During a time when numerous series get the chance at a second life on one of the myriad streaming platforms, there stands one cult sci-fi show deserving of yet another shot. V: The Series, a short-lived eighties show, has a strong enough concept that it could be a hit if it ever gets the chance to tell its full story.
V: The Series (1984)
V: The Series centers around an alien invasion of Earth by a flesh-eating reptilian species, the Visitors. Debuting on NBC on October 26, 1984, and airing until March 22, 1985, the series sought to carry forward the story told in its two preceding mini-series, V and V: The Final Battle.
Humans Vs. Aliens
At the heart of V: The Series is a struggle between the human Resistance battling against the full-scale invasion of Earth by the Visitors. These characters are brought to life by popular actors like Marc Singer and Faye Grant, who portray Resistance leaders Mike Donovan and Juliet Parrish.
A Talented Cast
On the alien side, Jane Badler stands out as the evil leader of the visitors, Diana. V: The Series also features Robert Englund, famously known for his role as Freddy Krueger, as Willie, a sympathetic Visitor
However, despite a promising concept and a talented cast, V: The Series faced a turbulent journey. The challenges were manifold, primarily due to limited resources that were a sharp contrast to the mini-series it was continuing. The audience reception, in particular, proved to be a significant stumbling block.
Canceled Too Early
Unfortunately, V: The Series failed to find its audience, falling short of the necessary viewership to justify its continuation. The consequence was a premature cancellation before filming the final episode could even commence. This left the series in an unresolved state, with no closure or conclusion to tie up the threads of an otherwise intriguing narrative.
The Comeback
V: The Series was brought back by ABC on November 3, 2009, and ran for 22 episodes across two seasons until March 15, 2011. The storyline again revolves around an advanced alien species known as the Visitors, who present themselves as peaceful beings but have a more menacing purpose.
V: The Series (2009)
The human characters changed during the second iteration of V: The Series. In it, the central character is an FBI agent named Erica Evans, brought to life by Elizabeth Mitchell. Other prominent members of the cast encompassed Morena Baccarin, Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch, Logan Huffman, and Laura Vandervoort.
Again Canceled Early
Despite having an intriguing premise, V: The Series again couldn’t hold the interest of a larger audience and ended up being canceled after two seasons. Adding to the disappointment, it was once again concluded without a proper finale.
A Historic Debut
The first episode of V: The Series scored high ratings, marking the highest debut of the 2009-2010 season. Sadly, the interest waned as the series progressed, leading to its ultimate cancelation. Despite its failure to secure a large viewer base, the show was nominated for a range of awards, including the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and the Saturn Awards. Unfortunately, despite the series’ fanbase campaigning to save it, the series was not revived or concluded by another network.
Third Time’s The Charm?
In retrospect, V: The Series stands out as an ambitious project that faced an unfortunate end twice. The interest shown in the overarching plot of V: The Series is evident in the success of the two miniseries that spawned the original show and the ratings of the premiere of the reboot. Given another shot with the right creative forces behind it, maybe a new remake of V could finally get the ending it deserves.
