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Invasion (2005 TV series)

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Invasion
Complete Series DVD cover
Created byShaun Cassidy
StarringWilliam Fichtner
Eddie Cibrian
Kari Matchett
Lisa Sheridan
Tyler Labine
Alexis Dziena
Evan Peters
Ariel Gade
Aisha Hinds
ComposersJon Ehrlich
Jason Derlatka
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes22
Production
Executive producersShaun Cassidy
Thomas Schlamme (pilot)
Production locationsLos Angeles, California
Running time42 minutes
Production companiesShaun Cassidy Productions
Warner Bros. Television
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 21, 2005 (2005-09-21) –
May 17, 2006 (2006-05-17)

Invasion is an American science fiction television series created by Shaun Cassidy. It originally aired on ABC from September 21, 2005 through May 17, 2006. Somewhat similar to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the show told the story of the aftermath of a hurricane in which water-based creatures infiltrate a small Florida town and begin to take over the bodies of the town's inhabitants through a cloning process (by first merging with, then replacing them). It stars an ensemble cast featuring William Fichtner, Eddie Cibrian, Kari Matchett, Lisa Sheridan, Tyler Labine, Alexis Dziena, Evan Peters and Ariel Gade. The show was produced by Shaun Cassidy Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

Due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the aftermath in the southern United States, early on-air promotions were quickly pulled by ABC. The advertising then switched emphasis completely to the alien invasion aspect of the series, while the hurricane received no mention. The premiere was also preceded with a warning that the show featured images of a fictional hurricane, to which viewers could be sensitive.

Invasion received critical acclaim, with praise for its acting, writing, direction, and the musical score.[1][2][3] However, many viewers decried the show as "agonizingly boring" due to the dull action and slow pace, especially among the first few episodes. The series was canceled on May 17, 2006. Since then, the show has appeared in numerous lists of shows that were "Cancelled Too Soon", including lists by Entertainment Weekly and The Huffington Post.[4][5] The show was originally conceived for five seasons.[6][7]

Plot

[edit]

The series took place in Southern Florida and involved a string of mysterious occurrences that take place in a small town in the aftermath of a violent hurricane. Invoking thematic elements from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the series centered on park ranger Russell Varon (Eddie Cibrian) and his family and his efforts to uncover the truth about a conspiracy involving water-breathing extraterrestrials creating human clones from the bodies of the dead.

Cast and characters

[edit]

Episodes

[edit]
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		 Viewers
(millions)
1"Pilot"Thomas SchlammeShaun CassidySeptember 21, 2005 (2005-09-21)47528116.43
Hurricane Eve strikes the town of Homestead. Lights are seen in the water and while Dave and Russell investigate, one attacks Dave. Sheriff Underlay orders the area quarantined and the town attempts to rebuild itself.
2"Lights Out"Lawrence TrillingShaun CassidySeptember 28, 2005 (2005-09-28)2T695112.29
Russell finds the body of an Air Force officer who has similar wounds as Dave. Mariel finds something in Paxton, which arouses suspicion. Sheriff Underlay continues to cordon off the town.
3"Watershed"Michael DinnerBecky Hartman Edwards & Shaun CassidyOctober 5, 2005 (2005-10-05)2T695211.38
Kira and Jesse investigate a motor home with terrible consequences. Russell worries about Mariel's strange behavior and Larkin suspects that Tom is involved in, or knows something about, a military cover-up.
4"Alpha Male"Sergio Mimica-GezzanJuan Carlos CotoOctober 12, 2005 (2005-10-12)2T695311.58
Animals affected with a deadly flu virus escape from a sanctuary; Russell and Tom try to track them down. Jesse gets jealous as Kira flirts with a boy at a party. A woman attacks Larkin, doubting her identity. Mariel shows more strange behavior.
5"Unnatural Selection"Thomas SchlammeMichael Berns,
Shaun Cassidy		October 19, 2005 (2005-10-19)2T695411.24
One of Russell's colleagues is involved in a shootout with Tom, leading to dire consequences. Larkin seizes a chance to snoop around for answers when an old boyfriend invites her to visit his military base. Mariel is invited to a survivors group.
6"The Hunt"Lawrence TrillingShaun Cassidy,
Becky Hartman Edwards		October 26, 2005 (2005-10-26)2T69558.69
After finding an old Cuban refugee who lost his family to "the lights," Russell goes fishing to catch one of the luminescent beings. Transformed, Derek switches his interest to Mariel, incurring the wrath of Underlay.
7"Fish Story"Rod HolcombMichael Alaimo,
Juan Carlos Coto		November 9, 2005 (2005-11-09)2T69569.76
After surviving a car crash, Larkin is picked up by a strange man who she becomes suspicious of, especially when she believes that he might have a link to the events that are occurring. Meanwhile, Mariel desperately tries to emotionally reconnect with her son, Jesse.
8"The Cradle"Ernest DickersonJulie SiegeNovember 16, 2005 (2005-11-16)2T695710.32
A baby is abandoned at Russell's ranger station. The mother, Christina, who was 'changed' after the hurricane, claims it is not hers. Dave learns the identity of the owner of the wedding ring, and Mariel makes a discovery in the water.
9"The Dredge"Michael NankinJill E. Blotevogel,
Reed Steiner		November 23, 2005 (2005-11-23)2T69589.49
Russell's dark past is brought to the surface to the shock of Larkin. Dave investigates Mariel and her disappearance the night of the hurricane, and Mariel pleads with Tom to dredge the bay to find out the identity of the body.
10"Origin of Species"Steve ShillShaun Cassidy,
Juan Carlos Coto		November 30, 2005 (2005-11-30)2T695910.10
Dave is abducted by his blog-readers wanting to know what he knows. Meanwhile, Tom Underlay and his deputy, Sirk, learn the identity of the dead woman found in the bay, and Sirk has an encounter with the lights.
11"Us or Them"J. Miller TobinShaun CassidyJanuary 11, 2006 (2006-01-11)2T69609.65
Russell finally confronts Mariel about the changes she's undergone since the hurricane. Underlay invites Sirk into his home to recuperate, and Jesse meets a beautiful, but strange, girl while on vacation with Larkin and Rose.
12"Power"Lawrence TrillingBecky Hartman Edwards,
Reed Steiner		January 18, 2006 (2006-01-18)2T69619.00
Tom disappears while taking the kids for a 'little adventure' at a cabin and brings along a mysterious bag. Meanwhile Russell and Mariel try to locate the children, and Larkin gets suspicious about Russell getting close to Mariel.
13"Redemption"Bill EaglesMichael Alaimo,
Shaun Cassidy		January 25, 2006 (2006-01-25)2T69629.33
After Tom's shooting, he hovers between life and death as he relives his 1996 plane crash that led to his rebirth. Meanwhile, Russell tries to prevent Larkin from telling the truth about what happens in the water.
14"All God's Creatures"Harry WinerMichael FoleyFebruary 8, 2006 (2006-02-08)2T69639.09
Russell, Larkin and Dave discover the creature that has been stalking their home. Tom goes on a mission to find out who shot him, while Kira questions what happened to her father and Mariel the night of the hurricane.
15"The Nest"Lawrence TrillingShaun Cassidy,
Julie Siege		February 15, 2006 (2006-02-15)2T69649.01
Kira continues her search for answers but falls into the wrong crowd and into trouble. Russell helps Mariel test her blood for abnormalities, with shocking results. Derek and Christina make their return to Homestead.
16"The Fittest"Frederick E. O. ToyeJuan Carlos CotoMarch 8, 2006 (2006-03-08)2T69656.74
Tom and Russell team up to pursue Derek and Christina, stumbling upon a mysterious group of migrant workers. Mariel comes clean to the kids. Kira's life is in the balance after her encounter, and Larkin still looks for answers.
17"The Key"Bryan SpicerMichael Alaimo,
Michael Foley		March 15, 2006 (2006-03-15)2T69667.22
Christina uses a gun to get Mariel to perform an ultrasound. Russell and Dave set out to discover what the CIA knows about the hybrids, and Jesse and Rose return to school to witness some strange behaviour.
18"Re-Evolution"Eric LaneuvilleCharles Grant Craig,
Julie Siege		April 19, 2006 (2006-04-19)2T69677.11
Russell and Dave investigate what's been happening on Szura's island. Tensions rise at school between those who have changed and those who haven't, and Tom looks into the military's involvement in the post-hurricane changes.
19"The Son Also Rises"Lawrence TrillingMichael Alaimo,
Shaun Cassidy		April 26, 2006 (2006-04-26)2T69687.37
Russell finally blows the whistle on Szura's island, leading to Russell being out of a job. Jesse and Rose deal with more bizarre changes at school, and the hybrids prepare as a new hurricane is brewing in the Caribbean.
20"Run and Gun"Sergio Mimica-GezzanJuan Carlos Coto,
Michael Foley		May 3, 2006 (2006-05-03)2T69697.27
With Szura at large in Homestead, unlikely partners Russell and Sheriff Tom team up in the hope of tracking down Szura. Meanwhile, the hurricane gets increasingly closer to Homestead as the hybrids plan to make their move.
21"Round Up"Steve ShillShaun CassidyMay 10, 2006 (2006-05-10)2T69707.68
As the hurricane hits, Tom and Russell try to stop Szura. Mariel, Larkin, and the kids are rounded up by what looks to be the National Guard, but they have suspicions. Mariel discovers that Szura has a horrifying job for her as she experiences the true terror of the situation.
22"The Last Wave Goodbye"Lawrence TrillingShaun Cassidy,
Charles Grant Craig		May 17, 2006 (2006-05-17)2T69717.58
In the middle of the hurricane chaos, Russell and Tom make a brave rescue bid. Brett and friends take Larkin, Dave, Jesse, and Rose hostage, which leads to a terrible accident for Larkin. Tom must make an important decision that could risk everything.

Reception

[edit]

Invasion received mostly positive critical reception. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 80% approval rating with an average rating of 8.8/10 based on 10 reviews.[8] Metacritic gave the season a score of 72, making it generally favorable.[9] The show was nominated on the 32nd Saturn Awards for Best Network TV Series and Best Television Actor for William Fichtner. It has been included in many "gone too soon" lists.[4][5][10][11][12] In the independent web critic, Critics at large, the show was reviewed as a Lost Treasure.[13][14] In 2022, Invasion was reviewed as one of the "Best Alien Invasion TV Show To Binge" by Collider.[15] Stephen King also praised the series.[16] In 2023, Philip Etemesi from MovieWeb praised it as the best alien invasion shows ever: “The question of who is real and who isn’t is what makes Invasion fascinating. Distrust keeps developing among the core group of protagonists because it’s difficult to tell who has been cloned. Besides that, the cinematography is stunning, with the camera constantly capturing both the beauty and destruction of Florida and spending less time on the faces of the characters.“[17]

Legacy

[edit]

“One of the challenges when I was starting to write TV series, like American Gothic and Invasion, they did not want anything serialized on network. They wanted closed-ended [episodes], because they couldn't sell [serialized shows] internationally, or they had some argument why they didn't repeat well or something. It was so frustrating, because I liked shows that felt like novels, and I still do. And now that is au courant, which is great.“ - Shaun Cassidy[18]

In 2010, William Fichtner singled Tom Underlay, as one of the characters he "mostly get recognized for".[19]

Many actors including Eddie Cibrian, Kari Matchett, Evan Peters, Lisa Sheridan, Nathan Baesal and Tyler Labine singled out Invasion as one of their favorite shows they worked on.[20][21][22][23][24] On a chat live between Bullz-eye.com and Labine, the actor says: "Invasion did get lots of love. Critics loved it. There was quite a huge following by the time we got cancelled. It was just the network didn't love it, that's all." He also praised Shaun Cassidy's writing, calling him a "mad genius".[25] Later Labine reiterates his statement about the show's cancellation: "I still to this day don’t know why that show got canceled. We had great numbers, we had a good show, good critical acclaim… I don’t know. But it was a really fun show.[26][27]

Shaun Cassidy made a similar statement about the show's cancellation: "I think there were unrealistic expectations that any show following Lost should do better. But no show after ours ever DID do better, so I suspect some of the execs may have regretted taking our show off the air."[28] To the question "Of all the shows you’ve created that were canceled far too soon, which hurt the most ... and why?", Cassidy personally picked Invasion because "it was the most surprising".

In 2020, writer Carlos Coto, blamed the time slot for the show's cancellation: "They put us on after Lost. It made sense on paper, but audiences weren't up for two mythology-rich shows at once. Lost was awesome, but exhausting -- in a good way (and so were we)".[29]

Broadcast history

[edit]

The series premiered on ABC on September 21, 2005, and aired for one season. The series included twenty-two episodes, which aired Wednesday evening at 10:00pm.[30] After the show's cancellation there were reports of a possible move to The CW, however, a deal never came to fruition.[31] The final episode aired on May 17, 2006.[30] On August 22, 2006, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released the complete first season as a six-disc DVD box set.[32]

In the UK, the show premiered as a double bill on Channel 4, with the third episode shown shortly afterwards on 4's digital sister channel E4. In Bulgaria, Invasion premiered on February 21, 2007, on Nova Television and in Romania it premiered on March 10, 2009, on Pro Cinema movie channel. In Australia, the series premiered on the Nine Network in March 2006.

Ratings troubles

[edit]

According to Nielsen ratings, the series premiere garnered 17 million viewers airing after Lost. By the November 30, 2005 episode, the show was only garnering 10 million viewers.

For the episodes shown on January 11, 18, and 25 the Nielsen Ratings only reached 9.7 million, 9 million and 9.3 million, respectively. It had lost nearly half of the first episode's audience, far behind CBS's CSI: NY, which had 13.7 million, 15.5 million and 14.9 million, for the same period.[33][34][35] The show was then put on hiatus for the second time, during which time it was replaced with The Evidence.

Future plotlines

[edit]

In the "August 14–20, 2006" issue of TV Guide, actor Tyler Labine relayed what creator Shaun Cassidy had planned for the following season, saying that Cassidy had said: "Shaun told me Larkin was going to [be presumed dead]. I was going to get all militant and shave my head, and Russell and I were going to join forces against Tom. Tom was going to find out that his first wife was actually alive, and she was running this whole military operation, and she was Szura’s boss."[36] William Fichtner also relayed that storyline: "There was something in there that I thought that was so good. I discovered who it really was who was orchestrating [everything]. I didn't even see it coming from a million miles away. It was my [first wife, Grace], who got on the plane with me. Two people lived after that [1996] plane crash, not just one. She went in another direction altogether. It's amazing. It was, 'Ah, what you could have done with that.'"[37]

In 2010, Labine gave an interview that detailed some of the ideas for the entire show. Included were plans to have Larkin coming back as an evolved hybrid/antagonist. Ultimately, the show was meant to branch into the conception of evolution vs. invasion:[38]

"The idea of the show was, we were never gonna win. What was happening was not an invasion at all, it was an evolutionary step. So we're basically going to spend 5 seasons tryin' to win this battle we can't win. It was just the end of the human nature -- the human kind -- as we know it."

Soundtrack

[edit]

Invasion features an orchestral score performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra and composed by Jon Ehrlich and Jason Derlatka, incorporating many recurring themes and dramatic melodies.[39] Their music was well received.[40][41][42] The soundtrack of the show became available on October 21, 2008 at moviescoremedia.com. The album features more than 60 minutes of carefully selected tracks from the series.[43]

Invasion is one of Ehrlich and Derlatka's favorite works saying: "Its always a treat working with a great orchestra. We love working with Shaun Cassidy."[44]

DVD releases

[edit]
DVD name Episodes DVD release dates Discs
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
The Complete Series 22 August 22, 2006 (2006-08-22)[45] September 4, 2006 (2006-09-04)[46] September 9, 2008 (2008-09-09)[47] 6

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Invasion". 18 September 2005.
  2. ^ "Yellowstone and Longmire Fans Will Love This New Western TV Series".
  3. ^ https://medium.com/@ekw_/does-anyone-remember-invasion-2005-3f6456999a82
  4. ^ a b Bentley, Jean; Stransky, Tanner (October 10, 2009). "26 Great TV Shows That Got a Quick Hook". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Gone Too Soon: Invasion". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012.
  6. ^ "Sundance 2010: Tyler Labine Talks What Could Have Been in Store for Invasion Fans". January 25, 2010.
  7. ^ Large, Critics at. "Lost Treasures: Shaun Cassidy's Invasion (2005-2006)".
  8. ^ "Invasion". Rotten Tomatoes.
  9. ^ Invasion: Season 1 - Metacritic
  10. ^ "The best one-season wonders of the '00s". The A.V. Club. 9 November 2009.
  11. ^ Barone, Matt. "Invasion - The 50 Scariest TV Shows Of All Time". Complex.
  12. ^ "Invasion (2005 - 2006) - In Memoriam: TV Shows Cancelled Before Their Time - Features". Empire. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  13. ^ "Critics At Large". criticsatlarge.ca.
  14. ^ "10 Great TV Shows That Got Cancelled After Just 1 Season". 11 April 2022.
  15. ^ "From 'V' to 'The X-Files': Best Alien Invasion TV Shows to Binge". Collider. 20 January 2022.
  16. ^ https://twitter.com/shaunpcassidy/status/1572728226488922112 [bare URL]
  17. ^ "10 Alien Invasion TV Shows That Are Out of This World". 4 November 2023.
  18. ^ "The Case of the Dreamy Detectives: Remembering 'The Hardy Boys'". Entertainment Weekly.
  19. ^ Weintraub, Steve 'Frosty' (July 19, 2010). "William Fichtner On Set Interview DRIVE ANGRY 3D". Collider.
  20. ^ "Eddie Cibrian on Instagram: "Tbt to one of my favorite shows to be a part of #Invasion. Had some laughs with @tlabine and @booboodaddy #florida #gators #aliens…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
  21. ^ "James Franco offers Evan Peters career guidance ahead of his starring role in X-Men Apocalypse".
  22. ^ "INTERVIEW: Actor Nathan Baesel | Tuxtops".
  23. ^ @TheKariMatchett (26 January 2015). "@the100lovex LOVED doing Ivasion with @shaunpcassidy, #ThomasSchlamme and the cast. LOVED playing Mariel x" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  24. ^ https://x.com/curiouscoyote/status/571710287318925312?s=46
  25. ^ "A chat with Tyler Labine, Tyler Labine interview, Mad Love, Invasion, Reaper". bullz-eye.com.
  26. ^ "Tyler Labine on ghosts, the devil, and the temptation to punch James Franco". The A.V. Club. 15 May 2014.
  27. ^ "Tyler Labine – New Amsterdam". 25 September 2019.
  28. ^ "I'm Shaun Cassidy, writer/producer of the new Amazon drama HYSTERIA and former star of the Camp Moosehead lanyard team. AMA! : IAmA". reddit. 16 September 2014.
  29. ^ @brasstab (22 October 2020). "@BooneLuleyo My theory: Time slot. They put us on after Lost. It made sense on paper, but audiences weren't up for…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. ^ a b "Invasion". TV.com. CBS Interactive.[permanent dead link‍]
  31. ^ Hall, Wayne. "No More 'Invasion': ABC scifi series cancelled, not likely to go to CW". SyFy Portal. Archived from the original on 2008-06-14. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  32. ^ "Invasion - The Complete Series". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
  33. ^ 'CalendarLive.com' calendarlive.com
  34. ^ 'CalendarLive.com' calendarlive.com
  35. ^ 'CalendarLive.com' calendarlive.com
  36. ^ "What Would Have Happened on Season 2 of INVASION!". 18 August 2006.
  37. ^ "Invasion Season 2 - What would have happened". 12 August 2006.
  38. ^ "Tyler Labine - Invasion - video Dailymotion". 25 January 2010.
  39. ^ ""Invasion" of the orchestral television score - ScoringSessions.com". scoringsessions.com.
  40. ^ "Invasion: Original Television Soundtrack - Soundtrack review". sci-fi-online.com.
  41. ^ "The top 11 television music scores". Den of Geek. 8 November 2012. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  42. ^ "Invasion – music by Jon Ehrlich & Jason Derlatka". thelogbook.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  43. ^ 'MovieScore Media' Archived 2008-12-22 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2009-9-22.
  44. ^ "r/IAmA - We are Jon Ehrlich and Jason Derlatka, composers who have collectively scored over 1000 episodes of TV, including all of House M.D., all of NBC's Parenthood, and most recently, we scored Amazon's hit Goliath. Ask Us Anything!". reddit. 23 June 2017.
  45. ^ "Invasion - DVDs Invade in late August". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on December 9, 2007. Retrieved May 4, 2006.
  46. ^ "Invasion - The Complete Series [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  47. ^ "Invasion (2005) - The Complete Series (6 Disc Set) (DVD)". EzyDVD. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
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