Re-visiting The Visitors
In 1983, NBC produced a miniseries about aliens arriving on Earth and concealing their intent to eat us and steal our resources by posing as benefactors. A small group of humans, however, learned the truth, and organized a resistance movement, borrowing Winston Churchill's "V" for victory as its symbol- and providing the miniseries with its title in the process.
The miniseries eventually spawned another miniseries, a full blown series (that nlasted all of one season), and finally a novelization by sci-fi author A.C. Crispin. All in all, it struck me as a first-rate plot undermined by mostly bland, one-dimensional characters; the villainess, the evil E.T. Diana, and a friendly alien turncoat played by Robert Englund of Freddie Kruger fame were really the only interesting characters in the show. And then, it was hard to buy the notion of the world being saved by quite that many young, blond Southern Californians with perfect teeth and no personality. Despite the interesting plot, I found it hard to care very much about the people with whom I was supposed to identify.
ABC has remade the miniseries, and will broadcast it beginning next month. Those who have seen the pilot give it good reviews. Here's hoping the story gets a better telling this time.
The miniseries eventually spawned another miniseries, a full blown series (that nlasted all of one season), and finally a novelization by sci-fi author A.C. Crispin. All in all, it struck me as a first-rate plot undermined by mostly bland, one-dimensional characters; the villainess, the evil E.T. Diana, and a friendly alien turncoat played by Robert Englund of Freddie Kruger fame were really the only interesting characters in the show. And then, it was hard to buy the notion of the world being saved by quite that many young, blond Southern Californians with perfect teeth and no personality. Despite the interesting plot, I found it hard to care very much about the people with whom I was supposed to identify.
ABC has remade the miniseries, and will broadcast it beginning next month. Those who have seen the pilot give it good reviews. Here's hoping the story gets a better telling this time.
Comments