V (1984 TV series)
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| V | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Created by | Kenneth Johnson |
| Starring | Marc Singer Faye Grant Jane Badler Lane Smith Blair Tefkin Jennifer Cooke Michael Ironside Michael Wright Robert Englund Jeff Yagher June Chadwick |
| Composer(s) | Dennis McCarthy |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 19 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Daniel H. Blatt Robert Singer |
| Producer(s) | Dean O'Brien Skip Ward |
| Running time | 47 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Picture format | Film |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | October 26, 1984 – March 22, 1985 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | V (The Final Battle) |
V (also known as V: The Series) is a one-hour weekly television series that aired in the United States on NBC in 1984-85. It is a continuation of the science fiction franchise about an alien invasion of Earth by a carnivorous race of reptilians known as "The Visitors" which was originally conceived by American writer, producer and director Kenneth Johnson. Johnson, however, was not involved in the production of the weekly series.
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[edit] Plot summary
Following directly on from the events of the mini-series V: The Final Battle, the alien Diana escapes from her captured mothership in a shuttle, but is pursued by resistance member Mike Donovan. After a short fight, Donovan captures her.
One year after the day the Red Dust was deployed, now the international holiday called "Liberation Day", the former members of the Resistance and their Fifth Column allies have gone their separate ways and are each looking forward to prosperous careers and bright futures. As Diana is about to be put on trial for the atrocities she committed during the First Invasion, the company responsible for mass production of the Red Dust, Science Frontiers, has her abducted and taken to a secret cabin in the woods outside L.A., where the company's CEO, Nathan Bates, offers Diana better accommodations in exchange for providing him with access to alien technology.
Donovan and Martin, meanwhile, pursue Nathan's agents in a stolen helicopter. After reaching the cabin, Donovan is knocked unconscious by Martin, who wants Diana dead. Before Martin can kill her, Diana is able to overpower him, stealing his pistol. She forces him to surrender his last antidote pill so she can temporarily survive on Earth and then shoots him, enabling her escape to the Southwest Tracking Station.
Martin tells Donovan about Diana's plan to contact the Visitor Fleet moments before his death, and Donovan sets off after her on foot. Donovan meets Ham Tyler, one of the thugs on Bates' payroll, and the two agree to pursue Diana together. Their attempts to stop her fail, and Diana escapes to a Visitor Shuttle sent by a new fleet hidden behind the Moon. Diana proceeds to launch the Second Invasion of Earth.
The Resistance assembles once more, now fighting the Visitors nationwide and also contending with the power-hungry Nathan Bates, who has used the power vacuum left behind by the collapse of the government to become Governor of Los Angeles. The Resistance fights however it can, often joined by other rebel groups. Although 50% of the Earth is still protected from The Visitors by the Red Dust bacterium, the Resistance cannot use any more of it due to the toxic long-term effects it will have on the environment. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, who has transformed yet again and now looks like a young adult, becomes increasingly important in the cause for Earth's freedom, eventually controlling the destiny of both races and deciding the outcome of the conflict.
[edit] Episodes list
[edit] Main cast
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[edit] Distribution
V was broadcast in Britain in 1984 on ITV, where it found a cult following.[1]
[edit] Production notes
- The TV series' single season was released on LaserDisc in Japan in April 1989 (bilingual English/Japanese with subtitles) as a massive 10-disc box set, which included a "Diana Special" (in Japanese only) on side 20. It was later issued on Region 1 DVD in 2004, and Region 2 in 2008.
- The weekly series reused a lot of action footage from the mini-series. This was especially evident in the Visitor fighter craft chase scene in the pilot episode, where nearly all external shots were lifted from the climax scene of the original mini-series.
- In the original mini-series and The Final Battle, the Visitors' voices were given, among other post-processing, a pitch shift effect. This was dropped from the weekly series.
[edit] Comic Book
DC Comics published 18 issues of a "V" comic book concurrently with the TV series. [1]
[edit] Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 6th Youth In Film Awards | Best Young Actor: Guest in a Series — Eric Johnson | Nominated |
| 1985 | 37th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Makeup | Nominated |
| 1988 | Royal Television Society | Most Original Programme | Won |
[edit] References
- ^ Turbervill, Huw (2011-05-20). "V is for vanquished. Revived sci-fi show is zapped". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8526228/V-is-for-vanquished.-Revived-sci-fi-show-is-zapped.html. Retrieved August 26, 2011. "Kenneth Johnson [...] wrote and directed the excellent two-part mini-series in 1983 that captivated American audiences, and found a cult following in Britain when it was shown late at night on ITV in opposition to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics on the BBC."
[edit] External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: V (1984 TV series) |
- V: The Series at the Internet Movie Database
- V: The Series at TV.com
- First three acts of J. Michael Straczynski's script for V: The Next Chapter episode "Rebirth"
- V (1984 TV series) at the Open Directory Project
- V at Rotten Tomatoes
- V: The Series streaming episodes on TheWB
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