First Wave (TV Show): 15 Interesting Facts

The First Wave TV show aired in the late 1990s and I was a huge fan of the series. In the series, Cade Foster (a reformed thief) is framed for his wife’s murder and discovers sinister aliens (“The Gua”) who plan to conquer Earth.

Constantly pursued by the police, and a strange government agency called the Illuminati, Foster discovers previously unknown quatrains of Nostradamus, which tell of three waves that will destroy the planet unless the “twice-blessed man” can stop them.

Cade Foster teams up with a conspiracy theorist and skilled hacker, “Crazy” Eddie, to expose the invasion over the Internet. He later meets a sympathetic alien, Joshua and Jordan Radcliffe, a rich woman with her own private militia who vows to destroy the invaders after they killed her family.

There’s probably a lot that you might not know about this Science Fiction TV show (which used to air on M-Net in South Africa), but today my aim is to change that.

Here are 15 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know About the First Wave TV Show

1. First Wave first aired in 1998. The show had three seasons and was a joint US / Canadian production. It aired on the Space Channel in Canada (in 1998) and aired on the Sci-fi Channel (in 1999) in the United States. Sci-fi channel actually ordered 66 episodes when they picked up the show.

2. The show was primarily filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Many of the show’s exterior scenes were shot in and around the Vancouver area, while interior scenes were mostly filmed in local studios. The city’s scenic and diverse landscapes provided a suitable backdrop for the show’s science fiction themes and storylines.

3. First Wave was created by Chris Brancato. Before he worked on this series, he was story editor for several episodes of the 1992 season of Beverly Hills, 90210 He also co-wrote the X-Files episode ”Eve“ (which first aired on December 10, 1993). Brancato created the Netflix series Narcos and Narcos: Mexico with Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro. He is also screenwriter, executive producer, writer, and creator of Godfather of Harlem.

4. Francis Ford Coppola (the director of 1972’s The Godfather and 1979’s Apocalypse Now) was an executive producer for First Wave.

5, Canadian actor Sebastian Spence (Cade Foster) appeared in episodes of The Outer Limits and X-Files before landing the leading role on First Wave. 

6. This show features many actors who were also on Stargate SG-1. The name of the alien threat, (“Gua”), is very similar to the “Goa Uld” from SG-1. Sebastian Spence actually appeared in an episode of SG-1 in 2004.

7. Rob LaBelle (“Crazy” Eddie Nambulous) appeared in episodes of X-Files, NYPD Blue, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Murphy Brown and Quantum Leap before he was appeared in First Wave. After the show was cancelled he appeared in episodes of Smallville, Supernatural and The 4400.

8. Roger Cross (Joshua / Cain) appeared in episodes of Sliders, The Sentinel, Highlander and Millenium before he appeared in First Wave.

9. Traci Lords (Jordan Radcliffe) made her TV debut in an episode of Wiseguy (in 1988). She appeared in episodes of Married…With Children, MacGyver, Highlander, Tales from The Crypt, Roseanne and Nash Bridges before appearing in the third season of First Wave.

10.  Sadly, First Wave was cancelled once the 66-episode order for Sci-fi Channel was filled at the end of the third season in 2001. The show was cancelled because it had disappointing ratings.

11. A series of First Wave comic books were published by Andromeda Entertainment. Six issues were published between 2000 and 2001, encompassing four storylines and each issue was released with two alternate covers: a painted one by Matt Busch or one featuring a photo of the cast.

12. The show received mixed reviews from critics but developed a cult following among Science Fiction fans.

13. First Wave was notable for its combination of science fiction and conspiracy thriller elements, as well as its focus on real-world conspiracy theories and esoteric subjects like numerology and secret societies.

14.  Each episode starts with a fake Nostradamus quote, followed by the hero’s exposition of what it could possibly mean. It sounds like Cade Foster is reading from a journal. It’s heavily implied that Crazy Eddie posts his journal notes online.

15. In the show, common table salt intoxicates the Gua like heroin, while also giving them loose lips. Some Gua are addicted to it, and indulge this habit to the deterrent of their mission. Sometimes Cade Foster tried to exploit this in the show. An intoxicated Gua is easier to deal with.

Well, there you have it, 15 Interesting Facts you might not have known about First Wave. If I’ve left out something important, feel free to comment below. Feedback is appreciated and welcome here.

To re-live the nostalgia, check out the intro for the show below:

Watch this space for updates in the Facts category on Running Wolf’s Rant.

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