ABC is delving back into the world of ’80s television, resurrecting the alien-invasion franchise V.
Variety reports that Warner Bros. Television is producing the miniseries, written by The 4400 co-creator Scott Peters. Jace Hall, former head of WB’s video-game division, will executive produce, with an eye toward expanding V into other media.
The original miniseries, which debuted in May 1983 on NBC, served as an allegory for Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, as an alien fleet arrived on Earth. Referred to as the Visitors, the aliens offered friendship and advanced technology in exchange for chemicals to help their ailing homeworld. Their plan turns out to be somewhat less peaceful, and the human-looking Visitors turn out to be rat-eating reptillian beings in disguise.
That miniseries spawned a second, plus a TV spinoff, books and an 18-issue comic series from DC.
Peters told Variety he won’t duplicate the original concept, except that the new V will focus on what happens when the public has blind faith in its leaders.
No word yet whether we’ll see a return of Marc Singer.
October 10th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Part of what made me love the original V was how 80′s centric. Not to mention that those were probably the coolest, most likable aliens I’ve seen anywhere.
October 10th, 2008 at 9:57 am
I wouldn’t mind the loss of marc singer, but if there’s no Michael Ironsides, it ain’t no V.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:53 am
In the 1990s the studio wanted to do a new version/sequel and had J. Michael Straczynski craft a storyline, but this was during the big syndication boom and there was so much competition from other action adventures shows that it didn’t sell. Whatever happened to that boom? Today there’s nothing. TV on Saturday and Sunday afternoons is filled with unwatchable junk.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Surprisingly, I agree with Tucker. No Ironsides, no deal.
But that’s just for me. This sort of idea worked really well for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (the definition of “really well” varies from person to person, natch) so V seems a natural. Me? I eagerly await the updates of AUTOMAN, WISHMAN and that movie of the week about the private detective who liked to cook real eggs when everyone else in the Modern World is eating protein shakes.
Oh, and MANN AND MACHINE, too…