I'll only be cool with it if the Visitors are still seen as analogous of Nazi Germany.

I agree, Ray (and lighten up, 3tb) - and hopefully they avoid any politically correct disaster-of-the-moment garbage like global warming, or the even correcter "climate change" as the plot motivator. Keeping the original tenants of the first "V" (demonizing then imprisoning scientists while they steal our water and us for sustenance), along with a grim, desperate tone will make it worth the remake. How about they take it even ten steps further - over the course of a full series run the Visitors subjugate the entire human race, and the scattered remnants form a resistance to fight for the literal survival of the species. Something along those lines could make some compelling television, if they have the courage to do it . . .

I like your thinking Spacejockey, but I fully expect them to milk the social topics dujour. I wouldn't be surprised if they fell all over themselves to include smarmy commentary on torture or climate change in there. Then again, Johnson doesn't have his hands this rendition so maybe its not going to be socially heavyhanded like his reunion novel.

Science fiction is nothing without the social commentary. If the Visitors in the new version are analogous with the Nazis then it will seem tired and trite. Including torture, climate change, and other contemporary issues will make it seem fresh, even if it is a remake. One of the things that made the Star Trek franchise, and the reimagined BSG relevant was the way they dealt with contemporary issues.

Spacejockey and IsoTek are right on the money. Staying true to the story is far more important than the current disaster scare tactic. "Social Commentary" isn't important for good SciFi, Goog Writing is the key to a successful story. Contemporary "issues" are the not so subtle hidden soapbox for political rethoric and frankly, I could do without that in my SciFi films and television.
Nearly every new show on TV has mentioned global warming, the poor economy, or any number of real or imagined issues.
How about some good, imaginative storylines that DON'T include today's headlines? After all, it's science FICTION.
If I want current issues, I'll read the paper.

SciFi has always made social commentary. From Gulliver's Travels and 20,000 Leagues, War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. Or, in recent history, everything from Monkey Planet to Astro Boy, Rollerball (the original), Star Trek and Dune.

It has always been the key factor in good SciFi stories to take current topics and transpose them to fantastical worlds.

I agree with Guardian, sci-fi just needs good stories or concepts that can be entertaining. I find it VERY closed-minded to say sci-fi is nothing without social commentary. Personally I much prefer the more ambigious style "pure" alien sci-fi as I find it entertaining, imaginative and very fun to watch or read and thats all I care about so sorry if that makes my taste "lesser" than you more sophisticated sci-fi fans with all your real human-drama and real issues.

I love Morena...frap...frap...frap...

You can do it with social commentary, just do it with INTERESTING social commentary. Its far to common to get 1st grade level observations like 'Be nice to people' and 'Dont be mean' and 'Trees are pretty'. Write something with a little more weight to it and people may actually be interested regardless of effects.

Uh, you know they could just do both. If it is going to be a modern day reboot, then any kind of Nazi-like group will have to deal with our current host of problems as well as our current culture (internet, cell phones, etc). Otherwise, put it back in the 70's and it will be a true remake with only improved special effects and hopefully better writing.

The original series was pretty awful. Best I can remember, the aliens lied so blatantly in their first (universally broadcast) interaction with humans that I'd have gotten my hands on a Barrett and headed for the hills as soon as I saw the meeting on TV.

If they have scriptwriters who can improve V as much as was just done for Battlestar Galactica, I'd be willing to watch it. If not, I'm sorry for the waste of the talents of Alan and Morena.

I have an idea. They can have a really charismatic leader that slowly demonizes hard working people becauxse their hard work generates money. Slowly, the leader can strip people of their freedoms and change the laws to force those hard workin people to give all their money to people thar don't work. Oh, wait a minute... Someone already thought of that.

@Spacejocky... Uh, that storyline sounds an awful lot like Battlefield Earth. Hope it's better than that piece of ........!

I'm sure we'll find out that Obama is one of the Visitors.

Advance guard, softening us up.

Hmm, it's actually plausible and explains much.

it can't be any worse than "Plan 9 from Outer Space". CAN IT?

Guys I love that fact that scifi can be cerebral and embrace social issues just like real life drama, but nothing beats a scifi story that takes us to places we don't already know. There is also such a thing as being socially conscious but heavy handed and preachy and I think we have seen enough of that through out the years. Sorry, I love Silent Running but it might as well have been Jerry Falwell.

Smeg... You give TOTUS too much credit. After all the visitors could read off a teleprompter perfectly, or at least manipulate the media to cover up any slip ups.

This could be a great series, you know. They just have to make a few changes.

For example, get Joss Whedon to direct and write it.

Then they can add to the cast Nathan Fillion, Jewel Staite, Summer Glau, Sean Maher, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Gina Torres, and Ron Glass.

And instead of setting it on Earth, set it on a totally different solar system.

And get rid of the aliens entirely, and make it just about people struggling to survive, maybe on a Starship.

and rename it Firefly, and give it a full series pickup.

Then I'd watch it for sure.

As long as THIS remake doesn't end with the Visitors renouncing all technology because of God and angels or whatever the frak ruined BSG at the end, then I'm all for it.

First of all thanks to Madds for letting me know about this article.

Quite an interesting article.

Quite a pity about there being no reunion between Alan Tudyk and Morena Bacarrin.

Just watched the pilot last night! Pilot was excellent. The only cheesy current events thing thrown in is the tracking of a terrorist sleeper cell. The sleeper cell has something to do with the V but we don't know what yet.

We do get all the gritty details of what the V are up to in the first episode. I assume the series will revolve around how everything unfolds.

Please ABC pick this up!

Peter, you made me laugh!

Maybe that's the only way Joss will be able to sneak the production of more Firefly episodes past the tv execs.

Make no mistake I did love the original 'V' series - still have it on dusty old VHS tapes. Loved especially the tough but realistic heroine - a concept a bit ahead of its time.

But I do still deeply mourn the loss of that particular very beloved sci fi (or is it ScyFy?) series.

I love you for absolutely making my day! =-)

http://hillbuzz.org/2009/09/26/abc-effectively-cancels-obama-centric-v-remake-before-it-even-airs/

Remember the “V” remake we’ve been talking about — the one that uses “The One” and the Oprah-endorsed cult of personality surrounding him as the core of the show? All those promises of “Hope” and “Change” and “Space Lizards”?

Well, it seems ABC was very uncomfortable with all the parallels to the 2008 campaign Dr. Utopia ran, where he promised to heal the sick, lower the oceans, fix the hole in the ozone, and usher in THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOPE, CHANGE, UNICORNS, AND APPLE SAUCE.

Despite great fan reaction and high levels of interest in the show, ABC first ordered production shut down last month for a two week “retooling”.

Now, word comes that ABC not only shut the production down for a six week “rethinking”, but has also pushed the series’ weekly debut back to March. The four episodes already in the can will air with little fanfare in November, most likely in a terrible timeslot to guarantee low ratings so the network can decide to opt-out of any further episodes.