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We've got 6 secrets from the set of V for you
We spent the day on the set of ABC's upcoming alien-invasion series V and learned a few spoilers for the show's debut next week. We also spoke with the show's stars and will be posting what they had to say later this week, but first a few surprises.
♦Alan Tudyk (Firefly's Wash and Dollhouse's Alpha) guest-stars in the pilot as the partner of FBI counter-terrorist agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell); we were told he will now be a recurring character.
♦ The final fight scene in the pilot was reshot and re-edited and now features a sci-fi element: A floating alien device called a "seeker." There is also a machine gun wielded by a major character.
♦ Anyone who has seen the original miniseries on which the new show is based knows that the "Visitors" are actually reptilian creatures disguised as humans. Will we see a full reveal of the aliens in the first four episodes? Producers won't say, but they told us that there will be an off-screen "skinning" of an alien at some point in the initial episodes.
♦ The mothership over New York will feature a mysterious room called a "bliss chamber" designed for the alien Visitors. Its function is unclear.
♦ The Visitors in the new show makes use of an alien alphabet that is identical to the one used in Kenneth Johnson's original miniseries as an homage to that show.
♦ The first four episodes of the show, which will air in November and December before the show takes a hiatus until spring, will end with a series of cliffhangers.
Executive producer Steve Pearlman, meanwhile, explained why ABC will air only four episodes before taking a long break and return to air the balance of the first season's 13 episodes in March.
"From the very beginning, there was going to be a break," Pearlman said on the show's set in Vancouver, Canada. "We were planned originally to be on starting in November, and then we were going to be off the air for about six or seven weeks and then come back on the air in January. And I think ... everybody kind of realized that that would put us up against American Idol ... plus the Olympics."
To avoid competition from those two shows, ABC opted instead to keep the show off the air until March. The show will play out in four-episode chapters, Pearlman added. "These [first] four episodes now have been designed very carefully [that this is] basically the first three weeks of the Visitors being here. ... Episodes one, two and three following the pilot, the story ... becomes much more about: There is no normal anymore, which is the title of the [second] episode."
The fourth episode is slated to air on Nov. 24, Pearlman said. "There are quite a few cliffhanger moments for many of our characters in that episode, and things that hopefully will be big enough events and the viewers will be hooked into these characters enough that the viewers will want to come back and see what happens to them in March." V kicks off on Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
By Melora at 2:55 PM ON 10/27/09
I'm so excited I could swallow a gerbil. These bitches better not mess this up after the anticipation they've created.
By rarhodes5 at 2:56 PM ON 10/27/09
So after the first 4 episodes we will have to wait until March?? That blows
By Praetor ShinzonII at 3:09 PM ON 10/27/09
I think the Visitors are Cylons!
Actually I think they are Really the tall Grays (Greys?) from alien abduction cases. That would be a kick. Reptilians get a bad press. Have you kissed your Iguana today?
By 3456 at 4:39 PM ON 10/27/09
Looks pretty good. Can't wait to check it out.
I was mesmerized as a kid by the original
V and still love that show big time, especially
the characters.
By TV Obsessed at 5:41 PM ON 10/27/09
Any alien babies?
By sshrul at 5:52 PM ON 10/27/09
Is there a writer's strike?? That's to long of a break ABC does not have any faith in this show that's why there doing this. Remember the strike, some show didn't make it atfer that break the ones that survived lost alot of there audience when they came back. Now this is a new show and I am looking foward to this show but the break is to long.
By kj.did.it.better at 7:56 PM ON 10/27/09
so not impressed with what i'm seeing or hearing- that first 8 minutes was rather painful (i think people have forgotten the pure magic of the first- and the epic scale)... this one feels just so totally "network tv"... and all this nonsense about this hiatus being part of the original plan- from everything i've heard from behind the scenes (including the crew in vancouver) it was a total surprise to everyone... just like the network trying unsuccessfully to strip Kenneth Johnson of his "created by" credit! (oh, and that little issue of the network NOT being happy with the scripts- and if the first 8 minutes of rather embarrassing dialogue is any indication, this series is going to not have a lasting impression!)...
going to pass...
By SonicRush at 9:11 PM ON 10/27/09
See that would be an awesome. If a show was created where the Cylons make an appearance today to try to stop humanity from abusing the Cylons. Give it a V feel, but at the same time take it to then next level. "All that has happen before will happen again. Seriously that would make for a much better show then Caprica.
By horizonal at 9:51 PM ON 10/27/09
ssshrul...this is no different than when Galactica premiered as a miniseries (the equivalent of 4 episodes) then continued as a series months later. In fact, the time span for V will be much shorter.
k.j. - you're full of crap. I'm actually beginning to think that you ARE Kenneth Johnson and that the bitterness is eating you alive.
By B at 11:05 PM ON 10/27/09
Why would Kenneth Johnson be bitter, horizontal? Check the credits for the new version of "V." He is actually involved with the series (with the premiere episode, at any rate).
By horizonal at 11:22 PM ON 10/27/09
B: Kenneth Johnson is not involved in the new series of V, he is merely credited as the creator of the original series. He is bitter because he wanted to bring V back himself (with a sequel to his 1983 miniseries) but the studio who own the TV rights to V said they weren't interested and opted for a remake instead. Since then, he has been droning on about making a film version of V, but it never got off the ground and probably never will. In addition, there has been the ridiculous and completely baseless accusation that the studio were trying to avoid giving him a credit on the new version altogether, though this is something that has only been reported by Johnson himself and only on certain fanboy sites rather than in the mainstream press.
It's all very sad.
By MrKaine at 3:06 AM ON 10/28/09
I'm Taking a moderate approach on this show. I think it has potential but the whole everyone in new york clapping at the Visitors arrival makes Me wonder about the quality... Maybe it'll make more sense when I actually see the show? Maybe not.
As for the Kenneth Johnson thing, I think that the second generation book he wrote was kinda lame ( I mean you could practically read where it would say "Insert commercial here") and while I like the idea of Diana as a Lesbian the idea of lizard sex creeps Me out a bit... Even Girl-on-Girl lizard sex and normally I LOVE the Girl/Girl action... Anyway I just hope they do this well...
By MrKaine at 3:09 AM ON 10/28/09
I'm Taking a moderate approach on this show. I think it has potential but the whole everyone in new york clapping at the Visitors arrival makes Me wonder about the quality... Maybe it'll make more sense when I actually see the show? Maybe not.
As for the Kenneth Johnson thing, I think that the second generation book he wrote was kinda lame ( I mean you could practically read where it would say "Insert commercial here") and while I like the idea of Diana as a Lesbian the idea of lizard sex creeps Me out a bit... Even Girl-on-Girl lizard sex and normally I LOVE the Girl/Girl action... Anyway I just hope they do this well...
By MadBeeOtch at 3:10 AM ON 10/28/09
I can guarantee you that kj.did.it.better is NOT Kenny.. Knowing him personally, I can say that this is not him and he would NEVER type things like that.. The frakwit is more likely to be Amon or one of the other VINO crew.. ( Those against V: The New Series )
As for the new series, it is awesome.. I saw the pilot back in May, and have to say that it is the best pilot I have seen, and I've seen alot, coming from a Entertainment website..
In the mean time you can find ALL the latest news at the most up to date "V" website around:
By gorehound696 at 8:01 AM ON 10/28/09
another dumb rermake that you fol;ks think is cool.well it is not.
the studios tried to screw ken johnson who created V and tried for years to get it back on tv.
i am boycotting this show.i will not touch it.it should and will fail.
By sshrul at 8:20 AM ON 10/28/09
I disagree horizonal BSG was intendent to be a miniseries in hopes of being a show in the future. This is 4 hour shows over four weeks with a big break in between and people loose interest with a break like that a cable channel could get away with it not a reg. network. Scifi show don't make it on network anymore. look at the history.
By sparrowlord01 at 10:14 AM ON 10/28/09
All these long waits do is cheese off the fans and frustrate them to the point that they just don't care anymore... I guess the dweebies in the programming department have never heard of the phrase "Strike while the iron is hot..." They do this with every lame show they have it seems.
I personally liked the original miniseries motherships better. They looked more practical. And what the heck is with that ventral display system on the motherships. They can invent an FTL drive, but they still use flat panel displays. The way they did it by broadcasting on every channel in every language in the miniseries seems much more practical then building a couple of thousand huge revolving image screens into the belly of a warship.... Come on folks... I will say that the new female visitor leader is MUCH hotter than Diana ever was. I just wonder if shes as dangerous. And I hope they don't cop out and use projectile weapons like in BSG. The Electro-Lasers in the miniseries were great. They seemed reasonably realistic in the miniseries. Lets see if this one is worth the wait, or just another exploitative attempt by SyFy to steal another classic show and mess it up for ratings.
By 13 Cylon at 11:30 AM ON 10/28/09
"Mousey.... MOUSEY... MOUsey. Mmmm Mousey!"
I am going to give it an honest and optimistic look next week. They way I look at it, ABC can't possably screw up this TV series any worse then NBC screw up the original series. Dont get me wrong the two Mini-Series were fantastic. The TV Series sux.
By Melora at 1:01 PM ON 10/28/09
Yes, apart from the camp "Dynasty-esque" interplay between Diana and Lydia, the weekly TV series from 1984-85 was total crapola. The new series cannot possibly be as bad as that.
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Melora:
Yes, apart from the camp "Dynasty-esque" interplay between Diana and Lydia, the weekly TV series from 1984-85 was t...More »