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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2661 in DVD
• Brand: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
• Released on: 2008-05-27
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 5
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 933 minutes

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

Customer Reviews

They're Finally Here !
It's been a long time coming, but worth the wait. The best sequential science fiction TV series of the last 40 years is finally here! Paramount has gone above and beyond in this release of Season 1, with beautifully restored episodes, cool extras including the original length unaired pilot and intoductions to each episode by David Vincent himself - Mr. Roy Thinnes!!!! Not only is this labor of love an answer to every fans' dreams, but it's reasonably priced to boot! If you've never seen this series, you're in for a major treat! Thank you one and all involved, and I hope we'll soon be hearing news of Season 2!!!

The Invaders DVD, First Season
The Invaders. Alien beings from a dying planet... David Vincent knows ...the nightmare has already begun.

1967, seventeen episodes, color, mono, approx 15-1/2 hours, five discs, 4:3, and CC... not subtitled. Two versions of the pilot episode... the second version is on the last DVD of this set... half a 'regular' season, since it was a replacement series for a cancellation. Included, an 'interview' with Roy Thinnes... just him, answering questions read aloud and texted onscreen, on the last disc. You can choose to have Mr. Thinnes 'introduce' each episode... or choose -not- to listen to him recite the -very- basic plot outline and title. There is also an -extra- version of 'The Innocent' on disk three, with a sometimes rambling commentary by the series creator, Larry Cohen... who was apparently marginalized, not really part of Quinn Martin Productions. Plus three promos.

Great to see Mr. Thinnes and the guest stars... in basic, well-made '60's TV. You can learn more about the original series online, such as at Wikipedia, and IMDB.com ...and how different was the mini-series almost 30 years later.

Invaders DVD Review
Excellent collection and glad it's finally available! I watched the original TV series when I was a kid; haven't seen it for over 35 years. Although the props, scenery and technology are dated, the story lines are great and the episodes are still fun to watch if you're a Sci-Fi enthusiast. The picture clarity of these DVD's is crystal clear with great color. The re-mastering is very well done.