The Invaders (1 Viewer)

[younger1968]

I have both S1 and S2 of the Invader on dvd as such I love the show. I am big into classic sci-fi including shows like "The Invaders", "Kolchak", "The Originial Outer Limits", "Space 1999", etc. It is too bad that space channel has not realized there should be a classic space. Currently, spacecast in Canada does not show any shows prior to 1980 and that is sad. Kids today do not get a chance to experience some great old sci-fi shows!!

 

[Carabimero]

Do kids today ever even sit in front of a TV anymore? I don't have kids so I can't say, but most kids I see are staring into their devices...makes me wonder if they ever sit in front of the TV with a bowl of cereal on Saturday mornings....or ever?

 

[Ockeghem]

Do kids today ever even sit in front of a TV anymore? I don't have kids so I can't say, but most kids I see are staring into their devices...makes me wonder if they ever sit in front of the TV with a bowl of cereal on Saturday mornings....or ever?

Carabimero,

Mine do. Over the weekend, we watched Fiddler on the Roof (Friday) and The Sound of Music (C. Underwood) (tonight). And this afternoon, my fifteen-year old daughter and I watched three episodes of The Rifleman. We often have cereal on Saturday mornings while watching shows, too.

 

[BobO'Link]

Do kids today ever even sit in front of a TV anymore? I don't have kids so I can't say, but most kids I see are staring into their devices...makes me wonder if they ever sit in front of the TV with a bowl of cereal on Saturday mornings....or ever?

My grandkids do... but not on Saturday mornings like their parents and grandparents did as the whole cartoon climate has changed for the worse. They tend to watch *lots* of Disney channel and some Cartoon Network but it's sad they don't have that "traditional" Saturday AM cartoon block like previous generations. I expose them to as much classic TV as possible and so far they've liked it all.

My oldest grandson is old enough for The Invaders and likes *some* SF material. Since it's one of my favorite SF series I should pull it out for him to see a few episodes.

 

[Carabimero]

I remember really liking the episode with Bill Windom. I liked the series overall, and have the DVDs, but really remember that one with Windom for some reason.

 

[Richard V]

My grandkids do... but not on Saturday mornings like their parents and grandparents did as the whole cartoon climate has changed for the worse. They tend to watch *lots* of Disney channel and some Cartoon Network but it's sad they don't have that "traditional" Saturday AM cartoon block like previous generations.

Wow, this really strikes a nerve with me. Waking up early every Sat morning with my brothers and my sister, in our PJs and our bowls of cereal, and the excitement every fall when a new slate of cartoons would debut. Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner Hour, The Herculoids, The Archie Show, Top Cat, Underdog, The Banana Splits Show, Space Ghost, Spiderman, The Fantastic Four, etc, etc, etc. Man, what days those were.

 

[ChrisALM]

Wow, this really strikes a nerve with me. Waking up early every Sat morning with my brothers and my sister, in our PJs and our bowls of cereal, and the excitement every fall when a new slate of cartoons would debut. Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner Hour, The Herculoids, The Archie Show, Top Cat, Underdog, The Banana Splits Show, Space Ghost, Spiderman, The Fantastic Four, etc, etc, etc. Man, what days those were.

Yes it does, except I came along a little earlier in the 60s. If I got up real early, like 5:30, I could watch the test pattern go off and a Tarzan movie, or a Gene Autry or Red Ryder Movie, or Laurel and Hardy or Little Rascals shorts would be shown. Then there were so many things to choose from. The Hector Heathcote Show, Underdog, Fireball XL-5, Linus the Lionhearted, Mighty Mouse Playhouse, Beany and Cecil, The Bugs Bunny Show, Sky King, Jonny Quest, Hoppity Hooper and I know I must be leaving several shows out. Yep - man, what days those were.

 

[Ockeghem]

Chris,
I loved Beany and Cecil. I used to watch Tom Terrific at around this time too. And I eagerly awaited episodes of Supercar, Fireball XL-5, Jonny Quest, etc. There were so many good cartoons back then.

 

[ChrisALM]

Hi Scott,
Beany and Cecil is one of my all time favorites. I still love those cartoons, too. One of the things that is surprising is there is not a complete set of these on DVD. They released all of them on VHS, but not DVD.
Yes there were many great Saturday morning shows back then. It was fun just anticipating Saturday mornings back then.

 

[jimmyjet]

saturday morning for me were sports and chores !!

regarding the invaders, i loved the show, but was real disappointed that they never really had an ending to it.

if i recall, the show simply was not renewed.

 

[Ockeghem]

Chris,Beany and Cecil is one of my most cherished childhood memories. Have you heard of (and did you ever see) Tom Terrific? I used to be mesmerized at what his 'thinking cap' could do. And of course, I loved his dog Manfred the Wonder Dog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Terrific

I'm off to watch the first episode of The Invaders. I need to go through the series again.

 

[ChrisALM]

Hi Scott,
Yes, Tom Terrific was fun to watch and kept my attention, even though the animation is so simply drawn. It really is a one-of-a-kind show.
Hi Jimmy Jet,
Chores?, what chores? I made sure to fit them in during the rest of the week, so Saturday morning would be left open.
Meanwhile, back to the Invaders. I have been through the series twice now and it's been a while. I plan to go back through at some point. This is one show I am so happy they released on DVD. I never got to see most of the episodes during it's original run, but the ones I caught were intriguing to me. The pilot was a really great introduction to the series. The special effects of the invader people dying was totally cool for 1960s sci-fi.

 

[Richard V]

Chris,Beany and Cecil is one of my most cherished childhood memories. Have you heard of (and did you ever see) Tom Terrific? I used to be mesmerized at what his 'thinking cap' could do. And of course, I loved his dog Manfred the Wonder Dog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Terrific

I'm off to watch the first episode of The Invaders. I need to go through the series again.

Loved Tom Terrific. I recall it being part of Captain Kangaroo. Did he have his own show?

 

[Ockeghem]

Loved Tom Terrific. I recall it being part of Captain Kangaroo. Did he have his own show?

Richard,I actually don't know. I only recall it being shown on Captain Kangaroo. I never knew that the episodes were a mere five or so minutes in length. Of course to a child of three, four, or five, it's quite possible that those five minutes seemed a lot longer than they actually were.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

saturday morning for me were sports and chores !!

regarding the invaders, i loved the show, but was real disappointed that they never really had an ending to it.

if i recall, the show simply was not renewed.

Exactly. It simply got cancelled. Given the premise (basically, The Fugitive with aliens), Quinn Martin and co. surely hoped it would run indefinitely. Of course, if it had been nearly as successful as The Fugitive, there's no guarantee they'd have ended it. In fact, they probably would have resisted an ending, since most producers wanted their shows to run forever in reruns, they'd prefer there not be a final episode, for fear people would switch off after the first rerun cycle.

 

[jimmyjet]

boy, i was really into that show at the time - elementary school age

so it had me glued to the seat, wondering if so and so was one of the bad guys or not !!

we got a nice tv guide in the la times

and they would always have a nice preview section a few weeks before school, showing you the complete schedule for all 3 channels.

and then talk about all the new shows, and what they were about.

that was the first i knew that the invaders werent coming back !!

about the only as big disappointment that comes to mind is timmy leaving lassie.

there were constant rumors for quite a while about his possible return.

my recall puts him at about my age - so of course, it was pretty easy to associate with.

 

[Ockeghem]

Jimmy,Yeah, I always looked for the protruding fifth finger. This 'difference' (as well as a few others) was described so vividly in The Invaders novelizations.

 

[jimmyjet]

hi ock,

i do recall some way that you could tell, but it has been a long time.

but didnt they intentionally keep that hidden from the viewer, unless they wanted you to know ?

if i recall, that was part of the fun that they had with you - making you search to see if he was an alien or not ??

my recall would be when they were shot, they sort of melted to the ground, and then just disappeared without a trace ?

i have no doubts that i would like this show again.

as long as it isnt silly, i pretty much will re-like any show from the past.

the silliness is something i might have enjoyed as a young boy, but passed it by !!

 

[jimmyjet]

hi ock,

it just dawned on me - you are watching with dvd clarity

i wonder if you are seeing more clues than we did when the show originally aired ?

 

[Ockeghem]

Jimmy,I don't know. But it does help to know what to look for when watching the episodes. Sometimes I see the finger protruding, while at other times they don't show you (perhaps intentionally so as not to give anything away). Of course, one cannot see an unusual/differing (or irregular) heart rate or various other internal readings from the aliens while viewing them.

I'm currently working my way through the series on DVD for the second time. I watched Vikor last night, and before that The Mutation and a few other episodes. I'm only on episode five or six at this point.