V Series – Visitors Arrival Thru Wormhole!

Hey V Series fans,

Much to our delight, V The New Series was found in a wormhole opened only yesterday Monday November 2, 2009 just in time for a wonderful new series about to burst on the science fiction world!

Once the event horizon settled, lo and behold our request to review the new V Series (produced by Warner Brothers Studios) using the digital library media access provided by ABC for their digital library had been approved!

We had thought there was something wrong with our gate, and were about to call the Visitors and find out what happened. We really wanted to speak directly with their leader Morena Baccarin. At least I did anyway! Fortunately we soon discovered that our application to the ABC digital library had somehow simply become trapped and caught in a danged Visitor’s time dilation field!

Yikes!

No worries because most fortunately the folks over at ABC appear to understand just how critical the timing is to successfully operate a wormhole! Before we could even dial the gate, ABC had opened the wormhole remotely and we were soon WormholeRiders again being whisked into the world of the V’s pilot episode “Arrival”! (V stands for Visitors in the event you didn’t know).

In our case, and much to our delight I might add, Morena Baccarin (known as Anna the leader of the Visitor’s), arrived a day before the premier so we could bring you our review of V The New Series.

Fans of the popular cult series FireFly, and the follow-on movie Serenity will be very pleased not only with the return of Morena, but her acting companion Alan Tudyk who is featured as a guest star character named Dale Maddox in the pilot episode of V.

As we have reported previously, a new television series is a major undertaking. In the case of the return of V, ABC has taken on one of the greatest challenges possible, re-making a classic. Originally a 1980’s era product, V was originally a very popular dual release TV mini-series named V and V -The Final Battle. The two mini-series were followed by the 1983 – 1984 television series which unfortunately did not survive the ‘final battle’ with ratings failing to earn syndication nor residuals status.

As stated, redoing a much loved classic is a major undertaking. There is always the danger that original will be considered “the real one” and a re-make is a soon forgotten memory. Don’t expect that result from this incarnation of V. Not only is the pilot episode faithful to the original story-line in virtually every respect, ABC has added depth and texture to V that was not even imagined or considered in the campier 1980’s version. This rich new texture and depth make the story even more believable than it ever was before.

Known in some circles by the Twitter hash tag #VSeries, ABC has their work cut out for themselves. The new V faces stiff competition in the science fiction arena of 2009 / 2010 with several beloved series returning on other networks, and a new series from a franchise with a welcome home warm and familiar wormhole theme!

To succeed, ABC is going to have to take V where few series have gone before! ABC’s task? Re-make a classic, make it as good as or better than what came before AND then compete heads up against some very stiff contemporary competition in the weekly episodic science fiction genre. A very tall order indeed, but ABC has proven they are up to the task with other hit series under their belt including Flash Forward, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, and newer offerings such as Castle with Nathan Fillion of FireFly fame!

After viewing the pilot episode, this reviewer can honestly say that V The New Series is far superior to the original in most if not all areas. This is not to denigrate the original V. Not by any stretch of the imagination. The original V was very much a product of the era it was made in following the likes of epics such as the 1977 release Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica (both the theatrical release and TV versions), as well as several other notable campy science fiction products of the day like Buck Rodgers in the 25^th Century.  1980’s V was a good product and remains an oft viewed favorite in my science fiction DVD collection. The original V will continue to be a personal favorite.

However, ABC’s 2009 version of V is a new product and should be treated with respect. You will find out why when you watch the opening episode. V The New Series is an excellent depiction of an ageless science fiction theme, that of extraterrestrial visitors from another galaxy coming to Earth. Being such an eternal story-line to science fiction aficionados, to be accepted by franchise fans, the new V must accurately reflect our era and our times or it will fail. Here again, the creators of V Series shine in threading “today” into the re-make of this timeless classic.

Having the “do over” in the process of special effects for the re-creation of V, ABC does not disappoint in this regard. In fact the effects are what help to make the sale. The new V creators more than effectively use outstanding CGI special effects during the re-telling of the story. A story by the way that left franchise fans hanging in the wind when the original television series was not renewed for a second season in 1984.

Moving on to V controversy;  If you came here to obtain spoilers or read about various rumors circulating, some in fact by a competing network, you will be very disappointed. Except where the original storyline is precisely an overlap of the original, we will not delve into details that would give away the secrets of the V pilot premiering this evening on ABC. And indeed there are several new and exciting secrets that distinguish this V brilliantly from the predecessor of over 25 years ago. What secrets you say? Well, you will just have to tune in to ABC tonight to find out those precious nuggets!

Nor will we delve into the rumors circulating about production of V The New Series. That is outside the scope of our task, to review the series as it unfolds in 2009 and 2010. And according to our sources, V The New Series is not experiencing the type of problems that are being described at various locations.

In any event, we leave such hard work to fellow news contemporaries in our field who we respect. In this regard, those who specialize in the special type of deep research required to verify such information are better suited to that task. We leave it to them for they are far better than us, and we freely admit it.

Instead our ongoing review of V, we will focus on what we have in the past: on the acting, writing, directing, the cinematography, set design, and music soundtrack depth. We will also examine the overall complexity of the personalities offered to the viewing audience. Finally, we will examine enhanced V The New Series special effects required to outdo the likes of an also classic, Independence Day which took the hovering huge mother ships over major cities to new heights using similar but far more sophisticated effects than the 1980’s V classic. V’s visual and special effects in 2009 are a huge leap forward from Independence Day Not one visual artifact was detectable during our pilot viewing. Simply outstanding state of the art work by ABC’s production teams!

So let’s start right there. The opening sequences depicting “Arrival” of the Visitors in our time-line, in 2009. These sequences are absolutely critical if V fans are going to believe and watch beyond the first episode. Well science fiction peoples, get set for a visually stunning experience that takes an old movie and television theme and in breathes new life! Even though the audience knows exactly what is coming, it doesn’t matter except for asking yourself where were you when they arrived?

The new V depicts the landing of aliens on Earth. Some say that is no big deal. It has been done so many times, how in the world can it ever be done better? I myself was skeptical having followed the original V and being a fan of the same trail re-blazed by Independence Day.

I was sure it could not be done well yet again. So much so that I was sure I would become bored enough to desire to look at the lovely new Morena Baccarin still photos provided by ABC instead! As much as I was tempted to download those newer Morena digital images from ABC and drool over them, nope folks, it never happened during my viewing of “Arrival”. That’s how good it was!

From the second I hit play and started experiencing V, I was unable to pull away. No matter how easy it was to click download Morena, I knew I was going to be hooked by V The New Series! Now who would believe that? Certainly not any people that I know!

But it’s absolutely true friends! The new ABC V series is produced with such excellent talent that it is easy to become riveted to the eloquent re-spinning of this much loved tale of the reptilian alien V’s by the new team of creators!

Who are these creators you say? V is produced by The Scott Peters Company and HDFilms. Both work in association with Warner Brothers Television. Again, who are they you might ask?

Well you likely already know Scott Peters better than you might think. His credits include “The 4400,” and “The Outer Limits”, Jeffrey Bell (“Day Break,” “Alias”), Steve Pearlman (“Reunion,” “Related”) and Jace Hall (“F.E.A.R,” “Condemned: Criminal Origins” video games). All are executive producers of V. The V pilot was directed by Yves Simoneau known for “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” and “The 4400”.  Pretty impressive by any standard, wouldn’t you say?

With creative talent like this, it was easy to get sucked right back into a story-line I had enjoyed over a quarter of a century ago. ABC has picked a team of entirely proven winners. Based on their accomplishments, it is very possible that V will earn that second and even a third season the franchise was unable to accomplish 26 years ago.

ABC describes V (The New Series) as follows:

“ V is a re-imagining of the 1980’s miniseries about the world’s first encounter with an alien race. Simultaneously appearing over every major city in the world, the Visitors (or V’s) promote a message of peace. Through their generous offer to share advanced technology, the V’s build a following that may actually hide a more malevolent agenda, one that twists a very deep component of human nature: devotion.

While the world quickly becomes fascinated with the V’s and their link to wonders just beyond the reach of human understanding, FBI Counter Terrorist Agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell) discovers a secret hidden beneath the skin of every V – a secret that may threaten the lives of everyone close to her. Yet for her teenage son, Tyler (Logan Huffman), the V’s are his ticket to something big and hopeful — a new chance for mankind to unite in common goals.”

But there is one compelling question V franchise fans will ask before they might even decide to tune in; Is ABC able to pull it off? Could they possibly pull it off in a first episode (bearing in mind that only 40 some minutes of real story time are available after commercials). When compared to the original much longer mini-series, how could V The New Series possibly measure up?

More to the point some have asked; What’s wrong with these people at ABC, are they crazy or something they think should be able to be faithful to original V within such a short period of time? Nothing. That’s right. I said there is absolutely nothing wrong with the creators of V and ABC. Instead, their new work is a stroke of sheer genius!

In fact the creative genius that went into V even convinced me that a two hour season premier was no longer a requirement. I now have to admit that I had my mind near made up that 2 hours was needed. I was wrong. In fact I was so wrong about being drawn into the new screen play pilot in under an hour that I lost complete track of time! Such is the mark of a good entertainment product, the ability to get lost in the adventure of the story, the complete surrender to the willing suspension of disbelief. V is a vehicle which whisks the viewer away with both ease and delight!

Back to the beginning; We all know the beginning sequences of Independence Day. Many will know of the original V series that was actually an enhancement of what had come before it way back in the 1950’s, 1960’s and the 1970’s. Yeah, that’s right. The giant alien ship casts a long shadow against what in some cases were still matte images with animations ranging from very crude (The Day the Earth Stood Still and This Island Earth) in the 1950’s to the slicker 1980’s and 1990’s versions of the same sequences we have all seen so many times.

Of course all must be measured against two giant epics that set the bar. Two movies against which the ship landing sequences must be measured against baseline; the Academy Award Special Effects winners MGM’s War of the Worlds (1953) and  Forbidden Planet (1956) which set the foundation of excellence for which everything that was to follow in the decades to come.

But that is not exactly the point. The point is not the seeing of the shadows of the alien craft. That is expected. Such is mandatory to the conceptual storyline itself. What is critical to the believability of these sequences is the art being presented for assimilation by the viewer. So the question boils down to this: Have the opening sequences in V evolved to the point of being superior to what has come before?

The answer is an unqualified yes. ABC and the new V creators have introduced state of the art special effects that dwarf the original (which they must), but have also put a good bit of distance from the once considered dazzling opening sequence effects used in Independence Day.

In V, the state of the art computer generated graphics are so sweet you would swear it could only have been done on the budget of the big screen blockbuster. Not anymore! Like several other 2009 – 2010 science fiction competitors such as Sanctuary and Stargate Universe, V The New Series “rocks” in the area of cinematography, special effects, all enhanced by an enchanting musical score. Throughout the entire pilot episode, each facet is done very well.

Oh, and speaking of “rocks”… This term is used twice in the pilot and the writers are not talking about the geology of planet Earth. No, it was the context of the use of that and many other nuanced words that people all over the planet use each day on social media networks on-line like Twitter.  Unlike the corny dialog of the 1980’s V (yes it was a bit corny even then), the dialog and writing are top notch reflecting the social moray’s of today’s modern computer Internet cross-connected inter-dependent society. Realistic dialog and good writing makes it so easy to forget that V is a re-make. It is so smooth, the time watching simply slips away and leaves the viewer wanting more!

Naturally the screenplay has been re-written and characters changed to fit the re-write, but one of the most faithful aspects of the pilot is that a fair amount of the story telling is done from the perspective of the 24 hours news cycle anchor. We experience both in the field, on television reporting, and in studio settings. This is an effective tool that creates a sense of realism. Used to outstanding effect here in V, our pilot episode actually contained the ABC logo which added an extra sense of realism.

In the original V, legendary reporter Howard K. Smith played the network anchor lead. In V The New Series, a character assumes this role effectively enough that when the added ABC logo is briefly displayed it seems much more like a real newscast.

As we all know, about 12 years ago all network studios stopped or sharply declined using real corporate news logos and personalities that added enormous realism. Why? For some irrational fear that the public might panic like in 1938 during Orson Wells now infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast of that year. This reporter would like to see a return to melding real networks into movies and television because of the added sense of realism it affords. We applaud ABC for showing their logo in V and hope to see more of it as the series continues!

Not only are the visual sequences stunning and the music mesmerizing, the plot enhancements and twists will surprise even the sharpest viewer. I for one had no clue on several occasions and was delighted when the plot twists appeared. Once again compliments and kudos to the skill of the production teams and writers who weave the fabric of the story faithful to the original but infused with the realities of today.  Bravo!

Several sections of V are reminiscent of the drama of CSI and the action of 24 in the way current events and past history are blended into the story and ethos of the work.

The result is a Single Effect from the creators that convinces the audience that seemingly unrelated events as we know them today in real life, are in fact connected in ways that now make perfect sense in V!

By the time the pilot episode was over, I was convinced that V The New Series is going to produce both a welcome reaction from loyal fans of the franchise, but will also be able to welcome new viewers unfamiliar with the original. For goodness sakes, most new viewers likely were not even born when the original V was released in 1983!

But before getting to the climatic ending, let us touch upon the acting talent the creators have complied with a brief character run down and a look at each actor in the series. Some biographical information provided by ABC. Here is a brief plot overview.

To Chad Decker (Scott Wolf), a career-hungry news anchor, his exclusive interview with Anna (Morena Baccarin), the leader of the V’s, is crucial to his dominating the airwaves.

Unsure about the Visitors is Father Jack (Joel Gretsch), a priest questioning his faith in the wake of the Visitors’ arrival. Seeking answers outside the church, Father Jack discovers there are other dissidents who believe the Visitors are not who they say they are, This includes Ryan Nichols (Morris Chestnut), who is faced with his own life-altering decision when the V’s show up. Never has there been more at stake — it truly is the dawning of a new day.  “V” also stars Lourdes Benedicto as Ryan’s fiancée, Valerie, and Laura Vandervoort as Lisa, an alluring Visitor who sets her sights on Tyler.

MORENA BACCARIN
Anna on ABC’s “V”

Brazilian born actress, the beautiful and supremely talented Morena Baccarin was trained at the prestigious Juilliard School of Performing Arts. Using her native talent and the training few actors are ever fortunate to receive, Morena has a long and distinguished series of accomplishments. Have no doubt, Morena Baccarin in V is THE big name celebrity star anchoring the entire series.

In “V,” Morena plays Anna, the leader of the Visitors. As Anna, we are once again treated to Morena and her very believable, mesmerizing and truly enchanting performances. In the V pilot, Morena demonstrates her talent has grown yet again since we last saw her in Stargate SG-1.

Baccarin is well known for being cast as Inara by writer/director Joss Whedon in his critically acclaimed series “Firefly,” as well as its big-screen adaptation, “Serenity.” Other television work includes recurring roles on “The O.C.,” “Kitchen Confidential,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Las Vegas,” and starring in the cable series “Heartland.” Ms. Baccarin is also well remembered as the arch villain Adria ‘The Orici’ Mal Doran in the 10^th (final season) of Stargate SG-1.  Morena also reprised her role as the evil Adria in the direct to DVD Stargate SG-1 franchise movie The Ark of Truth in 2008.

Past theatre credits include “Our House,” directed by Michael Mayer, written by Theresa Rebeck, at Playwright’s Horizons Theatre; “The Seagull” at the McCarter Theatre; and the independent features “Perfume,” “Way Off Broadway” and “Roger Dodger.” Next year Baccarin can be seen in the feature “Stolen,” opposite Josh Lucas and John Hamm.

ALAN TUDYK
Dale Maddox on ABC’s “V”

Although listed as a guest star in V, Alan Tudyk is an acclaimed actor of both the stage and the screen. Alan is beloved by science fiction audiences for his performances in the landmark TV series FireFly and for the reprisal of his role as Wash in the 2005 big screen release of Serenity, the follow on movie which concluded the unfinished storyline from the FireFly series. Can anyone say Cruiser C57-D ?

Alan Tudyk was born in Texas. In 1990,  Alan went on to study drama at Lon Morris Jr. College. While there he was awarded for Academic Excellence for Drama. Alan went on to study at the prestigious Julliard academy but left before earning a degree.

Alan fans were recently delighted to learn of his appearances this year in Dollhouse and also pleasantly surprised when he returned to the video game world as the voice of a character (Mickey) in the new 2009 release of Microsoft’s ongoing Halo series Halo ODST. Alan was also featured in 2007 release of Halo 3.

Also well remembered outside of Firefly on the big screen, Alan is often fondly recalled by science fiction fans for his outstanding performance as Sonny opposite Will Smith in the 2004 release of the Isaac Asimov classic I, Robot!

With a career dating back nearly 20 years including stints on CSI and voice over for Ice Age and Ice Age 2, Alan adds much to the depth of V with his realistic performance.

SCOTT WOLF
Chad Decker on ABC’s “V”

Scott Wolf is an acclaimed actor of stage and screen, and beloved by audiences for his performances in several landmark TV series.

Perhaps best known as “Bailey Salinger,” a character he portrayed from 1994-2000 on the award-winning drama “Party of Five,” Wolf has been a mainstay on television for more than a decade, including a starring role in the critically acclaimed drama “Everwood,” opposite Treat Williams.

On screen Wolf’s diverse credits include “Emmett’s Mark,” opposite Gabriel Byrne, “Go,” “The Evening Star,” opposite Juliette Lewis and Shirley MacLaine, and “White Squall,” with Jeff Bridges and Ryan Phillippe.

In addition to his extensive work on screen and TV, Wolf’s prestigious stage work includes the Tony Award-winning “Side Man,” Lincoln Center’s production of “Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme,” and three seasons at the prestigious Williamstown Theater Festival.

ELIZABETH MITCHELL
Erica Evans on ABC’s “V”

Along with starring as Juliet on “Lost,” Elizabeth Mitchell also appeared as Mrs. Claus to Tim Allen in the last two installments of “The Santa Clause” trilogy; time-traveled alongside the likes of Dennis Quaid in “Frequency”; and played the girlfriend to Angelina Jolie in her portrayal of supermodel “Gia” for the Golden Globe-winning telefilm.

Mitchell’s additional credits include Neil LaBute’s “Nurse Betty,” opposite Renée Zellweger, a recurring role as Dr. Kim Legaspi on “ER,” Wayne Kramer’s “Running Scared,” co-starring Paul Walker, “The Lyons Den,” with Rob Lowe, and the BBC series “Man and Boy,” opposite Ioan Gruffudd. Further solidifying her course on the fast-track was her role opposite Barry Pepper as Teresa Earnhardt in the ESPN original telefilm “3: The Dale Earnhardt Story.”

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Dallas, Mitchell transitioned from a performing arts high school to a BFA degree in acting. She further honed her craft at the renowned Dallas Theatre Company. Her stage credits include productions of “As You Like It,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and “Chicago.”

MORRIS CHESTNUT
Ryan Nichols on ABC’s “V”

A captivating and charismatic performer, Morris Chestnut first garnered audience attention as Ricky in the critically-acclaimed “Boyz in the Hood,” a role in which he portrayed a high school running back using his football skills to escape his South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. He followed that with a challenging lead role as one of the Arkansas Nine high school students in the civil rights television drama, “The Ernest Green Story.”

Those two pivotal roles led Chestnut to roles in such feature films as “Under Siege 2: Dark Territory,” “G. I. Jane” and “Half Past Dead.” His career has steadily continued with appearances in numerous romantic comedies, including “The Brothers,” “Two Can Play That Game,” “Breakin’ All the Rules” and “The Best Man,” for which he received an NAACP nomination. He was also seen in “Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid” and the highly-regarded “Ladder 49” for director Jay Russell.

A Los Angeles native, Chestnut spent time in the banking industry following high school. His career in finance included stints as a teller. It was during junior college in Long Beach that he saw a friend in a play, which sparked his interest in the performing arts. The following semester he took courses in acting and began to earnestly pursue the profession.

He studied in the Marla Gibbs Acting School in Hollywood, landed an agent and started auditioning for such television shows as “A Different World” and “Freddie’s Nightmares,” as well as for independent films. Following his seminal role in “Boyz in the Hood,” Chestnut landed a role in the sitcom “Out All Night,” starring Patti LaBelle, and appeared in commercials for such companies as McDonalds and Champs Sporting Goods.

Most recently Chestnut was seen in the No. 1 box office comedy hit, “The Game Plan,” opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He also starred in the romantic comedy feature “The Perfect Holiday,” opposite Queen Latifah and Gabrielle Union, and completed filming “Not Easily Broken,” opposite Jennifer Lewis and Taraji Henson, on which he also served as producer.

LOURDES BENEDICTO
Valerie on ABC’s “V”

Lourdes Benedicto, best known to audiences for her recurring role as Gina Colon on “NYPD Blue,” recently starred in “Titans” and was a series regular on “The Nine.” She also had recurring roles on “Cashmere Mafia,” “24,” “ER” and “Dawson’s Creek,” and guest-starred on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Resurrection Blvd.” and “Strong Medicine.”

Feature film credits include “Drive Me Crazy,” “Permanent Midnight” and “New York Stories.” She also performed in several stage productions while majoring in theater at Carnegie Mellon University.

Benedicto, who is half-Filipino and half-Spanish, lives in Los Angeles.

LOGAN HUFFMAN
Tyler Evans on ABC’s “V”

Born as a triplet in 1989, Logan Huffman was special from the beginning. His parents were a solid Midwestern couple who instilled a strong work ethic in him. At 16 he restored his first car — a ’56 Mercury, which he then sold to pay for acting lessons.

Huffman entered the Gattelypoole Acting Intensive hosted at Northern Illinois University to study with Master Meisner teacher Katherine Gattely. Excelling quickly, he moved to New York at 17 to start pursuing his dreams.

A few months later, he got a small part in “Lymelife,” the critically acclaimed indie film starring Emma Roberts, followed soon after by a lead part in Rosie O’Donnell’s movie of the week, “AMERICA.”

Then ABC’s “V” came calling… and Huffman is a firm believer in UFO’S!

LAURA VANDERVOORT
Lisa on ABC’s “V”

Laura Vandervoort most recently starred as the Supergirl/Kara Kent on “Smallville.” As Supergirl, Clark Kent’s cousin, Vandervoort got to show off both her incredible acting and martial arts skills. She can also be seen in the sequel to 2005’s successful “Into the Blue,” “Into the Blue 2: The Reef” in 2010, shot in Hawaii and opposite Chris Carmack and Audrina Patridge.

In 2006 Vandervoort shot her first feature film, “The Lookout,” opposite Jeff Daniels, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mathew Goode and Isla Fisher. She got her big break at age 19 when she landed the lead role of Sadie Harrison on the CTV TV series “Instant Star,” which ran for four seasons and was extremely popular in Canada.

Vandervoort began acting at the age of 13 — she had always been an entertainer, putting on shows for family and friends. But what triggered her interest in the arts was the film “My Girl,” which she received from her aunt at a very young age, and after watching it realized that acting was what was inside her.

Some of her other credits include “CSI,” “The Dresden Files,” “Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire,” “Alley Cats Strike,” “Mutant X,” “Prom Queen” and “Twice in a Lifetime.”

A tomboy for years, Vandervoort loves most sports, especially soccer, karate, basketball, tennis, gymnastics and baseball. Entering karate at age seven, she found herself with a second degree Black Belt at by 16. She currently divides her time between Los Angeles and her native Canada.

With a bevy of acting talent of this caliber coupled with the production team of The Scott Peters Company, HDFilms, and Warner Brothers Television, the upcoming episode prove o be a real treat for loyal fans of the V franchise.

V Pilot “Arrival” Conclusions:

Unlike the original V which had to invest a lot of time reinforcing science fiction and other themes in often exhausting great detail, today’s sophisticated viewing audience is both familiar with, and is accepting of the premise of the story; that one day Visitors may indeed appear in orbit around our fair planet Earth.

With this modern day near global consciousness in mind, V The New Series is able to immediately focus on weaving V’s Arrival very neatly into the mythology and urban legends of our times. The scary part of V is the fact that the plausibility of the fabric fits very nicely with events contemporary to our times as well as a unique historical perspective.  Central to that theme is the return to spiritualism often incumbent to times of economic hardships and recession like today.

Witnessed in several recent television series over the past two or so years is the theme of the ordinary citizen and the leaders of a church (Catholic in this example) seeking the same answer, and being perplexed by the same questions about life. The seeking of salvation truly adds a touch of angst and realism to V The New Series. Nicely done ABC!

Lastly by using settings for filming the series in the modern times of today, much as was done in the original, the new V is able to use any number of recognizable urban, corporate, and or quasi governmental set locations to the add depth and overall believability of the show.

The only real question that remains is this.  Is V  Series good enough for viewers to add it to their weekly viewing schedule, to their DVR’s and or on-line viewing activities?  From the perspective of a person (me) reluctant to add yet another science fiction series to my weekly review and viewing schedule, I am forced to say that V has risen to be included in my top three listed viewing priorities.

In fact V is in a virtual three way tie in my book as quality science fiction for 2009 – 2010 equal. Based on pre-viewing the pilot episode, I give V The New Series an A, ranked as equal in my book to SyFy Friday’s hit new series Stargate Universe and return of season two of Amanda Tapping’s Sanctuary.

I for one will be eagerly waiting (with anticipation) each week to experience each new episode of V. As many fana of the franchise can attest, I too am hopeful that V The New Series will be renewed to complete the unfinished saga lingering from 26 years ago! From the quality of the pilot, it has a very good chance of achieving that lofty goal.

Thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. We are honored we have been given advance access to the new V Series by ABC and we thank th em.

V Series airs on ABC in the United States each Tuesday night at 8:00 PM Eastern, 7:00 Central.

Best Regards,

Kenn