Episode 5: Genesis - 2/7/67

Two motorcycle police officers are making a traffic stop when they notice a car driving by with only one headlight. One of the officers makes a remark about the crazy kids with one headlight, while the other gets on his bike and says, "They're mine."

He stops the offending youth and asks for their license. The driver asks what they did, telling him they were only going 30 mph, and the officer asks the driver to get out. He points out the broken headlight on the station wagon and says it will cost him. As the crazy kid laughs about trying to drive like an old lady and getting stopped for a headlight, the officer hears a thumping sound coming from the car and asks what it is.

The youngster nervously says it's nothing, but the officer goes to the back of the car and demands that he open it. The young kid tries to explain that it's a nice girl who got a little 'oiled up' at the beach, but the officer repeats his command. The kid opens it and a glowing red light pulsates from within, as the horrified officer asks what it is. The kid slaps a lighted alien disc on his neck and he goes down silently screaming as the kids drive off.

Starring Roy Thinnes as Architect David Vincent

Guest Stars: 
John Larch as Lt. Greg Lucather 

Carol Rossen as Selene Lowell 

Frank Overton as Dr. Grayson

Episode 4: The Leeches - 1/31/67

Two aliens in standard issue green jumpsuits are dragging Dr. Markham towards an alien seated device, while a third stands at a set of controls and informs him it's the last time, since they've extracted nearly all the information they need from him. He struggles with them, telling them to go back to their own world, and manages to break away and escape. He makes his way out and runs away and hides while the three aliens wander about wondering where he went.

Dr. Markham awakes repeatedly screaming, "No more!" and begs the doctor who holds him not to let them find him, while a nurse injects him with what is likely a sedative. He lays back down as his pleas weaken.

Starring Roy Thinnes as Architect David Vincent

Guest Stars: 
Mark Richman as Tom Wiley

 Diana van der Vlis as Eve Doneghan

and Special Guest Star:
Arthur Hill as Warren Doneghan

Episode 3: The Mutation - 1/24/67

David Vincent has resumed his quest out in the desert under a hot, blazing sun. He is riding in a jeep with two guides and he asks them to stop. He claims they are going in circles and one of the guides tells him they're not, but that it looks the same everywhere. He asks how much further and the driver says it's maybe two or three miles. David asks if they're sure, and they say they don't lie, that they have told him they've seen lights of shining color and strange noises. 

David says he's given them 300 pesos, but they should forget about it if it's some kind of con. The guides exchange words in Spanish about what he means by 'con' and David says to forget it and turns back toward the jeep. This is when they decide it's not worth running him around for another two or three miles and one of the guides thumps him on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. While he is out, they mock the 'estupido' about the lights of shining colors and strange noises while they remove his watch, his sunglasses, and the dinero from his wallet, and then take off in the jeep, leaving him laid out in the hot desert sun.

He stumbles through the desert, apparently suffering from heat exhaustion, with sand sticking to his sweaty chest and face, as his vision becomes blurred. He falls down and when he glances up, he sees a spacecraft sitting in the desert through his hazy vision, with green suited aliens milling about underneath.

Starring Roy Thinnes as Architect David Vincent 

Cue intro and William Woodson opening narration that lets you know why David Vincent is roaming the countryside and not doing any architect work.

Guest Stars: 

Edward Andrews as Mark Evans

Lin McCarthy as Officer Fellows 

and Special Guest Star: 

Suzanne Pleshette

 

Episode 2: The Experiment - 1/17/67

It's a stormy night at the airport and a group of reporters are hassling a professor who is trying to board an airplane, asking if he's been investigating UFO sightings for the last three months, if he really believes in these saucers, and if there really is evidence that there are invaders from other planets. They are shooed away by his son, who tells them the doctor is sick and exhausted. The sweaty professor takes his seat and looks out the window at the aircraft marshaller, who turns to look in his direction as he holds up his orange marshaling wand with pinky extended.

The nervous prof grabs his things and leaves his seat, telling his son that he's changed his mind and they're not going. He informs him that the man outside is one of the aliens, that the plane could be a death trap, and his son tells him to cut it out. He leaves nevertheless. They stop at the observation window and watch as the plane takes off and immediately explodes in a brilliant, fiery blast.

Starring Roy Thinnes as Architect David Vincent

Narration by William Woodson

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 shortcut that he never found. It began with a closed, deserted diner, and a man too long without sleep to continue his journey. It began with a landing of a craft from another galaxy. Now, David Vincent knows that the Invaders are here. That they have taken human form. Somehow he must convince a disbelieving world that the nightmare has already begun.

Guest Stars:

Roddy McDowall as Lloyd Lindstrom

Laurence Naismith as Professor Curtis Lindstrom

Harold Gould as Dr. Paul Mailer

Episode 1: Beachhead - 1/10/67

How Does a Nightmare Begin?

For David Vincent, architect, returning home from a business trip, it began at a few minutes past four on a lost Tuesday morning. Looking for a shortcut that he never found.

It began with a welcoming sign that gave hope of black coffee. It began with a closed, deserted diner and a man too long without sleep to continue his journey.

In the weeks to come, David Vincent would go back to how it all began, many times.

Starring:
Roy Thinnes...David Vincent

Guest stars:  

Diane Baker...Kathy Adams

J.D. Cannon...Police Lt. Ben Holman

James Daley...Alan Landers

John Milford...Sheriff Lou Carver

Narration by William Woodson

Written by:

Anthony Wilson

Directed by:

Joseph Sargent

Why The Invaders?

When I decided to blog The Invaders, I was asked why this show and not Lost in Space. My immediate response was that Lost in Space is a well known show, but there are still a lot of people who are unaware of The Invaders, which may be one reason why I have chosen to write about it, but there's more to it than that.

I first picked up both seasons of The Invaders in 2013. I had never heard of the series before, and after reading the description, I was intrigued enough to buy it and watch it. I watched the episodes over the scorching days of summer in 2013 and fell in love with it. It has all the things I love about The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, North by Northwest, the X-Files and Kolchak, and the music of Dominic Frontiere is the icing on the cake. Handsome Roy Thinnes is a delight to watch in this show, and having many of the popular actors of the day guest star makes it a special treat. This brilliant show does have its share of fans and it is a wonder that it is not more widely known and celebrated.

Like most shows, this one has its weaknesses. I don't remember specifically what they are and am about to rediscover them, but I do have a fondness for this show that I also hope to rediscover. I will be describing the action from each episode and adding in my own personal reflections.

Posts will happen on Tuesdays at 8:30pm, which is when episodes originally aired, in keeping with my fictional TV time portal.


Here's an interview with Roy Thinnes on French TV. At 25:00, Roy describes a real UFO sighting he had.

The Invaders will finally arrive next week.