I guess that idiot never watched the original series, which this one is based on or else he would simply stfu.

"(No, no one asks why an alien who had never encountered humans before would be named Anna.)""

Is the guy completely devoid of imagination? Really? It's pretty obvious she took the name in order to better communicate...

This only makes me want to watch it more. It seems like all you ever read is how bad this show is, or this movie is. I refuse to let someone else's opinion sway me from checking it myself.

Like, it's the New York Times DUH!
Aliens don't do recon? How else would they learn about us but by infiltrating or watching American TV shows, They always speak American English, never British English or German or Russian, etc. It's only TV.

critics, the most useless job in the world.

Obviously the Visitors are smart enough to figure out that having an Earth name would be advantageous to their plans.

(He called a scene where New Yorkers applaud the arrival of the Visitors implausible) This is sci fi anything is possible if you dream.

So "Anna" is a questionable name for a non-Earthling, but "Luke Skywalker", "Solo", and "Leia" are not. (Come on, "Sky" and "Walker"? Gimme a break.)

Huh. In reading Mr. Hale's review, I'm reminded of a comment I made about the opening of the "re-imagined" Battlestar Galactica. Here we were in a show abut the end of civilization, and 45 minutes is taken up by Apollo and Adama's daddy/son issues, Tigh's drinking problem, Baltar's treachery, Roslin's cancer, and Starbuck's, well, Starbuckiness. And here's the thing, all of that was to show that these characters had lives before the genocide, and had to overcome these things and rise to the moment. I think the scenes Mr. Hale references, of a mother searching for her child, and the priest having a crisis of faith, etc, serve the same purpose, and though the explorations of these issues may seem trivial now, I'm sure they'll pay off later, as they did in Galactica. And I also don't find it unbelievable that a large portion of the world's population would herald the coming of interplanetary visitors as ushering in an age of peace and prosperity. People like to believe that humans are by nature cautious and aggressive. In fact, by nature, we're curious and stupid. Plus, the very same premise--that a portion of the population thought a message from space to be a divine intervention--was used in the movie Contact, and that didn't seem to cause problems. I think Mr. Hale was overly harsh, and like most television intelligentia, predisposed to dislike science fiction. I for one am willing to give the new V a shot.

If he doesn't understand why the leader's name is Anna then he obviously never watched the original V. They explain the names the first time they appear in person.

yeah, he obviously never watched the original.

'Anna' comes from 'Diana', the leader in the original (Jane Badler), which the new actress is now portraying.

Well said Gilveron.I am looking forward to it!

Well, it is the NYT. I mean, after all, their circulation is down so much they just laid off over 100 people. Most would argue it is because of their poor content. So, don't place to much confidence on this review.....

New York Times Huh?... maybe that one scene where Anna telling the press not to ask difficult questions struck a bit too close to home. Robert Gibbs would be proud of the Visitors moxy.

If it helps any the Chicago Tribune gave V a rather good review.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-tc-tvcolumn-v-1102-1103nov03,0,7062976.story

Planet Television? Really? I find it implausible that the 'masses' would stand and applaud the first African American President merely because he was the first African American President. All this without prior knowledge about anything that he's ever written, where he was born, what he believes, who his friends were, or who might be guiding his every move. He might as well be an alien too right. We live on Planet Television!

So they can build spaceships and travel between planets, yet they couldn't have figured out an "earth" name like Anna?

Look, the NYT simply doesn't want to give any cred to a show that is going to have the fresh new media adoring Visitors who are bringing hope, change and free health care to be the bad guys.

There is going to be a healthy does of social commentary going on here, as there should be. The NYT is just cranky cuz the social commentary isn't going after their old boogyman GW Bush anymore. Instead, it will be commentary about the current guy, their guy, the guy they helped get elected.

Sorry NYT, can't have your cake and eat it too.

Between the review itself and the 4400 comment, I'm thinking they just don't like Canada. Either that, or Joel Gretsch.

That's b/c Canada puts the lie to their socialized medicine scheme. FAIL!

see this supports my thesis that ABC is messing with the show because of the unavoidable comparisons to Obamas message which is throughout all the good reviews, and clearly the NYT sn outfit very probama is not amused!

I think he has a point with the name of "Anna" if the name was " killer of all, and destroyer of things" would be better, oh wait... no. Even if you watch the 1st 10 minutes of the original V they said that they picked out names so we can relate better.

What a Fn duesche, they have been infiltrating Human lives for how how and a lone FBI agent is just stumbling upon this vile plan of the Visitor's? Of course shes gonna have a Human Name, DUH! he either has no fn imagination to speak of or he simply hates SciFi flicks of any kind, either way, hes a deusche.

There only going to 4 episodes then the rest of them March after the olympics. I think ABC Execs just don't like scifi. They were the idiots that canceled the original Battlestar Galactica after only one season.

http://www.scifiscoop.com/news/v-abc-to-split-the-series-production-halt-continues/

The URL sights the split of the V episodes. Thought i got it in on mylast post. :)

You know, I honestly almost don't want to reply to all this nonsense about the Visitors being a front for Obama, because it's the kind of moronic drivel you expect to hear from right wing nut jobs. But then when I read the headline of the Chicago Tribune's review, "V Aims at Obmamania," and I have to ask, are the allegedly liberally biased newspapers that stupid, too? The only logical comparison between Obama and the Visitors is that both inspire a sense of hope and unity after a long national nightmare--whether that sense is deserved or not. Obama is not an evil Kenyan socialist fascist racist trying to destroy America. The fact that the right wing gets away with pushing this nonsense is only outshown in its asurdity by the fact that there are actually people who believe it! Look, it's one thing to have a legitimate ideological difference, but when Glenn Beck has the balls and the outright gall to ask a question like, "If the Democrats get 60 votes, will America survive?" and still gets taken seriously as a journalist is beyond ridiculous. Whether you like it or not, Obama is our President, and he deserves the same respect so-called patriots demanded of our last president, even when it was clear that he really was trying to effect a fascist takeover of the country. So please, on both sides, stop spewing bile. This show isn't about Obama any more than it's about Bush. It's an exploration of the very human desire for peace, and to what extremes we are willing to go when someone offers to bring it. It's not about either political party or any one candidate.

So just finished watching it. Looks like it could have potential, the story just seemed to progress so quickly. Wish they would have slowed it down a bit with a 2 hour premier.

The First episode was just week, formulaic and attrocius. It has nowhere near the impact of the original series even 25 years later.

Its clearly an attempt to copy the success of Galactic without the emotion punch, writing, and the all the rest. (Although Galactica's ending sucked limp "Biscuit".)

On the other hand, Baccarin is a definate improvement over the original Diana. Cold, Beautiful, and criminally evil.

Poor NYT ... hopefully this show will make some important social commentary and not just fall in behind the popular media and current Administration.

I like the scene where Anna is being interviewed and she tells the reporter not to ask her anything that will make them (the Aliens) look bad. Sounds like the thin skin of the current Administration to me.

Yeah, those idiots at ABC who gave us Lost, Flashforward, Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, etc, they must just hate sci-fi.

Oh, and Galactica had two seasons, Battlestar Galactica and Galactica 1980. And they were both TERRIBLE. Bah, I guess I'm just getting old and crotchety.

Um, Gilveron, speaking as someone who lives in Chicago. The Tribune is a leftists news paper. So much for you conspiracy theory.....

hmm call myself Anna or sovnnsaoiuewlnaxxyi.... yeah you pronounce that...

As an original watcher, I can tell you I am very pleased with this new version. It is so far from another "crappy remake" that it could have stood on its own. Those that are calling this devoid of anything original, rushed, or lacking in potential, have not seen the original and have no clue what they say. I have already pointed out comparisons of new cast members to their original counterparts, was able to identify elements of the original mini-series in just the first episode, and am very pleased with this re-imagining. I am a die hard in the wool of the original and I am quite pleased with what I saw. I will be tuning in for more.

My ONLY complaint: I do not like the uniforms. At all. There should be some kind of separation of identification. However, I think I can understand why there was not.

Gilveron, I don't think Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone are great examples of ABC standing behind scifi/fantsay programs. They didn't exactly give either show much of a chance to succeed into their second seasons, and how about the recent Defying Gravity, which was cancelled with 5 episodes left to air? Keeping V off the air for 4 months is not going to do the series any favors. And if the rumors are true, they've even cut the original 13 episode order down to 9, so you can make of that what you will. To me, that doesn't sound supportive.

"He called a scene where New Yorkers applaud the arrival of the Visitors implausible and said it only made sense on "Planet Television," where producers need "the aliens to win over the rest of humanity before the third commercial break.""

This is right on. Although his comment about Anna just shows he hasn't seen the original.

This first episode was super rushed and would have been much better as a two-hour event similar to the opening of the original miniseries.

And the characters are DRAB so far! Example: The original introduced all these families with children (Daniel, Robin & Sean most prominently). This series has one kid - predictably a 2-dimensional emo 'rebel' who makes T2's Eddie Furlong look like Daniel Day Lewis.

And I miss Julie Parish. :(

That said, the NYT reviewers all all a bunch of arrogant 'tards anyway.

just watched the pilot. slow it down! left a lot to be desired. no where near as much effort put into this as the original. i guess they were going for the whole ADD crowd with this short pilot. honestly, this was a slap in the face of the original. try again. lol

MILD SPOILER
There was one point where they were saying something about creating fake wars and economic crises through V infiltration that reminded me of the Bush administration, while the whole hope thing with a catchphrase like "Peace, always," is very Obamaesque.

I really don't think it's trying to "nail" anybody. Just empty political promises overall.

Welcome super-hot-reptilian babe, your wish is my command.

@Scooter Go troll politico, troll. This isn't a political forum.

" ...critics, the most useless job in the world."

Fanboys: the most predictable demographic in the world.

I am just going to say this about it being rushed: they HAD to rush it. So many of us know the original story that to drag it on would have killed it instantly. They had to hook us immediately with the potential of back story we did not get in the original AND hook new viewers.

Yes, this episode moved fast-it simply had to. Next episode will be even better judging from the previews. And as far as the political stuff--if you were any kind of fan of the original, you would know the politics played a huge part in it as well. This one is just a bit more obvious, but I'm not one of those wacky-gotta-find-fault-with-everything politicos that believe the big bad gubment is out to get us.

Give this a chance. I think it may very well prove itself in the next few episodes.

I agree with the reviewer - the tv show seems disinterested in the aliens! They barely bother to show the alien shuttle landing at the UN - as if that scene wasn't important. It was to busy confusing itself for yet another FBI show. Given that the original show was flawed and doesn't age gracefully, at least it understood that, you know, maybe revealing the aliens as lizards was at least interesting if not horrifying. This show? Meh. Lets just tell the audience in some drab, rather generic speech that ALIEN LIZARDS ARE AMONG US! Wow. Repitloids? Really? You're going there? Borrowing from our existing silly mythology about our leaders being secret lizard men? But that was just before the ninja-aliens showed up... sigh. maybe laser guns would be silly now but .. really? ninja-aliens?

As to the name Anna being unlikely - she had just gotten done saying that they were amazed to have found other life in the universe - giving me the impression that they were claiming they literally just stumbled onto the planet and went "wow - check it out! people!"

Oh, and hey, maybe the show could come up with some interested in explaining why they are on Earth - I mean, why they claim to be. Their story was mentioned and the show didn't seem interested in dealing with that either. It seemed bored with its own story.

Sigh.

I watched the premiere tonight. I enjoyed it. I like how manipulative the Visitors are in this version. I agree that the clapping was implausible. One other problem I had was how fast the storyline went. It seemed rushed which I guess could explain how the NYT reviewer felt it lacked the drama. It felt like a two hour pilot that was crammed into one hour. Other than that, I enjoyed it and look forward to upcoming episodes.

Didn't we see a lot of people protesting. There is already dissent and naysayers. Seems plausible to me. besides it's syfy and a certain suspension of disbelief is necessary to buy into the storyline. Come on NY Times, don't you see the obvious allusion to biblical end of times. This is an allegory so some of the storytelling and characters will be archetypes. This is literature brought to the big screen. Enjoy and search for the underlying meanings. Sorry, I could go on but won't...

I watched the premier tonight and it was horrible. the dialogue was stilled, the plot rushed and without development. There was not one character I could care about. the original series, while not great, at least led up to the vistors slowly taking over

I don't care about the reviews. The only reason I want to check in an episode of the new V is to see if Morena Baccarin really does look like Audrey Hepburn and Audrey Tautou in the screenshots!

NYT always being negative about the many shows.

It's Armond White's long, lost brother!

BTW, the Times is so out of touch, it's amazing somebody actually read this review.

*sigh* ill give it a miss I think, seems like its nigh impossible to make a decent sci-fi show with hard sci-fi and creativity, simply because 99% people that watch television are idiots that only care about crappy human-drama and characters...but hey what can one expect, its a popularity contest to make money, guess I cant blame em...

TERRIBLE SHOW!!!!!!! WORSE THAN DOLLHOUSE

who cares what that commie pink newspaper thinks!!??

correction: commie pinko newspaper

I kinda miss the humor of the original "V" and what "V" actually stands for, but it was a pretty good start.

The most talked-about performance will be that of Morena Baccarin (the courtesan Inara on Firefly) as the highly attractive alien leader, Anna. (No, no one asks why an alien who had never encountered humans before would be named Anna.)"

This guy obviously didn't even bother to watch the show he was reviewing, otherwise he'd know that they explicitly said that the visitors had already been on earth for many years - hence her understanding of human naming conventions.

idiot.

Anna? Really?? Um, does anyone ever wonder why aliens speak English???

^^^I meant, why didn't HE wonder why aliens all over the universe can speak English.

i thought the pilot was very good.

Pay Attention SyFy...
ABC OWNED your ass tonight & came with a show that doesnt bore to death, has just the right amount of technobabble, a decent, likeable cast, and superior fx. UNLIKE your tired new programming...SGU comes to mind...TERRIBLE. Stop catering to the same demo that likes The Hills & the O.C. and grow a pair...

@ Pay Attention - of course ABC owned the night: There was no world series game this evening, and SyFy was not running one of it's only 2 shows worth tuning in through the who week for, being SGU and Sanctuary.

This does not mean though, that V will fly, though I did appreciate the attention to detail, political climates, and the casting.

Additionally, someone on their writing staff has read and studied well even our own goverment's publishings on counter-insurgency and terrorism. They did portray the initial outlooks well, though the journalist capitulating to Anna's needs was probably exaggerated, especially if you ask any journalist of the type. More likely, they would have walked away,and made a story of the requests made to fill the air time.

We shall see how the program progresses, but have hope for at least 8 more episodes before ABC kills it, eh? - kh

Well, I just watched the show, and I think SyFy nailed it; it's not bad. It isn't great, it certainly isn't groundbreaking, in fact, in theme and tone it really didn't feel that different to me than the original. I have to say, I sort of missed some of Diana's vampishness, especially the scenes with Christine Walsh where you couldn't tell whether she was going to screw her or eat her--at least, you couldn't tell which she was going to do first. And in the one fight scene in the entire pilot, I have to say, I really miss the laser guns, corny "whoosh" and all. Aliens who forsake technology for cool ninja moves weren't interesting, and reminded me way too much of "Signs," and yes, that's a bad thing. The acting for the most part, was competent, if a little bland, and as for the writing, well, let's just say I cringed a little more than I'd have liked (especially in the scene when the priests were discussing the Visitors. And their conclusion that infatuation often turns into devotion, I thought this the epitome of irony since that's essentially what happened with Jesus, and no, I don't think the writers were smart enough for this to have been deliberate). So overall, I guess I'd give the pilot a solid C, and like I said, that's not bad.

I agree with Mike Hale. The pilot was rubbish.The series sacrifices character development for cheap melodrama. None of the characters is likable. The symbolism was obvious. The aliens weren't particularly alien. At least the original had Mark Singer and Robert Englund.

As an addendum, I'd just like to ask a question my brother brought up and that I've also heard asked around the web; regardless of what you thought of the pilot, is it really worth investing emotionally in a show that is only going to be on for four weeks and then may or may not come back? All I can say is, I sure hope those next three episodes are a whole lot better than the pilot, if this show is going to have a chance.

Universal healthcare = evil? If this show's political agenda is to undermine our president's goals I can't watch. Extreme right wing values would not make it a good humanitarian show. Criticizing people trying to bring the things people actually need is evil.

Also, only four episodes? They must have not believed in the concept in the first place.

BUT, Morena B is the hottest ever. So I'm watching.

The reason they won over humanity (at least in the city that was shown) was because they saw the "Visitors" as saviors of mankind. As if it were a second coming of Jesus.

They even healed the guy in the wheelchair. Now, I'm no genius on religion, but we all know how saving mankind and healing the sick relates to religion. So if this person at the New York Times can't grasp that concept, then he is a complete moron or was simply looking to play the spoiler in his next report.

So they dissed the show because they 'didn't question the name 'anna' and they gave them a standing ovation' (yes -- the latter, cheesy). I really wish that there was a bit more suspension of disbelief in the audience.

Yes. The situation is by nature absurd and fantastical. Get over it. They did a nice job of establishing -- alien visitors seem to be extremely friendly, but are actually quite creepy and obviously have an alternate agenda. Just accept that basic idea and go with the flow.

For myself, having previously watched the original and being a huge fan of scifi TV / movies, this show was one big WOW. It didn't try to justify everything, and I have no problem what that. What it did was establish a situation and get on with the "What if?"

And that, to me, is what makes scifi so much fun and a constant challenge to my mind and imagination. A bunch of people saying "what if" and writing a story. For my two cents, I really wish they would make it into an actual long term TV show.

(And add some Dr. Who references, because really, alien invasion, they showed London, c'mon folks....)

The original V was horrible and this version isn't any better, if not worse given BSG's example that a remake need not follow the suckage of the original.

The NYT is right! You see it’s stupid to think that the media would fall in line with a "charismatic" leader who promised hope and change with universal healthcare. You see everyone knows the media has more integrity than that. Right?

This show was great, I personnally liked the fact that they gave her a name like anna. but for the moron at new york times i guess you never had much of an imagination so let me break it down for you slowly. If your going to try to fit in with humans you might want to give yourself a human like name! duh! but hey i guess you dont get to write reviews at new york times by having much of a personality or imagination.

This show was great, I personnally liked the fact that they gave her a name like anna. but for the moron at new york times i guess you never had much of an imagination so let me break it down for you slowly. If your going to try to fit in with humans you might want to give yourself a human like name! duh! but hey i guess you dont get to write reviews at new york times by having much of a personality or imagination.

I didn't even watch this remake, and already I see problems. I recall that in the original mini series, they explained why the Visitors took human names (because the visitors have their own language and their names would be hard for us to use/understand). If this new version isn't willing to throw in one line of dialogue to explain that... then that doesn't really bode well, IMO.

Next... really? NYC applauded at the end of the message? No one panic? No one doubt the message at all? They all applauded? Sorry, but that's just another strike against the writers that makes me not want to watch this.

The final strike is the fact that they took a crappy old mini series and TV show... and re-made it... Oi...

I remember someone's comment on here about ADD people seeming to being the audience... well, it looks like that may be the case, and I require more in depth story and emotion than an ADD script can give. I pass.

Not to mention I don't watch much of anything on ABC (aka Already Been Canceled)

While the new "V" was okay..... What I did notice was that the writing DID absolutely SUC..... I mean, watching that first episode, and it was like I was watching the entire old "V" series in just one episode. I mean, it was like they took glimpses of certain events from the first version and plopped them into 10 minute shorts. There was no build up, no drama. I agree, the writing really suc'ed. Still liked it cause I like "V", but that was ridiculous.

I pity any alien race that comes to earth to share their wisdom and advanced technology. After "V,"
"Independence Day" and the Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man" we would nuke the snot out of them before they finished making their offer

The Good and the not so good, over all—Good.
Having watched the show... I may agree that it was a bit rushed, but then a lot of shows are now days. I went along with the story and enjoyed it as a whole. However, the aliens are already calling themselves “Vs” and in my view, the military aspect the Vs had went out the window. Instead of a show having an empire coming to enslave us, like the original did, it was a simple alien invasion. Ok, I'm still good by it, though, and enjoyed the show. Look forward to seeing more.

This guy Mike Hale all he is doing is what the rest of us do writing his OPINION about the show we all have our opinions except he get's paid for his. What make's his opinion better than anyone else's? he get's paid...the guy's an ASS!!!

'The First episode was just week'
If only it took at least a week of episodes to cover the events of the first episode. My guess for next week's episode - Michael Ironside appears with a big hammer and someone eats a guinea pig.

I'm still on the fence about this show. I wasn't really drawn to any of the characters and it really moved very slowly. As a remake i would have hoped for more flash and I would have hoped for more effects considering what technology can do now. Also I was bothered by the reactions of everyone in the show you never get a real since of urgency from anyone. There’s no real government reaction at all, the people all around the world just start clapping when they hear whats being offered and in truth for a pilot episode not one thing happened at all. Ok its fill with hotties from other shows, and has potential but I’m not hooked yet.

Overall I’d say I was disappointed, to be honest. And I’m a fan of the old show, I just hoped for something with more action and depth. I guess every remake can’t be Battlestar.

HEY SY-FY GUYS! I want a "Reader Review" Thread. We all watched the show last night. Give is a space to post our full reviews. This thread is to muddled with the NYT's BS. Lets put the power of the media to work for us for a change. Start a review thread and tell the boys and girls at ABC to take notes, and pay attention to the focus group that matters most. The real V's, their VIEWERS.

What is wrong with everyone? The premiere last night was great and the pace was just fine. Maybe some of it was predictable (like if you watched the original miniseries), but some of it actually surprised me and that's a hard thing to do. It feels like I'm watching "Lost" season two again. Can't wait to see more.

Some who watched V in my opinion slam it for what it is not, as opposed to enjoying it for what it is.
With that being said, I think it highly plausible that a crowd of people with an immensely large alien ship hovering over them poised to blast them into briquettes in the style of "Independance Day" would applaud those aliens if they decided instead to say,"We come in peace'......

As a fan of SciFi I was taken aback by AlanTudyk's performance! (Spoiler) we have seen him in Serenity as the loved pilot in the firefly series. He was also the pirate in Dodgeball and I expected him to be the same "loveable, nice "guy here. But to have him revealed as a deceiptful V alien was shocking and made me and my family look eagerly to the rest of the series. I think the writers knew the audience well and threw that in there for us, and for that I say, 'Excellent'.

Actually, i don't think the applause was all that out of order. Imagine if you were there and saw a frakking huge space ship fly over your head. Probably your first thought is, "Crap, I am going to die, they are going to blow us up." You might be a bit nervous, right? Then they say they are friendly and you are not in danger. Wouldn't you feel the slightest bit of relief? "Yes! I am NOT going to die!" Now, if you were a TV show director, how do you think you would portray this sudden switch from panic to joyous relief?

And for the millionth time, fix captcha, Syfy.

As I have stated multiple times before on this site, I am a HUGE fan of the original mini series of V. I watched the premiere last night and observed two things:

1.) The show felt rushed; it felt like if you watched 10 minutes, then 45 minutes of plot expansion had occurred. In all fairness to the writers and production crew, it was like that they knew they needed to get the story going as fast as possible to keep costs down and to get ratings or fear being cancelled at the next turn. Again, I do not blame the writers for the rushed approach, but the studio execs. CONSTANTLY worried about the bottom line ($$$ USD).

2.) The original Visitors were more about "shock and awe" and an ensuing police state, while the new Visitors *appear* to be more about "special ops" and subterfuge.

I like the original Visitors' uniforms, sunglasses, ships' interior/exteriors, voices and weapons MUCH better than this remake, but the new remake opened up some very interesting possibilities with its initial pilot. This could be (storywise) a long running show with subtle intrigue, suspense and even occasional action. I liked it and I think the new remake has a lot of potential!

Way to go!

It was lame. Did nobody else see a lot of similarities with the classic Carpenter movie, They Live? Most of the ending sequence and speech were borrowed right from that movie. Look, I don't care if her name is Anna, but they could have done a better job making it appear difficult for them to fit in (even if they had been here a while), or at least showing us some of the process of how they wanted to appear more friendly. It came off hokey, and as if everything was glossed over instead of digging in to it. I'll watch again to see if it's going anywhere, but I doubt it will. This could have been something really cool, but I feel it's just a train wreck of mish-mashed ideas. (and I could also deal without someone else's politics being rammed down my throat)

Pathetic, will get canceled before Flash Forward.
Only Kenneth Johnson can do 'V' period.

Sad thing is if you saw the trailer on the net you saw the first 10minutes of the show. I literally fast forwarded all the way through the beginning because it was the exact same thing.

I don't care what anybody says here the first episode was super rushed. I mean we took characters that have been together for years and ripped them apart from each other in less than 30minutes. There was absolutely no character building at all.

At least BattleStar Galactica gave us some bordem at least it felt like it, but it was building back stories so we understood before other things happened.

My take on this is they are only promising 4 episodes just to make sure the ratings hold and of course we did not get a two hour premier just incase it bombs and they have precious advertising to pay the bills.

Wow. Never saw so much beef about a single show/franchise since Trek! The big question about this show is why couldn't the network put their money into something more original. V is such a tired concept. It got nuked by Independance day and never should have been remade. Inara would have been great as Wonderwoman. She definitely should be in our dreams as some other hero or character.

One of my issues was and is: they want water?

Water?

Really?

They need to come specifically to Earth to get...water?

They can manipulate gravity and apparently have more than enough energy and they can't put two hydrogen and an oxygen atom together?

Even as a cover story, you'd think some human would figure it out and go, "That's just stupid"

I was very apprehensive about this show. But, I have to admit, it surprised me. The unexpected twist did it for me. I will continue with this show, if it continues to be a interesting.

He called a scene where New Yorkers applaud the arrival of the Visitors implausible and said it only made sense on "Planet Television," where producers need "the aliens to win over the rest of humanity before the third commercial break.".......replace "the Visitors" and "the aliens" with "Obama" and you pretty much got real life...

I think the reason the Times didn't like this article was because the zealous religous fervor that people showed the vistors was very similar to the way people react to President Obama. The way the visitors use "community groups" to help spread the propoganda is eerily similar to a certain president's tactics. The promise of "Universal Healthcare with no cost to you" is very similar as well. Nothing on this planet is ever free. People almost always realize that too late.

Let's face it, the "Times" is in love with President Obama, any type of criticizm towards him even in a Science Fiction movie will put them in "Defense" mode.

I wondered about the applause myself. My wife said that the crowd had all seen Independence Day and they were just really happy that they hadn't been blasted to bits.

Methinks the Times Doth Protest too much. When I saw comparisons between the Aliens and "obamamania", I knew the Times would trash it. They must protect their 'chosen one' at all costs.

Ok, here's the difference between the Visitors and President Obama: The Visitors are fictional aliens using camouflage and pretty words to lull humanity into a false sense of security so they can capture us all and eat us, and Barack Obama is the LEGITIMATELY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, who is so scary and evil he can't even reform Wall Street or pass a health care bill. I'm utterly sick of all the utterly childish conspiracy nonsense on the Right concerning President Obama, especially since this crap is coming from the same people who yelled, "If you say anything bad about President Bush you are a traitor." Well, pot, the kettle has just called. I'm sorry your cadre of actual fascists imploded under the weight of its own corruption and incompetence, but there it is. The remnants of your pathetic junta were swept to the four winds by the American electorate, and now all they can do is slither back under their rocks and snipe at the new President in the worst show of sour grapes since Eddie Murphy lost his Oscar for "Dream Girls." I'd say, "get a life," but somehow, "grow up" seems more appropriate.

I haven't watched this show yet (got it on DVR for tonight) but I have to laugh at Gilveron, who manages to completely pwn himself in a single paragraph, albeit a long and continuous one. How do you actually not realize your own stupidity when you say that right wing nut jobs are idiots for believing Obama is trying to destroy America and then follow up with saying the last President tried to "effect" (affect?) a fascist empire on us? Really? Did the filter between your brain and your fingers malfunction? Did you read your comments twice before posting? Just another brain dead liberal...

Also, everyone might want to rephrase their "already been canceled" meme since the show landed big ratings: http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/11/abcs-v-premiere-ratings.html

Hmm, whoda thunk that there are a lot of right wing nut jobs who will watch good entertainment that appeals to them? Guess ABC has finally found that niche market: the other half of the country.

NYT doesn't like it because the bad guys (the Vs) are offering Universal Healthcare and the promise of Universal Peace for the promise of human devotion. Hmmmmm, sound like any presidents we know. Hmmm, maybe the V agenda sounds a little too much like the democratic political agenda.

The original V was a social commentary, maybe this one is as well, and the liberal NYT doesn't like it.

Gilveron, please promise me one thing, that you will keep posting all day long. I have a lot of work ahead of me and I am going to need the humor.

"[Obama is] a [fake politician] using camouflage and pretty words to lull humanity into a false sense of security so they [will vote for him so he can control] us"

Seriously though, if you would have shown me V and the '08 election results and asked me which one was fiction, I would have gone with the election results. I would have never guessed so many Americans would have fallen for such an obvious farce as Obama. At least the aliens have pretty shiny ships. And I'm sure they know how many states are in our country too!

Oh, one more thing Gilveron, liberals spent 8 years bashing President Bush non-stop, over and over, without cause or even a topic that warranted it. You interjected cheap shots into television show after television show. Hell, even BG got stupid because of the ideological bias. Idiots like yourself came up with conspiracies and scandals hand over fist. Now, you reap what you sow. Have fun the next 4 (God have mercy) or 8 (welcome to Canada) years.

"He called a scene where New Yorkers applaud the arrival of the Visitors implausible and said it only made sense on "Planet Television."

Was the reviewer not around in 2008 - aka Obama worship that took place.

These Obamites have such a thin skin, so they are CLEARLY different from the Visitors.

I watched the pilot on Tuesday. It didn't resonate with me like the original V did, and I don't plan on watching any more episodes. This feels like a cheap knock-off of not only the original V, but Independence Day, District 9, and the book Childhood's End (the latter being the definitive treatment of ships appearing over the planet).

As for all the political bickering above, I though science fiction attracted intelligent, well-mannered people who knew how to discuss subjects dispassionately and come to reasoned conclusions. @Brian and @Gilveron need to work on their common sense, inflated sense of self-importance, and even their facts! It's very sad to see right-wing nut jobs and radical liberals infiltrating even message boards on a science fiction website.

I also can't look at Morena Baccarin with that short hairdo. After seeing how gorgeous she looked on Firefly, it's hard to watch.

I guess when I speak to "Dave" in New Delhi about my American Express bill I should wonder why he would "take on an American name". Go "V" we need to fight Obama facism everyway we can.

For myself, I was entertained!
Having watched the original as a teen, the political social element was largely lost to me. I did, however, dig the cliffhangers and Sci-Fi elements. IIRC, the press was all over that show, and even reported some of the big surprises as news.

With the new series, if I had my way, they would have taken a bit more time with the story so that younger audience members that did not see the original mini could have appreciated the drama associated with the reveal that the aliens were in fact, reptilian.
I thought I may have been making a mistake last week having my family watch the original mini, as I did not want to ruin the "surprises", but it seems that was unjustified.
I am sure the writers struggled with this as well, and made the choice to pay homage to the mini, but make this new series have its own surprises.

I'm half surprised we did not see the hybrid baby in the pilot, just to get that out of the way as well;)

It will be nice for me, as well as a new generation to see this basic story played out with new characters, technology and twists.

The only part I did not like was that the visitors were referring to themselves as "V". If I remember, that was a derogatory name used by the resistance fighters.

Also, when (Di)Anna said "we are of peace", I half expected them to be revealed as Borg! Now that would have been a big surprise!

For me, I am just going to suspend my disbelief, try not to get caught up in the past, and enjoy the show as the escapist fantasy I believe it to be.
Best,
snowtrooper1966

I didn't see the original, but I thought the name Anna made perfect sense. It is a rather universal name. It exists in Germanic, Romance, and Slavic languages. That covers a lot of countries! Some comments have been complaints that aliens always speak English. One, it makes it easy for viewers. Two, Anna was speaking in the local language of several countries at the same time when she was addressing the people of Earth from her ship. Given that the Visitors had been on Earth for many years, why's it difficult to believe they have "Earth" names and can speak the local languages?

@Brian: Just another brain dead teabagger thinking that spouting an ad hominem rant constitutes a valid argument. Sticks and stones, my friend. As for the filter in my brain, it works just fine. George W. Bush attempted at every level to subvert the Constitution, from warrantless wire-taps to starting illegal wars, to replacing prosecutors with political cronies. Hell, even John Ashcroft wouldn't go along with his wire-tapping bill, so he got Alberto Gonzalez to do it for him. Meanwhile, all Obama has tried to do is reach out to Republicans and work through the legislature to pass much needed legitimate reforms. Yet somehow he's the one that's a fascist? Give me a frakking break.

Also, faking one of my quotes to deliberately take it out of context is ridiculous, and further proves that you have no legitimate argument, and are just continuing with your ad hominem attack.

And one more thing, liberals had lots of reasons for bashing Bush non-stop, again, see above warrantless wire-tapping, wars, Katrina, Abu Ghraib, politicizing the Justice Department, Political Cronyism, causing the economic collapse, and TARP. Seriously, name one thing, just one, that Obama has done that is unethical and/or illegal?

BTW--the fact that you used the term, "pwn," as if it were an actual verb, proves to me that you are 14 and I'm wasting my time. So no, I won't keep posting all day.

Gee, that's funny. The fact that you use terms like "brain dead teabagger" tells me you're a simp who's not worth * my * time.

I think that whole part where a journalist's integrity is for sale so he/she can climb the career ladder hit a little too close to home. Or, maybe it was the "blind devotion" reference. Don't get you panties in a bunch Mikey. You obviously were stretching when you had to whine about a name choice.

She chose the name "Anna" because "Barack" was already taken.

There was a review/story circulated on the Trib papers that likened the Visitors to Obama. I haven't seen the remake yet, but I remember the original. I can see where someone who isn't familiar with the original to see Omabamania all over the visitors here. If the NYT reviewer got even a slight snif of anti-Obama message in the show, that expalins the dismal review.

The one time liberals have to face criticism from "art", they have a full fledged panty wetting.

But they are the first loudmouths to tell someone who objects to a crucifix in urine or a Mary covered in crap "Shut up, it's art, and accept that you suck."

You guys are pathetic crypto-fascists.

If the Times hates it they must think the show has a conservative political angle. Pretty miraculous that it's on any network other than Fox (ABC). I take Times disapproval as a cue to watch/read so will be watching every week.

I agree with leeuniverse. The pilot just crammed too much into it. One second the visitors arrive and the next, a "terrorist" group knows all bout them and why they're here. Also, their nick name "The V's" is used by everyone in the world. Damn. This planet catches on fast to trend-setting nicknames. When Agent Evans infiltrates the terrorist meeting, she's supposed to be undercover, but she makes a comment to the leader that the guy in the photo is a known terrorist and the leader just casually acknowledges it. Uhm. Shouldn't he ask her why she has inside info on terrorists? And doesn't Evans' son join the Visitor Youth Corps a little too quickly? Since this is a full television series, why are they rushing through all these plot devices? Why not just take their time and let the show unfold?

And to Rev. Dr. E. Buzz Biden-Miller, M.D. (a reverand doctor?), fascists are usually equated with conservatives, not liberals. Conservatives are the ones who love guns, killing and shoving their religion down others throats. Just like terrorists. Fascists have guns. Liberals don't. Kind of a no-brainer there, you fracking idiot!

Well didn't they cut down the original 13 episodes? So cramming material is what they had to essentially do, only they didn't expect such good ratings so now they are probably kicking themselves.

I did read Mike Hale's article in the New York Times. He really doesn't know what he is talking about. Take out the preview of the commerical where they smack one of hte visitors and peel back his skin to show reptilian skin underneight, (all he had to do as a critic was watch the original miniseries to completely understand this show but of course he's too lazy and he probably watched the new one in fast forward then formulated an article on the brief moments he could remember) then there are the sleeper cells of aliens, obviously they spied on our world then came up with human skins to slip into so that we would be less hostile or non-trusting to them. Anyone with an ounce of IQ could've guessed it based on the premier and the tv ads for the series. Then again Mike Hale could've known all this but wrote that so he would be the talk of the town. Any publicity even bad publicity is good...is what he was probably thinking when he wrote this.

I did read Mike Hale's article in the New York Times. He really doesn't know what he is talking about. Take out the preview of the commerical where they smack one of hte visitors and peel back his skin to show reptilian skin underneigh, all he had to do as a critic was watch the original miniseries to completely understand this show but of course he's too lazy and he probably watched the new one in fast forward then formulated an article on the brief moments he could remember.

Batgirl...perhaps a civilization that can build huge star ships and travel across the galaxy...probably have an intelligence large enough to create a device or pick up English to speak it. Also they didn't show up out of the blue...they were studying us which you will find out later in the series...enough time to figure out names and our language and make human body suits for their lizard bodies to fit in.

Anna...derieved from Diana from the original series. Di-anna.

As I've been trying to say all along, Mike Hale's review has far more to do with the pretentious snobbery often heaped on science fiction programming than with any political agenda, overt or hidden.

Someone earlier had mentioned water (maybe it was another thread), and wouldn't it be logical for the visitors to be able to make all the water they want, given their level of technology, than to cross space to steal ours? The answer is yes, but in something of a defense, in Kenny Johnson's novel V: The Second Generation, we find out that water is used to power their spaceships and technology, so it's like oil to us. We don't have enough domestic production to cover our consumption, so we import oil from other countries. I think in the same way, the visitors likewise have a need for water that outstrips their planet's ability to replenish its natural supply, and their own ability to manufacture it. But that's still sort of lame when you realize that hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe.

You people are all idiots. Hale hit the nail on the head. Same tired tv story telling. This is weak writing and acting. ABC's best move would be to cancel.

"fascists are usually equated with conservatives, not liberals"

Not really.

Adolf was a leftist, Benito a leftist, Fidel a leftist, Hugo a leftist, countless African thugs, leftists, the Russian fellas, all leftists, all with a thirst for controlling the means of production and ruling people...

Try again, educate yourself, unless you know what you're saying is bullshit.

The NY Times doesn't need to look far to see that the "V" premise isn't too far from reality- just look at the 2008 election cycle...Yes We Can, Yes We Can, Yes We Can.

Or the kids singing the many propaganda, Hitler-Youth-like songs..."We are equal in his site, Barack Hussein Obama....Mmmmm, Mmmmm, mmmmm"

Art imitates life...or in this case- alien lizard people from space taking over the world imitates life....

Look in the mirror NY Times, its startling, but look in the mirror!
A. West
http://www.freestaterevolution.com/

...and yes, I misspelled the word "sight" in the previous post. :-)

Gilveron,

You're giving it a terrific go, trying to talk some sense into the feeble-minded, "anti-American traitors" who now seem to think it's okay to speak out against the president when it wasn't during the last eight years, but you'll never get through to them.

Or, rather, you'll never get through to HIM since I don't believe there's more than one person making all the anti-Obama comments here. "Bruce... Brian... hmm, what's another name that starts with 'B' that I haven't used yet?"

Yes, one guy posting the same fear-mongering, paranoid message over and over, just like there was only ever a small but psychotically rabid minority who supported Bush, and the Catholic League is just one guy with internet access stirring up some fellow hysterical ninnies at the local church bake sale.

So, Gilveron, you'll never get Rev. Bruce/Brian/Billiam, MD, PhD to actually address the unending list of crimes the Bush administration committed -- pissing all over the Constitution, wiretapping, the Iraq invasion, cronyism, Katrina, gross deregulation, exacerbating our pressing environmental issues, the economic disaster (funny how so much of that goes hand-in-hand, almost as if the pursuit of one common element was at the root of it all -- $$$).

The list is too long for him and any others out there to get their minds around all that evil, so better to just attack the new president, claiming utterly insane ideas like he wasn't born in America, or he's Muslim (I have yet to hear one of these bigots tell me what exactly would be the problem if he, or anyone else, was Muslim and ran for president), or he's a modern day Hitler (do these people listen to themselves? Hitler? Hitler?! Seriously?), or that health care -- the idea of actually helping people less fortunate -- is somehow a bad thing.

No, seriously, Bruce/Brian/Billiam, how could that possibly be a bad thing? How could offering medical care to someone without it in anyway be a bad thing? Because my friend's son who's dying of cancer and went undiagnosed for six months because they don't have health care is evil and they somehow deserve such a fate?

I already know the answer these types give: Yes, it is their fault. There's always some warped way to blame the victim because people against health care or welfare or raising the minimum wage or anything else that might result in people with less (who are usually not white) improving their lives really don't care about others, at least not once they're out of the womb. (Before that, though, they'll do anything, including murdering doctors and bombing clinics, to "protect life." Utterly revolting.)

So, for these people, it's a slap in the face with their hypocrisy, they can't take it, and the only logical (to them) response is to conclude that the guy pushing health care (and welfare and minimum wage) must be Hitler.

Yeah, they're not completely insane at all.

I agree, the name Anna is all wrong. They should have used something like "Baracka" instead.

The NYTimes has shown itself to be a biased piece of crap propaganda rag. I hope it goes bankrupt soon. Fact is that Obama is the end of the NYT Company.

Rivetgeek wrote:

[They can manipulate gravity and apparently have more than enough energy and they can't put two hydrogen and an oxygen atom together?

Even as a cover story, you'd think some human would figure it out and go, "That's just stupid"]

Fascism is also a dumb idea, yet people keep falling for it.

Reverend Doctor Idiot,

A swearing reverend. Yep. Typical Christian/conservative hypocrisy. I see you get your "education" from the Faux News Network and your trailer-trashed home "skooling".

And being conservative, you, of course only point out political people (who were NOT liberal, BTW). Here's a list of actual liberals:

Warren Beatty, Jimmy Buffet, Warren Buffett, Chevy Chase, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dixie Chicks, Richard Dreyfus, Jane Fonda, Mike Farrell, Larry Flynt, Richard Gere, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Griffen, Woody Harrelson, Madonna, John Mellencamp, Michael Moore, Bill Moyers, Keith Olbermann, Sean Penn, Robert Redford, Rob Reiner, Tim Robbins Susan Sarandon, Martin Sheen, Steven Spielberg, Bruce Springsteen, Howard Stern, Barbra Streisand, Oliver Stone, Ted Turner, Robin Williams, Jessica Alba, Alan Alda, Gillian Anderson, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, Antonio Banderas, Drew Barrymore, Kim Basinger, Tony Bennett, Halle Berry, Jolene Blaylock, Orlando Bloom, Jessica Biel, Linda Blair, Jeff Bridges, Tom Brokaw, Mel Brooks, Pierce Brosnan, Nicholas Cage, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, James Cromwell, John Cusack, Robert DeNiro, Johnny Depp, Eliza Dushku, Bob Dylan
Melissa Etheridge, Sally Field, Laurence-Fishburne, Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster, Morgan Freeman, Jeff Goldblum, Seth Green, Goldie Hawn, Hugh Hefner, Dustin Hoffman, Kate Hudson, Samuel L Jackson, Billy Joel, Elton John, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Keaton, Stephen King, Denis Leary, George Lucas, Seth MacFarlane, Ian McKellen, Jack Nicholson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, Dennis Quaid, John C. Reilly, Julia Roberts Sarah Silverman, Alicia Silverstone, Paul Simon, Will Smith, Patrick Stewart, Joss Stone, Sharon Stone,Meryl Streep, Donald Sutherland, Hillary Swank, Charlize Theron, Sigourney Weaver, Owen Wilson. . .shall I go on?

You're just too stupid to realize that science fiction, and Hollywood, is full of LIBERAL writers, actors, and producers. Mostly because liberals are creative and artistic. Conservative pricks are only interested in hate.

Name one funny conservative. Can't? Gee. I wonder why.

Actually, it makes sense that you're watching V. You can relate to the Visitors 100%.

AngryJonny wrote:

[There's always some warped way to blame the victim because people against health care or welfare or raising the minimum wage or anything else that might result in people with less (who are usually not white) improving their lives really don't care about others, at least not once they're out of the womb.]

I guess you haven't heard of crisis pregnancy centers, which provide free material, health, and emotional support to unwed mothers and their babies (born and unborn). Carenet is one of the biggest networks of such centers.

http://www.care-net.org/

I'm familiar with these centers since I volunteer at one.

So, it's a myth that the pro-life movement doesn't offer help to babies and their mothers.

The Times reviewer is right...

Reptilians are more closely associated with names like Hillary, Maureen (Dowd) and Nancy (Pelosi).

Other than that, I think they pretty much nailed it, right down to the suck up journalists.

He's no idiot.... he's OFFENDED, but me thinks he doth protest too much... the reptillian healthcare plan may have something to do with personal bias on behalf of the behind the times nyt

@zzbickyzz - this IS by Kenneth Johnson.

I think a lot of the story points are true - it does seem a shame that in an attempt to squash the main thrust of it all into 45 minutes they have taken out some of the logical plot development - the idea of first contact and how the different situations develop. After an excellent run as Juliet on LOST I was disappointed at the character portrayed on "V" - as a government agent she seemed a little lackadaisacal about the prescence of aliens in the world. Until she makes the ultimatum "Oh yes, we will fight" speech. Definitely it was all a little rushed.
The other thing people seem to obsess over is the visitors' names. Weird. They are obviously aliens bent on destroying us who have been there for years and are used to our naming conventions. They also look hot on the outside. All those kind of details are always explainable within science-fiction/fantasy. Basing an opinion on that particular detail is kind of pointless.
The way the story unfolds is more important, and ramping up the "pacing" for new audiences is just ridiculous. The threat is not insidious - it's immediate (to the viewer) and this was not a great way to "get into" the story.
That said, I will give "V" a chance - if it holds me for the first 4 episodes, then I will watch the rest of them.
I am a long-term fan of the original, and realize how dated it seems. I think that with the nazi type thrust of the original, that with words like "Universal Healthcare" it is hard NOT to make assumptions that the show is taking a jab at the Obama administration. Certainly the "Massive Weapons of Destruction" from an early episode of the new Doctor Who was a jab at the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" of the Bush adminisration - and with good reason. But nothing political is beyond reproach - there should never be blind devotion to any political cause. I do not think, however, that Obama is trying to dupe the youth with Universal Healthcare plans. The only ones who can't see the need for Universal Healthcare are the big business folk who stand to lose something in the deal and don't give a damn about your needs.
Some people seem to need a deeper meaning to their science fiction to justify their love of it. Just enjoy "V" as a fun television diversion.

It never fails to amaze me at how adept the NY Times really is in selecting pseudo journalists who know absolutely nothing about the topic about which they are writing. And you wonder why its going bankrupt.

1935: Sinclair Lewis writes "It Can't Happen Here", a political novel about fascism taking over the United States.
1982: Kenneth Johnson pitches his script "Storm Warning", based on Sinclair's novel, to NBC execs, who reject it saying it's too cereberal.
1983: Kenneth Johnson re-writes "Storm Warning", making the American fascists flesh eating aliens, and wa-la! "V" the original series is born!
2009: "V" is re-imagined with obvious references to the current administration's attempts at controlling the U.S. economy and the population.
Is there any wonder now WHY the NYT is attacking the movie?

It's no surprise the NYT didn't like it since V very clearly ties to today's cult-of-personality-in-chief: Obama. They fall into the 'it couldn't happen here' crowd.

@kmkahuna: You forgot: 1983: V miniseries is released. Always intended as a pilot for a series, Kenneth Johnson leaves the ending open-ended. Despite the huge audience, NBC says a series would be "too expensive." No plans for a sequel are made.
Later in 1983: Fan outrage prompts NBC to announce a sequel miniseries, once again to be penned and helmed by Johnson. After "creative differences" erupt between Johnson and NBC, he leaves. NBC then puts together the slapdash "V: The Final Battle" as a salve for upset fans.
1984: V: The Final Battle airs. It's numbers are just as great as the original, prompting NBC, in a slap in the face to Kenneth Johnson, to immediately announce a series based on The Final Battle. Johnson is once again not involved.
1985: V The Series Airs. It sucks and is quickly canceled.
1985-2003: V is forgotten by all but fans who have fond memories, obscure collectibles hounds, and of course, Kenny Johnson.
2003: Desperate to exploit a previously successful franchise, NBC announces a new 2-hour television movie of V, with Kenneth Johnson at the helm. Johnson writes the script and submits it to NBC, which likes it so much they immediately extend the announced movie to a 4-hour television miniseries (the same as the original). Johnson attaches original miniseries stars Marc Singer, Jane Badler, Faye Grant, and Robert Englund to appear.
2004-2008: Shake-ups at NBC drop this project into pre-production hell. The new management doesn't want the same actors in the lead roles as they are too old. They prod Johnson to abandon his continuation, and instead re-make his original story for a new generation. Johnson continues to lobby for his version. Meanwhile, Singer, Grant, Badler, and Englund are released from their contracts.
2007: In an attempt to generate buzz for his version of V, and just to get it out in some form, Kenny releases his script as a novel, "V: The Second Generation," in April. Reviews are almost universally bad, and the novel quickly disappears.
2008: Perhaps because of the failure of V:TSG, or perhaps because of other factors, Warner Brothers shops V to ABC, who picks it up in order to jump on the "reimagination" wagon that has a very poor track record of success. Once again, Johnson is cheated out of his own creation.
2009: V is reimagined with references to Obama that only exist in the very small, closed minds of right-wing extremists, because it includes buzzwords like, "hope," "change," and "universal healthcare," forgetting or willfully ignoring that the visitors in Kenny Johnson's original promised the very same things, 25 years before Obama was elected. Unfortunately this reimagining is a ratings success, making it even more unlikely that we'll ever see Johnson's version of his own story.

I dunno, the times review doesn't mention anything about Obama. Personally, if it is a jab at him, it's a pretty poor one, Obama is actually neither Kenyan nor America but is in fact a lizard man who is after our precious water( his liberal agenda ). The article just seems like overbearing criticism though, was he expecting Shakespeare? How else do you convincingly show the gravitas of a world happening without showing everyday life being interrupted? I'd really like to see his idea of good writing for that scene.

@shogun: That's the other funny (in a pathetic sort of way) thing about this whole issue; The Times article doesn't say anything about Obama, that was the Chicago Tribune. The teabaggers (or more likely, the teabagger who keeps changing his name) is complaining that the NY Times is anti-V because V is anti-Obama, but he's basing that on a.) the wrong article, and b.) on an article that is printed in another supposedly "liberal" newspaper. So either way, he's completely wrong. If the newspapers are all liberal and owned by Obama, then shouldn't BOTH the New York Times AND the Chicago Tribune trash V? But that's o.k., if John Boehner can quote the Declaration of Independence and call it the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, then The Chicago Tribune can be both liberal and trash Obama. Like any other right-wing conspiracy, it promptly disappears with the application of a little logic.

Snobbery has always spat on science fiction, and they don't come much more snobby than the Old Grey Lady. This has much more to do with the contempt their reviewer has for the new V than any pro- or anti- Obama sentiment in the show.

What I can't believe is how someone would actually PAY someone to write such a sophomoric article. Of all the things he could have analyzed and commented on, the best he can come up with are 1)" Duuuh.. if they were REALLY Aliens, why would her name be ANNA? Huh? Huh?" and 2) "I find it IMPLAUSIBLE that humans would applaud the aliens so easily" (note that he didnt find 20+ GIANT Motherships hovering on our cities IMPLAUSIBLE... just the human's reactions...)

Some of the comments here are equally simplistic (at least they're not getting paid for it). Also implausible that they are speaking in ENGLISH? Didnt they see that the Aliens were broadcasting in different languages? Many things were left unsaid bec the show didnt want to insult the viewer's intelligence. It can easily be inferred...

OBVIOUSLY, they know a lot about Earth culture, they can easily claim they've been watching us from afar or picking up Transmissions for decades now (in reality theyve been living among us for decades). They Pilot even established they have a sense of humor... so no Vulcan-like speech patterns here.

"Anna" as a name makes sense bec it is short and easy to pronounce in ANY Earth language.. Chinese (A-NA) , Indian, Japanese.. Its even Russian. It's a very old name, yet still popular till now. I bet it's even in the Top 5 girl names in the world.

As for the crowd's reactions... has the writer seen any of the last dozen "Aliens come to Earth" movies or TV shows? From ID4 to the Day Earth Stood Still. Did he harp on those too? I thought the pilot showed a very believable human reaction.. oh crap.. BF Alien Ships!! Im gonna die... clearly there is tension there. Then they see the face a pretty girl who announced they come in peace. After that, you still feel a slight fear, but it also dawned on you that one of the oldest unanswered questions of humanity..."Are we Alone?" have been answered. We are not, They Are Here, and they Come in Peace. Wouldnt YOU feel relieved and clap and feel Joy?

Maybe the writer finds if all implausible bec perhaps if it had happened to him, he'd either drop on the floor, curl in a fetal position and start sucking his thumb.. OR he'd run like hell pulling his hair out while screaming "THEY'RE ALIENS!!! THEY'LL EAT US!!!" (w/c im sure in a population of 6 billion,, SOMEONE is bound to react that way.. not at all implausible anymore than clapping and cheering is).