Ooohh, I remember V! I loved that show!
And you are right in the similiarities. I didn’t realize it was based on a novel, I will search for this book now. Thanks!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Can%27t_Happen_Here
It is out of print and damn near impossible to find. It is available on-line as an eBook:
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0301001h.html