An Underrated David Duchovny Sci-Fi Movie Got A Short-Lived Spin-Off

It didn't cause too much of a stir when it was released in 2001, and critics weren't exactly blown away by it, but Ivan Reitman's sci-fi comedy film "Evolution" is actually lighthearted and fun. The film follows a team of nerdy, bickersome scientists, played by David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, and Julianne Moore, and a firefighter played by Seann William Scott, as they investigate a mysterious meteor that landed in the deserts of Arizona. The meteor contains remnants of extraterrestrial spores that they learn are evolving at a breakneck pace. It takes only days for the microbes to evolve into fungus, then flatworms, then fish. It won't be too long before vertebrates appear, followed by primates.

The lead characters all react with comedic incredulity, and their mood remains light, even as they discover that the rapidly evolving creatures could easily overtake the Earth within a matter of weeks. They will eventually find that the selenium in Head & Shoulders-brand shampoo may hold the secret to fighting the monsters. 

The creatures in "Evolution" were designed and constructed by Tippett Studios ("RoboCop," "Jurassic Park," "Mission to Mars," "Mad God," many, many others), making them first-rate movie monsters. The film is carried far by its creepy alien animals.

"Evolution" only made $90 million on an $83 million budget, making it a bomb by Hollywood standards, but it entrenched itself in the consciousness deeply enough to warrant a TV spin-off you probably forgot about. The "Evolution" animated series, called "Alienators: Evolution Continues," aired on Fox Kids from September of 2001 through June of 2002, lasting 26 episodes over its only season. "Alienators" had a far more involved mythology than the film that inspired it. Ambitious for the time, the series aired mostly in single episodes, but boasted several multi-part story arcs, including a three-part premiere, a three-part finale, and at least one two-parter in the middle.

Weirdly, the series seems to have been memory-holed. 

It was clear that DreamWorks and Columbia wanted "Evolution" to become a gigantic blockbuster, and clearly made "Alienators: Evolution Continues" in anticipation of its success. The new show altered the premise of the movie to be more kid-friendly and action-forward. Ira Kane, the David Duchovny character, was redesigned to have a punky haircut, and was often seen in a high-tech superhero-type suit. He was now played by Kirby Morrow. Harry Block, the Orlando Jones character, was now played by Cusse Mankuma, and Wayne Grey, the Seann William Scott character, was de-aged into a teenager, now played by Andrew Francis). Alison Reed, the Julianne Moore character, was now played by Fiona Hogan. 

The main cast was joined by additional military figures, and they had a small, smiling three-eyed alien sidekick named G.A.S.S.I.E. (Genetically Altered Symbiotic Stasis in Evolution) that possessed dog-like intelligence, and helped the central team of alien hunters — Alienators — track down rogue monsters. They were armed with slime guns, and spoke in hipster clichés. The tone of "Alienators" was closer to a Capri-Sun commercial than to Reitman's movie. If anyone needs an example of how cartoon producers in the early 2000s tried to make humorous characters unduly "cool," "Alienators" may stand as one of the prime examples. It's not as egregious as, say, "Loonatics Unleashed," but it's pretty egregious.

The premise was also altered for the show. Rather than just examine creatures and stem the rapid evolution of alien life forms, the Alienators had to track down hundreds of aliens — now nicknamed the Genus — that had escaped out into the world. In the series, the Genus had a human-like representative called Scopes (Mark Acheson), who was hellbent on taking over the universe.

"Alienators" was made by DIC Enterprises, the French-American company behind dozens of beloved cartoon shows. DIC were the once behind "Inspector Gadget," "Kidd Video," "Rainbow Brite," "The Real Ghostbusters," "Beverly Hills Teens," "Dinosaucers," "C.O.P.s," the animated portions of "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show," and the English dub of "Sailor Moon." Kids born in the late 1970s were likely raised on multiple DIC shows. Disney ended up buying the company in 1996, and its influence began to intensify in some areas of the industry and dissipate in others. "Alienators" came when DIC was tangled in legal battles, around when Disney sold it off again. 

(DIC was involved in several other film tie-ins, including "Stargate Infinity," which may or may not be part of the vast "Stargate" media canon.)

Although it received a commercial push from the movie, "Alienators" ran without many people noticing. It's possible that "Alienators" isn't well-remembered because, well, "Evolution" didn't do very well at the box office. The film boasted a stellar cast and sharp direction from Ivan Reitman, but it just never caught on or grabbed a crossover kid audience, a la Reitman's "Ghostbusters." "Alienators" managed to hang in there for a whole season, but was yanked off the air for low ratings thereafter.

There was an "Alienators" video game for the Game Boy Advance, but that was even more obscure. If you owned one, then you, my friend, had something very rare indeed. "Evolution" will certainly fill an idle afternoon these days, at any rate, and curious seekers will likely be able to find "Alienators" online. Just to warn you, though, they are very different animals.