It’s 1980 again

V_l
Hot on the heels of THE BIONIC WOMAN and KNIGHT RIDER, ABC has greenlighted a pilot for a "reimagined" version of V, the NBC alien invasion series that starred Mark Singer,  Robert Englund and Jane Badler (pictured on the left). Variety reports:

The new "V" centers on Erica Evans, a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son. When the aliens arrive, her son gloms on to them — causing tension within the family.
Like the original, show centers on visitors who say they've come to help the Earth — but their motives are nefarious.

V writer/creator Kenneth Johnson isn't involved in this version, which will be written and produced by Scott Peters from THE 4400.

9 thoughts on “It’s 1980 again”

  1. I’m hesitantly hopeful. Hesitant because I’m always that way with a re-do. But hopeful because Battlestar Galectica proved that remakes can be wonderful. Hope this will be like the latter!

    Reply
  2. That… doesn’t sound awful, actually.
    The original “V” was a bit of a touchstone of my youth, but in retrospect it’s difficult to get misty-eyed about it. But there’s nothing wrong with revisiting the basic idea of it and the themes – it’s not as if, as a planet, we’re suddenly immune to the paranoia that ran through the original.

    Reply
  3. I had a soft spot for the miniseries, though I felt that the weekly episodes went on to extend a premise that had already given up its juice.
    And I suppose I ought to be ashamed to say it, because there can be no less scarce compound throughout the universe than the water the aliens came all this way to steal, and their heads were always twice as big after they pulled off their ‘human’ masks.

    Reply
  4. We’ll give this remake a chance, whereas I never watched the new Bionic Woman or Knightrider. The original V was a great miniseries, both editions. The series, however, was a train wreck with constantly changing cast members. it never found a stable footing and was, therefor, not missed when cancelled.
    Done right, it just might work. We’ll see.

    Reply
  5. Jane Badler and June Chadwick were great in their roles on the TV series but the storyline lacked the focus of the two miniseries and eventually stopped making sense.
    I’ve been told the new novels ignore all of the TV series continuity. I hope this remake bears some relation to the miniseries at least. Otherwise, I don’t see the point in calling it V. It’s not as if legions of V fans have been demanding to put it back on the air.

    Reply
  6. I don’t mind remakes, but I have no enthusiasm for a “re-imagining.”
    I basically agree with the previous guy. There’s a point where you’ve changed it so much that you shouldn’t even call it “V”.
    Also, years ago J. Michael Straczynski wanted to do a “V” movie. I hope they’ll release the script now that a remake has guaranteed Straczynski’s movie will never get made.

    Reply
  7. I just re watched the original this past summer. Cheesy and humorous and very dated. It was fun in the way Corn dogs are fun to eat. I don’t know that I’d want someone taking a corndog and telling me they will make it a steak.
    In other words, is this something anyone needs? The new Bionic Woman was a disaster, it didn’t know what it wanted to be. New Knight Rider? You couldn’t pay me to watch.
    Some time nostalgia is best left as just that.

    Reply

Leave a Comment