Alien lizards set to invade ABC in 'V'
'4400's' Scott Peters to write sci-fi adaptation
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

"V," the 1980s miniseries about alien lizards visiting Earth, will invade primetime once again.

ABC is developing a new adaptation of the franchise — which spawned a second mini and TV spinoff — written by "The 4400" co-creator/exec producer Scott Peters.

Warner Bros. TV, which was behind the original longform, is once again producing the project, which was sold as a spec script to the Alphabet net.

Peters is set to exec produce, along with HDFilms principal Jace Hall.

Hall, the former head of Warner Bros.’ videogame division who has worked on titles including "F.E.A.R.," will help expand "V" into other platforms, including gaming.

Peters, who earned two Emmy noms for "The 4400," said he wasn’t looking to do another sci-fi piece. But when Warner Bros. TV approached him about reinventing "V," the producer said he couldn’t resist.

"Whenever I mention ‘V’ to anybody, they still have a lot of good memories about the original movie and series," Peters said. "Everybody has that imagery of their uniforms, or the visitor eating a hamster. It’s a science fiction icon and too good to pass up."

The original "V" served as an allegory for the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. Peters said he won’t duplicate that concept, except that the new "V" will still focus on what happens when the masses have blind faith in their leaders.

In this case, the new "V" will center on Erica Evans, a Homeland Security agent with an aimless son who’s got problems. When the aliens arrive, her son gloms on to them — causing tension within the family. As in the original "V," several storylines will unfold simultaneously.

But even without the same storyline, the original "V’s" bones will remain: As in the ’80s version, the show will open with an enormous army of spaceships hovering over the world’s major cities. The visitors say they’ve come to help Earth, but their motives are nefarious (in the original, they wanted to steal the world’s water supply).

Peters first pitched "V" to networks but failed to spark interest; Warner Bros. TV sent the scribe back to write "V" on spec — and ABC bought it.

The original "V" scored a tremendous 40 share for its closing episode in 1983. That success spawned a sequel and a weekly series, which aired in the 1984-85 season.

Original "V" writer-producer-director Kenneth Johnson recently attempted to revive "V" as "V: The Second Generation" but is not involved in the Peters version.

As for Peters, scribe has been spending more time behind the lens, helming multiple episodes of "The 4400," as well as "Jericho," "Burn Notice" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." He’s also directing the new CBS pilot "Harper’s Island."

Peters also developed the pilot "Found" for ABC last year. He began his career as a writer-producer on "The Outer Limits."

www.kennethjohnson.us

Update 10/9/08 -- You may hear reports that Warner Bros TV is attempting to
“reimagine” V as a television series. This is relatively old news. Last fall their
new concept, which Kenny in not involved with, was passed on by all four
networks. Though ABC is again considering the possibility of developing a
TV pilot project, this does not in any way affect Kenny’s ongoing efforts to
remake his original classic as a major motion picture.

Kenny’s prime desire is to bring big-screen production values to the new
movie while protecting the quality, integrity and substance that made his
original V such a critically acclaimed, international landmark.

More soon. Ignore all other rumors -- the real deal will always be announced
here as soon as possible.