The Sandkings
A scientist's obsession with Martian life leads to ecological disaster.
"The Sandkings" is a 1995 Canadian-American television film that served as the first episode of the revived science-fiction series The Outer Limits. It is based on George R. R. Martin's 1979 novella Sandkings and features three generations of the Bridges acting family: Beau, his father Lloyd, and son Dylan. The episode garnered multiple award nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Beau Bridges.
Quick Facts
- Series
- The Outer Limits
- Airdate
- 26 March 1995
- Writer
- Melinda M. Snodgrass (based on the work by George R. R. Martin)
- Director
- Stuart Gillard
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Dr. Simon Kress conducts government research on Martian life, but the project is aborted after a specimen escapes. Disagreeing with the decision, Kress steals sand containing Martian eggs and hatches them in his barn, creating lifeforms called sandkings. His obsession strains his marriage to Cathy, and the family dog is eaten by the sandkings. The creatures split into white and red groups; the white group builds a sand structure resembling Kress's face, leading him to believe he is their god. He smashes the red group's structure, and one stings him. Kress kills his former supervisor Dave Stockley by throwing him into the enclosure. Later, finding the red sandkings have built a nest with Stockley's face, Kress breaks a gas pipe to cause an explosion. The episode ends with a colony of sandkings surviving in the wilderness.
Aftermath
After escaping Kress's laboratory, the sandkings thrived. Clips from the episode appear in the season-one finale "The Voice of Reason," where they are used to argue that Earth faces multiple alien invasions. In that episode, two alien conspirators privately note that the sandkings could become a serious problem in about thirty years if they survive in a methane-based atmosphere. The sixth-season episode "Final Appeal" reveals that the sandkings plague was eradicated, a process that took the better part of a decade.
Differences from the original story
The original story is set in the distant future on a faraway human-colonized planet, whereas the television episode takes place on Earth. In the original, Simon Kress is motivated by cruelty rather than scientific interest or desire for a Nobel Prize. The episode omits the Maws that control the sandkings, the betting plot point, and the psionics that explain character actions. There are only two groups of sandkings instead of four, and the faces do not change based on the sandkings' perception of their god. The episode features two murders rather than at least ten, and most horror elements are removed. The protagonist is a family man instead of a wealthy bachelor. The episode examines themes of hubris and ecological catastrophe, unlike the original story's focus on a parent's responsibility to a child.
Awards and nominations
Beau Bridges received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Simon Kress. The episode also earned Gemini Award nominations for Best TV Movie or Mini-Series, Best Sound in a Dramatic Program or Series, Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series (Joseph L. Scanlan), and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series (Beau Bridges and Peter Outerbridge). Bridges additionally received a CableACE Award nomination for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed The Sandkings?
The Sandkings was directed by Stuart Gillard.
Who wrote The Sandkings?
The Sandkings was written by Melinda M. Snodgrass (based on the work by George R. R. Martin).
When did The Sandkings first air?
The Sandkings first aired on 26 March 1995.
More in Mars in Television
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced