V miniseries getting a remake
Another old sci-fi is getting the makeover. This time, the rodent-eating aliens of the 80's miniseries, V.
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The latest TV classic to get a remake is V, the 1980s miniseries about alien lizards visiting Earth.
ABC is developing a new adaptation of the franchise written by The 4400 co-creator/exec producer Scott Peters.
Like several 1980s sci-fi’s, V was a campy show, distinguished by it rodent-eating aliens, who would swallow small animals live.
Peters, who earned two Emmy noms for The 4400, said he wasn’t looking to do another sci-fi piece. But when Warner Bros. TV approached him about reinventing V, he couldn’t resist.
“Whenever I mention V to anybody, they still have a lot of good memories about the original movie and series,” Peters said. “Everybody has that imagery of their uniforms, or the visitor eating a hamster. It’s a science fiction icon and too good to pass up.”
The original V was something of an allegory for the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. Peters said he won’t duplicate that concept. The new V will center on Erica Evans, a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son who’s got problems.
As in the ’80s version, the show will open with an enormous army of spaceships hovering over the world’s major cities.
What’s next? Buck Rogers or Alien Nation?
Source: Variety
- Tagged with Alien Nation, Buck Rogers, the 4400, V
10 Responses
I can’t wait to see the new version of V I have got the original battle and series on video, when is it to hit the Aussie shores is what I like to know?
V kicks ass, always has always will new or old!!!
As campy as the series was – they should retain the basic elements that work, and the characters. There were so many unanswered questions. No death of Julie at all, we need her to have a child, Shawn Donovan as a powerful collaborator, a new Elizabeth slightly aged, but kinda immortal due to being a hybrid, Willie & Thelma having a kid. Even Elias could have had a child before he died. Elizabeth having had one kid with the leader and one with Kyle, both powerful and each other’s nemesis. Diana & James having a couple of kids & manipulating them – maybe one in love with philip’s & Lydia’s child – mortal enemies – even though Philip was drugged during conception, and retain a core & powerful political message about different types of government extremities. The thing is we loved the characters and need a few key ones to be around & not have characters we are invested in. most of us rewatch it and feel like we know them.
matt, I thought I had seen a DVD listed but I still didn’t know what the show was. I’ll definitely buy it when it comes down a bit.
“V” started off very well (despite some heavy-handed elements), but the wheels started to come off when Kenneth Johnson quit during preproduction on what became “V: The Final Battle”. The orignal miniseries, though a huge ratings hit, also went horrendously over budget, and when Warner’s cut the budget for the sequel, Johnson walked (hence his writing credit “Lillian Weezer” on the sequel). The moronic ending of the second mini was a taste of what to expect with the weekly series, which became increasingly silly and was hampered by further budget cuts (resulting in all the special effects being just reused shots from the orignal miniseries) and a whittling down of the cast.
And then the series ended on cliffhanger, only to be cancelled!
I’d still love for KJ’s “V: The Second Generation” (which would ignore the second mini, and the series) to come to fruition. In fact according to KJ’s website (http://www.kennethjohnson.us/V-News.html) there’s still a chance this remake might not happen.
That said, I really liked The 4400, and think Scott Peters could do well with the premise.
Bring it on, I say. Loved the original TV series. Let’s see what they can do with a remake.
I’m not a sci-fi fan at all, just can’t see the appeal in it, but I did love “V” and its associated spin-offs. But it’s one show not calling out for a remake. Don’t tarnish our memories of rodent-eating aliens with fake latex faces, with a CGI-filled remake.
This is interesting….V the series was replayed on the SCIFI channel and few months back……it was still as scary and campy.
Sephiroth_FF, you haven’t heard of the V mini-series and the follow up Final Battle, ot of which aired in Australia in 1983-84 on Network 10. Brillant stuff!! It has just been re-released on dvd here in Australia, and is worth checking out. It is about 7-8 hours long(both mini series), as well, there was a series(1 season only), called : V The Series, which you can get overseas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_(The_Original_Miniseries)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_(The_Final_Battle)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_(The_Series)
http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/802000
I don’t think I’ve actually heard of V before. I’m really getting tired of hearing about remakes though. I just hate to think what’s next. When the day comes that they announce that they’re going to remake “Crime Story” then I think I’m going to go mad. It just can’t be improved upon and I couldn’t imagine a new cast!
Oh man say it aint so! V was great (Well I enjoyed it) and the new V book “The Second Generation” Should be a mini series, but redoing a classic…
I remember when they did remade Battlestar Galactica, they trashed alot of good stuff, ignored others, same with Star Trek Enterprise.
Buck Rodgers maybe, but no way in hell will I watch a remade Alien Nation, the complete series of TV and movies is still one of the best sci fi series made, and there’s no one that can play George Francisco better than Eric.
To TV people, go find some original sci fi like Eureka and bring that to life instead of retreads!
Ian