As a lifelong lover of good television, I nonetheless can't believe I've overlooked this series over the years, which was a short-lived but highly underrated sci-fi show. The Invaders was another in a long line of stand-out TV series created by Quinn Martin and starred Roy Thinnes in the title role as David Vincent, an architect who late one night gets lost on the road, spots a flying saucer and uncovers evidence of an ongoing alien invasion. The "aliens" look like average earth people save for some subtleties including an extended pinky finger. Residents of a dying planet, they've come to earth to infiltrate our military and various industries, assimilate into society and eventually take over the planet. Many of them carry around a small, round device which induces a cerebral hemorrhage in any human with whom it comes in contact. And Invaders "immolate" (light up bright red and vanish) when killed. Each week, Vincent travels to various parts of the country when news surfaces of someone sharing a similar experience. His ongoing quest is twofold: to convince a disbelieving populace of his mission and to save the planet from a takeover.
In many respects, this series shares great similarity to The Fugitive, not coincidentally, an earlier successful series also produced by QM. In that series, Dr. Richard Kimble's weekly quest was to find the one-armed man who murdered his wife while convincing others he's innocent of the crime. In the Invaders, David Vincent is the lone, solitary figure thrust into the singular role of avenger and truth-finder.
Like many other Sci-Fi series that didn't run long, The Invaders has cultivated a loyal following over the years. It is a shame it only lasted two seasons, and reasons for its cancellation remain a mystery. Roy Thinnes' understated portrayal of David Vincent is outstanding, trying to expose the invasion in each weekly episode while convincing others he's not crazy. The second season featured Vincent receiving some support from "Believers"- others who have also seen the Invaders and join forces with him to stop them.
The show also featured a veritable treasure trove of A-list TV guest stars of the time; Arthur Hill, Jack Warden, Roddy McDowall, Jack Lord and Peter Graves were among the many name actors to appear in the series (even Gene Hackman made an appearance!). The Invaders is a highly recommended show and a wonderful viewing experience.
In many respects, this series shares great similarity to The Fugitive, not coincidentally, an earlier successful series also produced by QM. In that series, Dr. Richard Kimble's weekly quest was to find the one-armed man who murdered his wife while convincing others he's innocent of the crime. In the Invaders, David Vincent is the lone, solitary figure thrust into the singular role of avenger and truth-finder.
Like many other Sci-Fi series that didn't run long, The Invaders has cultivated a loyal following over the years. It is a shame it only lasted two seasons, and reasons for its cancellation remain a mystery. Roy Thinnes' understated portrayal of David Vincent is outstanding, trying to expose the invasion in each weekly episode while convincing others he's not crazy. The second season featured Vincent receiving some support from "Believers"- others who have also seen the Invaders and join forces with him to stop them.
The show also featured a veritable treasure trove of A-list TV guest stars of the time; Arthur Hill, Jack Warden, Roddy McDowall, Jack Lord and Peter Graves were among the many name actors to appear in the series (even Gene Hackman made an appearance!). The Invaders is a highly recommended show and a wonderful viewing experience.