Tuesday, February 12, 2013

V (1983) or Not To V?

I've been on the fence about whether or not to include the two V television miniseries and subsequent weekly series here at Space: 1970. The original V mini ran in late 1983, which is pretty much my cut-off point here at the site, with the follow-up miniseries and weekly show airing the following year. I know it's my site, and realistically, I can write about anything I want - but man, the e-mails/comments I get when I step outside my self-imposed boundaries! It's amazing how quick people will jump on any opportunity to try and knock others down.

The show certainly feels like a 70s sci-fi show, with its ham-fisted social commentary, dystopian themes, Old School miniature effects, and broadly-drawn but appealing characters, and, frankly, I honestly enjoy most of the run in a way much like that of the shows I do cover here - unlike most 80s-90s genre efforts. A lot of this is probably attributable to the early creative influence of Kenneth Johnson, who originated the property and produced the first mini. Johnson was one of the most genre-savvy television producers of the era, with credits like The Bionic Woman, The Incredible Hulk - and, later, Alien Nation - to his name. He was always pretty canny about making outlandish sci-fi ideas work for mainstream television audiences (and networks/sponsors).

Of course, it also has that humungous 80s hair. 

Anyway, I will continue to ponder whether V can be squeezed into my already-elongated timeframe... what do you folks think?

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