"V" Premiere Review, No Spoilers

I've been looking forward to the premiere of "V" for several weeks. I remember the original series on which this one is based, and I've been curious to see how the new set of writers, directors and actors interpret the story today. The show begins by asking where you were when JFK was shot, where you were on 9/11, and where you were this morning. Then it presents the arrival of aliens from outer space who announce themselves as peaceful visitors who need certain minerals from our planet. In return, they offer the benefits of their superior technology to make our lives better.

People stand in the streets watching the huge ships that hover above the major cities of the world, while troops try to keep order. Churches that have long stood half empty or worse suddenly find their pews filled with people looking for answers, or at least comfort, through religious faith. They are frightened, and they look to the church for reassurance. The Vatican announces that the existence of these aliens is not in conflict with Christian doctrine. We are all God's children -- or are we?

Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating the disappearance of huge amounts of military grade explosives.

Who are these visitors? they look human, and they look beautiful. Any one of them could make a living as a fashion model. Not a one has a blemish or anything less than movie star good looks. Can we trust them? Can we believe that they come in peace? A few do not think so, and they claim to have evidence that backs up their suspicions. Stay tuned.

The special effects are awesome, especially for a television program that obviously does not enjoy the huge budget that a movie would have. The ships are believable. The story is interesting. Lots of bits of everyday life go on, in the midst of the incredible visit by the aliens.

So far, so good. And it isn't as confusing as "Fringe", a show for which I once had high hopes. And don't even get me started on "Flash Forward", which is so confused that event he writers don't seem to know where they are going. and I enjoyed watching "Twin Peaks", which few could follow and nobody could understand. The only real problem that I had was when my stupid cable company had a glitch, froze up and cut out a few seconds of an important scene and then broke to a commercial.

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