TV Series Preview: ABC's "V" (2009-2010 Series)

Some TV series should never be re-cycled and re-made. Take for instance ABC's quirky "Cupid", which aired in 1998 only to run for 15 episodes. The original series with Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall was great, while the re-make was mercifully canceled last season after just four shows. Sometimes though, television gets lucky, as was the case with Battlestar Galactica, where the original (released in 1978) could not come close to duplicating the special effects of its 2004 counterpart. That said, ABC's remake of "V" this season should fall into the latter category. After all, special affects have come a long way, which will enable green scaled "visitors" in human skin to venture beyond its somewhat cheesy (but loveable) 1984 predecessor.

Not that I have anything against the original "V." Like countless others from my generation, I tuned in weekly to watch the Resistance, led by Mike Donavon (Marc Singer), wage battle against a "second" alien invasion. Making up for what it lacked in special effects (compared to the special effects of today), the alien invaders were lead by the evil Diane, played with gusto by former Miss New Hampshire Jane Balder. Had the series run for more than a year, Balder's character might now be remembered as the female equivalent to that other galactic baddie, Darth Vader, only with a healthy does of "evil female sexy appeal and an 80's haircut," in place of the mask and the heavy breathing. If truth be told though, who I really had a crush on back then was Dr. Juliet Parrish, played by the petite Faye Grant. The original cast of outer space visitors also featured Robert Englund (of Freddy Krueger fame), who unlike Diane of Freddy Krueger for that matter, was a heck of a nice guy for an alien.

The original series was plagued by budget constraints that limited the amount of special effects that were used, which in itself is often the kiss of death to shows of this genre. Hopefully advances in technologies will go a long ways towards reviving and re-tooling the story this time. The fact that the world has changed so much in the last 25 years may also play a pivotal roll in offering a fresh perspective on the old tale.

The remake will feature actress Elizabeth Mitchell (of "Lost" fame) as Erica Evans, a US federal agent involved in counterterrorism. Adding to the complexity of her character, Mitchell will be a single mother who's son is in love with one of the visitors. Erica's partner Dale Maddox will be played by Alan Tudyk. Tudyk himself will not be a stranger to fans of this genre, having played the role of Walsh in the short-lived (but cult favorite) series "Firefly." Along those lines, Morena Baccarin (Irena Serra on Firefly) is set to play the role of Anna, the leader of the visitors.

In the end, the fact that they will revived the once beloved but short lived series, is reason enough for most sci-fi fans to take a peek at ABC's new offering this Fall. The fact that the series will be populated by fan favorites from past sci-fi series will be a nice added bonus. Here's hoping that this "V" out lives is predecessor by a good many seasons.

Sources:

http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/07/26/v-comiccon/

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/celebs/c131881_Elizabeth_Mitchell.html