Long before Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) assumed command of the Starship Enterprise, long before 80s prettyboy Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) had a sex change turning him into Katee Sackhoff ...there was "V".
Back in the late 70s and early 80s, it was unheard of to put a woman in power (the honourable Mrs. Margaret Thatcher notwithstanding), but here we see a series that pushed the envelope. Not only was the antagonist (beautiful Jane Badler) one of the most formidable characters in scifi history, but the leader of the good guys (Faye Grant) was one tough cookie herself. Throw into the mix a few beefcakey gents with great abs and whose shirts always seem to fall off, and you've got yourself a great show for the ladies.
Me, I'm actually a dude. All the same, I love shows that offer a viewpoint contrary to the usual male-dominated adventures that Hollywood churned out for the first 100 years. This was one of the first shows that really gave women proper credit for being leaders and warriors (and genocidal villains). Faye Grant delivers a particularly powerful performance as an ordinary geek who's suddenly thrust into leading the human race to salvation--not your typical born leader yet one who accepts the responsibility nonetheless and does it with passion.
Jane Badler... *phew, a moment of silence for bodacious Jane Badler, please* ... all I can say is she was the fantasy gal that got me through me pre-pubescent years. Homina homina.
Sure, the show has many flaws befitting an 80s TV series. It can seem cartoony at times, predictable and cheezy. But this is what made 80s TV so GREAT! Today's kids may have a tough time understanding it, but they should give it a try just the same. The overall quality and production of this miniseries was stellar, with special effects that were so colossal they were used 10 years later in the motion picture "Independence Day". Created and directed by Kenneth Johnson ("The Incredible Hulk") and musically scored by Joseph Harnell (again, "The Incredible Hulk" ...best made-for-TV music ever), this miniseries was nothing short of huge. Any kid who was alive back in 83 HAD to see this or else risk getting pummelled in school gym class.
Being, I dunno, 6 years old at the time, I hardly noticed some of the complex themes this show introduced. The miniseries has a very WWII-era slant to it with many allusions to fascism, political deception and the underground movement to liberate an oppressed race. At times you feel like you could be watching a historical recount of Nazi occupation. Other times the show makes a pretty strong argument for vegetarianism, especially after you see human beings being prodded and carted off to slaughterhouses. And on an individual level we see an intricate soap opera of human behaviour, how people are driven by different passions (for better or worse) in extreme situations. The overall theme, which keeps recurring throughout the whole series, seems to be that everyone can make a difference regardless of age, sex, size or stature. This show makes you want to go out and kick some butt, fight for what you believe in, vive la resistance, or maybe I should just hold up 2 fingers and say "V". Rock on!
