V – The Series (1984) – Liberation Day, and Dreadnought

V – The Series brought the Visitors and the renewed battle for Earth to television on a weekly basis, and despite being a costly production (a calculated one million dollars per episode, which was unheard of at the time), it just seemed doomed to fail. I mean with a budget like that, you think someone…

V – The Final Battle (1984) – Part Three

There’s a lot that needs to happen in this third and final part of V- The Final Battle, which first aired on 8 May, 1984. Brian Taggert and Craig Buck (as Faustus Buck) pen the teleplay from a story by series creator Kenneth Johnson (as Lillian Weezer), Buck, Diane Frolov and Peggy Goldman. Taking place…

V – The Final Battle (1984) – Part Two

The battle raged on, as V – The Final Battle, Part Two continued expanding on the original miniseries and telling the stories of Earth’s Resistance against the Visitors. Part Two aired on 7 May, 1984. One night after Part One. It was written by Brian Taggert and Diane Frolov from a story by Lillian Weezer…

V – The Final Battle (1984) – Part One

We had to wait a year to see what would happen next in Kenneth Johnson’s V story, but he left the follow-up miniseries due to creative differences. He saw more of a Holocaust-Resistance story and the studio wanted something more gangbusters action adventure in the vein of Star Wars if they could get it. The…

V – The Miniseries (1983) – Part Two

Part two of the iconic science fiction mini-series V, written and directed by Kenneth Johnson, aired on 2 May, 1983.  It aired the following night after part one, no week’s wait, not even a couple of days. This was an event, and for two nights it ruled television. Continuing it’s sci-fi retelling of Nazi Germany…

V – The Miniseries (1983) – Part One

Writer/director Kenneth Johnson gave us a modern retelling of the Nazi Third Reich in the event mini-series that so impacted me, and countless others, when it first debuted on 1 May, 1983. It was all I talked about in school, finishing up the sixth grade. I didn’t get to see it all when it aired,…

Magnum, p.i. (1988) – Resolutions Part I & II

  This is it, after eight seasons, one of my all-time favorite series comes to its conclusion. Chris Abbott and Stephen A. Miller wrote both parts of the two hour conclusion that aired on 1 May, 1988. Part one sees Magnum (Tom Selleck) is visiting home in Tidewater, Virginia, recalling his life, his time with…

V: The Original Miniseries – 30 Years And Counting

  I’m a little late for this 30th anniversary post I wanted to write to partner with Tim’s piece celebrating the amazing and much-loved Kenneth Johnson series, V – but I figure it’s rather fitting, since I was a little late getting on board back when the miniseries originally aired, too.  My father and brother…

V – 30 Years On

The Visitors arrived 30 years ago this week. Kenneth Johnson’s aliens who came to earth posing as our friends while hiding not only a horrible appearance but an equally terrifying agenda premiered with the original mini-series V. The sad thing is, I wasn’t allowed to stay up and watch all of it, and we certainly…