The Invaders 1.10.X

The Innocent

with commentary by Larry Cohen the show's creator

I believe this commentary track was recorded in 2008. Cohen talks about the show in general and doesn't talk specifically about this episode very much although he does say that it was one of his favorite episodes.

Cohen talks about some of his other work in television and movies. He talks about how he got started as a writer for television. He worked on and wrote 9 episodes of The Defenders from 1963-65. He wrote two episode of The Fugitive (Escape into Black and Scapegoat) in 1964-65. 

The first show he sold was Branded, which starred Chuck Connors. It ran for two seasons (1965-66). Cohen talks about how in his mind Branded was about a blacklisted cowboy. His take on the show was influenced by the blacklists which determined who could and could not work in television and movies. He learned while the show was in production that Connors didn't share his feelings about the blacklist. He found himself less involved in the writing of the show in the second season.

Cohen created or co-created a couple shows in 1966, Blue Light and Coronet Blue, the second of which starred Frank Converse. It was about a man who lost his memory and couldn't remember anything other than the name Coronet Blue. The show only lasted 13 episodes and the story was never finished. Cohen does explain what he was trying to do with the show.

Cohen created the Invaders (1967-68). He wrote outlines for about 20 episodes but he didn't really work on the show beyond that. He wanted the show to be two half hour shows per week (like the Adam West Batman) but the network decided to go with a one-hour show and gave the show to Quinn Martin to produce. Cohen's relationship with Martin was strictly business and from the sounds of it not a particularly warm one.

Cohen says that the show was influenced by the idea that the Russians had infiltrated the US government. He came up with some of the recurring concepts such as the withered finger and the regeneration chamber. He felt that the Invaders as depicted on the show were too easy to kill. He was pleased with the choice of Roy Thinnes for the part of David Vincent. Cohen and Thinnes have become friends.

Cohen died in 2019.