V (1983 miniseries)
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V (or V: The Original Miniseries) is a two-part American science-fiction television miniseries, written and directed by Kenneth Johnson. First shown in 1983, it initiated the science-fiction franchise concerning reptilian aliens known as the "Visitors" trying to gain control of Earth, and of the ways the populace reacts.
Plot summary
A race of aliens arrives on Earth in a fleet of 50 huge, saucer-shaped
Strange events begin to occur. Scientists in particular become the objects of increasing media and public hostility. They experience government restrictions on their activities and movements. Others, particularly those keen on examining the Visitors more closely, begin to disappear or are discredited. Noted scientists confess to subversive activities; some of them exhibit other unusual behaviors, such as suddenly demonstrating hand preference opposite to the one they were known to have.
Television journalist cameraman Michael Donovan covertly boards one of the Visitors' motherships. Donovan discovers that beneath their human-like façade—a thin, synthetic skin and human-eye contact lenses—the aliens are
Scientists around the world continue to be persecuted, both to discredit them (as the part of the human population most likely to discover the Visitors' secrets) and to distract the rest of the population with a
Some humans (including Mike Donovan's mother, Eleanor Dupres) willingly
A resistance movement is formed, determined to expose and oppose the Visitors. The Los Angeles cell leader is Julie Parrish, a biologist. Donovan later joins the group, and again sneaking aboard a mothership in search of Tony, who was captured, he learns from a Visitor named Martin that the story about the Visitors needing waste chemicals is a cover for a darker mission. The true purpose of the Visitors' arrival on Earth was to conquer and subdue the planet, steal all of the Earth's water, and harvest the human race as food, leaving only a few as slaves and cannon fodder for the Visitors' wars with other alien races. Martin is one of many dissidents among the Visitors (later known as the Fifth Column) who oppose their leader's plans and would rather co-exist peacefully with the humans. Martin then reveals to Donovan that Tony is dead, a victim of Diana's monstrous experiments. Afterwards, he befriends Donovan and promises to aid the Resistance. He gives Donovan access to one of their sky-fighter ships, which he quickly learns how to pilot. He escapes from the mothership along with Robin and another prisoner named Sancho, who had aided Robin's family in their flight out of occupied Los Angeles.
The Resistance strikes its first blows against the Visitors, procuring laboratory equipment and modern military weapons from
The miniseries ends with the Visitors now virtually controlling the Earth, and Julie and Elias sending a transmission into space to ask other alien races for help in defeating the occupiers.
Origins
Inspired by
Historical references
With the Visitors' swastika-like emblem, their SS-like uniforms, and their German Luger-like laser weapons, the miniseries became an allegory of Nazism.[6]: 28 [7]: 254–255 A youth auxiliary movement called the "Friends of the Visitors" has similarities to the Hitler Youth, while the Visitors' attempts to co-opt television news reporters suggests the Nazi-era propagandization of news through the film industry.[6]: 35 The miniseries' portrayal of human interaction with the Visitors bears resemblance to occupied Europe during World War II, with some citizens choosing collaboration while others join underground resistance movements.[6]: 77 Where the Nazis persecuted primarily Jews, the Visitors were depicted persecuting scientists, their families, and anyone associating with them.[7]: 254 As the Visitors start eliminating scientists who could reveal their true nature, a Jewish family is shown hesitating on whether to help their scientist neighbor and his family, until their grandfather suggests that to do otherwise would mean they had not learned anything from the past.[8][9]
Legacy
The two-part miniseries ran for 200 minutes; the first part was the second-most popular program of the week, with 40% of the viewing television audience at that time watching it.[2] Its success spawned a sequel, V: The Final Battle, which was meant to conclude the story. In spite of the apparent conclusion, this was then followed by a weekly television series, V: The Series, from 1984 to 1985 that continued the story a year after The Final Battle. Johnson left V during production of The Final Battle due to disagreements with NBC over how the story should progress.[10]
In November 2005,
For many years, Johnson has campaigned to revive V, and even wrote a sequel novel,
On February 6, 2018, Desilu Studios announced that it would be producing a feature film of V. The film was to be written and directed by Kenneth Johnson and produced by John Hermansen, Barry Opper, and Johnson. Johnson added, "We are delighted to team up with Desilu to bring the timeless – and timely – story of resistance against tyranny into the 21st century ... V will be the first of a cinematic trilogy, which will tell the full epic tale in the manner I always envisioned."
Production notes
Production was halted for two weeks when Dominique Dunne, the 22-year-old actress originally cast to play the part of Robin Maxwell, was murdered outside her apartment by her ex-boyfriend while rehearsing with actor David Packer.[19] Some scenes with her are still in the original series, but only of the back of her head. Blair Tefkin was hired to play Robin after her death.
Johnson subsequently dedicated the series to her memory.
Marketing
Posters appeared in train stations of a smiling man behind wraparound sunglasses, others grinning along with him, with only a motto "The Visitors are our friends" to explain it. Days later, those posters had a red "V" (for "victory") spray-painted on them. Nothing suggested this was an advertisement for a television show, which made the marketing even more intriguing.[20]
Cast
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Releases
The miniseries was first released as V: The Original Miniseries on VHS during the mid-1990s, and later on DVD in 2001. The VHS release was in 4:3 fullscreen format as originally broadcast, while the DVD release is in a matted 16:9 widescreen format. The miniseries was originally filmed in open matte format, with director Kenneth Johnson stating he had also composed the picture to be more or less "widescreen-safe" in the event that it got an overseas theatrical release, which it did not.[citation needed] It was released on Blu-ray on August 27, 2019.
Novelization
References
- ^ "SDCC 2019: Marc Singer and Kenneth Johnson on the past and future of V". SYFY Official Site. August 1, 2019.
- ^ a b Bedell, Sally (May 4, 1983). "'V' SERIES AN NBC HIT". The New York Times. p. 27. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ Gross, Edward (Fall 2004), ""Visiting Hours" TV's Most Famous Alien Invasion Saga Comes Home To DVD", CFQ Spotlite, no. 1
- ^ Original Miniseries DVD commentary.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (May 23, 2023). "The V Files: The Shocking Legacy of an '80s Sci-Fi Cult Classic". Vanity Fair.
- ^ ProQuest 1718550153.
- ^ S2CID 145810713.
- ISBN 9780275981648.
- ISBN 978-0819567383.
- Warner Home Video.
- ^ a b c Susman, Gary (November 17, 2005). "Mini Splendored Things". Entertainment Weekly. EW.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
- ^ Jensen, Jeff (December 11, 2008). "The Sci-Fi 25: The Genre's Best Since 1982". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (July 25, 2009). "V: ABC's alien series invades Comic-Con — but does it come in peace?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 27, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
- ^ Sullivan, Brian Ford (August 8, 2009). "ABC Books V for November 3rd". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (October 30, 2009). "'V' voice revisits familiar turf". Variety. Archived from the original on March 12, 2010.
- ^ Lee, Patrick (August 11, 2009). "V producer on who might return and other homages". SYFY Wire. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
- ^ Haring, Bruce (February 11, 2018). "'V The Movie' Coming From Original Creator Kenneth Johnson And Desilu Studios". Deadline. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ Evans, Greg (October 31, 2018). "CBS Lawsuit Claims "Desilu Studios" Brand Was Used To Dupe Investors". Deadline. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ Justice: A Father's Account of the Trial of his Daughter's Killer, Vanity Fair, March 1984
- ^ Johnson, Allan (August 12, 1996). ""V": It was a different kind of mini-series when NBC first..." Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 25, 2017.
External links
- V: The Original Miniseries at IMDb
- V: The Original Miniseries at Rotten Tomatoes
- Breznican, Anthony (May 23, 2023). "The V Files: The Shocking Legacy of an '80s Sci-Fi Cult Classic". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.