V - MINI SERIES(1983)
Parts 1 & 2:
A fleet of space ships show up over Earth, parking over
several major cities! What they say is that they are here
to find help for their planet, in return they would help
the Earth with technical advancements!
Things take a horrible turn when the people of Earth find
out the truth
The acting is pretty stiff!
I believe this is the basis for several Sci-Fi shows to
follow: Independence Day, Mars Attacks etc.!
SPECIALS:
BEHIND THE SCENES
From a reviewer at IMDb.com:
"V" and me is a long story: it has been broadcast in France
in 1985 and it was a huge hit: Sadly, as it was Monday night,
my brother and me couldn't watch it. Indeed, our parents
allowed us only Tuesday to watch TV after dinner. But as past
legends, we were told the stories by our friends at school.
Next, i was able to watch it on a rerun maybe 5 years later
but i missed the essential episode, that is to say the first
one. Thus, i never knew how the visitors arrived. Next, the
DVD came out but there was only the first series (the two
episodes of Johnson). It's only in 2004 in a London trip
that i found the DVD of the "Final Battle" in English only.
Finally, it's when i collected them all that a lavish collection
with all episodes was released in France that I couldn't buy so.
Now, i can watch peacefully my DVD thirty years after the
release and the show is still a incredible one. It begins
with great credits with this iconic painted V and the great
musical theme. Sure the special effect are outdated but that's
not the point otherwise we would never watch old movies as
well. Maybe what's more annoying would be the short-cuts in
the story: Why did Visitors conspire in English when the
y are alone in their own mothership ? Also, the events are
ultra fast (as the scientist conspiring or the pregnancy)
which made them unlikely and they do too much operations
inside the mothership. For sci-fi fan, it wouldn't be very
original because "V" strips a lot of classics ("Episode IV",
"4th dimension", "War of the worlds").
However, those cunning visitors allow the best lesson of
democracy mass audiences can find. That's why this show
would be always accurate. In short, it says that dictatorship
comes ala ways under a mask. When its evil roots have taken,
the pluralism is the first victim and the only way to restore
liberty and freedom is the fight.
What's original and totally truth in this show is that the
resistance or terror are personal choices and it can bring
strangers together or divide families as well. It's very
different from what we see today when heroic characters are
Potus, the army, police, which may be a signal that fascism
is indeed coming.
The so awaited first episode of the arrival is brilliantly
directed and totally anticipatory. The invasion can be
followed live on streets as well on TV. The news keep
going on the screens of all the key families and it's a
good trick to tell the story as well to introduce the
characters.
Finally, it's one of the few shows that deals with an
extended cast in which all of them are real good. I have
never seen them in anything else (except from the deadly
Freddy) but they were unforgettable in those "V" shows!
In addition, it's cool to have a show wrapping all the
story lines at the end.
Our young generations should take a look at this show and
find inspiration for the nowadays threats that keep going
stronger! - leplatypus