The Burning Zone is a science fiction drama television series created by Coleman Luck that originally aired for one season on United Paramount Network (UPN) from September 3, 1996 to May 20, 1997. The series follows a government task force assigned to investigate chemical and biological threats. Initially, the program focused on the virologist Edward Marcase (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Dr. Kimberly Shiroma (Tamlyn Tomita). In response to the show's low ratings, Marcase and Shiroma were removed in the middle of the season. Dr. Daniel Cassian (Michael Harris) became the lead character, and a new character, Dr. Brian Taft (Bradford Tatum), joined the task force. The Burning Zone initially incorporated supernatural and religious elements, but shifted towards more action-oriented storylines.
The series was only drama ordered by UPN for the 1996–97 television season. It was paired with the sitcoms Moesha and Homeboys in Outer Space. The Burning Zone has never been released on DVD or Blu-ray, or made available on online-streaming services. Critical response to The Burning Zone was primarily negative; commentators were divided over its storylines and tone. It received comparisons to other science-fiction properties, especially The X-Files. Kasumi Mihori and Billy Pittard were nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design for the 49th Primetime Emmy Awards for their contributions to the series.
Season 1 1. 1- 1 3 Sep 96 Pilot 2. 1- 2 10 Sep 96 The Silent Tower 3. 1- 3 17 Sep 96 St. Michael's Nightmare 4. 1- 4 24 Sep 96 Arms of Fire 5. 1- 5 1 Oct 96 Night Flight 6. 1- 6 15 Oct 96 Lethal Injection 7. 1- 7 29 Oct 96 Touch of the Dead 8. 1- 8 12 Nov 96 Hall of the Serpent 9. 1- 9 19 Nov 96 Blood Covenant 10. 1-10 26 Nov 96 Faces in the Night 11. 1-11 7 Jan 97 Midnight of the Carrier 12. 1-12 28 Jan 97 Critical Mass 13. 1-13 4 Feb 97 Death Song 14. 1-14 11 Feb 97 The Last Endless Summer 15. 1-15 18 Feb 97 The Last Five Pounds Are The Hardest 16. 1-16 29 Apr 97 Elegy For A Dream 17. 1-17 6 May 97 A Secret In The Neighborhood 18. 1-18 13 May 97 Wild Fire 19. 1-19 20 May 97 On The Wings Of Angels