V (1983) (TV)

Director:

Kenneth Johnson

Writer:

Kenneth Johnson (written by)

Release Date:

30 July 1984 (UK)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Humankind's last stand.

Plot:

When aliens come to Earth to ask for our help, a few suspicious humans discover their horrific true intentions and prepare to resist.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Resistance | Reptilian | Spacecraft | Freedom Fighter

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Jane Badler	...	Diana
Michael Durrell	...	Robert Maxwell
Faye Grant	...	Juliet Parrish
Peter Nelson	...	Brian
David Packer	...	Daniel Bernstein
Neva Patterson	...	Eleanor Dupres
Tommy Petersen	...	Josh Brooks (as Tommy Peterson)
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 (as Evan Kim)
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	...	Bill Graham
Camila Ashland	...	Ruby Engels (as Camila Ashlend)
Frank Ashmore	...	Martin
Jason Bernard	...	Caleb Taylor
Michael Bond	...	Officer Talbot
Rafael Campos	...	Sancho Gomez
Diane Cary	...	Harmony Moore (as Diane Civita)
Viveka Davis	...	Polly Maxwell
Robert Englund	...	Willie
Ron Hajek	...	Denny (as Ron Hajak)
Mary Alan Hokanson	...	Ruth Barnes (as Mary-Alan Hokanson)
David Hooks	...	Dr. Rudolf Metz
Joanna Kerns	...	Marjorie Donovan
Jenny Neumann	...	Barbara
William Russ	...	Brad
Michael Swan	...	Officer Bob Briggs
Stephanie Faulkner	...	LA TV Studio Assistant Director
Tom Fuccello	...	Senator Raymond Burke
Wiley Harker	...	UN Secretary General
Dick Harwood	...	LA TV Studio Director
Myron Healey	...	Arch Quinton
Bonnie Johns	...	Woman
Eric Johnston	...	Sean Donovan
Curt Lowens	...	Dr. Maurice Jankowski
Marin May	...	Katie Maxwell
Mike Monahan	...	LA TV Studio Console Man
Jennifer Perito	...	Resistance Member
Clete Roberts	...	Newscaster
Nathan Roberts	...	LA TV Anchor
Howard K. Smith	...	Himself / Newscaster
Robert Vandenberg	...	Rebel Camp Leader
Momo Yashima	...	High School Band Leader
Denny Miller	...	Visitor Trooper
Stack Pierce	...	Visitor Captain
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steve M. Davison	...	Resistance Fighter (uncredited)
Tom Southwell	...	Man Drawing on Wall (uncredited)
Charles A. Tamburro	...	Resistance Fighter (uncredited)

Directed by
Kenneth Johnson

Writing credits
Kenneth Johnson		(written by)

Produced by
Chuck Bowman	....	producer
Patrick Boyriven	....	associate producer
Kenneth Johnson	....	executive producer
Brandon Tartikoff	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Joseph Harnell		(as Joe Harnell)

Cinematography by
John McPherson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Paul Dixon
Alan C. Marks		(as Alan Marks)
Robert K. Richard		(as Robert Richard)
Jack W. Schoengarth		(as Jack Schoengarth)

Casting by
Phyllis Huffman

Production Design by
Charles R. Davis

Art Direction by
Gary A. Lee		(as Gary Lee)

Set Decoration by
John M. Dwyer		(as John Dwyer)

Costume Design by
Brienne Glyttov

Makeup Department
Werner Keppler	....	makeup technician
Leo Lotito Jr.	....	makeup supervisor (as Leo Le Tito)
Jan Van Uchelen	....	hairdesser
Faith Vecchio	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Art Seidel	....	unit production manager (as Arthur Seidel)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Forrest	....	second assistant director
Alisa Matlovsky	....	second assistant director (as Alisa A. Matlovsky)
Paul Samuelson	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Gary Antista	....	property master
Peter Albes	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Tom Duffield	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Tom Ivanjack	....	painter (uncredited)
Joseph C. Nemec III	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Tom Southwell	....	production illustrator (uncredited)
John Wilcox	....	set painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Claude Riggins	....	production sound mixer (as Claud Riggens)
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist (uncredited)
James Troutman	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Tom Ryba	....	special effects
Peter Albiez	....	special effects (uncredited)
Joe Goss	....	special effects (uncredited)
Carl Incorvaia	....	special effects (uncredited)
Tom Tokunaga	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Robert D. Bailey	....	head of visual effects: Pacific Title (uncredited)
Gregory Jein	....	model constructor: DQI (uncredited)
Bill Kent	....	motion control operator (uncredited)
Michael Lawler	....	visual effects cameraman (uncredited)
Michele Moen	....	matte artist (uncredited)
Eugene P. Rizzardi	....	model spervisor (uncredited: Coast Special Effects)
Scott Squires	....	visual effects (uncredited)
David Stipes	....	visual effects supervisor (uncredited)
Hoyt Yeatman	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
David R. Ellis	....	stunt coordinator (as David Ellis)
Steve M. Davison	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Pat Romano	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)
Rick F. Gunter	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Owen Marsh	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	still photographer: props (uncredited)
Tom Neuwirth	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Bill Record	....	best boy grip (uncredited)
Ron Record	....	key grip (uncredited)
Jack S. Schlosser	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Bob Stewart	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Robert E. Stuard	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Paul E. Sutton	....	dolly grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fred Long	....	costumer: men
Diana Wilson	....	costumer: women (as Diana Jones-Wilson)
Jerry Herrin	....	costumer (uncredited)
Wingate Jones	....	costumer (uncredited)

Music Department
Leigh Phillips	....	orchestrator: special orchestrations (uncredited)
Ted Roberts	....	music editor
Don Davis	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Robert Fernandez	....	score recordist (uncredited)
Christopher Flick	....	assistant music editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Jeanne Byrd	....	script supervisor (as Jeanne Marie Byrd)
John Gamble	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Murray Miller	....	location manager (uncredited)
Daniel Schneider	....	key location manager (uncredited)
Charles A. Tamburro	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)

Thanks
Dominique Dunne	....	in loving memory of

Production Companies

• Kenneth Johnson Productions
• Warner Bros. Television (in association with)

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1983) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• V8 (200?) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)

Special Effects

• Pacific Title (special optical effects)
• Dream Quest Images (special optical effects)
• Coast (special optical effects)

Other Companies

• Pros', The  sound editing (as The Pro's, Inc.)

Also Known As:

Storm Warnings (USA) (original script title)
V: The Original Mini Series (USA) (DVD title)

Runtime:

197 min | Finland:189 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:15 (video premiere) | Iceland:16 | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | UK:12 (DVD rating) | UK:15 (VHS version) | USA:TV-14 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Anheuser-Busch Brewery - 15800 Roscoe Boulevard, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Kenneth Johnson Productions

Trivia:

In a massive media campaign before the series aired, posters with the line "The Visitors Are Our Friends" appeared in subways around the United States - just as they did in the first part of the mini-series. Days before the first episode aired, each poster was spray-painted with a bright red "V" exactly as was done in the show.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When the mother ship is approaching and we see a group from behind as they are watching it, Robin Maxwell leans in to her mother and puts an arm around her. In the reverse shot, she is hugging her mother. Then we cut back to behind them and she leans in and hugs her again. This is because there are two different actresses playing Robin during this scene. The shots of Robin from the front are of Blair Tefkin, who played Robin the entire duration of the series. The shots of her back during this scene are of Dominique Dunne, who was strangled to death by her boyfriend after a few days of shooting. Director Kenneth Johnson kept the reverse shots in her memory.

Quotes:

Harmony Moore: Don't let it spaz you. Let me help you.
Willie: Help, yes!
[pulling out the map]
Willie: Help to go
[pointing to a spot on the map]
Willie: to this place.
Harmony Moore: You don't know where to go?
Willie: I'm just.
Harmony Moore: You mean "lost."
Willie: [he gets it] Lost! Yes...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Suddenly Susan: With Friends Like These (#1.18)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

Theme

Classic Science Fiction Television

Considered by many to be one of the best in the genre, V is a television classic.

Airing during 'May Sweeps' on NBC over two nights, the mini-series was a surprise ratings smash. Critically praised for it's introspective tale with strong themes, the special effects were top-notch, particularly for television of the time.

NBC had taken a gamble with this cutting-edge, creative, and creepy alien-invasion story that pays off in some memorable performances from members of the large cast.

Twenty-plus years later, Kenneth Johnson's epic V holds up extremely well, it's message of resistance and sacrifice being ever more relevant in this Post- 9/11 world.