For those of you who have never seen The Invaders, you’re missing out. Long before the likes of The X-Files dominated the airwaves of truth-seeking UFO folk, The Invaders took viewers on the weekly journeys of architect David Vincent (Roy Thinnes), a man who (in the series premiere) witnessed an alien spaceship setting down near an abandoned diner and has been thoroughly obsessed in warning a disbelieving public ever since that the world is in danger.
Made by television producer extraordinaire Quinn Martin, The Invaders, much like QM’s other famous hit The Fugitive, was a standalone series — meaning that you co
uld tune into any episode and settle in for the ride without wondering who any of the people were or what their relationships were to each other. Roy Thinnes’ part was just about the only recurring character in the entire series (although season two brought in actor Kent Smith as millionaire Edgar Scoville to help poor David Vincent out a bit — finally, somebody else believed him!). Each week, Thinnes found himself in a new part of the country (much like Kimble in The Fugitive did — hey, if the formula works, right?), following a new lead that he hoped would bring him that much closer to either alerting the rest of the world about an impending alien invasion or one step nearer to stopping the marauding extraterrestrials for good.
Guest stars for this season include a venerable who’s who of TV and film actors such (most of whom were no strangers to sci-fi) as Gene Hackman, Anne Francis, Kevin McCarthy, Andrew Prine, Pat Hingle, Louis Gossett, Jr., Dawn Wells, Whit Bissell, Barbara Hershey, Ed Asner, Michael Rennie, James Gammon, Raymond St, Jacques, Wayne Rogers, Dabney Coleman, William Windom, Ted Knight, Ron Hayes, Sally Kellerman, Dana Wynter, Barry Morse, Karen Black, Harold Gould, D’Urville Martin, Lynda Day George, Russell Johnson, and even The Brain That Wouldn’t Die star Jason Evers (it seems just about every other DVD season I’ve seen lately has him in it — and it’s always the first episode).
Article comments
1 - Charles Wood.
I am sure there are still some missing episodes of the Invaders. On the second season there is no conclusion . I seem to remember a conclusion were David Vincent spoke to the alien leader outside their saucer. Their leader said they would go and never return because it was too late for his planet/species. Vincent replied. I'll still be watching the skies. Alien leader went aboard saucer. It lifted off. Narrator spoke saying they have gone but David Vincent will be watching the skies. Credits the end.