This article contains major spoilers for “V” from 1983.
Kenneth Johnson’s 1983 miniseries “V” should be on every sci-fi fan’s radar. On the surface, it leans heavily on the tried-and-true alien invasion trope in which aliens claim their benevolence. This species, called the Visitors, wishes to contribute to human progress and ends up influencing major policies on Earth over time. While this all seems pretty normal, “V” ultimately draws inspiration from Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 novel “It Can’t Happen Here,” a dystopian tale that documents the rise of a dictator. Indeed, just when we think “V” is taking a conventional route (which it is, to an extent), it reveals itself as a decidedly anti-fascist narrative — one that uses certain science fiction tropes to get across its political themes.
This political inclination appears as soon as we realize that the Visitors are not here to help humanity. On the contrary, these aliens deceived everyone by hiding their true appearance (a reptilian physiognomy with lizard-shaped slits for eyes), as well as their plans to take over the Earth for good. “V” illustrates how easy it is for evil to take root when people do not come together to oppose injustice or cruelty, as well as how quickly an authoritarian regime can take control. When camera reporter Michael Donovan (Marc Singer) discovers the truth, it’s a little too late.
It’s a promising setup, one that begs the question: why hasn’t “V” found a mainstream fanbase like the beloved and long-running “Stargate” property? Unfortunately, the miniseries’ initial success and critical acclaim led to aggressive behind-the-scenes meddling that ultimately botched the project’s unique franchise potential. Budgets exploded overnight, and there was constant off-screen pressure to dilute the story’s political overtones in favor of something schlockier. So what went wrong here?
Kenneth Johnson’s original vision for V was ultimately abandoned
Convincing NBC to greenlight Kenneth Johnson’s planned storyline for “V” had already proven to be an uphill battle. For starters, the show’s alien focus was emphasized after NBC decided its original storyline was too complicated for the average American viewer (per The New York Times). Then, after the explosive success of the first episode, the network attempted to capitalize on the hype, leading to tighter production schedules and rushed deadlines. This, combined with the liberal use of special effects (then rare on television, making it difficult to know how well the series In fact cost), contributed to the series’ extremely inflated budget.
Meanwhile, NBC failed to convince Warner Bros. that more episodes of “V” were viable, but greenlit a sequel miniseries titled “V: The Final Battle”. To add insult to injury, Johnson wasn’t asked to return, as the sequel was supposed to be “quick, cheap and dirty” (via Vanity Fair). Since Johnson had come up with the impressive core concept for the series, NBC thought he wouldn’t be a good fit for what was supposed to be a money grab.
“V: The Final Battle” doesn’t live up to its predecessor, but it did quite well when it aired in May 1984. Drawing a good audience, however, is not the same as telling an interesting story, as the sequel appears to be a far cry from Johnson’s inspired mix of grounded and genre elements. Later additions to the sci-fi franchise were even more ridiculous and ridiculous, including “V: The Series” and the 2009 remake of “V” with Morena Baccarin (herself a “Stargate” veteran, so to speak). More than 40 years after its debut, the original “V” illustrates the wasted potential of a sci-fi franchise that could have been so much more.
