'V' Is for Very 'Nice'

If you love the ABC show “Lost,” and you have become quickly addicted to the ABC show “FlashForward,” then you probably will be somewhat bored as I was by the new ABC show “V,” which premiered last night.
On the other hand, if you find both "Lost” and “FlashForward” too complicated, too complex, and too difficult to follow, then “V” might be just the right sci-fi show for you.
“V” is a remake of the 1980s series about visitors from another planet who come to Earth and promise to exchange their technology for our water and our friendship. The show reminds me why I was not too enthralled with television back then.
Right off the top you realize that there are good guys and bad guys, and that some of the good guys will be initially seduced by the bad guys. But of course at the end, somehow, the good guys will prevail. I am sure that George Bush and his cohorts will probably love the show.
That was the way television rolled back then. This new version of “V” is for people who like to sit back on their sofas and go along for a nice, safe comfortable ride. It is not for people (like myself) who prefer analyzing every scene and trying to figure out the meaning of “Lost's” numbers or the names pinned on Agent Benford's bulletin board. (And who still isn't sure if Ben or Locke are ultimately good guys or bad guys.)
I am not saying that “V” is not an entertaining show. I am sure that it will capture decent ratings. Furthermore, with the special effects that are available today, it will also be visually dramatic. Giant spaceships hovering over the world's capitals are tailor-made images for a 50-inch HDTV.
The original series was supposedly an allegory of how the Nazi's took advantage of people's economic angst to take control of Germany back in the 1920s, and this version of “V” makes considerable mention of the recent world-wide economic recession.
Moreover, it was updated in other ways, with references to terrorist sleeper cells, far away wars, a hubris-filled cable news anchor, and of course cell phones and the Internet. And most of all, every person under the age of 30 calls each other “dude.” (100 years from now when people look back at movies and television shows from today, the overuse of the term “dude” will definitely be labeled as the benchmark catchword of the day.)
Since Disney owns ABC, I'll finish up with an analogy using roller coasters from Disney World. “V” is like Thunder Mountain, exciting but relatively gentle for a roller coaster, with the highlights being the animatronic figures you see as you whiz by. “Lost” and “Flash Forward” are akin to Space Mountain, which, while not being the fastest roller coaster in the world, blasts you off on a hair-raising, intense ride through the dark with surprising twists and turns that make it far more exciting.