Although staged as science fiction, the storylines generally revolved around thinly disguised morality plays on the evils of discrimination.
During the run of the series, George became pregnant (in the Newcomer race, males bear children).
The show ran for 1 season from 1989 through 1990. Although popular, a financial crunch at the fledgling Fox Network (it was one of the network's first dramatic series) forced the show's cancellation. A second season was clearly expected by the producers as the season ended with a cliffhanger. The show built a strong fan base, and popular demand led to "Dark Horizon", the episode that would have begun the second season, being novelized and adapted as a comic book. Several years later, with Fox now a going concern as a network, the story of Alien Nation was continued with several television movies reuniting the original cast. The first of these was the long-delayed "Dark Horizon."