V (TV series)

V was a 1983 US science fiction television miniseries written and directed by Kenneth Johnson and first shown on NBC. It starred Jane Badler, Marc Singer, Faye Grant, Michael Ironside, Michael Durrell, Jenny Sullivan, Richard Herd, Peter Nelson, Diane Civita and Robert Englund.

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Premise

Humanoid (even human-looking) aliens arrive on Earth from the sixth planet of Sirius) in fleet of huge saucer ships that park over the major cities of the planet. They act friendly and seek the help of humans to obtain needed chemicals to aid their own planet. In return, the Visitors promise to share their advanced technology with humanity. The governments of the planet accept and the Visitors gain considerable influence with the native authorities.

However, strange things are noted such as scientists that find themselves facing increasing media hostility and government restrictions on their activities and movements. This includes confessions of subversive activities by noted scientists whom alert viewers noted are acting strangely beyond their confessions, such as they suddenly demonstrate the opposite hand preference than they are known to have.

Photojournalist Michael Donovan (played by Singer) sneaks aboard one of the Visitors' motherships and discovers beneath their humanlike covering, the aliens are reptilian in nature and carnivorous, prefering to eating food alive. However, when Donovan tries to air this expose, the broadcast is blocked and Donovan becomes a wanted fugitive pursued both the police and the Visitors.

As the series progresses, the true designs of the Visitors' agenda is revealed, they plan to steal all the water of the planet and harvest the human race as a food source, leaving only a few as slaves. The scientists are persecuted both to discredit the population most likely to detect the Visitors secrets and to distract the human population with a scapegoat they could focus their fears on. Furthermore, needed individuals are subjected to a special mind control process called conversion which makes them obey the commands of the Visitors while leaving only subtle clues as their manipulation. However, there are numerous humans who willingly collaborate, including Donovan's own mother, who either are ignorant or refuse to accept the truth.

A resistance movement is formed which is determined to expose and oppose the Visitors as much as possible with the Los Angeles cell leader being Dr. Juliette Parish. Eventually, Donovan joins their group and together, the resistance strike their first blows against the Visitors. Meanwhile, there is a small group of dissidents among the Visitors, including one called Martin, who are opposed to their leader's plans and attempts to help the Resistance by any way possible.

The story, apparently inspired by the 1935 novel It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis, is an allegory about the rise of Nazism (right down to the emblem used by the Visitors, which hints at the swastika). There are very clear references to the Holocaust, the dangers of appeasement and the rise of organised resistance in occupied countries. During the course of the series, the Resistance Network's TV news bulletins report stories of erstwhile enemies, such as black and white South Africans, or Israels and Palestinians, uniting in common cause against the alien occupiers. In addition, direct figure analogies are used such as the senior Visitor scientist, Diana, who is an direct analogy of Dr. Josef Mengele.

The series ran for 200 minutes and was successful enough to spawn a sequel, V: The Final Battle and a television series in 1984–85. Johnson left V during the sequel but went on to work on other science fiction shows such as Alien Nation. Perhaps as a result, the sequel and TV series had less of an emphasis on historical allegory, and were more action-oriented. An interesting aspect of the TV series is the complete absence of military and political authorities; the series makes it appear that all world leaders and their armies have simply vanished.

The cancellation of the TV series in the spring of 1985 appeared to have caught its producers by surprise, as the season ends with a cliffhanger. The show's single season was released on DVD in 2004. That same year, Kenneth Johnson announced plans to produce a sequel to the first V miniseries, but one that would disregard both the second miniseries and the subsequent weekly series.

For the story depicted by the V miniseries in an historical context, see reptiloid.

Major Characters (V: The Series)

The V television series had a large, rotating cast of characters who came and went throughout the show's single season.

• The Resistance
  • Dr. Juliette "Julie" Parrish (Faye Grant). A leader of the Los Angeles Resistance cell, Parrish spends the first part of the season working undercover at Science Frontiers, keeping an eye on Nathan Bates' tenuous relationship with the Visitors while fending off his romantic advances, and later goes underground when her duplicity is discovered. The pressures of war have led to her decision not to pursue a romance with Mike Donovan (something that was hinted at in the two mini-series). An unproduced script for the second season suggests that the character faces a tragic fate (see Trivia, below).
  • Mike Donovan (Marc Singer). Former photojournalist is also a leader of the Resistance. His reputation as a freedom fighter has spread around the world and has even gained him grudging respect from The Vistors themselves. His son, Sean, is kidnapped by The Visitors and brainwashed into becoming a member of their youth corps.
  • Elias Taylor (Michael Wright). A former street thug who graduated to owning his own restaurant as the series began. Built over a hidden speakeasy from the Prohibition era, the restaurant becomes Resistance headquarters after the second invasion, and remains so for a time even after the restaurant itself is destroyed. Elias is killed by a disintegrator ray while investigating the abduction of several Resistance members.
  • Ham Tyler (Michael Ironside). Vietnam veteran turned resistance fighter. Tyler's Cambodian wife and child were killed in a botched air raid near the end of the Vietnam conflict. Tyler doesn't show emotion very often, but grows close to Donovan and his colleagues. Midway through the season, Tyler leaves Los Angeles in order to escort Robin Maxwell to Chicago and his fate is not revealed, though it appears the character might have returned had the series been renewed for a second season (see Trivia, below).
  • Willie (Robert Englund). Pacifist Visitor who defected to the human side during the original mini-series. Still uncertain of his place on Earth, Elias hires him as a waiter in his restaurant. Willie grows close to Elizabeth and helps to mentor her in the uses of her powers. He had been engaged to be married prior to the first invasion, and reunites with his fiancee in the series finale, when he announces his intention to stay on Earth.
  • Robin Maxwell (Blair Tefkin). Mother of Elizabeth (with a Visitor named Brian) and a spoiled brat who thinks more of herself than others. Becomes jealous of Elizabeth's relationship with Kyle, with whom she also is in love. Eventually, Robin starts to grow up and becomes a valid member of the Resistance and reconciles with her daughter and Kyle. It is revealed that Robin has unique DNA that allows her to bear Visitor-human offspring. After a second attempt is made to impregnate her by a Visitor, she chooses to leave Los Angeles and go to Chicago where The Visitors cannot survive due to the "Red Dust".
  • Elizabeth Maxwell (a.k.a. "The Star Child") (Jennifer Cooke). Daughter of Robin Maxwell and the Visitor Brian who is only a young child as the series begins, but experiences growth spurts that result in her becoming a quickly maturing young woman in her late teens. She bears the mark of Zon on her hand, which identifies her as the Starchild, a creature that will bring peace to The Visitors. Her human-reptilian genetics have given her a number of psychic and physical powers, which she is only gradually learning about. Powers displayed in the series include telekinesis, levitation, second sight and mind-reading. She also has the ability to "record" conversations and recite them back like a tape recorder (complete with the original voices). The Leader of the Visitors creates a mind-link with her in the final episode, and convinces her to join him in order to fulfill her destiny (whether as a bride or as a pupil is not revealed). When last seen, she is entering a shuttle to go away with the Leader, not knowing that the ship has been rigged to explode.
  • Kyle Bates (Jeff Yagher). Headstrong son of Science Frontiers head Nathan Bates, Kyle becomes a reluctant member of the L.A. Resistance. He falls in love with Elizabeth (which may have something to do with encouraging his involvement). He kills the man who murders his father (Mr. Chiang), and is last seen stowing away on the Leader's shuttle as the creature prepares to depart with Elizabeth.
  • Chris Farber (Mickey Jones). Soft-spoken, burly colleague of Ham Tyler's. Chris is a veteran of "The Final Battle" who has since gone on to work with the Desert unit of the Resistance. After that unit is destroyed, he works with an underground railroad to transport orphan children to the safety of Los Angeles, where he is reunited with Ham Tyler and briefly joins the L.A. team. He later departs with Ham and Robin Maxwell for Chicago.
  • Howard K. Smith (himself). Real-life newscaster who introduces many episodes with a fictional "Freedom Network" news broadcast.

• The Visitors
  • Diana (Jane Badler). A sadistic megalomaniac who has an unhealthy sexual attraction to "filthy humans", Diana is the on-again, off-again commanding officer/lead scientist for the Visitor fleet. Reacts with violence when faced with losing power to the likes of Lydia and Philip. Briefly married to Charles before a botched assassination attempt against her leads to his untimely demise. Is obsessed with obtaining the Star Child, or creating a new one through cloning or other methods. Hates Lydia with a passion and tries several times to either kill her or one of her close family members. When last seen has been placed under arrest by Philip after secretly placing a bomb on board the Leader's shuttle.
  • Lydia (June Chadwick). Blonde, British-accented commander of the fleet (when Diana isn't in charge). Just as power-hungry as Diana, but less sadistic, Lydia is more likely to play tattletale and inform The Leader and overseers such as Philip and Charles of Diana's exploits. Survives an assassination attempt by Diana. Falls in love with Charles and experiences extreme jealousy when he decides to marry Diana, which leads Lydia to fill Diana's wedding cup full of poison. To her dismay, Charles drinks the poison instead and Lydia only narrowly escapes being convicted of killing him. Is forced to beg for Philip's help when Diana tries to set her brother up for a sacrificial killing.
  • Philip (Fifth Column) (Frank Ashmore). Twin brother of Martin (see below), and Advocate General for The Leader who is sent to Earth to investigate the murder of Charles. He initially blames Mike Donovan and the Resistance for Martin's death and makes plans to kill the human. After learning that Diana was responsible, not only does he forgive Donovan, but he becomes an active member of the Fifth Column and becomes instrumental in The Leader declaring a cease fire.
  • Lt. James (Judson Scott). An opportunistic soldier and one of Diana's lovers, he is assigned to capture and destroy Resistance fighters no matter what the cost. Loyal to Diana (though in fear of his life), he arranges an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Philip and is last seen in custody alongside Diana.
  • Charles (Duncan Regehr). Sent by The Leader to take over military operations from Diana, Charles sets in motion the chain of events that lead to the death of Nathan Bates. Romatically attached to Lydia, he drops her in favor of Diana, whom he decides to marry in order to force her to return to the Homeworld. When he decides that he would rather keep Diana around, Lydia attempts to poison her, but ends up killing Charles instead.
  • Oswald (Peter Elbling). Effete underling of Diana's who seems to double as a mortician and an interior decorator.
  • Marta (Gela Jacobson). The mother ship's gossipy pharmacist-cum-perfume seller. She provides Lydia with the cat poison used to kill Charles, and is later framed by both Diana and Lydia. Marta is sentenced to be shot into space alongside Charles' body - while still conscious.
  • John Langley (Bruce Davison). Undercover agent assigned to infiltrate the Resistance and impregnate Robin Maxwell in hopes of creating a second Star Child, but he is shot dead by a Fifth Columnist before he can finish his mission.
  • Ensign Daniel (Robert Thaler). Young officer who becomes Diana's lover. After the failure of one of her exploits, Diana shoots him dead "because someone has to take the blame." (Due to the episodes being aired out of order, the episode in which Daniel dies aired before the episode in which he was introduced).
  • Martin (Fifth Column) (also played by Frank Ashmore). Mike Donovan's ally and friend from the first two mini-series appears in the first episode of the series. A Visitor Fifth Columnist, Martin becomes Donovan's camera assistant in the months after the war. When he learns that Diana has escaped custody thanks to a faked assassination, he takes it upon himself to kill her, but is himself killed by Diana.
  • Sean Donovan (brainwashed human) (Nicky Katt). Several early episodes of the series deal with Mike Donovan trying to retrieve his son from the Visitors, only to find that Sean has been drugged and brainwashed into becoming a member of the Visitor Youth Corps. The subplot involving Mike's son was abandoned midway through the season and not resolved.

• Science Frontiers
  • Nathan Bates (Lane Smith). Power-hungry head of Science Frontiers who became one of the most powerful men in the world because his company holds the secret of the "red dust" that renders Earth uninhabitable for the Visitors ... until it is discovered that the dust no longer works in many parts of the world. In lieu of political or military authorities (who appear to have been destroyed by the Visitors, though this is never made clear), Bates makes a deal with the Visitors that results in Los Angeles being declared an open city. Ruthless and cold-blooded when necessary, Bates is determined to destroy the Resistance, which he sees as a threat to his power and the safety of Los Angeles, but his orders become more difficult to give when his son, Kyle, becomes a Resistance fighter. After authorizing Visitor leader Charles to brainwash Ham Tyler into shooting Mike Donovan during a "prisoner exchange" ceremony, Bates is instead accidentally shot by Tyler and goes into a coma. While unconscious, Charles and Diana, in conjunction with Mr. Chiang, use a computer simulation of Bates (similar to Max Headroom) to create the illusion that he is still in power. When Bates comes out of the coma, Charles asks Chiang to kill Bates. A last-minute reconciliation with Kyle nearly allows Nathan to escape, but he is shot by Chiang. His death results in the end of the open city agreement for Los Angeles.
  • Mr. Chiang (Aki Aleong). Nathan Bates' mysterious and ruthless major domo, Chiang uses various martial arts techniques to extract information from enemies, usually resulting in the victim's death. With Bates in a coma, Chiang becomes head of Science Frontiers and agrees to kill Bates in order to keep his position. After doing so, Chiang finds himself in combat with Kyle Bates, and is shot to death.

Trivia

• In the UK the miniseries and its sequel were shown concurrently, across five nights on ITV opposite the BBC's coverage of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, leading one critic to point out that the schedule presented a choice between seeing a lot of people running and jumping in LA… or watching the Olympics.
• Although the series-ending cliffhanger was never resolved on screen, a first draft script for the second season premiere episode was written before the show's cancellation. Entitled "The Attack", the episode would have launched a story arc in which renegade Visitor leader Diana would have pursued our heroes across America in search of an artifact stolen by Elizabeth the Star Child following the events of the cliffhanger. The early script included the death of Julie Parrish and the return of Ham Tyler. It is not known if this was an indication that actress Faye Grant (Julie) intended to leave the series or that Michael Ironside (Ham) intended to return.

Books and Comics

V spun-off a series of original novels, including a novelization of the first two mini-series combined into one story. Unusually, most of the original novels that followed did not feature characters from the TV series, but rather focused on battles against the alien invaders in other parts of the world. While the series was on the air new novels were published once a month by Pinnacle Paperbacks. In 1987-88, a new series of novels was published by Tor.

Novels

1. V - May 1984
2. East Coast Crisis - September 1984
3. The Pursuit of Diana - December 1984
4. The Chicago Conversion - January 1985
5. The Florida Project - February 1985
6. Prisoners and Pawns - March 1985
7. The Alien Swordmaster - April 1985
8. The Crivit Experiment - May 1985
9. The New England Resistance - June 1985
10. Death Tide - July 1985
11. The Texas Run - September 1985
12. Path to Conquest - September 1987
13. To Conquer the Throne - November 1987
14. The Oregon Invasion - January 1988
15. Below the Threshold - March 1988
16. Symphony of Terror - May 1988

The first three books were republished in 1994.

Meanwhile, DC Comics published an 18-issue V comic book series in 1985-86.