Anymore info on V: Second Generation?
 

A couple months back NBC and Kenneth Johnson announced a script was being written for a follow up to the hit mini series V and V: The Final Battle in the mid 80’s. Any more info on this since?

Haven't seen or heard anything. You might want to go to some sci-fi geek sites and ask.

I talked to Ken Johnson about this about a month or so ago. Last I heard from him, he was still trying to iron things out with the "network geniuses" (his words of sarcasm, not mine) at NBC. In other words, the story is close to completion, but he hasn't gotten a green light yet.

Funny, doesn't that comment apply to all networks? ;)

After the complete cock-up that NBC performed on the program the first time, you'd think that they would just let Ken have at it with no interference.

From the one V site that seems to be updated:

"7/21/03 - From KEN JOHNSON: Still working the story thru NBC."

Source: http://www.mindpulse.com/users/lizlady/kenjohnson.htm

V was a really great miniseries and it still held up well when I watched it again on DVD recently. The effects were pretty bad at times, but I thought the story was still entertaining. I had never seen anything like it when it came on TV, but it is everywhere now and I think bringing it back would be a bad idea. It would just get lost in the shuffle. However, I would make sure to be there watching for however long it lasted.

Cat

I decided to check the status today of this new TV movie at a V fan page and low and behold they had an update as of this morning.

It said that NBC has asked Ken Johnson to extend the screenplay out to 4 hours which he will have for them in a few days. So things are finally in motion for this new miniseries.

That's good news. It will still be interesting to see how KJ explains away TFB (unless he decides to somehow incorporate it). Explaining away the series would be far easier, and probably acceptable to the fans.

Let's reign it in just a bit - V had its moments, but the instant they resorted to "magic child cross-bred between interplanetary species uses the power of love to save the world from nukes," the series lost all credibility. Worst ending ever. Not to mention that the other part of the ending is stolen directly from War of the Worlds. Not an original idea in the whole script.

Oh, and maybe they could play up the WWII analogy a little. It was a tad to subtle the first time ....

Keep in mind that KJ did not write the TFB, which where all of the above took place.

All of which happened in the (fun, but definitely inferior) sequel miniseries.

Johnson did not work on that project because of creative differences with the studio/network.

Johnson was involved with the Final Battle in the early stages but walked away from it when NBC was changing things all over the place. I read an article from a Sci-Fi magazine years ago that was interviewing Johnson who said the original ending had the mother ship blowing up in space with the visitor Martin staying on board to guide it away sacrificing himself for earth. There were other changes as well.

He also wanted to do two hours movies every few months continuing the saga after the original miniseries but NBC wanted to do the ill-fated series…….maybe the characters will all wake up and realize the Final Battle and The Series was a dream? (Dallas)

The last time I talked to Ken, he told me that the new mini-series is a sequel to the ORIGINAL mini-series. The Final Battle and the TV series should be forgotten. Ken's never actually WATCHED TFB or any of the episodes, so he couldn't even tell you what happened in them!

That is consistent with the articles I have read, but one would think that there has to be some kind of disclaimer or something, particularly since DVD sales of V and VTFB went so well.

I mentioned in another thread that the easy way around this would be to have it take place a decent amount in the future (say, 50 years after the original miniseries). Then, the situation has changed to the point where you don't even need to reference the other shows.

That is, have it continue the story without either acknowledging or contradicting previous shows.

I thought I heard that it is supposed to take place 20 years after the miniseries (consistent with real time). I assume that an effort would be made to bring back some of the principal characters.

Plus I thought the secret of the Visitors would still be essentially a secret to the humans. Obviously it would not be if the events of the TFB and Series are part of the canon leading to this Second Generation.

I believe Ken wants to return to the allegory for Nazi Germany that he tried to set up in the original series. I think recent world events were one of the reasons he wanted to explore "V" again. I believe he is writing parts for both new and old characters...I'm pretty sure he wants the characters of Mike Donavan, Julie Perrish and Diana in this new version.

Definately recommend Ilana's for the most current updates on this matter.

From there, she notes that "Jane Badler, Marc Singer and Faye Grant have been signed on to do the new V." (as of 2/16/03)

I'm sure it'll be a while down the road, but I really look forward to it. When I was a kid, I liked TFB as much as the original, but as an adult, I was amazed how inferior it really was. TOS has such a deeper message and historical parellel. Great stuff. I'm looking forward to more along those lines from Ken.

I hope it is a sequel to the original series that left off with the resistance signaling for help. The only problem with ignoring TFB is that there will be no explanation as to what happened with the mother of the idiotic "Starchild." I remember the original ending with her pregnant.
My only question is: if the visitors were wearing synthetic human skin and such, how will they explain the aging effects? If the material is manufactured, then I doubt it would age. Of course if it did age that would be a damn good disguise made even more convincing.
Also, I wonder if this series will find the resistance getting help from the "enemy" race the visitors mentioned so often? Here's hoping!

They're not from Earth, so they can claim anything they want about how they age.

Oh god ... in that case, let's all hope he's learned to be a bit more subtle. Maybe a featherbrush instead of a sledgehammer next time.

If the Nazi allegory remains, theny logic dictates that Earth will find some allies and the series might end with Diana taking her own life.

While it is available on DVD, do you think there is a chance that NBC will re-broadcast the original before/if they make this sequel?

I'd also hate to lose out on Michael Ironside's Ham Tyler character (which wasn't in the original mini), if they do bring people back.

That would certainly be the biggest problem for most of the fans I would imagine. Of course, who says that he can't be re-introduced.