There Really Are No New Ideas in Hollywood

[the_other_sandy]

ABC is planning to do a remake of V, the classic alien invasion mini-series from 1983 that spawned a second mini-series, a short-lived weekly TV series, and a series of tie-in novels (which I still have). No word yet on whether the remake will be a mini-series or a weekly series, but there is word on one major change TPTB plan to make to it.

Major spoiler and major ranting ahead.

ABC is planning to remove the Nazi and Holocaust allegories. I'll just repeat that: ABC is planning to remove the Nazi and Holocaust allegories. Umm, why? The Holocaust allegory was the whole point of V and what made the mini-series so special. Instead of a full-on military attack, the aliens mounted a slow and insidious infiltration of society, and you couldn't sit comfortably on your recliner at home and say that would never work, because it had worked when the Nazis had done it in our not too distant past. Without the Holocaust allegory, V would be just another alien invasion shoot-em-up, and there are plenty of those around without having to desecrate V to make another one. Why not just show another rerun of Independence Day instead?

Comments

[just-ruth.livejournal.com]

Because even then too many people drew too many parallels between the extreme religious right and the aliens and everyone wants to deny that it could ever happen in the United States. . .

Which is pure horseshit if you look at the last eight years.

[ga-unicorn.livejournal.com]

I read about this the other day and on the one hand I am excited as all get out. V was my first major science-fiction crush (I had been too young to really appreciate the marvellousness of ST:TOS) and first really big fangirl crush (Marc Singer in those painted on jeans and Abs of Steel...::sigh::). If they can evoke those reactions in me again, I will be a happy girl.

On the other hand the announcement that they were going to drop the nazi/holocaust theme had me tilting my head and going Huh? Wasn't that what the whole series was about? You take that away and you've got a cowboy movie with aliens. If they substituted the nazi/holocaust theme with one about Islamofascism (to make it more "current"), I could see that. But knowing the mindset of liberal Hollywood nowadays (and eschewing a long political rant) I seriously doubt they would do it.

We'll have to wait and see. And now I'm going to get out my V discs and feed my inner fangirl.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

V was my first major science-fiction crush

Both my parents were Trek fans, so I was watching ST:TOS and Space: 1999 and such when I was in diapers. I think the original Battlestar Galactica was my first big TV SF crush (Star Wars was my first big SF crush--I saw it 49 times).

However, I loved V so much that I cried at the end, not because the ending was particularly sad, but because it was over (when I watched the rebroadcast some months later, I cried again for the same reason). I too could easily watch Mike Donovan run around and climb fences all day. The snarkfest I enjoyed between Mike and Ham Tyler was probably foreshadowing for the snarkfest between 2 other characters I know and love. I never did get the DVDs, but I have most of the tie-in novels. I should probably flip through those again. I'm not sure I have the stomach for the remake.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Doesn't sound worth watching... the original V miniseries were good. The show went downhill as soon as the miracle-gro kid showed up.

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

The show went downhill as soon as the miracle-gro kid showed up.

See? If TPTB want to drop something, I nominate that. Of course, she wasn't born until V: The Final Battle, but she was conceived in the original mini-series.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Lord, I hope they don't drag that old chestnut into the new series, or whatever, which I seriously doubt I'll give the time of day,c onsidering the wretched remake of Knight Rider.