X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Red Planet

On the distant mining world of New Aries, a young colonist, Jim Marlowe, has acquired a native pet, a "roundhead" he names Willis, which can parrot speech and record visual information. As Jim and his sister P.J. are about to be sent to a boarding school, their mother Jane, the colony's chief medical officer, discovers that a substance in the deeper mines is killing the miners. She uses her authority to shut down the mines, but the decision is rescinded by the evil colony leader, a Beta Earth Mining Company man who sees only the rich profits at any cost. When the colony leader and the school's headmaster discover that Jim has a roundhead in captivity, they seek to steal it for use in medical experiments to make a serum that will temporarily protect the miners against the deadly substances in the mines. Willis records their conversation and when Jim escapes with him, it sets off a revolt against the Company that ends up involving the mysterious intelligent natives. Only Jim's friendship with Willis saves the colonists from eviction or possibly genocide at the hands of the natives, and in an epilogue set many decades later, we see that humans remained and "terraformed" New Aries to make it suitable for both species to co-exist.

Loading. Please wait...

Content not available in your region? ExpressVPN can help you stay connected wherever you are. Get 4 extra months FREE with TV Guide's exclusive offer.

Cast & Crew See All

Mark Hamill
James Marlowe Sr.
Roddy McDowall
Headmaster Marcus Howe
Nick Tate
Colony Leader

Season 1 Episode Guide See All

Episode 1

Episode #1.1

Sat, May 14, 1994

Where to Watch

Awards

  • 1994 - EMA Award - Best Made-for-TV Movie or Mini-Series - winner
  • 1994 - EMA Award - Made for TV Movie / Miniseries - winner
  • 1995 - Young Artist Award - Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Voiceover - TV or Movie - nominated

You May Also Like See All

Samurai Jack
Once and Again
Primal
Maya and the Three

Popular Shows See all shows

The Simpsons

40 Seasons
Homer and Marge Simpson raise Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie in Springfield, where eccentric residents make everyday life interesting.
87   Metascore
1989 Animation, Comedy

Family Guy

27 Seasons
The adventures of the Griffins, an eccentric family living in New England, who are led by father Peter and mother Lois.
58   Metascore
1999 Animation, Comedy

Bob's Burgers

19 Seasons
Third-generation restaurateur Bob Belcher tries to keep his burger joint afloat with the help of his loving wife and their three mischievous children.
60   Metascore
2011 Animation, Comedy

Big City Greens

6 Seasons
Follow the offbeat adventures of Cricket Green.
2018 Animation, Action & Adventure, Comedy, Family

South Park

30 Seasons
Every episode of this critically acclaimed and award-winning show is packed with unforgettable adventures, cutting satire, and hilarious absurdity — from pissed off celebrities to talking towels to underpants-stealing gnomes and crime-fighting kids. So join Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny for all their foul-mouthed adventures. For them, it's all part of growing up in South Park!
64   Metascore
1997 Animation, Comedy

SpongeBob SquarePants

16 Seasons
The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and often nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurably optimistic and earnest sea sponge, and his underwater friends. Dwelling a few fathoms beneath the tropical isle of Bikini Atoll in the sub-surface city of Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob lives in a two-story pineapple. Instead of taking the logical approach to everyday challenges, SpongeBob approaches life in a wayward and unconventional way. Whether searching for the ultimate spatula to perfect his burger flipping technique at the Krusty Krab or just hanging out with his best friend Patrick (an amiable starfish), SpongeBob's good intentions and overzealous approach to life usually create chaos in his underwater world.
1999 Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy