TV Chat

You’re likely thinking of Shadow on the Land (also known as United States: It Can’t Happen Here) — a made-for-TV movie that aired on ABC in December 1968. It’s based on Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 novel It Can’t Happen Here and revolves around a homegrown fascist takeover in the U.S., not foreign Nazis


🎬 Why this matches your memory:
Year: It premiered in 1968 — right in line with your timeframe.

Genre: A TV movie (not a theatrical release).

Plot: Depicts a totalitarian regime rising through democratic means and establishing martial law, an Internal Security Force reminiscent of fascist police, and a resistance movement called the “Society of Man”


Tone/Imagery: Features mid‑Americana scenes—flag routines, references to concentration camps, and local citizens under authoritarian control. It’s less about foreign invaders and more about Americans ushering in fascism .

Midwestern Feel: Though not set explicitly in Nebraska or Iowa, its presentation of American society slipping into dictatorship likely gives a “small‑town U.S.” vibe.