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WRITTEN BY: The Age

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The story behind ’80s sci – fi thriller V has a modern – day relevance, writes Michael Idato..

WANTED: actress willing to eat a rat.. The job ad didn’t quite read that bluntly but actress Morena Baccarin, who plays the alien leader in the inVasion – conspiracy thriller V, admits an appetite for rodents was most assuredly on the wish list when she walked into the casting room..

Scott Peters, the writer – producer of the remake of the 1980s science – fiction thriller V, has promised his redux will touch on some of the iconic moments in the original, including the skin – crawling scene in which the leader of the invading aliens consumes a living rat..

” I don’t feel great about eating a rat,’‘ confesses Baccarin, who is playing the alien leader Anna in the remake..

At the time of our conversation, only a handful of the one – hour episodes have been produced and while no rats have yet been harmed in the making of this television series, Baccarin knows it is coming..

” I’ve been asked if I have any problems with rodents.. I don’t have a huge problem but I don’t really want to eat one..”

The remake, much like the original, opens with the unexpected arrival of enormous alien space ships over 29 major cities around the world.. These ” Visitors,” through the charismatic Anna, claim to come in peace, offering scientific and medical knowledge in exchange for much – needed resources.. But the smiling face of peace masks a more sinister intent: global conquest..

Set against the alien inVaders are a handful of rebels, including FBI counter – terrorism agent Erica Evans ( Elizabeth Mitchell ), who discovers alien infiltration into government, business and religious organisations has been going on for decades; Ryan Nichols ( Morris Chestnut ), a Visitor sleeper agent who is working against his own people; Catholic priest Father Jack Landry ( Joel Gretsch ) and journalist Chad Decker ( Scott Wolf ), who is caught in an ethical abyss between information and propaganda when, in search of an exclusive, he, in effect, does a deal with the devil..

The centrepiece of the show’s marketing is the same as that used to launch the original series almost three decades ago – an iconic image of a huge alien space ship over a city..

Baccarin says the image is powerful because it highlights our vulnerability.. ” It’s so very vulnerable to have something looming over us in the sky, and then Anna appears for her people, out of this looming, destructive thing, and appears to calm everybody down, saying she’s going to help you, to nurture you and everything is going to be fine..”

Which, of course, it won’t.. Those old enough to remember the original mini – series, which aired in 1983, and was followed by another mini – series V: The Final Battle ( 1984 ) and finally V: The Series ( 1984 – 1985 ), will know that behind the smiling facades of rubberised skin is a race of reptiles, intent on stealing the Earth’s resources to replace its own depleted stocks and to remove the human race into frozen storage..

While some of those elements, in broad – brush terms, appear in the remake, the detail is quite different.. Baccarin says the producers deliberately sought to give the new show its own identity..

” I knew about the original V, so I knew what the show was about.. We had a conversation about the character and his initial thoughts were not to make her inhuman or alien but as nurturing and as human as possible,” she says.. ” It was great to get that perspective on it, to know that it wasn’t going to be a certain kind of show, that it was going to be grounded..”

The series has won rave reviews in the US.. The Hollywood Reporter called it ” clever enough for a cult following ” and USA Today ranked it one on its list of top 10 new shows in 2009..

” I would like to say that I have a healthy amount of cynicism,” cautions Baccarin, but ” I’m very excited about the show.. I love the buzz around it. I think people are going to love it, because I love it, but if they don’t, they don’t and there is nothing I can do about that.. We’ve done the best we could and I really stand by the show..”

Much more than its own antecedent, which is largely remembered for its camp touches, including bitchy verbal interplay between the female Visitor commanders, the remake of V owes a greater debt to the 2003 remake of Battlestar: Galactica, which turned a 1970s science – fiction franchise into a contemporary political thriller almost without peer..

The original V played on an allegory of fascism and borrowed some themes – including the marginalisation of scientists and the removal of citizens to internment camps – from Nazism and World War II.. The remake takes that a step further, rolling religious fanaticism and terrorism into the thematic mix..

Baccarin is cautious to brand the show a political drama.. ” The politics isn’t the heart of the story and in a way I think people are tired of politics, a little tired of television making big statements. Television is entertainment, at least the way we’re doing it,” she says..

” That said, these are wonderful characters and character stories, and there are political statements which deepen the show and make it about something..”

Posted on - 10-03-2010
Categories: ABC, Actor / Actress, Advertisment, Articles, Cast, Character, Interview, Morena Baccarin, V: The New Series, V: The Original - Author: madbeeotch - Comments: Leave a Comment -

American Way Magazine recently did an article in which they interviewed Elizabeth Mitchell ( Erica )..

Posted on - 06-03-2010
Categories: Actor / Actress, Articles, Cast, Character, Elizabeth Mitchell, Interview, Pics, V: The New Series - Author: madbeeotch - Comments: Leave a Comment -

V has appeared in the latest TV Guide Magazine – Spring Preview.. The article included a chat with Executive Producer Scott Rosenbaum and a new promo pic, which we provided for the fans recently..

The article went on to reveal Rosenbaum’s first order of business as the new Executive Producer and Show Runner of V.. To ” ramp up the storytelling speed..” Rosenbaum mentions that we’ll begin to learn more about the Visitors agenda.. Why they are here and what the V’s want exactly from us.. It has been mentioned before, that V: The New Series, is not taking the same road that V: The Original Mini – Series took.. In the Original, the Visitors were here because there were two shortages on the planet.. Food and water.. In V: The New Series, they are here for a different reason..

” The V’s are animals and the one thing they care about is the survival of their species.. They will do whatever it takes to ensure that..” Explains Rosenbaum..

The article also mentions the growing rivalry between Anna and Erica.. ” This show boils down to two mothers who will do anything to protect their children,” Rosenbaum says.. ” It’s all going to lead to a major battle..”

Posted on - 06-03-2010
Categories: Advertisment, Articles, Crew, Interview, Pics, Scott Rosenbaum, V: The New Series - Author: madbeeotch - Comments: Leave a Comment -

TV Guide recently spoke with Executive Producer Scott Rosenbaum about the upcoming birth on V: The New Series..

It was the seminal moment in the original V’s ’80s run – the delivery of Robin’s lizard twins.. Now ABC’s new V, returning March 30, will give birth to its own version..

The alien lizard is gestating in human Valerie ( Lourdes Benedicto ), unaware that her baby daddy Ryan ( Morris Chestnut ) is a reptile.. According to newly instated exec producer Scott Rosenbaum, before the series breaks for summer, fans will have an idea of what’s been born ” and an understanding of what could be coming..”

While Robin developed a green ring around her neck as her due date neared, that won’t happen to Val.. Rosenbaum is planning his own series of creepy prenatal reveals: ” The birth is going to be less interesting than the stories beforehand.. What happens when the baby kicks? Or when Val gets her ultrasound?”

I can just hear the ob – gyn now: ” Oh, look, it’s a boy.. No, wait…that’s a tail..”

Posted on - 23-02-2010
Categories: ABC, Behind the Scenes, Crew, Interview, Scott Rosenbaum, TV Guide, V: The New Series - Author: madbeeotch - Comments: Leave a Comment -

TV Guide recently sat down with V: The New Series Executive Producer, Jace Hall.. During the interview Jace answered questions relating to his show, The Jace Hall Show, celebrities and the re – imaging of V.. Here’s what he said about V..

TVGuide.com: What would you say is the focus of V in the second half of the season?
Jace Hall: Because we’re dealing with a franchise that existed before in the ’80s, there are certain things that people expect and hope that this franchise will either nod to or communicate in some way.. What comes with that expectation is that we need to do some of that.. We’re able to actually go further with the story, beyond what people have seen or what they can predict.. When this reimaging took place, we actually had a plan and a sense of direction of where this whole thing is supposed to go, so it doesn’t have to be thought up at the last minute.. People will start to really get the benefit of all the forethought that went in..

TVG.com: The fourth episode left us with several huge cliff – hangers, including the impending arrival of an armada of Visitors.. What answers will we get when the show returns?
JH: The audience should always ask themselves when they’re watching this.. ” How would we plausibly react to these things that are coming and happening?” We’re trying to keep this show grounded and character – centric as much as possible, really think about if this was happening, what would logically start to occur and how would people naturally react.. That’s been the challenge and fun for the writing team.. Yes, you’re going to get answers, but those answers are going to create even more questions..

TVG.com: Jane Badler, who played Visitor Diana in the original miniseries, is guest-starring on The Jace Hall Show this year. Does this open the possibility for her to appear on ABC’s V?
JH: I personally would enjoy seeing her in some fashion in the show.. Jane is a great friend and she is wonderful.. That would be a trip.. That will ultimately be up to the writers’ room.. I’m just one person in a team of 100 people.. Yes, I know Jane.. Yes, Jane has come to my office.. That’s as far as I can tell you..

Check out the rest of the interview here..

Posted on - 20-02-2010
Categories: Behind the Scenes, Crew, HD Films, Interview, Jace Hall, Jane Badler, TV Guide, V: The New Series - Author: madbeeotch - Comments: Leave a Comment -

YoungHollywood.com’s Talks With Logan Huffman ( Tyler ) about casting, cars, and girls!

Posted on - 06-01-2010
Categories: ABC, Actor / Actress, Cast, Character, Interview, Logan Huffman, TV Guide, V: The New Series, Video - Author: madbeeotch - Comments: Leave a Comment -

Morena Baccarin ( Anna ) was recently interviewed on ABC News which aired 16th November 3 2009..

Posted on - 02-12-2009
Categories: ABC, Actor / Actress, Cast, Character, Interview, Morena Baccarin, V: The New Series, Video - Author: madbeeotch - Comments: Leave a Comment -

Scott Wolf ( Chad Decker ) was recently interviewed on ABC News which aired 3rd November 3 2009..

Posted on - 02-12-2009
Categories: ABC, Actor / Actress, Cast, Character, Interview, Scott Wolf, V: The New Series, Video - Author: madbeeotch - Comments: Leave a Comment -

Morena Baccarin ( Anna ) recently spoke with TV Guide Magazine..

Posted on - 02-12-2009
Categories: ABC, Actor / Actress, Cast, Character, Interview, Morena Baccarin, TV Guide, V: The New Series, Video - Author: madbeeotch - Comments: Leave a Comment -

The cast of V: The New Series, recently sat down and chatted with TV Guide Magazine during a ” Photo Shoot “ promoting the series..

Posted on - 02-12-2009
Categories: ABC, Actor / Actress, Cast, Character, Interview, TV Guide, V: The New Series, Video - Author: madbeeotch - Comments: Leave a Comment -