The main cities of Earth are surprisingly visited by 51 huge alien spacecraft, and their leader introduces themselves as friendly people looking to cooperate with Earthlings. They inform the people that their planet is dying and have come to request the use of Earth's natural resources to save it. They appear human, although their voices have a strange distortion to ours. Soon, they blame scientists for sabotage and uprising against the Visitors. Journalist Mike Donovan and medical student Julie Parrish disclose the real intentions of the aliens while groups of people organize resistance against the hostile invaders. V is a popular TV mini-series from the 1980s that I think is one of the most impressive-looking programs I've ever seen. There have been many spectacular mini-series over the years that have quite a big budget, which gives them that movie-like quality but with the advantage of a longer runtime. Being able to span out the story further and develop all of the elements is much better than a film. However, nowadays movies are reaching the 3-hour mark, which is getting a bit ridiculous and I prefer having it in two parts to break it up like this series does. Considering my huge love and appreciation of sci-fi, additionally the 80s, I was drawn to this series, which I watched with my Dad, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. The greatest aspect of this program was the exceptional visual effects. I was blown away by how grand they all look from the motherships in the sky to their interiors, the transport shuttles flying around in dogfights and the Visitor's weapon firing. Everything feels expensive and looked like the quality expected from a big-screen production such as Star Wars but with the appeal (during the time) of being on your TV at home. I like how they pay homage and nod to other sci-fi productions of the time with my favourite being Star Wars, where in one scene where a shuttle arrives to a musical band performing the iconic opening theme at a ceremony, which was phenomenal. The show consists of multiple points of view from varying characters who slowly begin to interlock in one overarching narrative as the Visitor's intentions are slowly made clear. We mainly follow Mike Donovan, who, through his Journalist duty, uncovers the unexpected truths of the Visitors and is left on the run. Alongside Julie, a doctor accused of being dangerous, who later becomes a leader of the resistance to battle back. One of my favourite characters we occasionally follow is Willie, a Visitor who has difficulty with English and is quite nervous and is very comedic with his constant mixing up of words. The Visitor's relief mission on Earth gradually becomes more like an occupation, bearing resemblance to the actions and tactics of the infamous Nazis. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice their emblem looks similar and their actions speak volumes to some of our main characters like Abraham Bernstein, a Jew who survived the horrors of WWII and quickly saw a resemblance. However, not everyone was able to realise since Abraham's grandson, Daniel, is brainwashed, joining the aliens in their atrocities. Also, the character Robin falls in love with one Visitor, unknowing, of course, the truth about them. Spoilers ahead, skip past the red if you haven't seen the show already. *Spoilers* The Visitors are aliens, but despite their strange voices and sensitivity to the sun, they appear like humans. Until Donovan boards a mothership, uncovering the startling truth. The Visitors are reptiles. The reveal is superbly done by witnessing Diana's iconic scene of devouring a whole live guinea pig and another alien taking his eyes off to show lizard ones instead. Their designs/models are incredible and spectacular looking. Luckily, not all the Visitors are bad, as a small group called the Fifth Column helps out when they can without getting discovered. Overall, V, the original mini-series, is a true spectacle in all categories. With so many interesting and captivating characters to follow, and plot points that connect into one cohesive story filled with outstanding effects and phenomenal directing, V is certainly, worth your time. Check out V: The Final Battle (TV Mini Series 1984) to see how the adventure continues.
Seasons & Episodes: 1 Season - 2 Episodes (3h 17m)
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