WEBSITE: CaliforniaChronicle.com

WRITTEN BY: Rick Bentley

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When V returns to TV tonight, it will have a darker, more realistic look than the original miniseries..

V tells the story of an alien race arriving on Earth in massive spaceships.. Earth is shaken by the arrival of the Visitors, who bring advanced medical and technical knowledge.. The fact that they are willing to share this knowledge appears to be a blessing.. But not everyone trusts the Visitors – and it’s soon revealed there’s a good reason for such concerns..

Executive producer Jeffrey Bell says the updated V will make it less obvious which characters are good and bad..

” I think one of the things we’re trying to do is we have humans, and we have humans who are traitors, and we have Visitors who have a nefarious agenda, and we have Visitors who are heroes.. We’re not a country at war the way we have in the past, but we are a country very much fractured and struggling with all these issues,” Bell says..

Series star Morena Baccarin, who was just 4 years old when the original V miniseries aired in 1983, plays the leader of the Visitors, Anna.. Her character will be a manipulator who presents a warm and loving face to the public but hides a cold and calculating heart..

” Our version will be darker, more realistic.. It will be something that will be easier to connect to than the original series,” says Baccarin, who has been cast in sci – fi series before on Stargate SG – 1 and Firefly..

” You can play this kind of character very wooden,” Baccarin says.. ” I wanted to avoid that very much.. I see her more as a politician because politicians try to get you to trust them.. They do that through charisma..”

Baccarin has no theories as to why she keeps getting cast in sci – fi roles such as this TV series.. Her acting plan was to do a few TV shows and movies so she could eventually work on stage.. But, she’s OK being drawn back to sci – fi the genre because it touches on complex topics including religion and politics..

” I think the idea of aliens, in general, is interesting,” Baccarin says.. ” In this show, through aliens, we are discovering the human race and I think that is very fascinating..”

The new V has changed to reflect a modern world, but that didn’t stop Bell from keeping the odd diet for the aliens when he discovered that was the one thing everyone remembers from the original V..

One of the most memorable scenes from the miniseries was Diana ( Jane Badler ), leader of the aliens, scarfing down live mice like they were bon bons.. That unusual dinner menu was both disturbing and campy.. ” We would be morons if we didn’t find a way in the series to pay homage,” Bell says..

Baccarin’s co – star, Elizabeth Mitchell, points out the irony of some of the casting: ” You found like the prettiest girl you could possibly find, and you’re going to make her eat a rodent..”

The Pittsburgh Post – Gazette have recently conducted an interview with Jane Badler ( Diana from V: The Original ).. During the interview, they spoke about Jane’s music, acting and V.. Badler talks about reaching out to the producers of the new V and what role she might play if she were to show up on V: The New Series..

” When I heard it was picked up as a series, part of me was so aware of the passage of time,” Badler, 55, said in a phone interview during a visit last month with her family in New Jersey.. ” I feel this ownership because I created the role and we all feel like this journey we did together and suddenly you’re not involved, at least not to begin with.. It was sort of a painful feeling..”

” They know there is a huge amount of fans, and I’m not talking about people in my age group but people in their 30s who watch television and would be very cheated not to have at least one or two characters brought back,” Badler said.. ” I’m not saying I’m the one, I just know it’s very important to connect them in some way..”

” I definitely think they’re looking for a different character,” Badler said.. ” I don’t think they’re interested in bringing me back in the same guise.. I think they want more of a surprise element so everyone would go, ‘Whoa!’ I think that’s more interesting to them and having it done so it makes total sense with lots of integrity.. I’m sure I would be a Visitor but if I was going to be part of a storyline maybe I would be a judge or a lawyer but that wouldn’t be who I really am, it would be something twisted..”

Jane recently sat down at a lunch meeting with Executive Producer of V: The New Series, Jace Hall..

Badler sings the praises of  V creator Kenneth Johnson, who’s trying to launch V feature film based on his novel V: The Second Generation..

” There’s no one like him,” Badler said.. ” He created the first [ V miniseries ] and that was the real deal, the multi – dimensional one.. The impact has been extraordinary and no one could have believed that all these years later how it will not die.. So many people were touched and moved by it. I think the series had much less impact on people.. For me it was fun to do because my character has the most fun of everyone: She was evil and bisexual and powerful but really [ The series ] was very lightweight in comparison to the mini – series.. When you look back in history, it’s definitely the miniseries that will hold up..”

For the complete interview head to Post-Gazette.com..

ABC has released it’s official description of the V: The New Series ” Pilot “

THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SERIES PREMIERE OF “V“..
ARRIVES TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3 ON ABC..

Elizabeth Mitchell, Scott Wolf, Morena Baccarin, Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch Among Stars..

V is a re – imagining of the 1980s’ miniseries about the world’s first encounter with an alien race.. With huge spaceships simultaneously appearing over 29 cities around the world, the Visitors (or V’s) seem to promote a message of peace.. Through their generous offer to share advanced technology, the V’s quickly build a following that may be overlooking a more malevolent agenda.. The premiere of V, from Warner Bros. Television, airs TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3 ( 8:00 – 9:00 p.m., ET ), on ABC..

In the premiere episode, ” Pilot,” an image of Anna ( Morena Baccarin ), the leader of the V’s, is projected worldwide as she speaks about everyone joining together and no longer being divided by country or separated by fear.. She wants us all to unite, and is counting on a very important component of human nature – devotion.. At first considered a threat, the V’s quickly become a fascination and a link to things that lay just beyond our reach. For Tyler (Logan Huffman), a teenaged boy, the V’s are his ticket to being a part of something big and something that offers hope.. To Chad ( Scott Wolf ), an egotistical news anchor who wants to further his career, his exclusive interview with Anna begins his desire to dominate the airwaves.. Father Jack ( Joel Gretsch ), a priest with questioning faith, is hesitant to believe in the Visitors’ righteousness and goes outside of the church in search of the truth.. There are other dissidents who believe the Visitors aren’t who they say they are, including Ryan ( Morris Chestnut ), who is faced with a life – altering decision when the V’s show up.. And to FBI Counter Terrorist Agent Erica Evans ( Elizabeth Mitchell ), who discovers, while investigating a terrorist cell, what lurks beneath the alarmingly human exterior of the Visitors, resisting this new world has never been more important – and never has there been more at stake.. This truly is the dawning of a new day..

V stars Elizabeth Mitchell as Erica Evans, Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols, Joel Gretsch as Father Jack, Lourdes Benedicto as Valerie, Logan Huffman as Tyler Evans, Laura Vandervoort as Lisa, with Morena Baccarin as Anna, and Scott Wolf as Chad Decker..

Guest starring in ” Pilot ” are Alan Tudyk as Dale Maddox, Jesse Wheeler as Brandon, Britt Irvin as Haley Gordon, David Richmond – Peck as Georgie, Christopher Shyer as Marcus, Scott Hylands as Father Travis and Stefan Arngrim as Roy..

V is produced by The Scott Peters Company and HDFilms in association with Warner Bros. Television.. Scott Peters ( who wrote the pilot ), Jeffrey Bell, Steve Pearlman and Jace Hall are executive producers.. The pilot was directed by Yves Simoneau.. V is broadcast in 720 Progressive ( 720P ), ABC’s HDTV format, with 5.1 channel sound and Spanish subtitles.. A TV Parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.. For more information on V, please visit ABC.com..

The Cast of V: The New Series: Logan Huffman, Laura Vandervoort, Scott Wolf, Elizabeth Mitchell, Joel Gretsch, Morena Baccarin, Morris Chestnut, and Lourdes Benedicto..

An ABC spokeswoman confirmed that while V: The New Series will indeed premiere on the network in November, it will be just four episodes that will run during sweeps, and then not return again until March when the Winter Olympics are over..

In waiting until March to resume V: The New Series it seems that they wanted to avoid the January American Idol juggernaut and the Winter Olympics in February..

News of the show’s unique rollout comes amid rampant speculation that the Warner Bros. TV drama was undergoing a serious overhaul after news broke that it would halt production for a two – week hiatus..

Now, an insider confirms, the hiatus will extend for another four weeks to prepare for the show’s previously announced 3rd November 2009 debut.. The ABC spokeswoman says it was always the network’s intent to the run the science fiction drama, which has a 13 – episode order, in ” pod “ form to treat it more like event programming.. Thus, similar to how they did V: The Mini – Series and V: The Final Battle..

According to our source, only three episodes have been filmed thus far, and ABC hasn’t been satisfied with subsequent scripts.. We’re told that the creative reworking which was being supervised by creator / exec producer Scott Peters during the last few weeks of hiatus didn’t help matters.. Our source tells us that the next episode will lens in October and that production will then shut down until January … which would mean 10 weeks or more of production suspension.. If you know anything at all about television production, that’s a potentially costly, disruptive proposition for a network, since studio space is expensive to rent and crews can move on to other projects..

That could mean ABC is worried about how V: The New Series will perform, and may be looking closely at debut audience numbers to figure it out what to do next.. If the show under performs, ABC will be able to pull the plug quickly without expending too much producing episodes it may never intend to air.. If it at least meets audience expectations, then the network could green light additional episodes that would be ready to shoot about the same time..

When the hiatus was originally announced, back in August, it was just a couple of weeks, and Warner Bros. execs said it was designed to take advantage of the leeway from the show’s already – announced 3rd November 2009 premiere date to ” maximize creative difficulties..”

The real problem was that Warner Bros. and ABC weren’t happy with the scripts that showrunner Jeff Bell was turning in.. ( Bell was showrunner on the final, best season of Angel, so we were excited to see him working on this show ) Bell was being bumped to the ” number 2 spot “ and show re – creator Scott Peters ( The 4400 ) was becoming showrunner..

Still looking for that guest star role in V: the New Series? Well they’re looking for a male, in their late 30′s  to play the role of ” Cyrus..” Cyrus was once a fierce, proud soldier, but is now a jittery man in his late 30′s, desperately trying to hold it together.. This will be starting from Episode 3..

For those who may not have heard the news or haven’t been following it, there were some legal rumblings in regards to what ABC’s new take on their remake of V was going to be.. The issue was that the Writers Guild of America ( WGA ) couldn’t decide of V was a remake or not..

Warner Bros. had recently taken the stance that V wasn’t a remake, even though the Cast and Crew mentioned that V: The New Series, was indeed a remake / re – imaging of the V: The Original Mini – Series during recent events such as the San Diego Comic – Con.. If, V: The New Series, was deemed to not be a remake,

Kennith Johnson, the Original creator wouldn’t see his name in the credits of this new version or get any royalty payments based on the V: The New Series..

Now, don’t think this had ANYTHING to do with Executive Producer’s, Scott Peters, Jeffery Bell or Jace Hall.. We’ve been informed that the Executive Producer’s had nothing to do with this arbitration; the decision came from the top of Warner Bros..

This stance forced the WGA to go into ” Remake Arbitration..” As it stands, the WGA ruled that the new pilot is indeed a remake..  Now they need to determine the specific credits that the original creator, Kennith Johnson, would be receiving.. So once again, Warner Bros. is trying to screw Kenny over.. Happened 25 years ago and is still continuing..

Filming is still on its two – week creative hiatus.. WBTV wants to ” take advantage of our November premiere to maximize creative opportunities and deliver the audience the best show possible,” a Warners spokesperson said..

People familiar with the decision indicated the hiatus was put in place so that writers would have time to beef up future scripts and bring them in line with the quality of the pilot, which has been getting good buzz from bloggers and critics since a successful screening at Comic – Con last month..

No staffing changes are being made, insiders said, though in situations like this, it’s not unheard of for new writers to be added to the roster.. Short – term shutdowns for first – year series, especially dramas, have become increasingly common in recent years.. With networks often unwilling to give shows second chances if they don’t make a strong impact out of the box, studios want to make sure they do everything possible to ensure scripts are in the best possible shape for filming..

Such pre – emptive moves can also end up saving money since they reduce the likelihood of costly re – shoots..

ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy is widely cited as the best example of a recent series that benefited from a pre – premiere production hiatus..

But even long – time shows have recently found a need to take a break: 20th Century Fox TV halted work on 24 for 18 days last fall.. The result was one of the best – reviewed seasons in the show’s history..

Amy Amatangelo, from over at BostonHerald.com, interviewed Elizabeth Mitchell about her new role as ” Erica Evans “ in V: The New Series..

Elizabeth Mitchell didn’t expect to fall in love again.. At least not so soon..

Last spring, LOST executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse told Mitchell that her character, Juliet, would not be a part of the final season of ABC’s Emmy – winning series..

” I was really sad because I really like everyone so much and I love my role,” Mitchell said in an interview earlier this month at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena, Calif.. ” I spent three years working very hard to create exactly what I wanted..”

But the Dallas native described herself as ” fairly pragmatic..” She thanked Lindelof and Cuse for her time on the series, packed up her house in Hawaii, found a preschool for her son in Los Angeles and began reading scripts..

” I didn’t expect to like anything,” she said.. ” I was just reading things because people sent them to me and it’s rude not to read them..”

Then she read the script for V, a remake of the 1983 sci – fi miniseries about an alien invasion.. The series premieres on ABC in November..

” V is kind of a gift,” the 39 – year – old said.. ” It was a surprise to me to fall in love with another character.. I read it and it captivated me.. And more importantly, I thought it was an excellent jumping – off place and something I had never done before – playing a straightforward hero..”

Mitchell plays FBI counter – terrorist agent Erica Evans, a mother of a teenage son.. In the pilot, she discovers that the alien Visitors might not be as benevolent as they seem..

” What I’m enjoying about Erica, which is one of the same things I love about Juliet, is that she, every day of her life, believes if she is not fully on, not fully functioning, she is going to let people down and the world will come to an end.. She actively puts herself in the line of fire.. I think it takes a special kind of person to do that, and that, combined with Erica being a mother, is very interesting to me..”

But it turns out Mitchell will be on LOST again..

” They called and something had kind of shifted for them and they asked if I would come back,” she said.. Mitchell readily agreed.. Although she knows how and why Juliet, who was last seen detonating a bomb, will return, she can’t divulge details..

During her time on LOST, Mitchell learned to trust the producers.. When she first heard that Juliet would be romantically linked to Sawyer ( Josh Holloway ) last season, she balked..

” We thought it was so dumb,” she said.. ” But what really happened and what was surprising to me is that Josh and I started bringing out different sides of each other, and we started to feel really safe together.. He’s massively in love with his wife and I’m in love with my husband, so we know what love is.. It made the playing of it really safe, and all of a sudden, there we were and we just caught each other.. I miss the two characters together and I never thought I would say that.. So I was happily wrong about that..”

Source: BostonHerald.com

Josef Adalian, from over at TheWrap.com, has reported that V: The New Series is taking a two – week creative hiatus..

Warner Bros. TV has decided to temporarily shut down production, with filming scheduled to halt next Wednesday.. Because V: The New Series doesn’t premiere until Tuesday 3rd November 2009, the move won’t impact scheduling of the series or ABC’s ability to air the six episodes it’s planning for the fourth quarter..

The studio wouldn’t discuss the specific reasons behind the move, saying only that the shutdown was designed to boost V: The New Series in the long – term..

WBTV wants to ” take advantage of our November premiere to maximize creative opportunities and deliver the audience the best show possible,” a Warners spokesperson said..

People familiar with the decision indicated the hiatus was put in place so that writers would have time to beef up future scripts and bring them in line with the quality of the pilot, which has been getting good buzz from bloggers and critics since a successful screening at Comic – Con last month..

No staffing changes are being made, insiders said, though in situations like this, it’s not unheard of for new writers to be added to the roster..

Source:  TheWrap.com

Still looking for that guest star role in V: the New Series? Well if you have, or can produce, a British accent then this could be your part..

They’re looking for a male, in their late 30′s  to play the role of ” Henry Marlow..” Henry is a scruffy guy, but fit and brilliant.. He has a good sense of humor and an adventurous spirit.. As mentioned, he’s British.. So a British accent is required.. This will be starting from Episode 3..