The Invaders (1967–1968) User Reviews

Great series

[crrob4 · 8/10 · 26 May 2007]

This was a milestone series in my opinion - the acting was usually above average. Roy Thinnes was excellent - the way he shows his frustration when explaining the aliens is very good. Roy was cast perfectly for this series. I recently was able to buy all the episodes on DVD - just watched "Dark Outpost" - This is one of the best episodes as well as the first one.

If I remember rightly, the whole series doesn't end by driving the invaders off the Earth, when I get to that DVD I'll see of course

Theme music excellent too (Dominic Frontiere I think)

WELL DONE ROY!!

Scared me to death

[mrreindeer · 8/10 · 19 August 2007]

I was eight or nine years old when this aired. About all I can recall is that it was frightening and gloomy for a kid to watch, but I often did nevertheless. One thing I seem to recall is that the aliens could kill people by touching them with a device on their palms that looked like a joy buzzer. I remember one episode where a man was sitting at the wheel of a parked car and an alien rose up in the seat behind him and touched the back of his neck with one of those gizmos. Spooky. This must have provided at least a bit of the inspiration for "The X-Files." It also had a motif, if I recall correctly, reminiscent of "The Fugitive." Along with "The Outer Limits," this show really had a terrifying effect on me. I used to have to hide behind my dad's big chair and peek out around it to watch this, and "The Twilight Zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock" as well. I wish TVLand would air a few episodes.

The Invaders... in colour! David Vincent has seen them...

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 20 May 2021]

After more then fifty years I rewatched The Invaders, a show that had me at the edge of my seat when I was young. For that time it was just the bomb when you talked about sci-fi series. The series actually aged well, even though there are a lot of examples of how different cinema was back then, when people were certainly not as demanding as now. For example the fighting scenes that are a bit woody, the stuntmen that don't even look like the characters (in David Vincent's case it's just so obvious), but nobody really cared about that. The Invaders had a great soundtrack, all orchestral but very efficient to bring a suspenseful atmosphere to the show. Roy Thinnes is the star of the show. His nonchalance in any kind of dire situation is just a delight to watch. I enjoyed every single episode, back then but also now. I wish they would remake this show, just to see what they could do with our modern techniques. The intro of the show is something that you will never forget, after fifty years I still knew it by heart. The structure of the episodes are always the same but even then it's never boring, act 1,2,3 and 4 followed by an epilog. It all adds to the quality of this excellent sci-fi show from the late sixties. The only negative thing to me is that the show should have had more than two seasons. The ending wasn't that satisfying in my humble opinion.

Edge of the 60's

[DD-931 · 10/10 · 9 August 2001]

For me this show ranks as one of the 10 best TV shows ever made. It resonates with me even today, and I think Roy Thinnes' performances, especially in the first season, are brilliant in their subtlety. I guess what really hits me about this show is how you have a man, David Vincent, who was living in a very conventional 60's worldview--until the night he makes one wrong turn and ends up having his safe, comfortable little existence turned upside down. Somehow I see a parallel between David Vincent and the title character of another top ten TV show - THE PRISONER. Both Number Six and David Vincent have been dragged into worlds of great excitement and adventure - but both are also modern equivalents of Sisyphus, forever doomed to struggle against overwhelming opposition. Both Number Six and David Vincent are actually tragic characters. The trap of most TV shows - that the status quo must be maintained from episode to episode to keep the series going - proves in this case to be a great asset to the nightmarish quality of the premise. Also, you never truly see who the aliens "are", any more than you find out who's running the Village.

Watch this show along with THE PRISONER. You'll be amazed at how much is going on within the "confines" of conventional TV drama.

The Quintessential Sci-Fi TV show

[nikond70-1 · 10/10 · 18 October 2006]

Quinn Martin had a great formula for TV series in the 60s and 70s. Recall "The Fugitive", "The FBI", "The Streets of San Francisco" The Invaders can emphatically be placed into the the category of a great and enduring science fiction television weekly show. At 12 years old when the pilot "Beachhead" aired, the scenes, opening credits and music left an indelible mark on my imagination. Roy Thinnes was a great fit for the lead; he had the chiseled bold look and the seriousness of demeanor that was required for the part. The show's producers managed to keep the show frightening, reasonably intact and progressive for a simple theme (aliens invading earth to make it their world), even with limited special effects available in the time. Now, some 40 years later, when I see a 1967 Ford Galaxie 500...flashback...again...

I hope someone from Paramount stumbles across this an answers the prayer of many TV sci-fi enthusiasts and gets this series released soon. When I see some of the titles that have been released to date, and not this one....one can't help but wonder - "just what are they thinking?"

Paranoia Galore

[Big Movie Fan · 22 September 2002]

The Invaders was a wonderful show. Roy Thinnes played architect David Vincent. One night, he stumbled upon an alien craft landing. Aliens had come from a dying world to take over the Earth. What should Vincent do? Contact the Air Force and get them to kick butt?

Actually, no, Vincent was alone on this one which is what made this show great. The authorities didn't believe him, in fact no-one did. Whenever an alien was killed, he/she would vaporize. At first, there was no way of knowing who to trust; anybody could be an invader, the Invaders could take over anyone. Of course, later on we learned that the aliens had a funny little finger even when in human form.

Like most films and shows of the 1950's/60's, the Invaders was about paranoia. No-one could trust anyone. Vincent could never be sure that potential allies were not really invaders themselves. He tried in vain to convince people but he was fighting a losing battle. The great thing was that he was alone in his battle. It was a great-if depressing-show.

One of the other things worth mentioning is that there are viewers who suspected that Vincent was actually an invader himself and had been placed on Earth and told to try and convince the population of the danger. Apparently, the invaders used him to test the likelihood of their discovery. Is it true? Your guess is as good as mine.

The best 60s sci-fi show

[Thorsten-Krings · 10/10 · 14 May 2008]

Back in the late eighties there was always a double bill of The Invaders and Batman in the late afternoon on BBC unless I'm mistaken. Although The Invaders were an old show by 80s standards (bearing in mind that technology had developed at an incredible speed in those twenty years) it was still a gripping show. The Invaders took the basic concept of The Fugitive (also a Quinn Martin production) and combined it with elements of 50s paranoia science fiction. No security and no one was what he seemed to be. That made for great opportunities in story telling: Vincent was always in different places and the stories often took very unexpected twists. You also were unsure whether Vincent would lose this episode's battle or score a small victory against the aliens. The show was also fairly atmospheric. Interestingly enough that was reached mostly by the dramatic voice overs. Roy Thinnes was a good looking chap and I quite liked his performance as driven man who really was an intruder in ordinary people's lives. His acting style has been criticized as aloof but that's the whole point: Vincent is a man who doesn't belong. To me, The Invaders is probably the best 60s sci-fi show.

David Vincent Has Seen Them!

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 9 March 2009]

Quite simply, this is the best show of its kind. Created by Larry Cohen ( maverick film maker responsible for 'Its Alive!' and 'Q - The Winged Serpent' ) and produced by Quinn Martin, it features the most popular story in the whole of science fiction - the Earth under attack.

Roy Thinnes plays architect 'David Vincent' ( don't ask me why they felt the need to mention his occupation in the opening credits ) who is driving home late one night. Tired, he stops near a deserted diner and falls asleep. He is awoken a short time later by a strange whirring sound. He sees a saucer-like object touching down nearby.

When Vincent returns to the same spot the next day with the police in tow, there is no saucer, only a trailer belonging to a honeymooning couple, and they claim to have seen nothing. Vincent notices that the name of the diner has been changed. So is he mad? Or has someone tried to cover things up? Late that night, he approaches the couple yet again. The man attacks him. Suddenly he begins to glow...

So begins the opening episode 'Beachhead' written by Anthony Wilson. Taut and intelligently written, it could easily have been an instalment of 'The Outer Limits' ( and shared that earlier programme's composer Dominic Frontiere ). Vincent learns that the invaders are here, refugees from a dying world, and they are out to conquer the Earth. His task is made harder by the fact that they can assume human form, so they can be anyone or anything. The only way to identify one is by their little fingers - they cannot bend them! Kill an invader and it disappears in a fiery red ball of light.

Each week, the intrepid architect followed the invaders across the country, thwarting their nefarious plots, which include turning insects into carnivores, sending the Earth off its axis by detonating an antimatter bomb, and attempting to sabotage a moon exploration project. He also hoped to be able to capture an alien and take it to Washington in order to prove their existence.

Guest stars included Jack Lord, Peter Graves, Burgess Meredith, Michael Rennie, Roddy McDowall and a pre 'French Connection' Gene Hackman.

It anticipated the 'paranoid' shows of the '90's, such as 'The X Files' and 'Dark Skies'. After an excellent first season, it returned for a second, but mid-way through there was a change in format. In 'The Believers', Kent Smith was introduced as 'Edgar Scoville', head of a group who also knew of the invaders' existence, and provided back-up. Ratings fell and the show was cancelled without a conclusion.

In Britain, 'The Invaders' played in late-night slots on I.T.V., but in 1984 B.B.C.-2 screened the first of two bumper runs ( the other being in 1991 ), and as had happened with 'Outer Limits', the show found a new audience. Most recently, it has been seen on 'Five' at the ungodly hour of 4.00 A.M.

In 1995 'The Invaders' returned in a two-part mini-series starring Scott Bakula with Thinnes reprising his role as 'Vincent'. It was dire, looking more like an 'X-Files' rip-off.

Luckily, the original is on D.V.D. and has stood up very well. Just keep an eye out for anyone acting suspiciously in your neighbourhood with a stiff little finger!

Good series

[TurboarrowIII · 7/10 · 17 September 2014]

I think this is an enjoyable series. I remember seeing it for the first time when I was growing up in the 70s.

Roy Thinnes is very good as architect David Vincent. He is desperate to show the world that aliens are trying to take over and is very good at conveying this desperation. He knows that it is difficult to trust anybody which can, at times, make his character appear cold and unfriendly. However, given the difficulty of his position this is understandable.

There are times when the invaders do appear a bit incompetent however and could have killed Vincent on a number of occasions but this doesn't spoil the series. It is enjoyable to see how Vincent manages to survive.

There were a number of stars who appeared in episodes including Gene Hackman, Jack Lord and Barbara Hershey.

The music is good too. It adds to the tension and eeriness.

Overall an enjoyable series with tension, action and excitement as well as a feeling of unease about the possibility of aliens taking over the world.

THIS should be a movie

[Homer900 · 8/10 · 14 January 2007]

Of all of the TV shows of the past made into movies that stink, maybe, just maybe, some young, serious minded script writer will stumble upon this on late night TV somewhere and produce a script for a motion picture version.

No MTV style quick cuts, no gangsta rap, no tricked up CGI, except as needed. Keep the seriousness of the Quinn Martin original and turn it loose. This was an amazing series, especially for a 12 year old, coming as it did, at the height of series of UFO sightings and reports during that time period.

The whole concept was chilling. This would be a good movie, or even better, a new series, keeping in line with the original.

The Series that gets better as it progresses

[ebiros2 · 6/10 · 2 September 2013]

Made by Q M Productions that specialized in crime dramas, this series was a departure from that formula.

Theme of the story was science fiction , but the format was very much like "The Fugitive" that was an enormous success for Q M Production.

The story was rather morose in the beginning lacking in flare and trying to cover for that with good guest star's appearances, but it quickly got traction, and the stories became lot more interesting. Towards the end of the first season a plot was forming that David Vincent was starting to find allies in people who are in professions that can help him. There was more "science" angle to the story, and the show can be called a borderline science fiction in its content as this season ended.

The show succeeded more as a drama in the style of "The Fugitive" where David Vincent was a fugitive from the invaders, and sometimes from the police, more than science fiction. In this Q M Production's pat formula for making drama got in the way, but it also succeeded by not letting the quality of the production go down. Ultimately, the show lacked focus, as it was made by people who knows nothing about the UFO or science fiction, compared to true science fiction like the Star Trek of the same era.

True to Q M Production's formula, there were suits everywhere. People dressed immaculately in a suit filled the scene. But this also took away from the science fiction atmosphere as it was too solidly grounded to earth. One thing I can say is that they filled this show with great guest stars that would have been perfectly comfortable in the movies as well as the television show.

It was a good show, but not a good science fiction series. It was a crime drama with criminals replaced with aliens. At the end I wished that the story turned like the ending of "The invasion of the body snatchers", but that was too much to ask for to the script writers of the drama.

Impossible to believe this show is 53 years old!

[uscmd · 9/10 · 15 July 2019]

Coming from the production company that created the fugitive.......it has very much the same feel. Hero on the run, righting wrongs along the way. Its a theme several others have copied.

Sadly, I was in the military when this was on originally, so I had to catch it, during its sporadic re-runs on local, or later cable tv.

I'm a huge sci fi fan, but this show is near the top of my list. If you watch an episode or two, you'll join the list of fans.

The car's the star!

[benkidlington · 7/10 · 17 January 2010]

Just finished watching every episode from both of the series. It was highly enjoyable even if it started to get a tad repetitive towards the end.

I thought Kent Smith was excellent as Edgar Scoble. Sadly a somewhat overlooked actor. David Vincent of course was perfectly cast and also a great actor. Very impressive how he underplayed the role.

Many aspects of the series are really interesting and absorbing.

Throughout watching it though, I kept wondering why every episode seemed to keep focusing on people getting in and out of cars all of the time and also usually involved one or more car chases. I would have instead enjoyed it a bit more if it focused on flying saucers or other alien technology more regularly and a bit more sci-fi.

I always thought that the bits with cars could have been cut out as they were not in any way essential to the plot. I mean let's just get down to business. I just didn't need to watch a car pull up into a motel parking lot about 100 times in all, across the various episodes! In fact eventually I kept on hoping that the next episode would not have any cars in it.

And then of course after watching all episodes, I finally learnt from several independent sources that the series was sponsored by the Ford Motor Company. Well that explains it all, the series would probably not have even been made without their financial backing. No wonder it seemed like a car show at times. I think perhaps they did overdo the product placement just a bit though! Still, I really like the series. Shame it was axed without a satisfactory ending.

Oh come on now...

[huutheheckcares · 3/10 · 9 December 2018]

I can see a lot of positive, glowing reviews for this series which I vaguely remember watching on TV originally. Yes it was kind of interesting then, but in watching it now, I see why I only remember it vaguely, while other shows of that era like Twilight Zone, and The Outer Limits are much more memorable. The shows actually seem rather pedantic, repetitious, poorly written and the participants seem to sleep walk thru their roles. Even the effects are not all that great but as I recall Quinn-Martin was more into the detective/police squad/private eye lineup and the series reflects this. The three note musical "sting" heard wayyy too many times is certainly not Dominic Frontiere's best work. Episode after another, the main character played pedantically by Roy Thinnes is always having his life threatened by the Invading protaganists yet he doesn't carry any weapon (except his stunt double's fists) to protect himself. Sorry, but it really isn't anywhere near the best sci-fi or fantasy that tv offered.

They Are Here

[lewisrailway · 26 January 2002]

In the late 1960s Science Fiction on British TV consisted of Thunderbirds and little else, since Star Trek had not been aired yet,but before that "The Invaders" established a Beachhead on our late night schedules. Aged 8 , i was soon captivated by the story one mans fight to convince the world that aliens were living among us and had wormed their way into the police,government and military and were planning to take over the Earth! This was not easy; the aliens looked and acted like us but required frequent "regeneration" in transparent tubes otherwise they would die,and burn up leaving only ashes. Whenever David Vincent [played by Roy Thinnes] discovered alien installations he would phone the cops,only for the switchboard operator to be alien! By the time the cops arrived only dust would remain and Vincent waswritten off as a nut. The show had strong parallels with Cold War paranoia communist witch hunts but benefitted from fine writing and sparingly used but impressive special effects.Of the videos available in Britain i strongly recommend #1] "Beachhead"[excellent music,great story and acting from Roy and his beautiful guest star Diane Baker] and "The Saucer/The Enemy"[two superb episodes on one vid!].Also, if you can find it,"The Trial" where a human is tried for murdering an alien.The scene with the alien "parents" outside the courthou astonishing-----10/10.

The Quintessential James Bond

[jurandyrsf · 9/10 · 11 May 2010]

I gave some consideration before reviewing this much-loved TV series of my youth. Watching it again more than 40 years later is another experience entirely. What I recognize now is the greatest big- and small-screen hero of all. Who else but David Vincent, an ordinary man with steel nerves, solely equipped with a .38, short-barreled revolver and huge, boat-like automobiles, depending totally on his personal budget, could have single-handedly disrupted, time and again, the most elaborate plans set off by an army of invading extraterrestrials with their advanced, technological prowess relentlessly committed to take our beloved Earth for themselves? Double-O-Seven pales in comparison; a real sissy, actually. Only Captain James T. Kirk comes close in street-fighting skills, resilience and resolve. On top of all, a humble guy who is polite to a fault, cool and smooth as none. These are some of the reasons that not only make this Zen-mannered architect an unforgettable character, but testify as well to the outstanding acting skills of the venerable artist who gave him life, Mr. Roy Thinnes.

As good today as it always was.......

[kevandeb · 10/10 · 18 September 2017]

Not many TV series stand the test of time and when the UK horror channel started showing this series 40+ years after I first watched it, I was tempted not to watch it. I did not want to spoil my memories of a series that I dropped everything for to ensure I was in front of my TV every Saturday teatime. Only two other series had me hooked that way, Auf Weidersehn Pet & Boys From the Blackstuff. All these series's made sure I was glued to the TV once a week making sure never to miss an episode. I can say with confidence that all my fears were unfounded. This is a joy to watch again, I still love it, the staged fights, the music, the surprise guest appearances and a need for David Vincent to make as many people believe as possible. I am hugely grateful for a chance to see this again and am happy wallowing in my reminiscence of my childhood.

Very entertaining; the anti-Star Trek

[shakspryn · 10/10 · 19 July 2017]

I wonder what Gene Roddenberry thought of this show. These aliens aren't misunderstood and unreasonably feared and we can help each other and all that high-minded Star Trek philosophy. These aliens are here to take over. They are masquerading in human forms, which are very different from however they appear naturally, and they are pretty cranky about that from the get-go. They're eager to stick a nasty metal gizmo to your neck and kill you, or blast you with a disintegration ray gun if you get in their way; or enslave your mind with a little crystal device.

The fun is watching handsome David Vincent tangle with these sneaky rattlers-in-human form. A few of them have more depth, but most are just single-minded merciless types. In most episodes, one or more of them bites the dust and flames out in a red flash that just leaves a smoky outline. The tone of the show is very serious; Vincent isn't kidding around here, he's saving the world! The show looks great on DVD, has nice exterior filming usually, and fine guest starts. See it.

Aged well.

[mm-39 · 9/10 · 5 March 2009]

I love "The Invaders". What a great show! For 1967 "The Invaders" aged well. Many good science fiction story lines. The Spores was a great episode with Gene Hackman. I think Invasion of the Body Snatcher got a few ideas from the mentioned episode. Great stories and with a cool concept. A man knows of an Alien invasion but no one will believe him. The show reminds me of Supernatural. I wonder if they will ever remake "The Invaders". Maybe they can you Jensen Ackles as David Vincent. I give the series an 9 out of 10. Only if those aliens did not vaporize when they die the show's problems would be easy. There is never any proof! Buy the box set. Is it 10 lines yet. Now it is.

"The Nightmare Has Already Begun"

[SombeeKillah · 7/10 · 2 April 2012]

My 1st time seeing this classic series. Wow what a series! I'm hooked already! Just started to see this one. Roy Thinnes was the perfect casting for this role of "David Vincent" He has this weird but perfect look about him so naturally "normal" people look at him like he's crazy! Nice intro and the music is right on target! Great score by Dominic Frontiere. Excellent narration by Dick Wesson(A Quinn Martin production's common narrator)

Nice guest stars also. The pilot episode had a young Diane Baker(who so looked like a young Debra Winger it's uncanny!) the late great J.D. Cannon, the late great Ellen Corby aka "Grandma Walton", the late great Vaughn Taylor and last but not least the late great Dabbs Greer.

A classic of Science Fiction in television.

[alexanderdavies-99382 · 10/10 · 27 May 2017]

I can easily mention the series of "The Invaders" in the same breath as "Star Trek," "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits." "The Invaders" follows the attempts of an architect, David Vincent, who tries to convince a disbelieving world of the existence of aliens who have landed on earth to escape their dying planet. Each episode consists of four acts, plus an epilogue. It's similar to the previous show from the same producers, "The Fugitive." Watching each instalment, you just know that David Vincent is going to find it a challenge in convincing anyone about the alien invasion. Once in a while, he gains a few allies but most of these are either killed or silenced in some other way. It makes for a somewhat lonely existence when it is just one man, fighting his enemies alone. However, Vincent does manage to inconvenience the aliens on numerous occasions by thwarting their plans almost single-handed. Roy Thinnes as David Vincent is superb. His acting style is what I would call "naturalistic" but very credible. I disagree that his character comes across as being aloof or cold, David Vincent is simply exercising a good deal of caution in not trusting anyone easily and keeping his wits about him. He certainly displays compassion with those who have been victims of some kind, courtesy of the aliens. This is a genuinely gripping series with a slightly disturbing theme tune. Each episode offers something quite different and the writing and acting are marvellous. There are plenty of familiar faces in this one: William Windom, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Rennie, Murray Hamilton, Gene Hackman, James Daly, J.D Cannon, John Larch, Jack Lord, Jack Warden, Roddy McDowall, Burgess Meredith and others. It's a bit unfortunate that "The Invaders" only lasted two seasons. I reckon an additional season would have been great. Don't miss this one, it is one of the greats.

The Fugitive meets The X-files

[McQualude · 6/10 · 1 February 2008]

Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, architect, who pulls off the road into an abandoned diner's parking lot late one night to catch a few ZZZs. His sleep is disturbed by the appearance of a flying saucer. Convinced that the Earth is under attack, David hurries into town and reports his sighting to the authorities who begrudgingly agree to investigate. Upon reaching the diner David discovers the diner's name has been changed and a newlywed couple camping nearby claim to have seen or heard nothing. Faced with no evidence, the cops assume that David had a hallucination. David returns the next evening to confront the newlyweds whom he is convinced are lying. David discovers the couple are in fact aliens disguised as humans and that the danger to the Earth is even greater than he imagined. The series progresses as sort of The Fugitive meets The X-files as David uncovers more of the alien's plan and yet is thwarted in every attempt to gain hard evidence. Gradually an Air Force UFO investigator begins to suspect that David is not just another crackpot.

Intro from the series: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5DXiape6gLw

Available on DVD (region 1) on May 6, 2008

Overlooked Gem

[ramsfan · 10/10 · 16 May 2020]

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.

Good but ultimately disappointing

[g-hbe · 7/10 · 30 September 2023]

I loved this show when it was first shown here in the UK in the late 60's. The sci-fi plot, the paranoia and Vincent's struggle to be taken seriously kept it on the boil. For a while. But for me, the recipe was repeated too many times, especially in the first season. The second season made more of an effort to move the story on, and Vincent at last began to gather a handful of disciples who were convinced of his story and helped him warn the authorities. Sadly, the show was brought to a premature end, with only a voice-over telling us that David Vincent and his team would remain vigilant, watching out for any return of the enemy. I always had the feeling that there was a third season planned, but that the studio bosses had decided to can it. It's still good to watch even today (we have it on DVD), and it is a good example of all those series we used to enjoy back then.

Did this guy have a job?

[Christopher370 · 3/10 · 23 September 2023]

The lead character David Vincent is said to be an architect, yet he has all this free time on his hands to chase aliens around the country and is always impeccably dressed in nice suits and shiny dress shoes. He must have made millions designing buildings that he squirreled away by the time he saw his first flying saucer.

And after watching the entire first season, I wondered why he felt compelled to chase these aliens everywhere when others who he interacts with that have also seen the aliens just go about with their lives afterwards. What's making David Vincent want to catch and stop them so badly when no one else seems to care as much as him?

I think what this show needed was something to make his quest personal so we can understand why he gave up his entire life to focus on chasing these invaders.

I watched this series after finishing "The Fugitive", created by the same producers. That was a such wonderful series so I thought this would be on the same level too.

On that show, the lead character was trying to catch his wife's killer so he had a personal stake in his mission and also garnered sympathy from the audience.

I think David Vincent needed to have the same kind of personal stake as Richard Kimble did to make his hunt for the invaders more believable. It would have also made the audience empathize with him as they did with Kimble.

Had Vincent's wife or child been abducted by the invaders at the start of the series, that would've made his mission much more believable and personal. Or perhaps they killed a family member of his, but without any of that happening, Vincent just comes off as some crackpot with too much time on his hands who has a questionable bank account of unlimited funds since he never works to support himself.

And by the end of season one it became comical how the invaders want Vincent eliminated and out of their way yet they never kill him even after having have multiple chances to do so. It's so absurd!

I'm rating it 3 starts for all the various guest stars, a lot of which have appeared previously on "The Fugitive" and were probably wondering what the heck they were doing on such a hokey show. I'm sure quite a few of them were thinking to themselves "I can't believe i'm saying these lines". I guess a paycheck is a paycheck.

I read that ratings for this series declined greatly by the end of season one, yet it was still renewed for a second season. Apparently the fleeing viewers never came back and it was mercifully cancelled.

I just didn't find this series to be engaging and I admittedly expected a lot from it after seeing "The Fugitive". I guess lightening can't strike twice but it was fun to see all the guest stars though and the lead actor was appealing. It's just a shame he wasn't given a better series to star in that lasted longer.