Save Invasion campaign

by Jennifer Squires Biller

I have one thing to say to all of you Invasion fans working tirelessly to get the show back on the fall schedule. In the famous words of Cristina Yang of Grey’s Anatomy, “Good for you. Fight the power!”

When I signed the online petition, earlier this week, it had more than 16,400 signatures. That’s impressive for only one week up and running. Fans have flooded TV show-message boards, recruiting any Invasion fans to join the campaign. It may seem like David-Goliath odds to get ABC to reverse its cancellation decision, but these fans aren’t going down without a fight. Neither am I.

In my job as a television critic the past few years, I’ve watched a lot of horrible television, and I’ve watched some inspirational, groundbreaking television. When those rare programs come along, it seems more often than not, they rarely make it long enough to become a footnote in popular-culture history. I’m so tired of year-after-year unique, quality television shows being dumped, in favor of silly reality shows, unoriginal procedural-crime shows and mindless sitcoms with annoying laugh tracks. The death of Invasion is the last straw.

I ranted when they canned Jack and Bobby. I asked why when they cancelled Freaks and Geeks. I angrily accepted the inevitable when they prematurely ended Ed, Felicity, and Angel. And I barely had time to get attached to Love Monkey and LAX before they got the ax. But I refuse to let Invasion join this list of shows that died before their time, without inciting you, the viewers, to do something about this trend. It comes down to ratings, folks. So, please, when these kinds of shows make it on to the television schedule, watch them.

The bottom line is that networks renew shows that get ratings. So, why didn’t enough folks watch Invasion? I call it bad timing. First, in late summer when previews and ads are pivotal for creating buzz about new shows, Invasion took an early hit. The pilot episode and plot setup was rooted in a hurricane, not exactly something anyone wanted to promote or advertise, after the still-raw devastation of Katrina. Second, the show was incorrectly tagged as a Lost clone. The two shows couldn’t be farther apart in genre, in my opinion. Third, Invasion was unfairly labeled as just another sci-fi drama, and some critics unfairly grouped it in a class with the two other debuting sci-fi dramas of the fall, the yawn-worthy Surface and Threshold. So, chalk the low ratings up to timing and the fact that I still haven’t figured out what possesses the viewing public to tune in week after week to watch the King of Queens, but not thought-provoking, suspenseful shows such as Invasion.

I’m not giving up hope yet, especially after reading in TV Guide that the plan for next season was to turn up the romantic tension between Russell and Mariel. Curses. I’d been waiting all season for that. I did “see the lights,” ABC, and I want to see them again. So, here’s hoping that ABC will “see the light” and give Invasion a reprieve. Hmm…I’m sensing a campaign slogan here, people.

If you’re an Invasion fan, or even if you’re not and want a second chance to see an original suspenseful drama, please visit these links and let your voice be heard.

The online petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/33030/petition.html

Fans are organizing a campaign here:
http://www.saveinvasion.net/ and also here http://www.invasion-forum.com/


Contact info for ABC:
SNAIL MAIL:
Mr. Steve McPherson President of Entertainment ABC, Inc. 500 S. Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA 91521-4551
ABC's ONLINE FORM:
http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html
ABC'S PHONE NUMBER:
818-460-7477, follow automated response to Invasion messages

See what else Tube Talk Girl has been saying about Invasion by clicking here.

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