'7th Heaven' Dad Stephen Collins to be President on 'Falling Skies'

Entertainment Weekly is exclusively reporting that Stephen Collins, beloved Minister and father on the long-running syndicated series '7th Heaven,' has been cast as the President of the United States on 'Falling Skies.'

The TNT series 'Falling Skies' is produced by none other than Hollywood Royalty Steven Spielberg. The show focuses on the aftermath of an horrific alien invasion that has left most of the planet desolate and incapacitated. A few survivors have banded together to begin the difficult task of fighting back. Sounds kind of like the popular 'Resistance' series of video games! ....Okay, it is precisely the 'Resistance' series of video games.

News of Collins' casting is interesting not only as a return to recurring television for the '7th Heaven' alumnus, but because it raises the question of what role the President of the United States will have in the war-torn America of the popular series. In fact, the creators of the series are specific and careful to note that Collins' character Benjamin Hathaway served as President of the USA prior to the invasion, hinting that in the post-invasion world, he is either not universally recognized as such, or that maybe such political titles no longer carry any meaning.

It is an interesting plot development from a story perspective to bring a vestige of the old world into the post-apocalyptic landscape. Appearing in 'Falling Skies' third season, Hathaway marks a departure from the usual post-apocalyptic fare; it would be difficult to imagine a series like 'Walking Dead' introducing political leaders from before the outbreak, perhaps for fear of dispelling the mystery of what happened to infrastructure when the world went to hell.

Hathaway is not a meek businessman; Collins' character is described as a confident man who has been forced into battle against the alien threat, stationing himself in Colorado and overseeing resistance fighters across what is left of his nation. The plot of the episode centers on the fact that Hathaway would like to meet Tom (Noah Wyle), the man who is leading the group that is having such success against these other-worldly invaders.

'Falling Skies' upcoming third season returns to TNT in the summer of 2013.