The citizen-soldiers of the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment resume their fight against alien invaders when the Steven Spielberg-produced Falling Skies returns Sunday with a two-hour premiere on TNT (9 p.m. ET/PT).  Noah Wyle, center, portrays Tom Mason, who is second-in-command of a ragtag regiment of survivors in the ravaged Boston area.  Noah Wyle, center, portrays Tom Mason, who is second-in-command of a ragtag regiment of survivors in the ravaged Boston area.  The post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama was cable's highest-rated new series last year. For those wanting to refresh their memories or be introduced to the show, the 10-episode Falling Skies: The Complete First Season (2011, TNT, not rated, $40; Blu-ray, $50) is out on home video.  Falling Skies begins six months after the aliens have devastated the planet and wiped out most of the human race. The resourceful survivors band together to form pockets of resistance and try to stay alive as the aliens continue to capture and kill those they find.  Noah Wyle stars as Tom Mason, a Boston professor with extensive knowledge of military history who is second in command of a militia protecting a group of civilians. He's the father of three sons, one of whom is held prisoner by the invaders. Will Patton plays Capt. Dan Weaver, a retired Persian Gulf war veteran who leads the band, and Moon Bloodgood is Dr. Anne Glass, a pediatrician who becomes their chief medical officer.  They are constantly menaced by spidery multi-limbed aliens called Skitters and their heavily armed two-legged metal robots known as Mechs. The latter prove especially difficult to kill with the scavenged and improvised weapons the humans have available. The aliens tend to take children alive and enslave them. As if that's not bad enough, the humans have to be careful of their own kind — some of whom willingly collude with the invaders and others who have their own agendas. Rescued captives never seem quite the same.  There are plenty of firefights and interpersonal dramas leading up to the explosive climax and season-ending cliffhanger that brings Tom face-to-face with the aliens. The second season will start three months after that event. To bridge the gap, TNT and Dark Horse Comics created a digital comic, Falling Skies: The Battle of Fitchburg, that they released in installments every two weeks on fallingskies.com and Dark Horse Digital (digital.darkhorse.com). They offered a similar comic in 2011 leading to the show's launch.  Among the home video set's bonus features is a sneak peek at Season 2 that will give some hints about what the future holds for the 2nd Mass. Other features show how Falling Skies was adapted from the original Dark Horse comic book and how they animate the Skitters.  There is also behind-the-scenes footage and commentary from cast and crew.  , visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to  USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the
The sci-fi series returns this weekend, and you can get caught up with this DVD set of the first season.