V: The Original TV Miniseries

V: THE ORIGINAL TV MINISERIES is now and will always be a landmark in television science fiction. The recent airings of the two miniseries on the SyFy Channel finally goaded me into buying a DVD copy for myself. I was not disappointed. Producer, writer, and director Kenneth Johnson had almost complete control over this production. The quality shows through with a good story, fluid camera work, thrifty film editing, and symbolism throughout the film. Even better is Kenneth Johnson's director commentary as a special features option. Johnson narrates from beginning to end. His dialogue is tied to the scenes at hand and is a virtual cornucopia of behind the scenes production information, trivia, and memories verbalized as clearly as if the film production concluded only yesterday. Johnson's explanation of film techniques alone almost seems to constitute a semester's worth of a film production class.Overall a first rate production.The plot for those who care to read it again: A seemingly humanoid race arrives on Earth with dozens of enormous mother ships Earth to assist mankind. All they ask in return is the ability to process synthetic chemicals to bring back to their planet. Quickly however the Visitors, as they are known, facilitate social unrest that is wholesale blamed on those employed in the science profession. Scientists are blamed for attempting to derail the Visitor's goodwill, open acts of sabotage, and are linked to an alleged world-wide conspiracy to withhold medical cures purely for the sake of extorting research funds. As such scientists are treated in much the way the Jewish population faired during the Holocaust. In the meantime people continue to disappear without a trace much like the Nacht and Nebel degrees of Nazi Germany. The Visitors even supplement their ranks with human volunteers in local Visitor militia groups much like storm troopers of the 1930's. The Visitors, having taken world leaders into their protective custody, enforce martial law.All is not lost as a brave band of resistance fighters, led by Julie Parrish and Mike Donovan, methodically assemble a force to fight the visitors. Mike Donovan, formerly one of the news cameramen welcomed by the Visitors, has seen the Visitors in their true reptilian form. He quickly discovers that the aim of the Visitors is to rob the Earth of its water and enslave the population. Humans are primed by the Visitors as potential impressed soldiers for the leader's army, as well as a source of food for the Visitors. The resistance is not alone in its struggle as there are a handful of aliens who do not support their leader's aims.The first miniseries concludes with the resistance having emerged victorious from a nominal battle and preparing for the next engagement.The mini series moves along smartly. There is no useless dialogue or prolonged scenes to overly exhibit expensive sets. Much as I enjoyed V: THE FINAL BATTLE I readily admit that the original television series is far superior. THE FINAL BATTLE picked up where the first series left off, but quickly devolved into a more drawn out production. Lacking Kenneth Johnson at the helm and a reduced budget, the second mini series lacked the creative camera work, superb editing, and tight dialogue of the original. Kenneth Johnson pitched a sequel that would have ignored the second mini-series and weekly television production, but Warner Brothers (who own the television rights to the series) opted to remake the series for ABC. Johnson's sequel eventually ended up as a book.For reasons that still escape me I missed the original May 1983 broadcast of V. I did not become a fan of the series until early 1984 when I saw V: THE FINAL BATTLE and was later able to watch a summer rebroadcast of both mini series prior to the airing of the weekly television series. Much as I admired both mini series and the television show, I admit that I always felt THE FINAL BATTLE's ending was rushed. The instant resolution with the simple release of red dust was too hurried and not in keeping with the original mini series.Ultimately V: THE ORIGINAL TV MINISERIES is a superior effort. I recommend that after you watch the film that you watch it again with Kenneth Johnson's commentary.

This miniseries sees aliens coming to Earth with a bunch of empty promises that the simple minded fall for and embrace authoritarianism over common decency and....And then I stopped watching it because it was too much like the nightly news.

Fantastic series, well packaged and fast shipping.

Item arrived on time and in perfect condition.

Good video quality, but the volume is a bit low. I had to run it up to 20-23 and that would be deafening with most other DVD's, this didn't bother me once the plot got moving along. 1980's TV miniseries films were better than most contemporary movies being made in present day? sure seems that way.

I watched this when it first came out years ago, and was excited to find it fir purchase on Prime.

It's just so incredible that this is available to purchase and add to my streaming collection! This mini-series was huge when it first aired a V The Visitors(83'), followed by V The Final Battle(84') For me, it was just as big as any sci-fi production or franchise that had been manufactured and still is. Factoring in the era, I believe it's still the most expensive production ever created. The cast was perfect, and with the exception of David Packer(personal reasons), there wasn't an actor in this production I didn't enjoy, especially Michael Ironside, whom I have followed ever since his role of Ham Tyler! I've also felt that Marc Singer, was a terribly underrated actor, whom I believe was mostly used for his physical capabilities, but has proven that he can, indeed act!As a kid growing up, I was not an exceptionally good student in school, so I really didn't make the connection with the "Visitors" acting as a modern day German empire led by Hitler to extinguish anyone he considered to be inferior or weak, but what I have realized through the years is our race can fight each other and we can wage war on each other over race, religion, political beliefs or just our lust for power or dominance, but a supreme intelligence with advanced technology could care less about any of those trivial things we deem of value and just attack us and devastate everyone as a whole. It doesn't matter who we are, what we believe, or where we come from. The Visitors see us as all the same and we are!

Great show 👍🏻