“V” is for Victory

This Tuesday the new “V” arrives on ABC. As a fan of the original TV movies and television series I’m cautiously optimistic. Will they update a classic or completely reinvent it?

Television viewing choices were limited when I was a kid. I grew up in a house way out in the country and our TV reception was confined to five channels. This situation forced a type of viewing harmony in our household.

One of the shows that my brother, sister, mother and I all loved to watch was “V”. There was science fiction for my mother, action for my brother and plenty of adventure for me. My little sister was young and just along for the ride.

I loved watching the Resistance battle the Vistors. It was exciting to see them match up against aliens with better technology, more resources and superior knowledge. It didn’t matter what the Vistors had because the Resistance was fighting for freedom. They had a righteous cause and we cheered them on.

One of my favorite characters was Willie, played perfectly by future Freddy Krueger Robert Englund. Willie was a vegetarian Visitor who joined the Resistance. He had a kind nature and was often a source of comic relief for the show.

Unfortunately after two mini-series and only one season as a series “V” was canceled.

SyFy was good enough to treat it’s audience to a “V” marathon on Sunday. They had both mini-series on back to back. It was a really nice stroll down memory lane that wasn’t too painful. It’s always nice when something can stand up to the glory of a childhood memory.

TV was a little simpler in those days. There weren’t as many hooks or twisty plots. Not to say that simple is always better, but I wonder what twists and turns the new “V” will have for it’s viewers.

I’ll be tuning in Tuesday night hoping for the best but knowing it could never really be the same.