V Returns With a New Spin

ABC is reviving a 1983 miniseries to bring viewers the latest take on an alien invasion.

"V," the title of the new show in which the letter stands for "visitors," airs on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on ABC. A mini-series of the same name debuted on NBC over 20 years ago. In the first version, science fiction was mixed with political commentary. Aliens invaded the earth, but themes of fascism and the Holocaust pervaded the episodes.

This latest rendition features alien spaceships hovering over earth, but the political viewpoint has been shifted to fit a post-9/11 world, reports Deseret News.

Executive Producer Jeffrey Bell explained the changes made from the 1983 series that were necessary because of the differences between time periods and political situations.

"The original series, to me, felt very much like a military show almost," Bell said. "It was resistance and gun fights, and there was a very clear and present enemy. …And post-9/11, that's not who our enemy is anymore."

There are hordes of aliens and earthlings who make up the cast, but a few regulars are the focus. Elizabeth Mitchell plays Erica Evans, a single mother/FBI counterterrorism agent who is wary of the aliens' intentions. Her son Tyler, Logan Huffman, on the other hand, likes the creatures. Also suspicious of the visitors is Catholic priest Father Jack, Joel Gretsch.

Scott Wolf plays Chad Decker, a TV news anchorman who sees the strange events as a positive opportunity to boost his career, whereas the visitors' leader, Anna, Morena Baccarin, plans to manipulate Chad for her own interests.

Four episodes of "V" will air this month. The series will then take a break until March, for the purpose of avoiding an overlap with NBC's Olympics coverage.