The aliens have landed. Well, sort of. ABC is greenlighting a pilot for a new version of V. Back in the 1980s, the V mini-series spawned both a sequel, novels, and a short-lived TV show.
The original 1983 mini-series stars Jane Badler, Michael Durrell, Marc Singer, Jeff Yagher, Blair Tefkin, Robert Englund, and Faye Grant, and focuses on a race of friendly and helpful humanoid aliens that land on Earth. Referred to as “The Visitors,” these aliens offer up their advanced technology in exchange for the chemicals and minerals their ailing world desperately needs. Unfortunately, they’re not what they appear to be. Journalist Michael Donovan eventually discovers that the human-looking aliens are actually reptiles who prefer live meat. Before he can get the word out, the Visitors take control of the media and soonafter, the world.
The mini-series spawned a second mini-series, novels, and its own weekly TV show that ran in 1984. V: The Series ran for only one season. Many of the actors from the mini-series returned and were joined by Jennifer Cooke, Jeff Yagher, June Chadwick, Michael Ironside, and Lane Smith.
NBC cancelled the show after 18 episodes and the finale ended on a cliffhanger that left many storylines unresolved. DC Comics published a comic based on the weekly series that also lasted 18 installments but didn’t resolve any of the show’s storylines either.
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In 1989, Warner Bros. considered producing a new series, V: The Next Chapter, that would have picked up the TV show’s storylines some five years later. After numerous script drafts, the project was ultimately abandoned due to expected high production costs.
Now, Warner Bros. wants to try again and ABC has given the project a greenlight. This time around, The 4400’s co-creator/exec producer, Scott Peters, has the reins. Kenneth Johnson, the original’s writer/producer, isn’t involved with the ABC project.
The new series pilot will focus on a Homeland Security agent named Erica Evans. She has an aimless son who attaches himself to the newly-arrived aliens, causing lots of tension at home. Like the original, the new V will center around aliens who say they’ve come to Earth to help but have other motivations. Because this is a reworking of the original story, it’s doubtful that any of the performers from the original will reprise their roles.
If the pilot impresses network execs and gets a go-ahead, will the new series outlast the original? Other recent remakes of NBC 1980s shows, like Bionic Woman and Knight Rider, have been critical and viewer disappointments. Perhaps the new V will be different. One way or another though, these aliens just refuse to go away.
Image courtesy Warner Bros.
It’s a total joke. Anything that Scott Peters produces will be over-sensationalized, over-sexed and utterly ridiculous. It’s a shame that a legendary mini-series like V has to go down the toilet thanks to a copy-cat Mr. Peters. Our society has become so shallow and fixiated on superficial recreations of old landmark movies. Why can’t we create something new in our modern times? This is a sad day indeed as a lover of the REAL V, and not this upcoming sham.
Ummmm, my goose-bumps have goose-bumps! I also agree with Newman…I also just wet myself after watching the trailer!
This revised series looks bloody amazing!!!
I just wet myself
I was in a focus group yesterday evening for the ABC fall line-up. Let me tell you “V” looks great! The storyline seems familiar – the effects look great…..I am excited about it! I only hope they give it a chance, but my feeling is it will be buried on friday or saturday night.
Leave it to Kenny to bring V back, instead of the Jace hall crap, Abc turned kenny down and then got this moron, known only for designing computer games, to derail kennys attempts to bring his creation back.
Avoid this crap and wait patiently for kenny to bring us the real deal.
this is one of the first series i bought on dvd! i already had the two miniseries. this is one of my all time fav shows. i even wrote my own ending at the time. i hope they do it and, certainly, bring marc singer back!!! and a weekly quote from willy! (no, i’m a veteranian…)
The Original show was sooooooooo cool. They shouldn’t attempt to remake it because with new actors and special effects. What they should do is continue the story where it left off, set in present time and with all the super-cool original cast. Ham Tyler kicks ass!
Don’t give it to ABC! They’ll only give the ax before it gets a chance to make it into the mainstream just like their show Life on Mars!!
V was originally a metaphor for pre war Nazi Germany, then the war, holocaust, and resistance… Once the show left that behind, the show was only interesting becuase of the characters we had come to know. That and the cool alien stuff.
If they don’t do a BSG and totally reinvent the thing it will be doomed before it is started.
SANDSHARK!
Bring back, Faye Grant. I’ love you.
I always wondered what happened to Robin’s sisters… I know her mother died during the first mini-series, I believe… but what happened to her 2 younger sisters… they just disappeared and no mention was ever made of them again
Nice! I just finished with the original just last week, and i was thinking about a reboot, alas BSG.
Maybe the remake problem is the scripts and concept. Both Bionic Woman and Knight Rider lacked cohesive stories and direction. Bionic Woman never had it and KR just waited too long to try and get on track. Let’s hope that “V” will be addressed in the same fashion as Battlestar Galactica which has some of the best writing around. Direction and anticipation are not lacking at all. And being someone that watched the original and the update (Galactica 1980), the new is magnitudes better. Let’s hope the show runner ignores the remake issues from BW and KR. Focus on direction… Read more »
bring back willy