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On The Insider: Billy Mays Found Dead

The Invaders

ABC (Ended 1968)

Show Score

 
8.1 Great
133 votes

Your Score

Buzz

The Invaders ranks 2,377 out of the 18,228 shows on TV.com.

The 113 users who count themselves as The Invaders fans have written a total of 5 reviews.

Status

Ended

Premiered

January 10, 1967

Ended

March 26, 1968

Genre

Drama, Sci-Fi

Theme

Horror

Show Overview

Final Episode

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Episode Score
 
9.5

Inquisition

David Vincent and Edgar Scoville attempt to warn a senator that a governmental official is an alien, while Andy Hatcher tries to prove otherwise.

Aired: 03/26/68

Show Summary

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"The Invaders, alien beings from a dying planet. Their destination: the Earth. Their purpose: to make it "their" world. David Vincent has seen them, for him it began one lost night on a lonely country road, looking for a short cut that he never found. It began with a closed deserted diner, and a man too long... more »

From the Forums

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  • Are there plans for a DVD release?

    Why is it taking so long for The Invaders to get released on DVD? Is it because of legal rights or because they don't think it will sell many sets?

    10 comments, last one Feb 1, 2008 + Add Comment
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  •  
    5 Mediocre

    Credit it for inspiring other, better shows, but not all that impressive by itself. hide « show »

    Despite a good pedigree, Quinn Martin's "The Invaders" ranks as one of the producer's lesser efforts. In the end, this series may be better remembered for what it inspired instead of what it provided in terms of entertainment. Its strong paranoia vibe certainly helped to influence 90s shows like "The X-Files," and its out-there aliens among us plot definitely inspired sci-fi over the next decades.

    Roy Thinnes does a good job as ARCHITECT David Vincent (the way they emphasize his profession in the credits, you'd think it would come into play in the series). He's a nice contrast to other TV heroes of the era. Vincent is a hard-ass. He kills aliens without hesitation and isn't above slapping around humans who get in his way. The problem is that the character is largely a cypher. He's a plot device rather than a person. We never connect with Thinnes the way we do with other TV protagonists like David Janssen's Richard Kimble, or even the mostly anonymous players on "Mission: Impossible." The Kimble comparison is appropriate. Frequently on "The Invaders", a plot involves Vincent arriving in a new town, stumbling on to an alien plot and helping someone out along the way. It makes the series a hodgepodge, a little too much like QM's "The Fugitive." Maybe with more sci-fi writers, the series could have churned out better plots, but producer Alan Armer and his writers were dramatic TV writers thrown into a strange new genre. Often, their efforts weren't that impressive. Because of this sidetrack into domestic drama, the sci-fi/alien invasion trappings never really take off. Poor production values don't help either...in other shows and movies, you can look past the goofy sets and special effects if the story is solid. Unfortunately, we don't have that with "The Invaders."

    So Vincent roams, seemingly without direction (how DOES he find out about these alien plots?) and his extra-terrestrial foes are just as misguided. It's as if the Invaders have no concrete plan - they send small parties out to pull off small sabotage jobs here and there. It's not all bad - like other Quinn Martin shows, the guest actors are terrific. It's just too bad they weren't given better scripts to work with.
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  •  
    10 Perfect

    The aliens are among us... hide « show »

    The Invaders was a well-crafted Sci-Fi/Adventure series created by Quinn Martin that sadly only lasted 2 seasons on ABC.

    Roy Thinnes plays the role of David Vincent, an architect who witnessed the landing of a spaceship in a remote desert in the Southwestern U.S. & finds out that the aliens who arrived have plans to take over the Earth. Throughout the series Vincent tries to convince anyone & everyone about the evil humanoid aliens, but with little success. However, the aliens' human guise is far from perfect since they have an extra finger, no pulse or heartbeat & most of all, when an alien is weakening or dying, they give off a reddish glow. They even dissolve into vapor when they die. Later in the 1st season, Vincent finds an ally in Edgar Scoville, the head of an electronics company along with 7 others who also discovered the evil aliens' plot as well.

    I was very fortunate to have seen a couple of episodes on Chicago TV many years ago. I just hope that if i can't see this lost classic on TV, then maybe i can find it on DVD.
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  •  
    9.5 Superb

    When searching through the list of great television sci-fi series, The Invaders must be listed near the top, if not the very top. hide « show »

    This is a great example of storytelling the way it ought to be. Magnificent guest casts and spot on acting by Roy Thinness make this show a delight. As a vehicle to examine the human condition, no show has ever surpassed it. One might expect that of a Quinn Martin production, of course. We can see ourselves, we can spot familiar character types, and we can pretty much predict how we would react in the same situation. The key to this is the portrayal of David Vincent by Roy Thinness. He was a subtle actor in his day, when many were somewhat over the top--like William Shatner in Star Trek. Thinness' measured performance make the show even more spellbinding than the storyline might otherwise be with a lesser actor.

    There are copies of this great show out there, you just need to know where to look.
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  •  
    8.5 Great

    Invasion of the Body Snathers for television. The Invaders was from the creator of the Fugitive. In many ways it was a science fiction Fugitve as architect David Vincent tries to warn the people that those living amongst them are not really humans! hide « show »

    This was a marvelously paranoid TV show reminscent of Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Invaders from Mars. Roy Thinnes helps make the role of David Vincent believable, which in itself is an admirable task given that each week he must set out to prove that humans living amongst us are really alien invaders! One unique aspect of the show was its evolution. David Vincent slowly wins a few converts along the way. By the end of the series there was a small group of "believers" who struggled to expose the invaders. Certainly one of the best sci-fi shows ever made, but underappreciated. Perhaps someday this gem will be on DVD.
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  •  
    10 Perfect

    The best show--to me---that TV ever offered. It's sad that it lasted just 2 seasons. Excitement for the full hour. Many noteable guests stars on the show. I only wish that Paramount would release it onto DVD! hide « show »

    The Invaders was followed by such SciFi hits as The X-Files among others. The concept of alien beings looking just like you and me was fascinating. Each week, you would have to figure out who were the aliens, and who were the real people. Non-stop action--never a dull moment. Paramount has not released it onto DVD yet---but there are a couple of sites that have it from VHS onto DVD, and not too bad. If you get a chance to see it---you'll love it!!
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