Wizards vs Aliens is a British science fantasytelevision 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 wizardTom Clarke and his scientifically-gifted best friend Benny Sherwood 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. 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. Despite being produced by the same creative force behind The Sarah Jane Adventures, Wizards vs Aliens has no relation to Doctor Who. Two series were commissioned by the BBC in late 2011. The programme premiered on 29 October 2012 with a first series of 12 episodes. Series 2, made up of 14 episodes aired between 28 October to 10 December 2013, while a third and final series of 10 episodes 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", however, it was put on hiatus due to financial reasons in January 2015.
Premise
Wizards vs Aliens is an action, adventure series which sees the collision of two very 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, 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 Regent of the empire, intending to have vengeance on Tom for turning his sister Lexi into a human 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.
Cast and characters
Wizards / Unenchanted
Scott Haran as Thomas Robert "Tom" Clarke – A football-loving teenage wizard who defends wizardkind and Earth from the alien Nekross.
Percelle Ascott 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.
Annette Badland as Ursula Crowe – Tom's happy-go-lucky grandmother 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.
Michael Higgs 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.
Dan Starkey 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.
Nekross
Jefferson Hall, later Kristian Phillips as Varg – King and former Prince of Nekross; son of the Nekross King, Lexi's older brother and Lady Lyzera's husband, who fights the Wizards with brute strength.
Gwendoline Christie as Lexi – 17-year-old Princess of the Nekross; daughter of the Nekross King and Varg's younger sister, whose strategic skills and in-depth research into Earth's culture helps her kind in their battles against the Wizards.
Voice of Brian Blessed and Tim Rose as The Nekross King – King of the Nekross and father to Varg and Lexi. Immobile on the starship Zarantulus due to his obese size, he is in charge of the Royal Family's mission to find and consume all magic on Earth.
Tom Bell as Technician Jathro 15 – A Nekross of the Zarantulustechnician 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.
Alex Childs as Lady Lyzera – Queen of the Nekross and Varg's wife; secretly a Nekross Sorceress who schemes to harvest Earth's magic for herself and use it to conquer the universe.
Recurring
Manpreet Bambra as Katie Lord – Tom and Benny's classmate and Tom's love interest, who is unaware that Tom is a Wizard.
Connor Scarlett as Quinn Christopher – Tom and Benny's classmate who used to tease Benny but eventually befriends him. Like Katie, he has no idea of Tom's true nature.
Voice of Brian Herring as Stickley – a Hobbledehoy, a mischievous magical creature that speaks in rhyme. He resides in the Chamber of Crowe.
James Barriscale as Mr Fisher – a science teacher at King's Park High.
Episodes
Series 1 (2012)
Series 2 (2013)
Series 3 (2014)
International broadcasts and releases
Wizards vs Aliens made its American debut on the cable channel Hub Network, where it ran from May 23-June 15, 2013. The series is now available on hulu and was available on Netflix until December 2018. In Australia the show airs on ABC 3. 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 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.
