V

The 1983 science fiction show, V, may be coming back as a TV movie. CNN neatly summarizes the premise of the show:

It centered on the Visitors, aliens from a distant planet who came to Earth with the promise to solve the world's problems through their high technology, but after gaining control of the planet through subterfuge and media manipulation, began to methodically kill their hosts. A small group of humans, who discovered the Visitors' true plan -- to conquer the Earth and eat its population -- form a resistance and lead the fight against the invaders. "

Gothamist was seriously creeped out by V when we were little. Aliens that look like people, but with snake-like tongues. And when we watched the new Mission: Impossible TV show, we were shocked to see Visitor Diana, played by Jane Badler, as one of the M:I force. But when revisiting V for this post, we didn't remember the sets being so cheesy and low-rent. The IMDB listing for V.

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By Jen Chung in Arts and Events on June 13, 2003 12:03 AM

Comments [rss]

Spanky

You got that right!

Sam

V totally rocked. Man, I'm going over old posts since i missed a whole bunch. I don't like this whole not being in NY without a computer business. I'm getting a bloody mary.

Aserdaten

You know, there's actually a tremendous opportunity here for a genre switch. What if the three fatties from "Facts of Life" got together, and they formed a bounty-hunting agency, or a private investigations firm? It could be like "VIP", or "Walker, Texas Ranger", or "Charlie's Angels" except grittier, and with more food. Every week they could have a special guest star who was a TV star in the 70s or early 80s, and who's in trouble with the law, a loanshark, or his landlord, and he needs help from the girls to get out of trouble. In the first episode, Emmanuel Lewis could show up--he needs the girls' help because he's being stalked by a woman who runs a midget-fetish Internet site. Tragically, Blair mistakes him for an hors d'oeuvre.

Greg S.

Didn't you guys see the Facts of Life Reunion?

Mrs. Garrett owns a B&B upstate and Tutti, Blair and Natalie visits and hijinks abound.

Jo wasn't there, she's busy filming her show on Lifetime, but her "daughter" was able to be there, and she's just as spunky as ever!

Really, I saw this on Channel 14 (Family Network) I think.

Jen

Blair is now a born-again Christian, from what I hear.

Aserdaten

You'd think the producers of Facts of Life would have cut off the catering at some point. Natalie was supposed to be the token fat girl, but three seasons in she was looking pretty svelte compared with Blair and Tootie.

jake

what about the facts of life reunion? i bet blaire has become a crack whore by now.

Greg S.

Aw... Hell, when will it stop? Of all the shows to remake, why V? The only 80's remake I want to see is Different Strokes.

Mindy

So which came first, V or Michael Jackson's Thriller? Seems like they had the same clothing designer...

Melissa

V is the best. But I have to agree seeing that picture is a let down... Holy camel toe!

Aserdaten

Well, they wore cheesy M:I style latex masks to cover their reptilian faces. Robert Englund (of Freddy Kruger fame) played a pacifist reptile. I rarely got to see the show, since it was on at the same time as Dallas or Knot's Landing or something my mother liked to watch.

The really creepy thing was the hybrid girl, who grew to foxy adulthood in about four episodes. It was never explained to my satisfaction how alien reptiles and people could interbreed, since technically humans are more closely related to oak trees than any alien species.

I always got a kick out that old Larry Niven essay, "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex", which also deals with the problem of aliens and humans interbreeding: http://www.rawbw.com/~svw/superman.html