V - (ABC, mid-season 2010)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahjPQjQGdbU

Somehow this slipped right on under the radar to me until now. A re-imagined V is slated for (I think) four seasons, starting mid 09-10 along with LOST. It looks really good.

I liked the original, and this looks similar enough without being a cookie-cutter remake with the same characters. I'm excited! :ohno

["Slim" Joel Ranes]

I haven't seen the original, but the new trailer looks... interesting.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Go watch the original.

Terrific 80s miniseries sci-fi. :) The ending is a little meh, but its a Great show. I watched it about a year and a half ago when I was pregnant and sick. Course that made the LIZARD BABY extra horrific, even if it did look like a rubber doll. Actually, that might have made it worse. :uhoh

[Kelly Perris]

That gave me goosebumples, a little. Pity I don't watch much TV. :p

[Mu Satach]

Original scared the crap out of me as a kid. Made me laugh a few years ago when I saw it on cable. =) Reboot looks interesting. :) :) :)

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

Fuck Yes Fuck Yes Fuck Yes Fuck Yes

[Liam Jinn]

I remember watching that show with my mom when I was younger. Guess I'll end up watching this one too...

[Cam Montegue]

Ooooh. Ooooh. :o

[Ryan Pode]

I remember finding it on some old tapes when I was a kid and enjoying it. Hopefully I'll enjoy this.

[Vipul Chandrashekar]

<object width="425" height="344">


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Interview with a Visitor

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JIoumd5EGDg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JIoumd5EGDg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Anna addresses Earth

[Lykaios]

Sweeeeeeetness!

I followed the original religiously every week. Hopefully this will not disappoint.

[Jedi Master Carr]

It looks great maybe it will work out like Battlestar Galtica did and give us a great re-imagining. The original miniseries was great but it started going down hill in V-the Final Battle, although you had to love Michael Ironside in it.

[Yog]

I was a huge fan of this show when I was a kid, I even watched and rewatched the infamous weekly TV episodes (which were terrible btw, just stick to the miniseries and TFB). This new show looks great, award winning writer, the cast picks are excellent, and the reviews of the pilot are very good.

Personally, this is by far the most exciting TV series announcement for years. I waited for this to happen for 2 decades. The original miniseries had a great concept and characters with compelling story elements, but it really aged. When they dropped K. Johnson for TFB, the quality started to drop, and when it turned into weekly episodes, it really jumped the shark. Which was a shame, because there was so much potential in there.

I think a revitalised modern version of the V - TV series will be good, not only for a new generation of viewers, but for the fans as well. The new producers have respect for Johnson's ideas, yet they are cutting all the 80s cheese and making it more realistic. I feel this could be the next successful scifi remake after BSG.

This is a site I follow for news and updates on the show:
http://www.visitorsite.net/

[stevenvdb]

This ought to be interesting. From what I have seen of the original, I don't think anyone is going to go too bananas over any liberties with the story or plot contrivances - it's not an auteur piece. ;)

There's a lot of potential shtick material here to play with. heh.

[Darth Turbogeek]

What on EARTH are you people on??? The Original V was pure unadulterated crap, why the love for it???? Okay so the original BSG was also complete garbage too so a reimagining has a good chance of working.

[Randall Rudd]

The original miniseries and to some extent TFB were actually pretty good stories conceptually. There's some period hokiness from being dead in the 80's, but it's a pretty chilling Nazi allegory. The weekly series was hilariously campy, but give credit where credit is due.

[Darth Turbogeek]

The original miniseries and to some extent TFB were actually pretty good stories conceptually. There's some period hokiness from being dead in the 80's, but it's a pretty chilling Nazi allegory. The weekly series was hilariously campy, but give credit where credit is due.

The thing is that no credit is due. It was not chilling in the slightest - it was just plain bad, even for the 80's, with was one amazingly awful period of TV history. And people wonder why I chose around about that time to not watch TV on principle anymore?

V is just another wrongly "fondly" remembered nostalga trip - which was naueous at best when new.

[Droo]

Well I know nothing about the original V series in any of its incarnations but this looks fantastic. There's nothing more satisfying to me as a viewer than sci-fi when its done well and this is very promising. And Anna! Who wouldn't trust that face!? :love

[Randall Rudd]

Dru I know for certain this is right up your alley. You'll love the hell out of it.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

http://jainhollie.com/random/v_baby.gif


http://jainhollie.com/random/v_lizard.gif

[Mu Satach]

HA!

Oh yeah - that's what gave me freakazoid chills as a child. :)

mmmeeeeemmmmooorrries...

[Yog]

Season pilot airs 3rd of November on ABC 8 pm EST. :cyduck

Here are the 8 first minutes:
<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P50p7yltWpc&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P50p7yltWpc&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

Also Syfy (Sci Fi channel) will do a marathon of the original series starting on sunday leading up to the premiere of the new series:


Sunday, November 1
1PM-5PM V: The Original Miniseries
5PM-11PM V: The Final Battle
11PM-3AM V: The Original Miniseries

Monday, November 2
8AM-7PM Syfy will be showing V all day. We're assuming this will be comprised of episodes of the original series.

Tuesday, November 3
8AM-4PM Again, Syfy is doing a marathon that we assume is made up of episodes of the original weekly series.
4PM-8PM V: The Original Miniseries - Then catch the premiere of V on ABC at 8:00!

I also really enjoyed listening to the previous works of Marco Beltrami, who is the musical composer of the new V series. He has an intense dramatic style that fits a horror Sci Fi show perfectly. This puts to rest my concerns about that "jazzy" music heard at the end credits of that 8 minute pilot preview. I am guessing it is probably not part of the actual sound track.

Marco Beltrami music resume:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-EY4kJkAgo

[Tear]

I found out this is being filmed next door to where my brother works in a big warehouse/studio in Vancouver. I thought that was pretty neat.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I heard they're only airing 4 episodes now, and the 'rest' after the Winter Olympics. And that ABC might decide to make it a miniseries instead of a series, which would be :(.

[Droo]

Seriously, what is with American television networks not knowing how to air a show? Look at how they butcher shows like Firefly. In fact, this kind of poor handling is more noticeable with sci-fi programmes in general. You'd think that after the success of the new Star Trek film and Battlestar Galactica studio executives would feel comfortable enough to leave well alone until at least an entire first season has aired before tampering or pulling the plug.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I don't know, but its really annoying. :mad

[Rutabaga]

Marco Beltrami's score for Hellboy is wonderful, I'm looking forward to hearing more of his work.

[Yog]

There are now additional sneak peeks for the pilot episode available here (http://www.tvovermind.com/v-tv-news/v-season-1-episode-1/12119), they are small enough to not really spoil anything.

You now also have the opportunity to become a Peace Ambassador (http://abc.go.com/shows/v/visitor-ambassadors) to learn about our new friends, and become symbol of hope for others, and discover the great possibilities that lies ahead in the interest of peace, balance and harmony.. :angel

My favorite by far though, is the catchy promo video with music by Muse.

Let the Revolution Take its toll! (http://abc.go.com/watch/clip/v/FK_VVV/228990/239608)
Muse - Uprising
The paranoia is in bloom, the PR
The transmissions will resume
They'll try to push drugs
Keep us all dumbed down and hope that
We will never see the truth around
(So come on!)

Another promise, another scene, another
A package not to keep us trapped in greed
With all the green belts wrapped around our minds
And endless red tape to keep the truth confined
(So come on!)

Chorus
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Interchanging mind control
Come let the revolution take its toll if you could
Flick the switch and open your third eye, you'd see that
We should never be afraid to die
(So come on!)

Rise up and take the power back, it's time that
The fat cats had a heart attack, you know that
Their time is coming to an end
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend

Chorus
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Hey .. hey ... hey .. hey!
(repeat)

[Yog]

Seriously, what is with American television networks not knowing how to air a show? Look at how they butcher shows like Firefly. In fact, this kind of poor handling is more noticeable with sci-fi programmes in general. You'd think that after the success of the new Star Trek film and Battlestar Galactica studio executives would feel comfortable enough to leave well alone until at least an entire first season has aired before tampering or pulling the plug.
I totally agree. But it is important to note that for the big American networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox), it all boils to one thing, and one thing only: ratings. Big ratings means advertising money. Advertising money is the lifeblood of the networks.

BSG actually only had about 2.4M in rating at best, believe it or not. Now, that may be a great number for Sci Fi channel, but if it were running on one of the major networks, those sort of numbers would have led to cancellation before even the first season was complete.

As a comparison, the season opening of Sarah Connor Chronicles premiered at 18.6M rating with 11.4 season average, before it dropped to 4.64 average in season 2. By the end of show, the ratings had dropped to about 3 or so, and Fox pulled the plug. Firefly had a 4.7M average. These are the kind of numbers V can't afford to have.

The Sci Fi niche has a terrible track record rating wise on TV, worse than any other TV drama niche. Those few TV drama shows with a 'sci fi angle' that did great (Lost, Heroes, True Blood), they pale in ratings compared to reality shows such as American Idol. Flash Forward opened strong, but is already starting to drop in ratings. Once you add the factors of aliens and space ships, the statistics are even worse. It is very risky for a network to run a Sci Fi show in prime time.

In the 80s, V was the best rated show on NBC for more than 2 years. It was a sci fi show with mainstream appeal. This new show is the 3rd most anticipated show of the fall season, and the critics loves the pilot episode. Now, ABC are marketing V like crazy with all these TV spots. They even have the audacity to run the show up against NCIS, which is the highest rated TV drama with more than 20 million viewers. It's crash or burn for V. It's a high risk gamble. With 4 episodes, they can test the waters, and adjust the budget accordingly.

My feeling is, for an expensive show as V, it is going to need 10M+ viewers on average to stay afloat. Then, more seasons can be ordered. If it reaches 20M, it is an earth shattering success. If it is around the 5M mark, it is going to be canceled very quickly.



I heard they're only airing 4 episodes now, and the 'rest' after the Winter Olympics. And that ABC might decide to make it a miniseries instead of a series, which would be :(.
There are a lot of rumors and speculation about this, including possible script issues. This is the 'official' story, however:


Executive producer Steve Pearlman, meanwhile, explained why ABC will air only four episodes before taking a long break and return to air the balance of the first season's 13 episodes in March.

"From the very beginning, there was going to be a break," Pearlman said on the show's set in Vancouver, Canada. "We were planned originally to be on starting in November, and then we were going to be off the air for about six or seven weeks and then come back on the air in January. And I think ... everybody kind of realized that that would put us up against American Idol ... plus the Olympics."

To avoid competition from those two shows, ABC opted instead to keep the show off the air until March. The show will play out in four-episode chapters, Pearlman added. "These [first] four episodes now have been designed very carefully [that this is] basically the first three weeks of the Visitors being here. ... Episodes one, two and three following the pilot, the story ... becomes much more about: There is no normal anymore, which is the title of the [second] episode."

The fourth episode is slated to air on Nov. 24, Pearlman said. "There are quite a few cliffhanger moments for many of our characters in that episode, and things that hopefully will be big enough events and the viewers will be hooked into these characters enough that the viewers will want to come back and see what happens to them in March." V kicks off on Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT."

[Droo]

Your points about the ratings makes pefect sense, except I have one problem: the viewing public en masse have absolutely no taste whatsoever. Why should I suffer for their poor judgement? :grumble

[Darth Turbogeek]

Your points about the ratings makes pefect sense, except I have one problem: the viewing public en masse have absolutely no taste whatsoever. Why should I suffer for their poor judgement? :grumble

Why should I have to suffer your appalling bad baste? :twak

;)

Not that I like the utter tripe on TV, but point taken? If it doesnt rate, it dies. And I have seen nothing in this new V that I give a shit about - the original was in reality godawful.

They *mihgt* pull a BSG and it's awesome, but I doubt it.

[Darth Turbogeek]

Season pilot airs 3rd of November on ABC 8 pm EST. :cyduck

Here are the 8 first minutes:





BOOOOOOOORIIIINGGGGGGG

[Droo]

Why should I have to suffer your appalling bad baste? :twak



There are two universal constants in life: we will die, and my taste is infallable!

Those yet to yield to this inevitable truth simply haven't known me long enough to appreciate my sublime taste. But fear not, it is merely a matter of time.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well ABC is marketing the hell out of it, and I think it will do great rating wise at least the first few episodes. Not sure if it is a great idea to keep it on Tuesdays at 8 when American Idol comes back.

[Rutabaga]

The reviews I've seen so far have been pretty positive.

[Mu Satach]

This puts to rest my concerns about that "jazzy" music heard at the end credits of that 8 minute pilot preview.

I had to turn it off. Not that it was bad, but so did not fit the mood. >_<

[Yog]

Just reminding you with Syfy channel, the V marathon started now. :D

[Jedi Master Carr]

Yeah I am watching it right now.The first miniseries was great. You have to love the symbolism to the Nazis and the rise of a fascism state.

[Yog]

Season opening tonight at 8 pm EST! Not many hours left now..

Last nights promo video:
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[Droo]

Ireland are getting this on Thursday. The rest of the UK has to wait until "early 2010". Yeah, nice one... :\

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Well, you'll only be missing the first four episodes. Its not like we'll see the whole season before you do. Maybe they just didn't want to have the huge break like we're going to have to suffer through.

ninja edit: it does, of course, still suck. Can you use Hulu.com in the UK or?

[Droo]

I'm sure I'll be able to see it before its official UK release, I just wanted to have a good grumble at the injustice of it all! :)

[Dragon]

ARGH, why does my local ABC affiliate have such crappy sound quality right now? :(

EDIT: Unless it was to mask the crappy dialogue. I seriously almost stopped watching after the first half-hour because of all the cliched exchanges and graceless exposition. There was some adequately creepy foreshadowing later in the episode, but nothing that the original didn't do. I'm not sure I like any of these characters, especially the feckless priest, whose clunky, vapid "sermon" and perpetually confused expression made me want to sock him.

Non-spoiler version: I am not impressed. Tuesday nights are busy for me, and I doubt I'll be making time for any more episodes.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I loved it, great first hour. I like how they changed things but kept it similar to the original. Great acting too by Elizabeth Mitchell and Joel Grestch.

[Yog]

I enjoyed it as well, although, I do have some concerns. First and foremost is the pacing. It felt like they were trying to squeeze 3 episodes worth of plot ideas into one episode. Why not build things up a little bit more? The arrival of spacecraft from another civilization is supposed to be the biggest historical event of all time, and the original miniseries did a great job conveying that. I did not get the same feeling here. The ships just appear on the sky suddenly, and there is no coverage of what happens between Anna's message and her walking around casually between journalists. Where was the landing of the first shuttle craft and the first encounter? Where are the world leaders and Governments in all of this? And where are the actual experts in this field such as anthropologists, biologists, astronomers? Where is NASA, the NSA, and emergency briefings behind closed doors? The reveal of a reptile face is almost done as an afterthought. Human resistance seem to appear before the end of the 5 minute news cycle. It did feel rushed.

That being said, I can sort of understand they are fast forwarding some of these plot points as everyone who saw the original series will know what is going to happen. They need to build their own story. I also really like the cast of the show so far, and can't wait to see these characters being developed. The general production qualities are more reminiscent of a sci fi movie than a TV series, so I have high hopes for the continuation.

One interesting plot element that differs from the original series is the presence of visitors on the planet before the invasion. I'm guessing they already infiltrated part of the Government, and it shows that no one can be trusted. Apparently, not even the visitors can trust their own.. I'm guessing in the next few episodes, we will get an idea of their agenda. The producers have stated it is not going to be the same as the original one.

Roll on next episode! :cool:

[Yog]

... from a different forum:

Apparently Warner Bros. Television and ABC Studios have changed the showrunner from Scott Peters to Scott Rosenbaum(Writer and Executive Producer for 'Chuck'), and while Peters won't be the showrunner anymore he'll still be involved with the show as a executive producer, but have less of a say when it comes to the creative direction of the show. Scott Peters had creative control and was essentially the showrunner from episode 1 to 4 and Scott Rosenbaum will have those responsibilities from episode 5 and onwards.


To expand on this..


If you had issues with the V series premiere tonight, there is a chance that the series could get better as the season goes on, especially now that we’ve learned that Chuck executive producer/writer Scott Rosenbaum will be taking over the show as executive producer/showrunner. The fledgling series is no stranger to creative struggles. Original showrunner Jeff Bell (Angel, Alias) was replaced in the summer by Scott Peters (The 4400), who also wrote the pilot. Peters will continue working on the show, but the heavy lifting will now be Rosenbaum’s duty.

This is good news for V, because the show could certainly use some polishing. Even though we had heard that the pilot was getting slightly reworked, I didn’t see much of a difference from the version we saw at Comic-con. The dialog is still clunky as all hell, and as much as I loved Elizabeth Mitchell in Lost, she remains completely devoid of personality in the pilot.(And yet, it’s still better than Flash Forward). We’ll be seeing three more episodes of the show this month, and then it will go on hiatus for the holidays.

I just hope that the loss of Rosenbaum doesn’t adversely affect Chuck too much. That show has a lot of other talented writers and producers involved, so I have faith that they can keep up the quality this season.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/11/03/tv-news-v-brings-on-chuck-showrunner-zuleikha-robinson-now-a-lost-series-regular/

[Rutabaga]

Overall I enjoyed it and am looking forward to seeing more episodes. My only major complaint is that it was painfully obvious who the mole was, and it was shockingly dumb that Elizabeth Mitchell's character didn't even begin to suspect it. O_o

[Yog]

Ratings are in, and so far the numbers are great. An impressive 13.9 million people watched the pilot, competing directly against the rating giant NCIS. The average viewer count was also higher in the second half hour of the show, which is another good sign.

V Invasion a Success (http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/b152149_v_invasion_success.html)


The aliens have landed. And we couldn't wait to welcome them.

V, ABC's redo of the 1980s sci-fi franchise, notched the fall's biggest new-series premiere among the viewers TV networks covet most.

Overall, last night's hourlong opener averaged 13.9 million hapless humans, preliminary Nielsen estimates showed, topping NBC's The Biggest Loser (8.5 million) and the first hour of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance (6.4 million). CBS' NCIS (19.4 million) was its typical monster self, and led the 8 p.m. hour—but not among those aforementioned viewers TV networks covet most.

V, which originally invaded TV in 1983, via NBC, was actually the night's highest-rated show among the cool kids, also besting NCIS: Los Angeles and Dancing With the Stars.

Guess we've been waiting for somebody to take care of all the rodents.

More numbers here:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/11/04/tv-ratings-tuesday-v-arrives-viewers-follow/32541#comments

Edit: The real interesting bit is, V beat NCIS in the 18-49 demographics numbers 4.9 vs 4.0. That's apparently what means most to the advertisers. Now to see how well it will hold in second week.

Edit 2: ABC press release!


Opposite stiff established original competition in Tuesday's 8 o'clock hour, including CBS' top-rated NCIS, NBC's Biggest Loser and Fox's So You Think You Can Dance, ABC's V opened a strong #1 in Adults 18-49, soaring to the top of its slot and leading second-place CBS' NCIS by 19% (5.0/13 vs. 4.2/11).

In fact despite its early time period with lower overall viewing levels and with no network lead-in, self-starter V stood as Tuesday's #1 TV program overall in the key young adult sales demo and as the season's highest-rated new series debut this TV Season. In a good sign for future viewing the new ABC drama generated tune-in throughout its premiere, growing in both Total Viewers (13.8 million to 14.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (4.9/13 to 5.1/13) from its first half-hour to its second half-hour.

V marked ABC's strongest performance in the time period among Adults 18-49 in 3 years (any programming) since 11/14/06.

Topping CBS' spinoff NCIS: LA series debut in September by 14% (5.0/13 vs. 4.4/11 - which had the added advantage of airing out of the season opener of NCIS), V qualifies as the top-rated Tuesday night fall series debut among Adults 18-49 on any network since 2005 and ABC's highest since 2003 since 9/20/05 and since 9/23/03, respectively.

V opened with the highest Adult 18-49 rating for a regular 8pm drama debut (any net/any night) since ABC's Lost on 9/22/04.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I enjoyed it as well, although, I do have some concerns. First and foremost is the pacing. It felt like they were trying to squeeze 3 episodes worth of plot ideas into one episode. Why not build things up a little bit more? The arrival of spacecraft from another civilization is supposed to be the biggest historical event of all time, and the original miniseries did a great job conveying that. I did not get the same feeling here. The ships just appear on the sky suddenly, and there is no coverage of what happens between Anna's message and her walking around casually between journalists. Where was the landing of the first shuttle craft and the first encounter? Where are the world leaders and Governments in all of this? And where are the actual experts in this field such as anthropologists, biologists, astronomers? Where is NASA, the NSA, and emergency briefings behind closed doors? The reveal of a reptile face is almost done as an afterthought. Human resistance seem to appear before the end of the 5 minute news cycle. It did feel rushed.

That being said, I can sort of understand they are fast forwarding some of these plot points as everyone who saw the original series will know what is going to happen. They need to build their own story. I also really like the cast of the show so far, and can't wait to see these characters being developed. The general production qualities are more reminiscent of a sci fi movie than a TV series, so I have high hopes for the continuation.

One interesting plot element that differs from the original series is the presence of visitors on the planet before the invasion. I'm guessing they already infiltrated part of the Government, and it shows that no one can be trusted. Apparently, not even the visitors can trust their own.. I'm guessing in the next few episodes, we will get an idea of their agenda. The producers have stated it is not going to be the same as the original one.

Roll on next episode! :cool:

I agree with you about pacing. I think though that this will not be the case after the pilot. I suspect they just trying to get some of the basic stuff that they people remember about the original out of the way first.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

To be honest I was worried that the pacing would feel totally rushed, but for me it didn't. Sure they could have fleshed out some things a bit more, but overall I was very satisfied and liked it.

I thought the makeup effects were awesome. Very cool.

[Yog]

There is one other thing that really bothers me though. "V" is supposed to stand for "Victory". In these series, the visitors are referred to as V's. Seriously? "The V's"?? That is either completely misunderstood or disrespectful to the original series.

Every fan of V remembers this iconic scene, because it was so thematic on what the show was about, and it defines the allegory to WW2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5XD84jhe-c

Now, I understand they are trying to do something new, but there are some things you don't mess with, and this is one of them. Here is Ken Johnson's take on it:


CONTROVERSIAL QUESTION HAS BEEN ANSWERED BY KEN JOHNSON! Fan Greg wanted clarification on what the red "V" stands for because of the confusion in the ABC series with the Visitors being called "The V's." KEN JOHNSON's response:
"V has absolutely no connection to the word Visitors.

V is and always has been the universal symbol of Resistance against Tyranny.

I got idea for using V as the title for my original miniseries from seeing Winston Churchill holding up his two fingers as a V in the darkest days of World War II -- and from seeing so many Nazi propaganda posters with a big red V slashed across them.

Leonardo Cimino even states it loud and clear in my original as he says to some teenagers spraying graffiti, "No! -- If you are going to do it, do it right! I'll show you!" -- He takes the boy's hand and guides the spray paint onto a Visitor propaganda poster into a big red V.

"You understand?" he says -- very loud and clear -- "For Victory! -- Go tell your friends!"

Anyone who ever paid an ounce of attention to my original -- or to history -- certainly knows that.

Calling the Visitors "The V's" is pretty silly and not only totally misses the entire point in an effort to sound pseudo-hip, but denigrates the efforts of millions of Resistance fighters, many of whom died heroically in their determination to win and preserve freedom."

As a V fan it's insulting to see them messing with the symbolics this way. Nevertheless, I'll keep watching the show with an open mind.

Tonight is a new episode!

[Yog]

I thought the makeup effects were awesome. Very cool.
Yes, and the visual effects, and the cloned human tissue was a great detail. Also the characters are interesting. I like the production values, so I will give the show a shot.

Here is the Promo trailer (http://www.visitorsite.net/ep2promo.htm) for tonights episode, teaser video clips (http://www.visitorsite.net/ep2clips.htm) and a 2 minute sneak peek (http://abc.go.com/watch/clip/v/SH011580430000/228990/240418) (spoilers!).

Regarding the sneak peek, man is Tyler going to get a surprise when he discovers that his beloved Lisa from space has a cloaca! :lol

[Jedi Master Carr]

There is one other thing that really bothers me though. "V" is supposed to stand for "Victory". In these series, the visitors are referred to as V's. Seriously? "The V's"?? That is either completely misunderstood or disrespectful to the original series.

Every fan of V remembers this iconic scene, because it was so thematic on what the show was about, and it defines the allegory to WW2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5XD84jhe-c

Now, I understand they are trying to do something new, but there are some things you don't mess with, and this is one of them. Here is Ken Johnson's take on it:


CONTROVERSIAL QUESTION HAS BEEN ANSWERED BY KEN JOHNSON! Fan Greg wanted clarification on what the red "V" stands for because of the confusion in the ABC series with the Visitors being called "The V's." KEN JOHNSON's response:
"V has absolutely no connection to the word Visitors.

V is and always has been the universal symbol of Resistance against Tyranny.

I got idea for using V as the title for my original miniseries from seeing Winston Churchill holding up his two fingers as a V in the darkest days of World War II -- and from seeing so many Nazi propaganda posters with a big red V slashed across them.

Leonardo Cimino even states it loud and clear in my original as he says to some teenagers spraying graffiti, "No! -- If you are going to do it, do it right! I'll show you!" -- He takes the boy's hand and guides the spray paint onto a Visitor propaganda poster into a big red V.

"You understand?" he says -- very loud and clear -- "For Victory! -- Go tell your friends!"

Anyone who ever paid an ounce of attention to my original -- or to history -- certainly knows that.

Calling the Visitors "The V's" is pretty silly and not only totally misses the entire point in an effort to sound pseudo-hip, but denigrates the efforts of millions of Resistance fighters, many of whom died heroically in their determination to win and preserve freedom."

As a V fan it's insulting to see them messing with the symbolics this way. Nevertheless, I'll keep watching the show with an open mind.

Tonight is a new episode!

I suspect that they will use V for victory later in the series.

I also thought this was a better episode because it concentrated on fewer storylines and seemed to have much better pacing.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The preview spoiler of Wash being alive was... a fake out!

And then it wasn't.

I liked the episode a lot. I'm not sure how much I like the priest character though - I feel that he's a bit whiny for my taste. Plus I don't think that the arrival of aliens should shake his faith so much, at least, it wouldn't mine. I wouldn't go to the immediate acceptance of them that the Catholic church in the series has, I don't think, but there are reasons I believe what I do, and the existence of life on other planets doesn't really affect that for me.

Actually it would probably reaffirm it, especially if they looked just like us.

Hmm, but then if the aliens turned out to be evil reptiles bent on eating us that might be a bit of a poser.

Anyway, I think the priest is too weak. I hope he grows as a character as time goes on. :)

[Yog]

Aside from the priest, what do you think of Father Travis? I suspect he is a visitor! One of the more fascinating aspects of this show, you never know who is a reptile in disguise, they probably infiltrated the Government too.

I liked this episode a lot better than the first one. The pacing was right this time. It flowed very nicely. Now that the introduction phase is over, the characters are getting more fleshed out. I was also thrilled to see some of the creepy stuff that the visitors are doing behind the scenes. Hologram wardrobe. Tapping into and controlling communications networks such as 911. Snake torture bed etc.

Ratingwise, the show dropped 29% since the pilot, with a 3.7 point rating and 10.7 million viewers. But that was to be expected from such a highly profiled premiere. Let's hope it stabilizes around that level.

[Rutabaga]

I agree, Yog, I'm totally convinced that Father Travis is a visitor.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I thought this was the best episode to date. I loved they kept the Fifth Column,love the line to Dale, "The fifth Column says hello." I also think Marcus (Anna's assistant) is the leader of the Fifth Column on that ship. I could be wrong but did Morris Chesnut's character say the former fifth column leader was John Martin? If so they obviously made an allusion to the miniseries since Martin was the leader of the Fifth column. If they bring this character in could be a place to bring a cameo in from the original series either Marc Singer or Michael Ironside.

[Yog]

^^ Indeed, episode 3 was the best one so far. This is rapidly becoming my favorite show on TV. The suspension curve appears to be bending upwards and it gets better for every chapter. It's now approaching the quality of being worth watching more than once. I hope this is a sign of things to come.


I loved they kept the Fifth Column, love the line to Dale, "The fifth Column says hello. I also think Marcus (Anna's assistant) is the leader of the Fifth Column on that ship. I could be wrong but did Morris Chesnut's character say the former fifth column leader was John Martin? If so they obviously made an allusion to the miniseries since Martin was the leader of the Fifth column. If they bring this character in could be a place to bring a cameo in from the original series either Marc Singer or Michael Ironside.
John MAY was his name. Remember the writing on the wall, "John May Lives"? He was the founder of the Fifth Column, and the first who stood up to the visitors. He must be some kind of legend since even Georgie had heard his name. The name is close enough that it is probably a tribute to the original series. I would be shocked if it turns out to be Marcus, but it's possible I guess. Marcus reminds me of Steven in original V. John May is probably someone we have not seen yet. The scene with Dale Maddox in the memory construct was pure brilliance btw. That injection was probably some kind of venom, and now he's dead so he won't be able to tell anyone about the Fifth Column agent or Erica at the FBI. Good riddance, what a creep. I predict the Fifth Column will attempt to contact the human resistance soon.

On a related note, what were your thoughts about about the interaction between Ryan (Chestnut) and Cyrus? I was mystified when they started to talk about being 'reconnected' and 'the bliss'. "The Bliss is how she controls us, Cyrus!". I assume the "she" in this case is Anna. It sounds like some kind of mind control program or an addictive drug that enables Anna to control her subordinates. The abstinences and effect must be very powerful when it can cause a Fifth Columnist to give away himself and many other members for the promise of being 'reconnected'.

There was also a couple of other things I really liked in this episode. First, the Council Room with the holographic images of the captains of the 29 ships. Then the scene with Erica sneaking around and entering the surveillance room. So the fabric of the patch on those uniforms is photo sensitive, and gives hidden surveillance video to the command centers. Also, did you notice the letters on the signs and numbers on the keypad, those are the same alphabet as in the original.

Finally, am I the only one creeped out by Erica's boss at the FBI? He acts so inquisitive at times, and then he sends the guy who attempts to assassinate Marcus straight to the visitors, because it's "complicated". Except, it was not even an assassination attempt, it was all a charade. Now he is my prime suspect of being a visitor. Maybe HE is John May??
:: mind explodes ::

... and holy crap, I almost forgot to mention Anna being the mother of the blonde lizard chick Tyler got the hots over. That was another shock. What do they want with Tyler? He reminds me of Daniel in the original V. So naive.

[Mu Satach]

Fun silly stuff.

[Yog]

So what did you guys think of episode 4? :)

I suspect the big fleet of ships at the end hints what the visitors final agenda is. I think they plan to colonize our planet and make us their slaves. It actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Our planet is like Eden, why attempt to remove the resources when they can simply take over the planet and make it their home. If the process involves turning the human civilization into grocery articles or exterminate us, so be it.. Pretty sinister stuff, and a notable difference from the original series if I'm right.

Now that we know what 'the bliss' is, I still wonder what it means to be 'reconnected'. It looks like Anna connected to the whole fleet of visitors, and even those on earth, although I did not see Ryan (Chestnut) in a bliss. Maybe some of them are like outcasts of Visitor society and were disconnected, unable to receive Anna's 'gifts'. Or maybe there is a way to be in a permanent state of bliss. Any ideas?

I am also wondering what the virus is going to do to us.. :uhoh

[Mu Satach]

<i>must


resist



spoilers!!! </i>



GAH!

Won't see ep 4 til Sat. :)

:rollin

[Rutabaga]

I'm finding that the cheese factor is greater than I anticipated, and I'm struggling with some of the characters. I love Elizabeth Mitchell on Lost, but on V her character is really one-dimensional and annoying, and I'm not liking her at all. And ditto for the priest, he's really annoying and one-dimensional too.

I'll be back in March, but I'm really hoping to see them step it up in the writing department. I don't mind cheese, but I'd like to see some smarter cheese please. :)

[Jedi Master Carr]

So what did you guys think of episode 4? :)

I suspect the big fleet of ships at the end hints what the visitors final agenda is. I think they plan to colonize our planet and make us their slaves. It actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Our planet is like Eden, why attempt to remove the resources when they can simply take over the planet and make it their home. If the process involves turning the human civilization into grocery articles or exterminate us, so be it.. Pretty sinister stuff, and a notable difference from the original series if I'm right.

Now that we know what 'the bliss' is, I still wonder what it means to be 'reconnected'. It looks like Anna connected to the whole fleet of visitors, and even those on earth, although I did not see Ryan (Chestnut) in a bliss. Maybe some of them are like outcasts of Visitor society and were disconnected, unable to receive Anna's 'gifts'. Or maybe there is a way to be in a permanent state of bliss. Any ideas?

I am also wondering what the virus is going to do to us.. :uhoh

I agree with you I can enslavement as their goal. I still am wondering when we will meet John May. As I said I hope is a major guest star. I would get either Marc Singer or Michael Ironside from the original series to play that character. It sucks we have to wait till March.

[Yog]

Wow, I loved that episode last night. Absolutely awesome. Most entertaining show on TV.

"Now my eggs need nourishment" :uhoh

[Rutabaga]

I completely gave up on the show halfway through last night's episode. Overall I wasn't that impressed with the first 4 episodes. And I didn't see any improvement last night, I just saw continued dull writing and bad acting.

Does this make me a party pooper? :D

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Every party needs a pooper that's why we invited you!

;)

I thought it was okay. The whole "Now my eggs need nourishment" deal was too easy to see coming, however. At least, for me. I'm a bit excited to see how they're going to treat the inter-species pregnancy.


All in all I liked Elizabeth Mitchell much better as Juliet, and I can't get behind the way they're pulling the Resistance together. Its all... too scripted I guess. It feels false.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I just skipped over the last 60 or so posts to avoid spoilers ^_^; I think this is just about to start in the UK on Sci-Fi (we haven't been rebranded as SyFy yet) so I guess I will check out this series out soon.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

We didn't see any reason to put spoilers over facts from a TV show/miniseries that's been out for like twenty years. ^_^;

[Yog]

Teaser for next week's season finale episode, "Red Sky."

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[Lilaena De'Ville]

CASTING SPOILERS FOR UPCOMING SEASON

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Kecks-Exclusives-Jane-1021563.aspx

This news is good. I'm not sure that the writers won't find a way to make it not matter, but I'm optimistic that this is a step in a good direction.

[Miranda Tarkin]

This better be good. That is an awesome spoiler for the greater gooed

[The Original BuffJedi]

CASTING SPOILERS FOR UPCOMING SEASON

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Kecks-Exclusives-Jane-1021563.aspx

This news is good. I'm not sure that the writers won't find a way to make it not matter, but I'm optimistic that this is a step in a good direction. I was actually getting ready to say that , got it from one of my horror updates on F.B. Now, I have not watched this V, but with her on it..I'M SOOOOO there, I had a HUGE crush on her when I was a Wee-Buff.

[Mu Satach]

CASTING SPOILERS FOR UPCOMING SEASON

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Kecks-Exclusives-Jane-1021563.aspx

This news is good. I'm not sure that the writers won't find a way to make it not matter, but I'm optimistic that this is a step in a good direction.

that is very happy news - I don't care how cheesy it gets... I luvs mah cheese if it's aged well. :)