Falling Skies

The invasion has already happened when Falling Skies begins. The interesting problem is what civilians do afterwards, when ordinary supplies, safety and family routines have become difficult to maintain.

Noah Wyle plays Tom Mason, a father and former history professor travelling with a resistance group. His obligations to his children do not fit neatly with what the group needs from him. That tension gives the series a more domestic centre than its alien-war premise might suggest.

There are battles and an expanding mythology, but the convoy is often the better reason to watch. People still have to eat, disagree and look after one another between attacks. The writing becomes more uneven as the story grows, and viewers wanting constant progress may find the detours frustrating.

It is a reasonable choice for a family-centred survival adventure rather than rigorous science fiction. The Last of Us is a more concentrated journey through a collapsed world; Falling Skies is built around the continuing business of keeping a larger group together.