David Flynn recalls a science-fiction show that gripped the TV world
V is memorable with television audiences of the 1980s due to the fear and tension that the science-fiction storyline and production created.
Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) sightings had been frequently claimed and highly publicised for decades before the beginning of the television series, V.
V followed on from many science fiction movies such as ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’, ‘E.T’ and the revival of the 1960s Star Trek television series as a couple of 1980s movies.
The first segment of V, the television story about aliens from somewhere in outer space visiting Planet Earth was screened over two nights in May 1983 on the NBC network in America. The plot centered on an alien race who visited the planet in 50 large spaceships.
At first introduction, they appeared benign and looked human. They also said they came in peace and promised to share knowledge with the citizens of Earth
They were known as the Visitors (hence the name of the series, V) by an unsuspecting world population and they slowly integrated themselves into the planet’s societies.
Slowly but surely they are discovered by a group of scientists to be charlatans, who intend to conquer. A battle of wills amidst all kinds of danger takes place between the scientists who become resistance fighters and the Visitors.
The 1983 incarnation of the television event, V was nominated for two Emmy awards for makeup and music composition.
V was picked up in May 1984 as a continuation miniseries entitled, V: The Final Battle, which ran over three nights on NBC. The storyline continued with the resistance members fighting the dominance of the Visitors, resulting in many casualties on both sides.
The second story was nominated for three Emmy awards for makeup, film sound editing and special visual effects.
Shortly after the series wrapped on NBC, the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles took place. In the UK, BBC screened the Olympics while ITV screened over five nights the two V miniseries, which proved to be very popular with viewers, including many Irish ones receiving the British tv station.
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