The USA network is getting into the sci-fi game with Colony, and producer Carlton Cuse has opened up about why the series may not be exactly what viewers expect — and why that’s a good thing.

Speaking at the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour, Cuse (Lost) said the series has essentially been billed as an alien invasion story. But it doesn’t actually follow the alien invasion. Instead, the series focuses in on what happened after the invasion and the effect it has on the humans caught in the middle. For Cuse, it doesn’t seem to really be the sci-fi angle that attracted him to the project. Instead, it’s the social deconstruction that really sells the concept.

Here’s an excerpt from his comments via Entertainment Weekly:

“Ryan and I felt like that show had been done. The story of colonization is really an espionage thriller with a sci-fi backdrop … If you look at the history of the world, almost every country has either been a colony or a colonizer. The social dynamic of one group of people having absolute power over another group of people is something we wanted to explore. We wanted to find a contemporary way to do that.

The mystery of what is this mysterious occupied force, what do they want, what exactly are they doing here, how are they operating, the’ve installed this proxy government that’s running the colony, and that’s what the show’s really about. There is definitely a mystery element because we’re trying to, as an audience, learn exactly what the new rules of this world are and what these people want and why they’re here, what’s outside the walls and what’s happened to the rest of the world. Those questions will get answered over time.”

Cuse is a veteran TV producer, and it seems a project like this will let him combine his skills honed in psychological thrillers like Bates Motel and sci-fi mysteries like Lost. If he can strike the balance, this could be one of the more unique genre shows of the year.

Colony debuts Jan. 14 on USA. Do you plan on checking this one out?

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(Via Entertainment Weekly)