Colony

In the near future a family must make difficult decisions as they balance staying together with trying to survive. They live in Los Angeles, which has been occupied by a force of outside intruders. While some people have chosen to collaborate with the authorities and benefit from the new order, others have rebelled — and suffer the consequences.

Colony (2016-2018) is an American science fiction drama created by Ryan J. Condal, Carlton Cuse and Wes Tooke for USA Network. Josh Holloway plays Will Bowman, a father who must keep his family together while Los Angeles lives under the control of an outside occupying force, and Sarah Wayne Callies plays his wife Katie, who faces the same impossible choices. Tory Kittles plays Broussard, a figure caught between the occupiers and the resistance, while Peter Jacobson plays Proxy Snyder, a character who embodies the collaboration that the new order rewards. The engine of the series is a constant tug between safety and loyalty: the family must decide whether to cooperate with the authorities for food, shelter and protection, or to join rebels who risk brutal consequences. Each episode is built from curfews, checkpoints, secret errands and tense confrontations in neighborhoods that have been reshaped by the new order. The show runs three seasons and thirty-six episodes as one continuing serialized story, and it was canceled before its arc could fully close. Produced with a Lost-era sense of mystery and character, it has an atmospheric, claustrophobic tone with moments of action and a steady undercurrent of dread. Fans of Falling Skies, The Man in the High Castle and The Walking Dead will find resonance in its survival-under-occupation drama.

Viewers broadly consider Colony a solid, well-acted sci-fi occupation drama with strong production values, though its cancellation leaves the story frustratingly unfinished.

• Falling Skiesnear future occupation drama, survival under an occupying force, family at the center
• The Man in the High Castlespeculative thriller about resistance and collaboration under an occupying regime
• The Walking Deadserialized sci-fi family survival, grounded genre tension

Created by

Ryan J. Condal, Carlton Cuse, Wes Tooke

Release Date

2016-01-14

Episode runtime

43 min

Rating

7.3 / 10 (681)

What is Colony about?

A family in an occupied near-future Los Angeles must choose between staying together and fighting back against the alien occupiers.

What is Colony like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Colony as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Colony violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Colony as moderate.

What did critics think of Colony?

Viewers broadly consider Colony a solid, well-acted sci-fi occupation drama with strong production values, though its cancellation leaves the story frustratingly unfinished.

Which shows are like Colony?

Shows with a similar feel include Falling Skies, The Man in the High Castle, and The Walking Dead.

How long is Colony?

Colony: 3 seasons, 36 episodes.

Is Colony still running?

No, Colony was canceled.

Where can I watch Colony?

In United States, Colony streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.