Wizards vs Aliens is a British science fantasy television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales
and FremantleMedia Enterprises for CBBC and created by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford.
The series focuses on the adventures of 16-year-old wizard Tom Clarke and his scientifically-gifted
best friend Benny Sherwood as they battle against an alien species called the Nekross,
who have arrived on Earth with the intention of consuming all of wizardkind and feasting
on their magic.
Production-wise, Wizards vs Aliens was created to fill the schedule gap left by the Doctor
Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures when its lead actress Elisabeth Sladen fell ill;
she died in 2011.
The show, however, has no relation to the Doctor Who universe.
Two series were commissioned by the BBC in late 2011 for broadcast in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Series one broadcast between 29 October 2012 and 4 December 2012 containing twelve episodes.
Series two aired between 28 October 2013 and 10 December 2013, containing fourteen episodes.
A third series featuring ten episodes premiered on 27 October 2014.
Co-creator and executive producer Russell T Davies stated that the show could "easily
run for ten years".
Premise Tom Clarke is a seemingly ordinary 16-year-old
boy who loves football.
He lives with his "unenchanted" father Michael Clarke and "enchanted" grandmother Ursula
of the 'Magical Line of Crowe', – but there’s something different about Tom as his family
are Wizards.
When an alien race known as the Nekross arrive on Earth hungry for magic, there's trouble
for all 'wizardkind'.
Varg and Lexi, the two main Nekross antagonists, are the same size as humans, with yellow skin
covered in spikes and a tentacle on each side of their heads.
The right tentacle has an eye and the left one a mouth.
They both wear blue armour.
They occasionally use Nekross technology to appear to be human when on Earth.
Their father is a large yellow face encased in the wall of the spaceship.
It is unclear how much of his body is behind the wall.
Other Nekross are Technician Jathro 15, who is red, Chancellor Kooth, who is blue-white,
and various guards and other crewmembers, who don't remove their helmets.
The Nekross are immune to wizard magic, as they consume it.
They have a machine on their spaceship that can drain all the magic from a captured wizard,
which also makes the wizard instantly become very old.
After a wizard is drained, he or she is returned to Earth.
With the help of his friend and science super-brain Benny Sherwood, Tom must stop them.
In the third series, Tom and Benny now face against the now King Regent Varg who wishes
to have vengence on Tom for turning Lexi into a human and sending her to Earth.
Also there is Varg's wife Lady Lyzera who is secretly a sorceress who wishes to take
Earth's magic for herself and take over the universe.
Characters Current
Wizards / Unenchanted Thomas Robert "Tom" Clarke - A 16 later 17-year-old
wizard who defends wizardkind and Earth against the Nekross.
Ursula Crowe - Tom's happy-go-lucky grandmother and Michael's mother-in-law, a descendant
wizard of the Magical Line of Crowe who occasionally has trouble casting the right spell.
Michael Clarke - Tom's unenchanted and widowed father and Ursula's son-in-law, who works
as a veterinarian.
Randal Moon - A hobgoblin who lives in the Chamber of Crowe and aids Tom and Benny in
their fight against the Nekross.
Nekross Varg, Kristian Phillips) - Prince of Nekron
and later Regent King; son of the Nekross King, Lexi's older brother and Lady Lyzera's
husband, who fights the Wizards with brute strength.
He is demanding and determined to locate and devour all magic on Earth, at any cost.
As Regent King, Varg wishes to have vengeance on Tom for turning sister Lexi into a human.
Lady Lyzera - Regent Queen of Nekron and Varg's wife.
Cunning, ambitious and charming, she stands by Varg in his new mission to find all known
magic on Earth and rid the universe of Tom Clarke.
However, unknown to Varg, Lyzera is secretly a Nekross Sorceress who schemes to harvest
magic for herself and use it to conquer the universe.
Technician Jathro 15 - A Nekross of the Zarantulus technician class, who assists Varg and Lexi
in their schemes against the Wizards while secretly working for his mother, Chancellor
Kooth, as part of their plan to overthrow the Royal Family.
Thought to have been swept away with Kooth's armada, Jethro is found on Earth by Varg and
the Lady Lyzera who make him the jester of Lyzera's pet bird as punishment for his betrayal.
Recurring Katie Lord - Tom and Benny's classmate and
Tom's love interest, who is unaware that Tom is a Wizard.
Quinn Christopher - Another of Tom and Benny's classmates, who occasionally teases Benny
but eventually befriends him.
Like Katie, he has no idea of Tom's true nature as a Wizard.
Past Benjamin Claude "Benny" Sherwood - Tom's unenchanted
best friend whose extended knowledge of science finds its use in battle against the Nekross.
Benny later moves to America to study at MIT.
The Nekross King - King of the Nekross' home planet Nekron and father of Varg and Lexi,
in charge of their mission to find and consume all known magic on Earth.
Due to his obese size, he is immobile on the Nekross starship Zarantulus.
The King later retires, leaving Varg as King Regent of Nekross.
Lexi - 17-year-old Princess of Nekron; daughter of the Nekross King and Varg's younger sister,
whose strategy skills and in-depth research into Earth's culture helps the Nekross in
their battle against the Wizards.
She and Tom later form an on-again-off-again relationship and eventually have a son together;
Benny Junior.
After sustaining injury to save Tom, he makes her human and sends her to live on Earth with
Benny Junior.
Episodes Series 1
Series 2 Series 3
International broadcasts and releases Wizards vs Aliens made its American debut
in on the cable channel Hub Network on 1 June 2013, but only ran for four episodes due to
poor ratings.
In Australia, the show aired on ABC 3 weekly between 25 April-11 July 2013, however the
third series will not show as the channel could no long afford the cost of airing the
programme.
In Poland, the show aired on teleTOON+ between 6 April 2013 – 1 January 2014.
In Polish dub, the last episode was slightly censored – Benny’s dialogues 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”.
Television ratings References
http:www.barb.co.ukweekly-top-10?_s=4 http:www.cultbox.co.ukepisode-guides/wizards-vs-aliens-season-3