NBC airs the second installment of the lavish three-part miniseries based on Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles. Adapted for TV by respected SF author Richard Matheson, the miniseries has already taken an embarrassing public beating by none other than Bradbury itself, inspiring NBC to yank the heavily-publicized off of the fall 1979 schedule and burn off the miniseries in January 1980 prior to the 1980 Winter Oympics. Rock Hudson, Darren McGavin, Fritz Weaver and Roddy McDowall star. The miniseries is a co-production between NBC and the BBC (who won’t air it until later in 1980). 
February 2004: Even with the high cost in lives of the third manned mission to Mars, full-scale colonization of the red planet begins. Mankind is still unaware of the ongoing Martian presence. Mining begins on Mars, supporting the construction of buildings and roads. The invasion from Earth has begun.
The Martians stay hidden, observing and plotting, and occasionally trying to walk among the humans in disguise. One such disguise – the dead son of a couple who have moved to Mars – gives the secret away. A pair of monks nearly die in an avalanche, only to be saved by Martian intervention, though one of the monks is certain that it’s a sign of God, not a sign of alien life, and nearly goes mad trying to prove it. At a greasy spoon cafe established by one of Wilder’s former landing party members, a Martian appears in full ceremonial robes, only to be shot at point blank range. Another appear, seemingly surrendering any claim on nearly half of Mars. What no one on Mars realizes is that the red planet is soon to become humanity’s permanent home.
teleplay by Richard Matheson
based on the novel by Ray Bradbury
directed by Michael Anderson
music by Stanley Myers / electronic music by Richard HarveyCast: Rock Hudson (Colonel John Wilder), Gayle Hunnicutt (Ruth Wilder), Bernie Casey (Maj. Jeff Spender), Christopher Connelly (Ben Driscoll), Nicholas Hammond (Arthur Black), Roddy McDowall (Father Stone), Darren McGavin (Sam Parkhill), Bernadette Peters (Genevieve Seltzer), Maria Schell (Anna Lustig), Joyce Van Patten (Elma Parkhill), Fritz Weaver (Father Peregrine), Linda Lou Allen (Marilyn Becker), Michael Anderson Jr. (David Lustig), Robert Beatty (General Halstead), James Faulkner (Mr. K), John Finch (Christ), Terence Longdon (Wise Martian), Barry Morse (Peter Hathaway), Nyree Dawn Porter (Alice Hathaway), Wolfgang Reichmann (Lafe Lustig), Maggie Wright (Ylla), John Cassady (Briggs), Alison Elliott (Lavinia Spaulding), Vadim Glowna (Sam Hinston), Richard Heffer (Capt. Conover), Derek Lamden (Sandship Martian), Peter Marinker (McClure), Richard Oldfield (Capt. York), Anthony Pullen-Shaw (Edward Black), Burnell Tucker (Bill Wilder)
Notes: Michael Anderson Jr. is the son of director Michael Anderson; he also appeared in Land Of The Giants, Psi Factor and an episode of the Highlander series.
LogBook entry by Earl Green