V [1983]

Country of Origin: USA
Date(s) of Broadcast: 1 May 1983 - 2 May 1983
Number of Seasons: 1
Total Number of Episodes: 2
Average Episode Running Times: 130 mins
Format: colour
Ratio: 1.33:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Kenneth Johnson / Warner Brothers TV
Executive Producer: Kenneth Johnson
Producers: Daniel H. Blatt, Kenneth Johnson, David J. Latt, Robert Singer
Associate Producer: Patrick Bayriven
Unit Production Manager: Arthur Siedel

SCRIPT
Script: Kenneth Johnson

DIRECTION
Director: Kenneth Johnson
1st Assistant Director: Paul Samuelson
2nd Assistant Director: Richard Forrest
2nd Unit Assistant Director: Alisa A. Matlovsky

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: John McPherson
Camera Operator: Owen Marsh
Props Stills Photographer: Michael Douglas Middleton

MUSIC
Music: Joseph Harnell
Star Wars Theme: John Williams
Music Editor: Ted Roberts

SOUND
Sound Editors: The Pros Inc
Production Sound Mixer: Claud Riggens

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Supervising Make Up: Leo Le Tito
Make Up Technician: Werner Keppler
Hair: Jan Van Uchelan
Costume Designer: Brienne Glytlov
Men's Costumes: Fred Long
Women's Costumes: Diana Jones-Wilson
Costumer: Wingate Jones

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Tom Ryba
Special Optical Effects: Pacific Title, Dream Quest Images, Coast
Model Supervisor: Eugene P. Rizzardi [uncredited]
Model Designer: Gregory Jein [uncredited]

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Gary Lee
Set Decorator: John Dwyer
Props: Gary Antista

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Jeanne Marie Byrd

LOCATIONS
Locations: Burbank, California, USA; Encino, California, USA; Glendale, California, USA; La Canada Flintridge, California, USA; Long Beach, California, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA; Malibu, California, USA; Monrovia, California, USA; New York City, New York, USA; North Hollywood, California, USA; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; San Francisco, California, USA

STUNTS
Stunt Co-Ordinator: David Ellis

CASTING
Casting: Phyllis Huffman

CAST
Jane Badler [Diana]
Michael Durrell [Robert Maxwell]
Faye Grant [Dr Juliet Parrish]
Peter Nelson [Brian]
David Packer [Daniel Bernstein]
Neva Patterson [Eleanor Dupres]
Tommy Petersen [Josh Brooks]
Marc Singer [Mike Donovan]
Blair Tefkin [Robin Maxwell]
Michael Wright [Elias Taylor]
Bonnie Bartlett [Lynn Bernstein]
Leonardo Cimino [Abraham Bernstein]
Richard Herd [John]
Evan C. Kim [Tony Wah Chong Leonetti]
Richard Lawson [Dr Ben Taylor]
George Morfogen [Stanley Bernstein]
Andrew Prine [Steven]
Hansford Rowe [Arthur Dupres]
Jenny Sullivan [Kristine Walsh]
Penelope Windust [Kathleen Maxwell]
Michael Alldredge [Hardhat]
Camila Ashland [Ruby Engels]
Frank Ashmore [Martin]
Jason Bernard [Caleb Taylor]
Rafael Campos [Sancho Gomez]
Diane Civita [Harmony Moore]
Viveka Davis [Polly Maxwell]
Robert Englund [Willie]
Stephanie Faulkner [network employee]
Tom Fuccello
Myron Healey [Quentin]
Marin May [Katie Maxwell]
Joanna Kerns [Marjorie Donovan]
Curt Lowens [skyfighter pilot]
Jenny Neumann [Barbara]
Stack Pierce [Visitor captain]
William Russ [Brad]
Michael Swan [Bob]
Mary Alan Hokanson [Ruth]
Dominique Dunne [Robin Maxwell - scenes deleted]

Alien visitors arrive on Earth with a message of peace and friendship. In fact they're lizard like creatures who are after the planet's natural resources as their own world lies ruined. As the subtle invasion begins to take hold, a resistance movement starts to fight back.

A surprisingly effective - if sometimes rather obvious - World War II allegory that boasts then state-of-the-art effects and a satisfyingly complex storyline. Dodgy performances tend to spoil it somewhat, but overall, this is superior television though inevtiably its impact has been diluted rather by the producers milking the format for all it was worth with a sequel mini-series and a terrible conventional series.

EPISODES

Part One [1 May 1983]
Part Two [2 May 1983]

Japan
Laserdisc Distributor: Warner Home Video [NJL-11443 - a boxset containing all of V plus all of V: The Final Battle [1984]; also includes a special effects behind the scenes documentary]

UK
Video Distributor: Warner Beyond Vision

USA
Television Distributor: NBC
Video Distributor: Warner Brothers Home Video

1983
May
1: USA - Part One television broadcast
2: USA - Part Two television broadcast

1985
September
9: France - Part One television broadcast

1986
January
11: Sweden - Part One television broadcast

V - Die Ausserirdischen Besucher Kommen - German title

SEQUELS
V: The Final Battle [1984]
V [1984 - 1985]

SEE ALSO
Independence Day [1996]
Star Trek [1966]
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope [1977]
The Valley of Gwangi [1969]

MAGAZINES

Samhain 61 p.38 [UK]
review

Starburst 66 pp.10-11 [UK]
review

NEWSPAPERS

Daily Express 28 July 1984 p.15 [UK]
article

Daily Express 2 August 1984 p.16 [UK]
article

Daily Mirror 18 July 1984 p.6 [UK]
article

Daily Mirror 28 July 1984 p.13 [UK]
article

Daily Mirror 31 July 1984 p.17 [UK]
article

Daily Mirror 4 August 1984 p.15 [UK]
article

Daily Star 28 July 1984 p.16 [UK]
article

Daily Star 15 October 1984 pp.14-15 [UK]
article

Mail on Sunday 5 August 1984 p.32 [UK]
article

News of the World 5 August 1984 p.3 [UK]
article

News of the World 12 August 1984 [UK]
article

The Sun 9 August 1984 p.15 [UK]
article

The Sun 1 June 1985 p.13 [UK]
article

Sunday Mercury 29 July 1984 p.25 [UK]
article

Sunday Mirror 29 July 1984 p.27 [UK]
article

Sunday People 5 August 1984 p.29 [UK]
article

BOOKS

The Complete Directory to Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Television Series pp.917-918
credits, episode guide, summary

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

aliens, alien invasions, spaceships, ufos, television reporters, cure for cancer, children, teenagers, concentration camps, lizards, mind control, brainwashing

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007