Since 2021,Invasionhas been one of Apple TV’s most compelling science-fiction dramas. Created bySimon KinbergandDavid Weil, the show, now in its second season, tells thestory of an alien invasionthrough the eyes of people all across the world. But this isn’t the only 21st-century television production about a group of survivors who are forced to deal with the complications that arise from an unforeseen alien invasion. Back in 2005, another series, also titledInvasion, premiered on ABC, and it had all the markings of being a massive hit.
Invasion (2005)
A Florida Park Ranger and his family deal with strange occurrences in the aftermath of a hurricane.
What Is 2005’s ‘Invasion’ About?
Created byShaun Cassidy(yes, the musician),ABC’sInvasionlasted 23 episodes and aired during the 2005-06 television season, with just as much intrigue and mystery every week asLost, which premiered only a year earlier. The show starred an ensemble cast that included the likes ofWilliam Fichtner,Eddie Cibrian,Kari Matchett,Lisa Sheridan, andEvan Peters,before he was an X-Man, and took place in the small town of Homestead, Florida in the aftermath of an intense hurricane. So what could’ve torn this series apart? To better understand whyInvasionended so prematurely, it’s important to note what the show was actually about.
After Hurricane Eve struck southern Florida, some of the townsfolk of Homestead began to change. But these changes aren’t just highly emotional, grief-stricken outbursts; rather, people are no longer acting like themselves. As it turns out, a series of alien creatures hidden within the water are slowly taking over the bodies of these local Floridians and setting themselves up to be the primary species on the planet. Or, at least in the Everglades. Taking clear inspiration fromInvasion of the Body Snatchers,James Cameron’sThe Abyss, andLost, ABC’sInvasionis one of those shows that thrives because of the characters (the broken families that are the Underlays and the Varons) and their distinct responses to their post-hurricane circumstances. That, coupled with the alien angle, makesInvasiona pretty unique series that could easily have gone on as long asLosthad. If only the network thought that way.
The mystery surrounding William Fichtner’s Sheriff Tom Underlay in particular is especially intriguing, as his strange rivalry with Eddie Cibrian’s Russell Varon comes to a head by the time the series ends. Tragically,Invasionwas canceled before the final episode even aired, and though the show was originally said to make the jump to the CW,nothing ever came of it. “They put us on afterLost,“wroteJuan Carlos Coto, one of the series' writers. “It made sense on paper, but audiences weren’t up for two mythology-rich shows at once.Lostwas awesome, but exhausting — in a good way… (and so were we).” A few months later, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment dropped the entire series on DVD, which was the last we ever heard from the short-lived sci-fi thriller.
‘Invasion’ Was a Critical Success, But It Aired at the Wrong Time
Critical reception forInvasionwas mostly positive. Despite followingLost, the series was loved by audiences and critics alike, and has since been considered one of the great one-season shows that was gone too soon (most notably by The Huffington Post). That’s a pretty well-deserved distinction and remains true today. Thestrong performances by Will Fichtner and Eddie Cibrian alone makeInvasionworth it, proving that both of them could’ve (and probably should have) made it as leading men. But theLostcomparisons became too much for the show, and not even an exceptional cast could keepInvasiontogether. “As simple as it may sound here,Invasionwas rather high-concept,“wrote Jean Bentley and Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly. “And unfortunately, it got lost in the buzz surrounding the second season of the equally high-concept science-fiction show that it followed:Lost.”
According to series creator Shaun Cassidy,Stephen Kingeven praised the series, which makes sense since it feels a lot like something the Master of Horror might dream up in his nightmares. Truthfully,Invasionhad everything that makes a great Stephen King book work: high-concept horrors, emotionally rich characters, and a strange rural setting that lends well to the idea. But even high praise from notable outlets and celebrities couldn’t keepInvasionafloat, especially in light of a national tragedy. In late August 2005,Hurricane Katrina formed over the Atlantic and tore through the Gulf Coast. Thetropical storm resulted in over 1,000 deathsand became a national tragedy, not unlike 9/11 only a few years prior.
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While shows likeSmallvillethrived in a post-9/11 landscape due to the uplifting and hopeful nature of the Superman mythos that inspired it,Invasiondidn’t have the same sort of effect. Due toInvasion’s focus on the aftermath of a massive hurricane,The Los Angeles Timesreported that ABC delayed promoting the series. Eventually, promos were released,but the network opted not to share the hurricane backdrop, instead relying heavily on the alien angle. Interestingly enough,Alexis Dziena’s character Kira even notes that television should be an escape from real-life problems in the series’ second episode. Unfortunately,Invasionpremiered at the wrong time, and the lack of promotion only drowned the series further.
‘Invasion’s Cast & Crew Remember the Series Fondly
Despite the show’s shortened lifespan, the cast ofInvasionstill considers the series one of their favorite jobs. “[Invasionwas] one of my favorite shows to be a part of,” saidEddie Cibrian on his Instagram. Tragically, Cibrian hasn’t been the leading man of a network series ever since, despiteInvasionproving his worth as an actor. The sentiment wasechoed by Kari Matchett on her X (formerly Twitter) account, who tagged series creator Shaun Cassidy. Interestingly, not everyone thought their work on the series was up to snuff.Evan Peters admitted to Hero Magazinein 2016 that he hadn’t quite got a grasp on acting at the time, though he still enjoyed his time on the series. “It only lasted one season unfortunately, but it was cool. I still had no idea what I was doing,” the actor said.
Others are still recognized for their work on the show today, even after appearing in bigger-name projects. One such cast member is series star William Fichtner, who is often asked about his role as Tom Underlay. “This show had no viewers, no one was watching it and that’s got to be in the top 3 [questions I’m asked],“Fichtner revealed in an exclusive interview with Collider. Although fans have asked him if the show will ever come back, Fichtner has been clear that there’s no chance. “A lot of people asking me if it’s coming back, and I’m like ‘no, it was [many] years ago, buddy!'” Still, some shows have come back after longer breaks, and in an age of revival and reboot seasons, maybe evenInvasioncould return in some form one day.
Additionally, series composersJon EhrlichandJason Derlatkahave rankedInvasionas one of the best shows they have ever worked on. “It’s always a treat working with a great orchestra,“they explained on a Reddit AMA. “We love working with Shaun Cassidy. We also met Larry Trilling (who directs onGoliath) throughInvasion, and we’ve had a great collaboration with him.” The show’s eerie score was easily one of the best parts of the show.
Sadly,Invasionended prematurely, and although the show wasoriginally meant to go on for five seasons,it just wasn’t meant to be. Still, the show had a lot more to explore, and many hoped it would one day get the ending it deserved.Other premature cancelations, such as CBS’sJerichoor NBC’sRevolution, were given comic book continuations later on, whileInvasionleft us with nothing after a massive cliffhanger involving the potential death and/or transformation of one of the lead characters. It’s too badInvasiondidn’t continue in any form, it would’ve thrived as a graphic novel.
“Shaun told me Larkin was going to [be presumed dead],” actorTyler Labine told TV Guide back in 2006. “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.” Sounds like Season 2 would’ve been an intense follow-up to the already impressive inaugural season, raising the stakes higher than ever. But, it turns out, the end of the series would’ve been even crazier, and pushed our heroes’ concepts of life, religion, and reality to their absolute limit.
“The idea of the show was, we were never gonna win,” Labine, a clear fan himself,explained years later while promoting his most notable work,Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. “What was happening was not an invasion at all, it was an evolutionary step. So we’re basically going to spend five seasons tryin’ to win this battle we can’t win. It was just the end of the human nature — the humankind — as we know it.” Talk about a bleak ending. Maybe it’s good thatInvasionnever had the chance to wrap things up. Maybe it’s good that the mystery continues…
Invasion(2005) can be streamed for free on Tubi in the U.S.
