Colony (TV series)
A dystopian drama about alien occupation and human resistance.
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The show has received generally positive reviews, holding a score of 69/100 on Metacritic and 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.[1] Carlton Cuse and Ryan J. Condal created the American science fiction drama series Colony, which features Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies in starring roles.[2] "Smart, suspenseful, subversive... thought-provoking" was how Stephen King described the series in a February 21, 2016, statement.[3]
Making and release
Colony premiered at Comic-Con in 2015 and had a continuous presence at the fan conference.[4] The series got off to a strong ratings start with 2.2 million viewers and 960,000 adults 18-49 in Live+3.[4] After not landing a California tax credit, the series relocated production from Los Angeles to Vancouver.[4] The third season averaged 1.3 million viewers and 394,000 adults 18-49, the lowest demo season average among current USA drama series.[4]
Co-creator Carlton Cuse had originally envisioned the series spanning five to six seasons.[5] Josh Holloway revealed that the creators had planned for his character to be sent into space and undergo a Jason Bourne-type evolution.[6] The first season consisted of ten episodes, with the initial installment made available for online streaming via USA Network's website on December 15, 2015.[2] USA Network first broadcast the series on television on January 14, 2016.[7]
A third season of Colony was ordered in April 2017, and its first episode aired on May 2, 2018.[7] USA Network decided to end the series after three seasons, making the announcement on July 21, 2018.[7]
What the cited sources add
Holloway commented: "Show an alien so we don't get canceled!" and "But we were a little late".[8] Co-creator Ryan Condal elaborated to Entertainment Weekly that the initial idea was influenced by Nazi-occupied Paris during WWII, where daily life continued for residents as Nazi soldiers walked along the streets.[9] In 2025, Holloway expressed his affection for the show, stating "I love that show" and noting "We were about to do the big war, finally".[8] The overarching story was designed to provide humanity with a chance at redemption, which would involve a shift in power dynamics and a possible global "reset".[6]
References
- Wikipedia, "Colony (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Colony (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Abrams, "USA orders Carlton Cuse drama Colony to Series", Time Inc., February 3, 2015; "Welcome to the Colony", USA Network (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Colony (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: King, "In a year of remarkable TV, COLONY is really something special: smart, suspenseful, subversive...thought-provoking.", February 21, 2016 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Andreeva, "'Colony' Canceled By USA Network After 3 Seasons", Deadline Hollywood, July 21, 2018. facts only, no text reused. deadline.com
- Wikipedia, "Colony (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/colony-season-three-usa-showrunner-plans-six-seasons/ (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Colony (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: https://collider.com/josh-holloway-interview-yellowstone-season-3-colony-season-4-lost-finale/ (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Colony (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Friedlander, "USA Sets Premiere Dates for 'Colony,' Donny Deutsch Comedy", Variety, August 12, 2015; Roots, "'Colony' Renewed for Season 3", TVLine, April 4, 2017; "Colony Season 3 Premiere Date! – So Many Shows!", So Many Shows!, March 21, 2018; Andreeva, "'Colony' Canceled By USA Network After 3 Seasons", Deadline Hollywood, July 21, 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Colony (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Francisco, "Josh Holloway Has Some Feelings About That Duster Finale Twist", July 3, 2025 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Colony (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cabin, "Carlton Cuse Talks Origins of COLONY, World War II Influence, and Tone", Collider, May 21, 2015; "Don't call 'Colony' an alien invasion drama, says Carlton Cuse", EW (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Colony (TV series) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Colony (TV series) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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