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Invasion Iowa
Invasion Iowa
Invasion Iowa
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Invasion Iowa
GenreComedy
Created byRhett Reese
Paul Wernick
StarringDesi Lydic
William Shatner
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Production locationsRiverside, Iowa, United States
Production companyGRB Entertainment
Original release
NetworkSpike TV
ReleaseMarch 29 (2005-03-29) –
April 1, 2005 (2005-04-01)

Invasion Iowa is a television series that aired on Spike TV beginning on March 29, 2005, on ITV4 beginning on November 3, 2005, and The Comedy Channel in April 2007.

Premise

[edit]

The series depicts events from September 2004, in which William Shatner played a hoax on the small town of Riverside, Iowa, by claiming to film a science fiction movie there. Unbeknownst to the residents of Riverside, the movie was in fact fake, a satire on the genre. In front of and behind the cameras, Shatner and his purported entourage performed a parody of Hollywood and celebrity culture. Producers designed the various plots and gags to elicit reactions from the townspeople. Shatner played the part of the eccentric star and improvisational actors were hired as members of his entourage.

Production

[edit]

Producers chose Riverside because it is the self-proclaimed future birthplace of Shatner's most enduring character, Captain James T. Kirk. Residents of Riverside were encouraged to audition for parts in the movie and take jobs on its crew.

Invasion Iowa was created by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who also created Spike TV's earlier "reality parody" series, The Joe Schmo Show, and its sequel, Joe Schmo 2.

Release

[edit]

In May 2009, the series was released as a two-disc region-1 DVD set.

Cast

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Invasion Iowa

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from Grokipedia
Invasion Iowa is an American comedy series and that aired on Spike TV over four nights beginning March 29, 2005, and concluding with a two-hour finale on April Fool's Day. Created by and , with Shatner serving as an executive producer, the show stars as himself leading a fake team that descends on the small town of —population 978 and self-proclaimed future birthplace of Captain , the character Shatner originated in . The premise centers on an elaborate deception during a 10-day shoot where Shatner and a crew of improvisational actors pose as eccentric Hollywood filmmakers shooting a low-budget, over-the-top independent sci-fi time-travel movie titled Invasion Iowa. Unaware townspeople are cast as extras and involved in increasingly absurd scenarios, such as battling alien invaders and participating in mock auditions, all while the production boosts the local by nearly $1 million during a 10-day shoot. Produced by GRB Entertainment for Spike TV, the 10-episode series (each 30 minutes) follows the tradition of the creators' earlier parody , but expands the ruse to an entire community of unwitting participants. Notable for its scale as "TV's most elaborate hoax ever," the series ultimately reveals the prank to the residents, who receive a $100,000 donation to the town as compensation, highlighting themes of small-town hospitality and Hollywood satire. Directed by Brendon J. Carter and featuring supporting improv performers alongside locals, Invasion Iowa received mixed reviews for its humor but was praised for Shatner's enthusiastic commitment to the bit. The show later became available on DVD in 2009, including behind-the-scenes commentary.

Concept and Premise

Core Premise

Invasion Iowa is a reality-style mockumentary series that presents a hoax orchestrated around the production of a purported science fiction film in the small town of Riverside, Iowa. In the series, William Shatner portrays an exaggerated version of himself as the writer, director, producer, and star of the fictional movie titled Invasion Iowa, where his character is an alien invader leading an extraterrestrial force to conquer Earth. The show follows Shatner and his eccentric entourage as they arrive in Riverside—known locally as the future birthplace of Captain Kirk from Star Trek—to "film" the project, recruiting unsuspecting residents as extras, cast members, and crew over a 10-day period. The central narrative revolves around the fake film's plot, a low-budget sci-fi tale blending with time-travel elements, in which Shatner's alien overlord character encounters a local girl who proposes bearing his child to avert the destruction of her town. Unbeknownst to the participants, this "production" is entirely fabricated as part of the , with Shatner and a team of actors and producers convincing the townsfolk that a legitimate Hollywood blockbuster is underway, complete with scripted chaos like equipment malfunctions and diva demands. The ruse culminates in a reveal to the community, highlighting the immersion achieved by integrating real local involvement into the staged events. Through this setup, Invasion Iowa satirizes Hollywood's excesses, such as egos and production absurdities, while poking fun at celebrity worship and the quirks of small-town Americana, exemplified by Riverside's enthusiastic embrace of its sci-fi heritage. The series aired as a four-night event in , successfully duping residents into believing the invasion-themed movie was a genuine endeavor until the was exposed on camera.

Hoax Mechanics

The hoax for Invasion Iowa was meticulously planned over more than a year by producers and , who structured it as a reality series mimicking their earlier work on , where unaware participants interacted with actors in a fabricated scenario. The core tactic involved presenting the production as a legitimate low-budget sci-fi film titled Invasion Iowa, centered on an tied to Riverside, Iowa's claim as the future birthplace of Captain from . starred as an exaggerated version of himself, arriving with an entourage of improvisational actors posing as his eccentric , including a neurotic assistant, a spiritual advisor, and a bumbling nephew named Tiny, to Hollywood excess and immerse locals in the illusion. Deception began with fake auditions held in Riverside, where residents were recruited for roles in the supposed film, such as farmers, comedians, and a reverend, serving as unwitting "straight men" to react authentically to scripted events. These auditions, conducted under the guise of casting for the storyline, integrated locals into the production, with some attending daily screenings of "dailies" and witnessing on-set antics over a 10-day shoot at sites like a local bar and church. Scripted "leaks" amplified the ruse, including a fabricated phone call from endorsing the project and staged incidents like or prop auctions, designed to provoke genuine suspicion and engagement without tipping off the format. throughout the town and sets captured unscripted interactions, such as Shatner's improvisational banter with the mayor or locals' cheers during events, ensuring the footage highlighted believable reactions to the escalating "" premise. This layered approach led residents to fully buy into the film's narrative, with the immersive tactics—combining Shatner's celebrity draw, the town's pride, and orchestrated chaos—fostering a temporary in an actual alien threat as part of the unfolding "plot," blurring lines between and until the reveal. The execution emphasized conceptual over overt confrontation, prioritizing the capture of organic responses to maintain the hoax's integrity and comedic impact.

Production

Development

Invasion Iowa was conceived in 2004 by writers and producers and , who drew inspiration from their earlier success with the hoax-style reality parody on Spike TV. The project aimed to expand the format of elaborate pranks to an entire small town, blending scripted comedy with unscripted reactions to create a high-concept hybrid program. The choice of Riverside, Iowa—a town of approximately 1,000 residents that had proclaimed itself the future birthplace of from —provided a thematic hook, leveraging William Shatner's iconic role as Kirk to heighten the absurdity and local buy-in for the ruse. This connection allowed the hoax to masquerade as a legitimate sci-fi film production, capitalizing on the town's annual TrekFest celebration and Shatner's enduring fame in the franchise. Development planning focused on securing Spike TV as the broadcaster, which partnered directly with Shatner to produce the series as a multi-night event spanning five hours over four evenings. Budgeting emphasized the scale of the production, including for deceiving and involving hundreds of locals over an extended period, while recruiting Shatner appealed to his known enthusiasm for self-deprecating humor and prank-based projects. Ethical considerations were prioritized from the outset, with producers committing to reveal the to all participants immediately upon completion of filming to minimize any lasting or harm. This approach culminated in Shatner presenting the town with a $100,000 donation for community projects as a gesture of goodwill following the reveal.

Filming and Locations

Filming for Invasion Iowa took place over ten days in September 2004 in the small town of , which had a population of approximately 1,000 at the time. The production primarily utilized local landmarks and public spaces, including downtown Riverside, Murphy's Bar & Grill, Sojka Farms, Delgato's restaurant, and , to create an authentic small-town setting for the . Additional scenes were shot in nearby Iowa City. The setup involved presenting the project to locals and authorities as a legitimate low-budget about an , which facilitated coordination for permits and participation. Producers hired numerous Riverside residents to serve as both on-screen actors and behind-the-scenes crew, integrating them into scripted scenes while secretly filming their reactions with additional cameras to document the deception. This dual-layer approach allowed the to unfold naturally in public spaces, with Shatner portraying an exaggerated version of himself as the film's director. Challenges during filming included balancing scripted "invasion" events—such as simulated alien encounters and UFO sightings—with improvisations from unsuspecting residents to preserve the illusion of a real movie production. The crew had to navigate empathetic concerns for the townspeople, as Shatner later noted the difficulty of deceiving the community after building rapport over the shoot. These logistical demands resulted in extensive raw material that was edited into ten half-hour episodes and a two-hour finale for broadcast on Spike TV.

Cast and Crew

Principal Cast

The principal cast of Invasion Iowa consisted of performers who portrayed eccentric members of a supposed Hollywood , contributing to the hoax by improvising interactions with unsuspecting residents of , to simulate the production of a low-budget movie about an . led the cast as himself, the bombastic director and star of the fake film Invasion Iowa, while also embodying the lead character Col. Shane Yeager, a time-traveling military officer from the future battling extraterrestrial invaders. Drawing on his iconic persona as Captain —whose "future birthplace" the town claimed—Shatner's over-the-top antics, including carrying his Emmy award everywhere and delivering grandiose speeches, amplified the comedic deception. His commitment to the premise extended to personal appearances that built town excitement, such as arriving in a for a , holding open calls where he selected local extras, and mingling with residents to foster a sense of involvement in a major production, all of which enhanced the hoax's authenticity before the eventual reveal. Desi Lydic portrayed Gryffyn Greene, the diva-like lead actress in the mock film, also known as the "Disintegratrix 3000," a high-maintenance Hollywood starlet whose improvised demands and flirtations with locals escalated the prank's absurdity during on-set interactions. Lydic's involved coordinating scripted chaos, such as feigning wardrobe malfunctions and celebrity tantrums, to draw residents deeper into the fabricated narrative. Ernie Grunwald played Steve Cook, Shatner's self-proclaimed spiritual advisor and entourage member, whose bumbling attempts at mysticism and production input provided through improvised scenes with townsfolk. As part of the core group, Grunwald helped perpetuate the ruse by posing as a key crew figure, often clashing humorously with Shatner's directives during public events. Michael O'Hara appeared as Herb, Shatner's eager but incompetent , handling logistical "duties" like managing props and shielding the director from perceived threats, all while fumbling interactions to heighten the hoax's farcical tone. O'Hara's character served as a to the escalating eccentricity, improvising to maintain the illusion during encounters with curious locals.

Key Crew Members

The miniseries Invasion Iowa was directed by Brendon Carter, who oversaw the ten episodes and managed the logistical challenges of filming the elaborate on location. Carter's direction emphasized the style, blending scripted elements with reactions from unwitting participants to heighten the comedic tension. Executive production was led by creators and through their company Reese Wernick Productions, with and Gary Benz also serving as executive producers. GRB Entertainment co-produced the series for Spike TV, handling aspects of distribution and contributing to the overall execution of the . Brian O'Carroll acted as principal director of photography, specializing in the hidden camera techniques required to capture authentic responses without alerting the subjects. The editing team, including Paul Coyne and Josh Lennox, compiled the raw footage into a cohesive format that revealed the prank's layers progressively. To preserve the secrecy central to the , the core crew was intentionally limited in size, relying on a small group of trusted professionals supplemented by a dozen or so local hires who often doubled as peripheral actors or support staff. This approach minimized leaks and allowed the production to integrate seamlessly into the small town of .

Release and Distribution

Broadcast History

Invasion Iowa premiered in the United States on Spike TV as a four-night event, airing from March 29 to 1, 2005, with the series concluding in a two-hour reveal finale on April Fool's Day. The hoax format involved deceiving residents of , into believing they were participating in the production of a starring , only for the ruse to be exposed during the finale, where participants were informed of the deception and the town was compensated with $100,000. The series saw international distribution shortly after its U.S. run, debuting on in the on November 3, 2005, as part of the channel's launch programming focused on U.S. imports. It later aired in on , beginning April 10, 2007, at 8:30 p.m. In terms of viewership, the U.S. broadcast averaged 687,000 viewers over its five hours, with the premiere episode drawing 765,000 and subsequent episodes declining toward the reveal. The April Fool's Day timing of the reveal was strategically chosen to amplify the hoax's impact, aligning the on-air disclosure with the tradition of pranks while ensuring participants received apologies and compensation to mitigate any distress.

Home Media and Availability

Following its initial broadcast on Spike TV in 2005, Invasion Iowa was released on home media in a limited capacity. The complete series became available on DVD as a two-disc set on May 19, 2009, distributed by . The set includes all ten episodes in full-frame (1.33:1) format, with audio presented in 2.0 stereo. The DVD features minimal bonus content, consisting of commentary tracks for episodes eight and nine featuring with producers and . These extras provide insight into the production's deceptive mechanics and Shatner's involvement, emphasizing the behind-the-scenes aspects of the prank. As of November 2025, streaming options for Invasion Iowa remain limited, with no availability on major subscription services such as , Prime Video, Disney+, or Max, according to multiple streaming directories. Episodes can be purchased digitally for download on platforms like , allowing offline viewing on compatible devices. Full episodes occasionally appear on user-uploaded video sites like and , though these are unofficial and may violate . No official Blu-ray edition has been released, and physical copies of the DVD are primarily available through secondary markets such as , where the two-disc set is listed as a collector's item for Shatner enthusiasts. Due to the series' among fans of reality hoaxes and , unofficial bootleg recordings circulated shortly after the original airing, often shared among online communities interested in Shatner's post- work.

Reception and Legacy

Critical and Audience Response

Upon its premiere in 2005, Invasion Iowa received mixed critical reception, with reviewers praising William Shatner's self-deprecating performance and the creativity of the premise while critiquing the show's pacing and ethical implications of deceiving an entire community. The review highlighted Shatner's "magnificent" portrayal of an egomaniacal star, noting several "great laughs" from segments like his request for a stained-glass window depicting himself, and commended the production for avoiding mockery of Riverside residents. In contrast, awarded the DVD release a 4 out of 10, describing it as occasionally amusing but ultimately an "insulting reality TV show that goes on for far too long," with the extended runtime diluting the prank's impact. Variety echoed concerns about ethics, arguing that the series "goes too far" by exploiting locals' naivety for Spike TV audiences, though it acknowledged funny moments involving cast member Lydic's character. Audience response was similarly divided but leaned positive after the reveal, generating strong initial buzz due to the elaborate deception and Shatner's involvement. users rated the series 6.4 out of 10 based on 123 votes, reflecting a polarizing view of its concept, with some praising the humor in Shatner's antics and the town's enthusiastic participation. Locals in Riverside expressed amusement post-hoax, benefiting from economic boosts like donations and publicity, though a few initially felt hurt by the trickery—one resident even walked out during the reveal but later reconciled. Shatner himself reflected on the guilt of the production, stating in a 2015 interview that the team "tried to assuage our guilt by making a contribution to the town." Retrospectively, as of 2025, Invasion Iowa is regarded as a precursor to modern prank reality shows like Jury Duty, which similarly satirize institutional gullibility through elaborate setups. The series has seen renewed interest through streaming availability on platforms like Plex, where clips and full episodes have circulated among fans of hoax television and Shatner memorabilia.

Cultural Impact

The hoax premise of Invasion Iowa significantly boosted in , by amplifying the town's established identity as the "future birthplace of Captain ," drawing additional attention to its Star Trek-themed attractions. Local residents ultimately embraced the production, viewing it as a fulfillment of long-held community aspirations tied to the franchise, which led to positive long-term reception and further integration into the town's cultural fabric. This embrace manifested in Riverside's annual TrekFest, held every June since 1985, which celebrates the connection with parades, costume contests, and fan gatherings; the event now attracts up to visitors annually, contributing to the local economy. Producers' $100,000 donation to the town after revealing the hoax helped mend initial shock among residents, fostering goodwill and tying the series more closely to Kirk-related events like a commemorative Enterprise statue. In the realm of television, Invasion Iowa advanced the scripted reality hoax genre by expanding it beyond individual marks to an entire community, building on the format pioneered by the same production team in and influencing subsequent hidden-camera series that blurred and . The series underscored William Shatner's versatility in comedic following his tenure, positioning him as a willing participant in meta-humor that spoofed Hollywood tropes and his own persona. As of 2025, Riverside's population has grown slightly to 1,065, reflecting modest expansion amid broader rural trends, partly sustained by the enduring fame from TrekFest and related cultural ties originating with the .

References

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