V

[Hank Hell]

I was watching the original miniseries from 1983 (they had a marathon on SyFy), and it seemed very intriguing. It had a very good story and good visual effects even by today's standards.

Now, starting Nov. 3rd, a new version of the miniseries (a 're-imagining' if you will) will air on ABC. In my opinion, this one, while good, may not hold a candle to the original version. Nothing re-made today usually does. But, I'm willing to give it a try. Below is the trailer.



And the original...



I dunno, maybe I'm just a sucker for classics, especially shows that were ahead of their time. Good sci-fi shows are usually efficient social commentaries on social distrust and war, and V definitely was. Your thoughts?

[Cowboyfromhell]

I dvr'd it, forgot it was going to be on so I actually missed the first 20 minutes. The original, although I haven't seen it in 20 years, was great, featuring a young Robert England. I look forward to watching it.

[xfearbefore]

I absolutely loved the original miniseries, though always felt that with a few minor changes it could have been made even better. Looks like someone shared that thought, and decided to redo the series. I just got done watching the pilot, and I thought it was fantastic.

First off, is it just me or is ABC now just putting as many people who have been on Lost onto their other shows as possible? First you've got 3-4 former regular members of Lost on Flashforward, now we've got the wonderful Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet from Lost) in a starring role in V, a casting choice that I obviously love as a hardcore Lost fan.

I also liked how they just jumped right into the heart of the story right away, revealing the true reptilian forms of the Visitors in the first episode instead of having to wait hours for the original series to reveal it. I was shocked the black guy (can't remember his name) turned out to be one of them, but wanted to help. I always dug the resistance fighters in the original series.

Alot of the actors on the show are quite good, the special effects are marvelous, and they've already begun jumping right into action from the first episode. Let me just say that I cannot wait to watch how this show plays out, because that was one hell of a promising pilot episode. I hope they turn it into a regular series and not just a one-season/mini-series type of deal that they've planned. Hey, if the remake formula could work for Battlestar Gallactica, why not V? I'd love to see this turned into a regular show, have the story unfold a bit slower.

Very promising premiere. I'm a big fan of the original, so here's to hoping it can impress me as much in the long run as it has tonight.

And it looks like I'm not the only one who enjoyed the show, because it scored a HUGE rating last night (13.9!)

[pyrusane]

The original V mini-series was awesome, and was actually a very powerful commentary on the ability of charismatic leaders to influence the masses with hollow promises and powerful words. The story very closely paralleled the rise of the Nazi party in pre-WW2 Germany, which was done on purpose, and had many interesting twists that built the tension slowly. From recruiting human teenagers into their ranks, much like the Hitler Youth, to focusing their propaganda to isolate one subsection of the population, in this case scientists, they showed how rational individuals can be caught up in a movement and do things that they would normally find reprehensible. Honestly, the original miniseries didn't even need the lizard bit to be an excellent story.

Unfortunately, the TV series that followed did not live up to the potential of the original. I remember watching every episode of the one season of the TV series, and even as a kid (I was probably ten or eleven at the time) I could tell that it just wasn't that good. I was still a fan, mind you, but I knew that it wasn't what it could be. Watching it through the eyes of an adult, a couple weeks ago, I realized that the show was one of those that you can enjoy for it's sheer badness, from terrible acting to inconsistent plotlines, but it is sadly disappointing as a followup to such a great miniseries.

Having seen the first two episodes of the redo, I have mixed feelings. Looking at it as a standalone piece, with no comparison to the original, I have to say that it is very well done, has an outstanding cast, and is telling a very good story. X, you mentioned how ABC is reusing actors from Lost (which is a show I would love to discuss with you at some point). I personally mark out for former Firefly cast members. I have long been a fan of Alan Tudyk, and even though I somewhat expected it, I was still surprised when the truth about his character was revealed. And Morena Baccarin is absolute gold in the role of Anna.

However, I think that, as good as this new version is, it is missing a small element from the original miniseries. This new show is a really good science fiction series. The original was a masterpiece of social commentary and historical perspective.

That's just my take on it though.