognise from before the pandemic. There’s no slow approach; one day an alien signal, next day vast numbers of metal objects smash into the world, clustered around population centres, then the attack. Most people are wiped out and we’re into a nice post-apocalyptic survival tale. As we start to get to grips with diverse characters in and around Grenoble and London, the aliens start hunting…

The cast includes Gabriel Byrne, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Stephen Campbell-Moore, Natasha Little and Adel Bencherif. The show is written by Howard Overman, and was released (in France) two episodes per week starting October 28, 2019.

The series has been difficult to catch in the UK, but that changed as it’s part of the Star lineup on Disney+. If you’ve been watching WandaVision, Bad Batch and any of the other Marvel / Star Wars shows, you can watch War of the Worlds (2019).

How many seasons are there, and is it cancelled?

Season 2 dropped in the same two episodes per week from May 18, 2021. That makes 16 episodes of apocalyptic drama, and there’s even more to look forward to. War of the Worlds was renewed for season 3 and will premiere in 2022. No word yet on casting, we’ll keep you in the loop. You could try the season 2 trailer if you want a sense of the show’s style.

We suggest it’s something to consider, and is, of course, in some way based on the original alien invasion trope, keeping a sense of the novel without being tied to it. Is it legitimate to take the name of the novel, is it just marketing? A lot of HG Wells think that, we’re prepared to overlook if we get well-constructed entertainment. There’s room for both!