Sci-Fi News and Reviews

Don't Miss "V"

I am pretty excited about debut (Tuesday @ 8:00 PM EST on ABC) of the remake of the classic Sci-Fi program, "V".

This incarnation is not a complete re-imaging (a la "Battlestar Galactica"). Instead, the original story looks to have been modernized to the current era. The plot basically chronicles the events surrounding the arrival of the 'Visitors' (or V's), who reveal themselves simultaneously to major cities around the world.

Here's why I think the show will be good. The writer and show runner is Scott Peters, who helmed "The 4400", which was a very underrated show. The cast also looks to be excellent, with Morena Baccarin ("Firefly"), Elizabeth Mitchell ("Lost") and Joel Gretsch (also from "The 4400") all playing major roles.

From what I read, the storyline is also still fresh. Some say that the plot of "V" is not really about aliens at all, but about fascism in America (see the io9 article for more). The extra layer of complexity attracts me. In addition, the trailer really did grab my attention and, I thought, set up a realistic feel of what would happen if aliens really did appear above my city.

Unfortunately, there is a big problem - ABC is only planning on running 4 episodes (the first 'pod') before putting the show on hiatus. Sure, there are plans to have the series return in March, but the rating and reviews will have to be superlative for that to happen.

I've already set the TiVo for the premiere. However, if the full episode does not live up to the promise of the concept (and the trailer), I suspect that this will be a very short-lived run.