We Are Not Alone (2022 film)
Aliens try to rule Britain from a council office.
We Are Not Alone is a 2022 British science-fiction comedy television film created by Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond, who also co-wrote the script. Aired on Dave on 28 November 2022, the story follows a group of aliens who have conquered Earth and are now attempting to govern their new human subjects. The cast includes Declan Baxter, Georgia May Foote, Bruce Mackinnon, Evelyn Mok, Rickard, Joe Thomas, Willbond, Mike Wozniak, Vicki Pepperdine, and Amanda Abbington.
The plot centres on Stewart, a mild-mannered and unambitious council worker who is unexpectedly recruited to help three members of the Gu'un alien race establish their rule over the United Kingdom from the offices of Clitheroe Borough Council. Meanwhile, the Anti-Alien Alliance (AAA) tries to overthrow the invaders. Stewart must navigate the three Gu'uns' conflicting governing styles, attempt to make them appealing to the British public, and avoid being flushed into space—the ultimate punishment.
The cast includes Declan Baxter as Stewart, Vicki Pepperdine as 'Trater', the head of the alien force ruling the UK, Mike Wozniak as 'Gordan', the militaristic member of the Gu'un clan, and Joe Thomas as 'Greggs', the hapless alien subordinate. Georgia May Foote plays Elodie, a local pub owner; Amanda Abbington is Caroline Grieves, the former Defence Secretary; Evelyn Mok plays Hodge, the council's apathetic tech expert; and Bruce Mackinnon is Wade, the head of the AAA. Other roles include Lucien Laviscount as Stewart's friend Robbie, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond as alien guards Cirsch and Darrenth, Dane Baptiste as talk show host Jordan Kane, Rob Delaney as the alien ruling the US, Ellie White as the alien ruling Russia, and Miles Jupp as the deposed British Prime Minister.
Commissioned in November 2021, filming took place in Castlegate, Clitheroe in December 2021, with casting announced later that month. In October 2022, Rickard and Willbond confirmed the film was intended as a pilot for a potential series. Some ideas were shelved when the pitch shifted from a conventional sitcom pilot to a feature-length special, but remain available if a series is ordered. The creators chose to use prosthetics for the aliens, believing they capture performances essential for comedy, though they initially worried about how the prosthetics would look on screen. In June 2023, UKTV decided not to order a full ser
- Release year
- 2022
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Genre
- Science-fiction comedy
- Broadcaster
- Dave
- Runtime
- Two hours
- Creators
- Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond
Lore & Background
The film was commissioned in November 2021, with filming taking place in Castlegate, Clitheroe in December 2021. The casting was released later that month. In October 2022, it was confirmed that the film is effectively a pilot for a potential further run of episodes. Some ideas for the programme had to be shelved when the pitch changed from a conventional sitcom pilot to a feature-length special, but are 'sitting ready' in case of a series order. The creators were keen for prosthetics to be used to give actors an alien appearance, as they knew what could and could not be gotten away with on screen.
Reader's Guide
We Are Not Alone received mixed to positive reviews. Anita Singh of The Daily Telegraph gave it three stars, praising Baxter as 'charming as the bewildered lead' but noting the central gag 'wears thin quite quickly' and that subplots, including a potential romance, do not 'get out of second gear'. Laura Vickers-Green of Den of Geek awarded four stars, calling it 'one big laugh after another' with 'superb physical comedy', though she critiqued the ending as coming 'crashing to a halt without a whiff of a resolution'. Steve Bennett of Chortle gave three and a half stars, calling the show 'thoroughly engaging' and noting that 'outright jokes take second billing to the story'. The film recorded an average overnight audience of 163,000, below the slot average, but improved to 267,000 after a week of catch-up, becoming Dave's third most-watched programme of the week. In June 2023, UKTV confirmed they would not be commissioning a full series.
Did You Know?
- The film was distributed internationally by BBC Studios and released in the United States via The Roku Channel on 27 January 2023.
- The creators, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond, also co-write the series Ghosts, which uses similar prosthetic makeup.
- The film was made available in New Zealand on TVNZ+, split into three parts.
- The character of Stewart is played by Declan Baxter, described as an unambitious, self-effacing council worker.
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