V: The Original Miniseries [Blu-ray]

First thing's first: Some sites (but neither Amazon nor blu-ray com) claim "made on demand" though I didn't see any sign of a recordable blu-ray disc. Somebody please correct me if these are M.O.D. as these discs do not have the same lifespan normal blu-ray discs have due to the dye used in the user-recordable medium.The miniseries itself ran in 1983 as two two-hour (90 minutes each, appx) episodes. These hold up amazingly well considering we have more than three TV networks, more than one phone carrier, et cetera, nowadays. The build-up to the reveals of the Visitors and their plan is tension-filled and taking its time to make its impact the most palpable is an art form often missed nowadays. It pretty much holds up if one allows themselves to bask in the experience. Indeed, on this rewatch I found not just how astute the camera direction was for more scenes than I'd first noticed, but also a lot more of what might be called "Easter eggs" in some scenes, making the whole event even more frightening and claustrophobic (in a good way) and when it comes to rewatchings, seeing something else jump out only adds to the thrill and is another sign of how well thought-out this miniseries was and on so many levels. This is a really impeccably done miniseries.The audio - The Dolby 2.0 stereo mix sounds very clear and crisp and with deep bass where appropriate, no negative issues to report on. I wonder if a stereo remix was done as the 1983 original was in mono. Some scenes do place more emphasis on either the left or right channel though most are center-placed. One such example is in a scene between "Diana" and "Steven" as Donovan looks on, shrouded in the far opposite corner. That clearly makes me think "remix" but only in a good way.The video - I'm not sure why there are complaints. This release is definitely taken from a remastered, original 35mm negative (or a good quality print?). Credits text are crisp and free of compression artifacting that are all over the place on the DVD. I could also see crying tears distinctly that couldn't be as discernible on the DVD or original broadcast. Ocean waves in the background as well. Scan lines on the close-up of the TV when "John" speaks. And so on. Color timing, balance, and saturation are absolutely lovely to look at. No blooming or crush to be found. Film grain, as expected, can be seen depending on scene (darker scenes showing more grain because of the film speed ISO used.)This IS a gorgeous transfer. If anything, maybe a tinge more edge sharpening since the film does look soft at times, and effects shots do start to reveal layered film elements, but everything looks spectacular - there are no quibbles, there is not a single scene that looks worse than on the DVD. The miniseries has NEVER looked better than this.And, of course, the acting is excellent throughout... so many kudos, but a pre-Freddy Robert Englund shows his range of talents beyond that horror series, and Jane Badler must have been thrilled when getting the role of Diana because she increasingly steals the show as the original franchise moved forward.More about the camerawork: While the miniseries was aired in 4:3, Kenneth Johnson did frame the camera lens as futureproofing. Every scene in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio feels complete and authentic, even if material on the top and bottom were chopped off. If 1984's "The Final Battle" is released on Blu-Ray (and I hope it is!), I also hope they include a 4:3 original aspect ratio as that was not filmed with 16:9 in mind and its DVD release shows too many scenes of chopped off credits and heads and other subtle items from the top and bottom to become jarring.And yes, while the 1984-85 ill-fated weekly series was a mess, it did start well, had a few good episodes and scenes throughout its hapless yet haphazard run, and if it were remastered as the current DVD set shows footage in very poor condition, I'd purchase such a blu-ray release of it on day one as well. Heck, imagine if they added the lizard reverberation effect for the Visitors to fix what was omitted in 1984 to cut production costs. That alone probably would help the show's perception!All in all, this is FANTASTIC that this miniseries is starting to get released on the best quality home video format. Thank you to all involved!

Wonderful. Simply a wonderful miniseries. I can't tell you anything that hasn't already been said in other reviews. I watch it every year on the date it was first aired. Tradition. I hope the remake theatrical movie gets made. That would be amazing. And it is so much more relevant today. Come on Kenny!

This sci-fi show has become a classic and holds up real well against contemporary shows that don’t overly rely on CGI. The storyline is great!

"V" became an original miniseries for Television, as well as one of the most original and Impressive concepts created for science fiction. Kenneth Johnson came a long way after his years at Universal Studios, where he created "THE BIONIC WOMAN" and "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" for TV in the late 1970s. but "V", which debuted on NBC in May 1983 was one of those original and pleasantly creative surprises that immediately hooked viewers. this was Kenneth Johnson's creation, and he knew his material expertly and mastered his creative writing to a razor's edge, and it showed! with a cast headed by Mark Singer ("THE BEASTMASTER") Faye Grant, Robert Englund ("NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET") with supporting roles by Neva Patterson, Blair Tefkin, Jason Bernard, Diane Civita, Andrew Prine, Jenny Sulivan, Penelope Windust, Camila Ashland, Jane Badler, Frank Ashland, and Evan Kim ("THE DEAD POOL", and the cartoon voice actor from "THE SPACE SENTINELS" in 1977) "V" was just pure gold for the 1980s, but Kenneth Johnson's creativity was not allowed to go any further after creative differences with NBC and Warner Bros.Television which put his creation in the hands of Executive Producers Daniel H Blatt and former "DARK SHADOWS" associate producer Robert Singer, who used director Richard T Heffron ("FUTUREWORLD"-1976) for "V-THE FINAL BATTLE" in 1984 and later, "V-THE SERIES" for NBC's 1964-85 TV season. we won't talk about ABC-TV's previous version from 2009 with "DEADPOOL"s Marena Baccarin, which couldn't hold a candle in the wind compared to Kenneth Johnson's 1983 original (Johnson still retained credit on the new version as creator) I recommend "V-The Original Miniseries" to TV and sci-fi fans who will see and appreciate Kenneth Johnson's expert and creative direction, which he later used on 20th Century Fox Television's "ALIEN NATION" series and revival TV movies in the 1990s. a worthy Blu Ray investment!!

Just so well written. Acting and direction are both top-notch. The allegory of the story is…unfortunately, topical.As other reviewers have noticed, the picture isn’t much improved from the DVD. It’s disappointing in that regard. But the mini-series itself is still fantastic.