Invasion - The Complete Series
Following the success ofLost,Invasionwas one of numerous sci-fi-themed shows that debuted in the fall of 2005.  But unlikeThresholdandSurface,Invasionhad the distinct advantage of airing in ABC's slot right afterLost, at 10 p.m. on Wednesdays.  Created and produced by Shaun Cassidy (yes, the former teen idol who also producedAmerican Gothic), the series starts in a flurry with a devastating hurricane threatening a Florida city and a 21st-century family happens to be in the middle of it.  There's park ranger Russell Groves (Eddie Cibrian) and his wife, Larkin (Lisa Sheridan), who's an inquisitive television reporter.  Living with them is Larkin's no-account brother, Dave (Tyler Labine), who blogs about conspiracy theories and aliens while between jobs.  Also living with them some of the time are Russell's kids, Rose (Ariel Gade) and Jesse (Evan Peters), who also spend time with their mother, doctor Mariel Underlay (Kari Matchett), who has also remarried, to the town's sinister sheriff, Tom (William Fichtner).  Tom also has a child from a previous marriage, sexy teen Kira (Alexis Dziena).  Amid the chaos of the hurricane, little Rose is the only one to notice a group of strange lights dropping from the sky into the water, then Mariel disappears only to turn up in a swamp the next morning, seemingly unharmed but now with a strange affinity for water.  Not so lucky is Dave, whose investigation of Rose's colored lights leads to the discovery that those lights have a pretty fierce set of teeth.  And what does the sheriff have to hide?  Parts ofInvasionfeel likeThe X-Filesor24, and obviously the central concept isn't new, but it has enough revelations and spooky chills to keep the viewer coming back for more. Unfortunately, even the plum slot followingLostwasn't enough to keepInvasionfrom being canceled after its first season.  The problem is that the season--and the series--ends in a whopping cliffhanger, which may never be resolved.  So before you invest yourself into a full season ofInvasion, be warned.--David Horiuchi