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"You need an attitude adjustment, my dear. And it will be my pleasure to give it you."
These are the chilling words spoken by Diana, the breathtaking evil alien scientist whose
ego was just boosted yet another notch by capturing the head of the human Resistance,
Julie Parrish.
If you're not familiar with the above scene, then you may want to click over to the "V"
newsgroup at alt.tv.v. Here, you will find diehard fans of the 1983 mini-series, which,
became so popular, it spawned a second mini-series and a TV series. On the outside, "V"
is about an alien race invading earth to steal its water and use humans as food, but deep
down, under the skin, "V" is about heroism, faith and collaboration.
Originated by Kenneth Johnson (The Incredible Hulk, The Bionic Woman), the July release of
the "V" DVD has ignited a fire under the feet of Warner Brothers, which owns the
copyright. Old and new fans from all over the world are screaming on the newsgroups and
related websites about the possibility of another "V" – one that will either conclude the
1985 TV series cliffhanger or one that will literally just start in today’s time, 18 years
later.
Starring Jane Badler (One Life to Live, Mission Impossible), Marc Singer (The Beastmaster,
Taming of the Shrew) and Faye Grant (The Greatest American Hero, State of Grace), "V" has
an amazing force among the fans. I posted questions in alt.tv.v and received numerous
answers back – each answer being different from the next. Following are some excerpts
from the responses:
Dena Vaughan from England: "What draws me to V is the dynamic storyline and the good
versus evil thing going on throughout. Back when V was aired, I had never seen anything
quite like it. It was drama at its best - both powerful and subtle at the same time!
There is a real lesson of morality in Ken Johnson's V and why we should never repeat the
mistakes of our past."
Brian Westfall from California: "The fact that V is really a human story is what I find
particularly interesting about Ken Johnson's miniseries. So many films today are being
made to appeal only to the junior high school crowd, Independence Day being a good
example, and they are successful because they make money. What filmmakers often forget is
that they do not need to play down to kids in order to get them into theatres. Most
adults in their mid-to-late twenties loved the original Star Wars (Episode IV) when they
were young, and back then kids were not being played down to, but they still went to
theatres in droves; sure there were many elements in the film that kids loved, but there
were also many adult themes in the story that made it appealing to everyone -- young and
old. That is why so many people still love Star Wars. As adults, we can still relate to
the film, but in a different and perhaps even deeper way than we did when we were young.
V is so successful because it is such a rich and involved story. Yes it is a story about
aliens coming down to Earth, but it is the many sub-stories within that larger context
that really makes the story interesting. The focus on each family and how we follow them
throughout the miniseries gives the audience a realistic and varied depiction of how
people might react to any situation where personal freedoms are methodically taken away."
Ken Johnson, creator, personally was involved in every step of bringing the first "V"
mini-series to the airwaves. From intense marketing promotions to choosing the cast
members, Mr. Johnson made sure the audience would see his vision exactly, if not even more
clearly, than he saw it.
The cast of "V", which includes Michael Ironside (Scanners), Robert Englund (Freddie
Kruger) and June Chadwick (Riptide) took their roles seriously. At first glance, reading
a script about an alien invasion may have struck the actors as something light-hearted.
But this is not the case with "V". Every actor, even those with five lines or less, had a
significant role in developing "V" the way it was brought to the television screen.
Jane Badler auditioned for the part not knowing this role was about to catapult her into
prime-time stardom. She used heavy eyeliner to make her eyes appear catlike and
disturbing. From the minute she walked into the audition, Ken Johnson knew he had found
his character of Diana.
Brian Tosko, president of the Jane Badler Society recalls, "Originally the aliens drew me
into V but then I really became fascinated by Diana. She was so larger-than-life,
powerful, beautiful, intelligent and ambitious. I was also very interested in the alien's
culture and the more secretive Kenneth Johnson made the Visitors (the aliens), the more I
wanted to know! I used to watch the show with a legal pad so I could copy down the
Visitor symbols and alphabet. I was always curious about how their society worked, how
they were more technologically advanced yet so primitive when it came to power struggles.
I also liked the way the Motherships (interior and exterior) and space shuttles looked. I
have always been interested in both the supernatural and life on other planets. V was so
mesmerizing with its premise, special effects, strong female characters and overlaying
social themes."
Marc Singer was already famous when he took on the role of Mike Donovan, a human TV
reporter just trying to make a living – until he stumbled across the aliens' secrets and
jeopardized his life as well as his family's. Theresa Krakauskas, possibly the largest
Marc Singer fan on this planet, had this to say about the character of Mike Donovan:
"Mike Donovan is the quintessential hero, giving little thought to putting his life on the
line for both the people and the earth he loves. His emotions sometimes overtake his
logic, but this weakness is also his strength. Mike's passion is what motivates him,
whether it's behind a video camera in South America or behind the controls of the
Mothership in outer space."
As for Carol from England, she became a Marc Singer fan because of "V". Her re-discovery
of "V" happened by a series of co-incidences. "Firstly, I found (and bought) the V Annual
in a secondhand bookshop. I'd had the miniseries boxed set for years but a visit to my
local Sci-Fi bookshop turned into a spending spree. They had a shelf of second-hand
videos that they were selling, including the entire V TV series. Well, I had to buy them,
didn't I? Then one day, talking to a work colleague I said that I wondered whatever
happened to June Chadwick (an English actress who moved to California) and not only did he
find out but he also told me about the various V websites he had found. Which in turn is
what finally inspired me to get on the Internet. Anyway, since then I've tracked down a
few back issues of magazines with V articles, watched all the tapes again and even lent
them to my work colleague."
Juliet Parrish, played by Faye Grant, is a young human scientist who takes charge when her
colleagues start to mysteriously disappear. Soon, her courage and leadership abilities
shine when she inadvertently appoints herself as the head of the Los Angeles Resistance, a
group set out to learn about the alien Visitors and stop them from taking over planet
Earth.
Julie's character has inspired Tamie Kwist in ways perhaps only other fans can appreciate.
"When I was a little girl, there weren't many positive role models to look up to,"
relates Tamie. "One of my favorite scenes is when Julie goes back for [her colleague] Ben
Taylor, willing to risk her own life to save a friend. I find it interesting that a woman
was the first leader of the Los Angeles Resistance and think of the challenges she must've
faced to earn the respect of those under her. Certainly there had to have been men in the
resistance (even before Donovan came along) who were more experienced and more qualified
to take on the role of militia leader, but they went with Julie."
Paulette Langan, who has taken on the continuous effort to help Bring "V" back, explains
that "The message V contains will always remind us of the power struggle that the human
race conflicts with each other. We should always be reminded continuously of man's
inhumanity against man through the V Saga. V is symbolic to who and what we are."
"V" is not just another science fiction show. It deals with emotions, betrayal and
inter-species relations. Jaime Boler, who runs the Yahoo group Long Live "V" has
described perfectly why "V" will always remain in the hearts of those who have viewed it:
"V" will always be popular because it could happen anytime. 1983, 2001, 2050. We just
don't really know what's out there. Or, something like that could happen here today. The
enemy might not have green scales or voices that reverberate. It happened in Germany, and
we must make sure it doesn't happen again. V makes that point much clearer than any
history book could."
According to Ken Johnson, over 58,600 copies of the newly released "V" DVD have already
been sold. And if you haven't purchased it yet, you can easily do so for roughly $15.00
through Amazon.com.
Don't pass this one up. It's four hours of pure, hardcore thinking mixed with intense
emotional values and entertaining special effects! Talk about "V" on its own newsgroup at
alt.tv.v.
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"'V' the DVD Has Taken Over the Planet"
