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V Makes First Contact
ABC’s V remake has the geek world abuzz, but is that enough to keep it from joining its network sci-fi predecessors in the cancellation graveyard?
What in the world—or out of this world—was ABC thinking when they greenlit a remake of the cult 1980s alien-invasion show V? Network television, after all, has not been kind to sci-fi shows as of late. Last year’s tally of genre shows canned after two seasons or less includes Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Pushing Daisies, Reaper, and Life on Mars. And the few that were renewed, like Dollhouse and Chuck, generally had to fight fang and claw for the honor.
Alien-invasion shows, in particular, have fared poorly in recent years, with both Threshold and ABC’s Invasion lasting only one season in 2005. And the highly anticipated V has had a bumpy road. After a warm reception at Comic-Con in July, production was shut down in August for a two-week “creative hiatus,” and a month later the network announced it would air the first four episodes as a miniseries “event” in November, with the rest of the episodes resuming after the Winter Olympics in March.
ABC’s new V follows the mold of the original, with a few timely updates. The Holocaust allegory of the 1983 miniseries has been swapped for an au courant alien take on terrorism.
The network has given it a robust pre-show campaign, putting the first nine minutes of the pilot on Hulu before the premiere and making use of the kind of viral, interactive marketing that worked so well for Lost. Nevertheless, could V be in trouble before even one episode has aired?
Whatever problems V has had are not visible in the premiere: The first episode is slickly produced and loaded with sci-fi vets, like Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell as an FBI agent, and Morena Baccarin (Firefly) as the enigmatic alien leader, Anna. More important, the first episode threads engaging, sympathetic characters through the explosive set-pieces, giving audiences a compelling reason to tune in next week. The hour moves along at a good clip, thanks to the heady action sequences, tart dialogue, and smilingly malevolent aliens. And the creative team, which includes Scott Peters and Jace Hall, already has experience steering a successful alien series, having helmed The 4400 on USA Network. (Update: Shortly after this story posted, USA Today broke the news that Scott Peters has been replaced as the V chief. Whether this is a sign of more instability, or steps toward solving it, will be clear soon enough.)
Watch the Visitors’ arrival.
The original V kicked off in 1983 with a two-night miniseries. In it, a race of humanoid extraterrestrials suddenly appeared in a fleet of spaceships docked over all major cities. They brought a message of peace and an offer to share their advanced technology that anyone who’s ever seen the Twilight Zone classic “To Serve Man” should have been immediately suspicious of. Still, they were soon integrated into the highest levels of government, until an enterprising journalist (Marc Singer) uncovered the alien’s true form—giant lizards—and nefarious intentions. The miniseries ended with the Visitors controlling the Earth, while the resistance prepared to fight. Based on the stellar ratings, NBC ordered a follow-up, and V: The Final Battle aired a year later, showing the humans finally driving the Visitors away.
Not for long, though, because a television series picked up where the miniseries left off, airing only five months later. Unfortunately, the series, which made liberal use of stock-footage from the miniseries in an attempt to cut costs, saw a steep decline in ratings and was canceled after only 19 episodes.
ABC’s new V follows the mold of the original, with a few timely updates. The Holocaust allegory of the miniseries has been swapped for an au courant alien take on terrorism. Mitchell plays Erica Evans, a counterterrorism agent who is shocked to find that the terrorist cells she’s been hunting may have otherworldly origins. And in a cheeky reversal, the spray-painted red V, the highly recognizable symbol of the resistance from the original, is now used by Erica’s Visitor-obsessed son (Logan Huffman) and his friends as a show of solidarity for the aliens. Scott Wolf (Party of Five) plays journalist Chad Decker, who’s chosen to head up the Visitors’ media campaign, provided he not “ask any questions that would portray [the Visitors] negatively.”
But fans of the original series will be relieved to see that the key elements—lizards and all—have remained intact.
John Talks Joe
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Shannon Donnelly is a video editor at The Daily Beast. Previously, she interned at Gawker and Overlook Press, edited the 2007 edition of Inside New York, and graduated from Columbia University. You can read more of her writing here.
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Shannon Donnelly is a video editor at The Daily Beast. Previously, she interned at Gawker and Overlook Press, edited the 2007 edition of Inside New York, and graduated from Columbia University. You can read more of her writing here.
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Shannon Donnelly is a video editor at The Daily Beast. Previously, she interned at Gawker and Overlook Press, edited the 2007 edition of Inside New York, and graduated from Columbia University. You can read more of her writing here.
How can you not mention Battlestar Galactica? The remake was far better than the kitschy original.
Agreed. And that's the real reason this remake exists. The Battlestar Galactica remake far surpassed the quality and ambition of the original and since then every attempt to remake a sci-fi show is basically attempting to pull another "BSG." Most fail, as I suspect this one will too, though I will give it a shot. BSG worked because it borrowed little more than names and the basic starting premise from the original and then diverged substantially. In fact, it essentially became the anti-BSG, making the bag guys as sympathetic as the humans, and removing all traces of the black-and-white/good-versus-even of the original. That and just good old fashioned awesome writing, decent acting and good directing. Updating old nostalgia can't sustain a series. Just look at how terrible the Bionic Woman was.
BSG was probably not listed because it didn't air on one of the 'big four' networks, ABC, CBS, FOX,or NBC.
OK, it looks slick. But it is still a yawn. Why a remake? Do we have no new ideas?
I hope it is better than the crap that was served up first time.
That first scene with the spaceship arriving is incredible -- reminds me of some of the grand entrances on this list of Top 10 TV Alien Arrivals, Invasions & Landings. http://www.tvtango.com/news/detail/id/111
I have to say, while the production was pretty slick, the mystery is just not really that intriguing. I don't really care why the aliens are invading, and that seems to be the only thing not understood after the premier. That said, the performances were fine, dialog was better than I expected, and it didn't look cheap. I'll check out week two, but I don't see this going that far.
"Unfortunately, the series, which made liberal use of stock-footage from the miniseries in an attempt to cut costs, saw a steep decline in ratings and was canceled after only 19 episodes."
Noooo, that was the nicest day of 1985. Where do they come up with this crap?
Watched the show last night, a couple of things jumped out at me. The Leader is good looking, young, well spoken. Most people are totally sold on the Leader without considering her (and other V's) agenda. She is very concerned with her public image and the press obliges and she pushes Universal Health Care. Interesting.
Saw it last night. Wow, it sucked. The premise, which they just recycled anyway, is fine. But the writing and directing was really third rate and the acting couldn't compensate for it. I can't believe the writer here liked it. It was just a mess. Not in the same universe of quality as the new Battlestar Galactica that it was trying to copy. Where to begin? Almost everyone just accepts their word from the start? The supposedly star FBI agent attends a meeting with a group of rebels and finds out that one of the many accusations they made (about the lizard people) was true and instantly she presumes all their other conspiracy theories must be true and doesn't even try to work within her system and just joins the rebels? Seriously, my 11-year-old could have written this.
I guarantee you it won't last.
I liked the first "V" as a kid (sure it was cheesy but hey it was the 80s) and I liked the first episode last night. I am willing to give it a chance.
PS As for Battlestar Galactica......I tried to watch it but between the shaky hand held camera and the habit of zooming in to about 3 inches away from whoever was talking drove me crazy! I would prefer to see the whole scene when someone is talking, not every pore on their nose.
The new Battlestar Galactica was one of the best shows on television. It is one of those exceptional sci-fi shows that transcends the genre and is just excellent by drama standards. It was better written than most theatrical films. Of course it was uneven and began to lose it after the first couple seasons but still it took on serious issues with quality writing, directing and acting. Comparing it to the new "V" is like comparing "Mad Men" to "Cop Rock." It was harmless enough, in the same sense that some bad movies are when you watch them on a plane - suddenly being trapped in a seat for hours makes mediocre watchable.
What are we looking for in Science fiction?
Space ships and aliens? A brighter future? A darker future?
Some science fiction, like the Defying Gravity miniseries, though not technically canceled, could not even stay on for the scheduled mini run. It had a lot of the elements people don't normally associate with a science fiction show, and might be a good gauge for V.
The BBC Science fiction, Dr. Who, aired when Kennedy was assassinated, has come and gone, and come again, and is now in the 10th reincarnation of the doctor.
It has been pointed out to me that CSI:Miami could be considered a science fiction show, with their 'instant' DNA testing and super state of the art computer equipment.
And where is the line between Science Fiction and Science Fantasy?
I define shows based around things that may happen or have a 'possible' base in science as Science Fiction, like V as an example, or Eleventh Hour, another sci-fi show which was canceled earlier this year.
Shows based around things not likely to happen or not currently supported that well by science are Science Fantasy; shows with elves or dragons or vampires and such. Legend of the Seeker comes to mind.
One group of sci-fi shows that have been around for years is the Stargate Series. Based on the 1994 movie, Stargate:SG1 lasted 8 seasons, Stargate: Atlantis lasted 5 seasons, now Stargate: Universe started last month. Stargate has been on both network TV and the Science Fiction channel .
Battlestar Galacticia seems to be a hit or miss with people. I've never spoken to someone who isn't either all the way in or just doesn't care at all about the new BSG.
Ghost Whisperer and Medium lead into Numb3rs, which was, but is no longer advertised as part of the Friday night "Dream Team". Just as well; If Charles Epps were real I think he would have trouble with Ghost Whisperers and Mediums...
Thank you.
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