When a satellite crash lands in Southern Utah it doesn't take long before local residents mysteriously start dropping like flies.

Eric McCormack ('Will and Grace') stands out as the inquisitive journalist on the scent of a military cover up, as the always reliable Benjamin Bratt ('Law And Order') and his crack team of scientists isolate themselves with the town’s few key survivors in an underground laboratory with only a few days to find a cure before the world’s population is decimated.

And desiccated (you'll see).

Fans of Sky One's Lost may recognise the gorgeous Daniel Dae Kim as a microbiologist with a rather shady past, and the rising tensions between scientists who have been forced to work in claustrophobic conditions and the sharp suited yet clueless politicians above ground makes for a heady mix for sci-fi fans of all ages.

Crichton's 1971 thriller has been updated with slick CGI, techno-speak and gadgets aplenty, losing the post cold war era feel of the original in favour of the more contemporary cut and thrust of political military thrillers.

Throw a conspiracy theory or two into the mix, an edge-of-your-seat cliff-hanger at the end of part one and you've pretty much got the perfect three-hour sci-fi actioner.

It lacks the creepy feel of the 1971 original, and is sometimes a little bloated with military procedure and presidential issues.

But it's exciting enough to warrant a Saturday night slot, especially for those who’ve been without their 24 fix for over a year or, in the case of the X-Files, years.

George Mallea