The Invaders - The First Season |  | Actors: Roy Thinnes, Hank Simms, William Woodson, Kent Smith
Studio: Paramount
List Price: $36.98
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Rating:  87 reviews
Sales Rank: 19699
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 5
Running Time: 933 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 132674
UPC: 097361326740
EAN: 0097361326740
ASIN: B0012Z36EO
Release Date: May 27, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
David Vincent (Roy Thinnes) knows that The Invaders alien beings from a dying planet have arrived to take over the Earth! To make matters worse the aliens know who he is and most of the time where he is. Somehow he must convince a disbelieving world that the nightmare has already begun.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 097361326740 Manufacturer No: 132674
Amazon.com
"If they're really after you, you're not paranoid" is a lesson The Invaders' David Vincent has learned all too well. Vincent (portrayed by Roy Thinnes) knows that aliens from a dying planet have come to Earth and are planning to take over; having lost his way and fallen asleep in his car in the remote woods one night, he saw their flying saucer land. What's worse, the invaders know he knows. And worst of all, the rest of the world is willfully oblivious, and little interested in the rantings of this madman. That's the premise of this series from producer Quinn (The Fugitive) Martin, and even if the 16 episodes from the show's first season (1967) don't always match the promise of the concept, this is still an intriguing, entertaining ride. The aliens, crafty critters that they are, look exactly like us, save for a slight disfigurement of one finger; they also completely disintegrate when killed, a convenient little conceit that prevents anyone from figuring out who or what they really are. Their dastardly schemes for eliminating the Earthlings are many and varied, ranging from nuclear bombs, plagues of locusts (and carnivorous butterflies!), and manufactured hurricanes to brainwashing and mind control experiments. Standing against this implacable foe is just one man--an amateur (Vincent was an architect before all the craziness began) who works alone (the other true believers he encounters almost invariably end up dead) and is often stymied by his own impetuousness and lack of preparation. Admittedly, the concept doesn't hold up under close scrutiny; even if the aliens are trying to take over by stealth instead of one massive invasion, it doesn't make a lot of sense that they can't eliminate a guy who doesn't even own a gun. There is no series arc; each episode is stand-alone, so by the end of the season the invaders still have barely established a foothold. Moreover, while there are plenty of fistfights and chase sequences, the special effects are ludicrous, the alien technology looks like something out of a high school play, the stories are obvious, and the acting is melodramatic (notwithstanding guest appearances by the Jack Warden and familiar TV faces like Suzanne Pleshette, Arthur Hill, Joseph Campanella, Jack Lord, Ed Asner, and many others). Nevertheless, with the help of Dominic Frontiere's music and the portentous narration that begins and ends each episode, The Invaders manages to consistently maintain its paranoid, Kafka-esque vibe, and that alone makes it compellingly watchable. Thinnes' episode intros and a new interview with the actor are the main bonus features. --Sam Graham
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 87
 No longer scary, but nostalgic September 9, 2009
C. W. Phillips (Ormond Beach FL USA)
When the TV series The Invaders came out I loved the concept of not being able to tell the bad guys from the good guys, such as in The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It was scary and I probably saw every episode. If you are one of those that loved the old program this is for you. I bought both the season 1 and 2 DVDs, which is all there is. The picture quality is excellent - far better than was possible to see on the TV sets of the day. The only disappointment was the introduction by the star Roy Thinnes. His comments might as well had been mailed in. He seemed bored. I had hoped for some inside comments on what went on during the making of the episodes, but there was little of that. Nevertheless, if you enjoyed The Invaders as much as I did back in its time this is worth a revisit.
 The Original X-Files May 20, 2009
D. Mcintyre (Boston, MA.)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am a big X-Files fan, love the show ! When I saw The Invaders season 2 on a shelf in a store... I had to have it . I remembered the show from back when I was a little kid . It was not available on DVD before nor was it in re-runs ....so it had been a long time since I saw it. The show is a classic and so much so that the x-files borrowed from it , in my opinion . Which to me is very cool it is like watching Fox Mulder's dad ...lol.... I liked the 2nd. season so much I ordered the 1st. season from Amazon !
DanmacK
Half a Season of Classic Sci-Fi Television May 17, 2009
Kevin R. Austra (Delaware Valley, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Though I enjoyed both seasons of THE INVADERS, Season One is my favorite. As with most first season shows, Season One of THE INVADERS is when the production team did some experimenting before it settled on a "formula." As such the beginning of the season is fresher and a little more raw than the series' second year run.
In the first season David Vincent bears the burden of his crusade against the alien invasion alone. Although each show adds additional witnesses to alien activity, Vincent is seemingly the only one dedicated enough to give up his personal life, employment, and reputation in the pursuit of the aliens. This is very different from Season Two where Vincent is a member of a larger organization of believers.
The plot: Aliens from another galaxy have landed on Earth slowly establishing their network. Their goal is to acquire the Earth as a replacment planet for their dying world. The aliens have taken human form both to survive in the oxygen rich environment and to infiltrate society. In the pilot episode "Beachhead" Architect David Vincent accidentally witnesses one of the alien landings and finds that no one believes him. Worse is that police treat him as a kook and the aliens are out to do away with him all together. Ultimately Vincent takes up his lonely pursuit of the aliens. Vincent is played by handsome blue-eyed Roy Thinnes. Thinnes had alreay appeared in several prior Quinn Martin television productions and ended up landing the starring role in THE INVADERS.
The pilot episode was a bit of a disappointment in that Vincent's initial encounter with the alien saucer is little more than what we are show during the beginning credits, theme music, and narration. In fact the beginning narration and credits of each episode show us the saucers traveling past the moon toward Earth, something that is never seen in the pilot. Still it was a fitting beginning to the series.
In terms of infiltration the Invaders are certainly successful in that aliens are already well established -- in most cases the story lines give them at least a year of tenure -- in law enforcment, industry, the military and government agencies. In terms of their appearance we are only treated to the Invaders in human form. We never see them in their original alien state.
There is no rhyme or reason for why the Invaders take one particular human form or another. You would think they would be best served appearing as strapping young healthy men and women. Instead the Invaders show up as young and elderly, heavy and petite, or any other common human form. Though the Invaders sometimes borrow the identity of a deceased individual it is more the case of identity theft than one-for-one replacment ala INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. In most cases the Invaders are experts at forging certificates, identification and other documents allowing them unimpeded access across the country.
One of the alien prime directives appears to be to prevent the general public from finding out about them. As such the Invaders generally restrict themselves to standard firearms and make use of Earth-bound technology such as radios and rotary phones -- though I am sure there were production budgetary reasons as well. When cornered the aliens will not hesitate to take their own lives to prevent their capture. Episode three is the first episode where we witness the aliens incinerate when they are dying or badly wounded. Thus when the aliens die they leave no trace behind. Even the items they are carrying incinerate with them.
Each of the episodes are stand alone stories with conflict and resolution within each episode. Though the aliens schemes are normally foiled by Vincent, sometimes it is difficult to determine the victor. Season One has some great and very familiar guest stars, several who would appear again in Season Two as totally separate characters. Included in Season One are J.D. Cannon, Ellen Corby, Roddy McDowall, Suzanne Pleshette, William Windom, Jack Lord, Michael Rennie, James Whitmore, Burgess Meredith, Ralph Bellamy, Joseph Campenella, and others.
The DVD does feature a few special features such as audio commentary and optional introductions to each episode by a contemporary Roy Thinnes. In the Thinnes introductions there was a missed opportunity in that the introductions are limited to a short synopsis of the episode highlighting the appearance of a guest star. It would have been better to allow Thinnes to elaborate on behind the scenes aspects of each episode. Season One is also limited to 17 episodes. Remember that the first season of THE INVADERS was as a midseason replacement. The second year was a full 26-season season.
I remember when April 29, 2009
Roller (Maui, HI USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Wow, does this take me back watching this series on our blonde console TV. Great action for its time and pretty good acting to boot. I just received the 2nd season.
Great family entertainment April 21, 2009
Alan A. Jones (australia)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This show has been terrific I remembered it from when I was a kid and had to get it
Showing reviews 1-5 of 87
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