Worth a mention is this Big Finish audio drama released last month. Essentially an audio remake of the original V miniseries from 1983, except the whole cast is comprised of Brits and hey, at least this one has the blessing of creator Kenneth Johnson, who even provided some new material to the program.
For those unfamiliar, V was a 1983 television miniseries in which a group of aliens come to Earth with promises of a better life, but all is not what it seems and it isn’t long before the visitors’ true goals are eventually revealed. It was a superb television event with a smart plot, some superb performances, and a look into a world that, now more than ever, almost mirrors that of our own. So the timing of this thing couldn’t have come out at a much better time.
As someone who watched all the V series as a kid – and yes, that includes the follow-up Final Battle and subsequent short-lived TV series; neither of which is acknowledged in this series – I thought this was a pretty good remake of V. Stayed true to the original story while updating it somewhat to modern standards and sensibilities. Mind you, I wasn’t entirely sold on an all-Brit cast, but everyone played their roles wonderfully and there were enough changes here and there that this feels somewhat refreshed while also still familiar.
I’m sure there are those who wished that we had gotten a continuation of the old show with the original cast and honestly, if that ever happens, I’m all for it… but this new take on V is also pretty good and I’m looking forward to the next series when it comes out in August. Definitely worth checking out if you’re into the old V show.
dtm666 