In 1983 Kenneth Johnson wrote and directed a two-part science fiction miniseries which Entertainment Weekly said was "one of the best since 1982", known for its smart writing and mysterious plots, V is commonly regarded as one of the great science fiction shows.
Tomorrow night (November 3rd 2009) it's back. ABC are launching a new "reimagining" of the original series starring Lost's very own Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet) and The 4400's Joel Gretsch. We'll be tuning in, and to start our 'Watch TV ...' regular feature, we're recommending that you tune in, too.
Why to watch
If you've seen the original miniseries, or read the V novels, then you might be skeptical about a remake. Fear not, however, the reviews of the new series have been overwhelmingly positive, and possibly most importantly to you, the show "quickly establishes its own identity," according to USA Today's Robert Bianco.
E!Online gave a positive forecast this summer, "[we've] seen the pilot" they wrote, "and on a scale of 1 to 10, we give it an 11. V is the best pilot we've seen in, well, forever."
Many have congratulated the "feature-film quality" effects of the pilot, with Cindy Elavsky of King Features adding, "the writing is intelligent and time-relevant; and the acting is first-rate. The first five minutes alone will hook you for the entire season."
Things to look out for
Of course, we wouldn't have bothered to recommend the show if there wasn't at least something Lost-related.
The Others The Visitors
While The Others might not be aliens, we're still going to see similarities between the perceived super-human Islanders who were "living amongst us" back in season one and the reptilian invaders of V.
Juliet
That's right, Elizabeth Mitchell (who plays Juliet on Lost) stars as Erica in the V remake. We're hoping that her actions in The Swan this year sent her forward in time where she became a single mom and FBI agent, in some kind of awesome DHARMA tie-in ... but we aren't holding our breath.
"After the Visitors arrive, Erica gets caught up in the greatest conspiracy and toughest fight of her life, to save humanity and to keep her son safe."
Peace Ambassador Program
ABC have found great success in extending Lost's presence to the online-world with their so-called "alternate reality games", and they've created a similar idea with V, the Peace Ambassador Program.
It doesn't appear to be as involving or nearly as rewarding as the original Lost Experience or subsequent endeavours, but it could be fun if only for the Hanso-like introductory video.
How to watch
V airs tomorrow night (November 3rd 2009) on ABC at 8/7c. ABC will likely show the episode on their website, and you can watch the first 8-minutes on Hulu which will be followed by the entire episode after it airs on TV.
If you enjoyed the show, we recommend that you check out V-The-Series.com--a promising new blog about the show--for all your V-related news, spoilers and goodies as the show progresses.
