Excerpts from the "V" Writer's Guide

excerpts from the v writers guide

The following excerpted material is from the series format, dated June 27, 1984. Misspellings and other typographical errors--of which there were many--have been largely corrected. I have trimmed down some of the entries, but quoted material--including parenthetical asides--is reported verbatim.

"The world of V is not unlike the world of 1942--divided between the forces of freedom and tyranny...with allies, enemies and Quislings vying for power. As such, a 'war' story can often be a good approach for V..."

"A better approach might be: What kind of action/adventure story would I do if this wasn't V...and then think about the offbeat turns that story would take set in the world of V as opposed to, say, the world of Magnum."

"We here at V like to say that our show is '75% Star Wars and 25% Dallas.' (Or, alternately, that it's 'All My Children on Mars.') If we ever do a cliff-hanger season ending, it might very well be, 'Who shot J.R. with a ray gun?'"

"We don't think the human-held areas are very exciting for stories. (I mean, how many World War II movies were set in Kansas?) And, of course, we're not interested at all in what the Seventh Fleet or the Strategic Air Command is doing against the Aliens...we focus on our small group of Resistance fighters..."

Regarding the "starchild" Elizabeth:

"In a way, she is a combination of Mr. Spock (another hybrid) and Paul Atreides of Dune (another teen with strange potential sought by Galactic powers)."

For your amusement, here are some "network approved storylines," again from the writer's guide.

"Chateau" "Learning of a secret Visitor R & R retreat, the Resistance plans to destroy it while it is full of high-ranking aliens. But after the mission is underway, it is learned that while Chris was in alien custody, he may have been Converted. Ham volunteers to kill his own friend--a decision which Chris' surrogate younger brother Kyle refuses to go along with."

"V is for Vengeance" "Someone is killing key Visitor personnel, both in and around the Los Angeles Visitor Legation. Diana gives Bates an ultimatum: Make the city safe for her people as promised, or goodbye deal. Bates then gives the Resistance his ultimatum: Lay off the Visitors inside the city, or feel some real heat. The result is that all our characters have a stake in solving the whodunit..."

"Infection" "At a remote mine where Aliens are using slave labor, a mysterious epidemic breaks out, striking down both humans and Visitors. Since both sides in the war realize that the disease threatens all, a joint scientific team is formed. But this affords Nathan Bates with a golden opportunity: A chance to eliminate his two greatest problems: Donovan and Diana. Accordingly, he forms an alliance with Lydia to wipe out the 'infected' scientific team."

"AWOL/Renegade/Visitor bikers (yes, you read that right) are a threat somewhere...and Kyle Bates violates Resistance orders and takes his own group of bikers out to combat them. (Possibly to rescue Sean?) [Note: This one can change as much as we need: All NBC really wants to see is kids on bikes, and Alien Harleys.]"

A final potential plotline, "Seeds of Destruction," echoes developments in the televised episodes "The Hero" and "The Betrayal," in which a Visitor infiltrator intends to replicate the coupling that resulted in Elizabeth's birth.

Summaries of "V" Scripts

summaries of v scripts

As with many TV series, the scripts for V went through several rewrites before the final televised episode. The articles on this page are written with an eye toward differences between the early script drafts and the final version. You may want to compare these to videotapes of the episodes themselves.

Also note that the summaries below overlap a great deal. This is because an early treatment for what eventually became the first hour-long series episode was originally formatted as a two-hour program. Therefore, alternate versions of what ultimately became episode two, "Dreadnaught," can be found below as episodes two and three.

Confused? We're just starting. The actual third episode, "Breakout," didn't air during the first run of the weekly series. U.S. viewers instead saw episode four, "The Deception." When the series began repeats later in the season, "Breakout" was reinserted in its proper running order.

These summaries were written by rayhne@itis.com.

AN EYE FOR AN EYE (EPISODE ONE - PART ONE)
A TREATMENT by Paul Monash
REVISED 6/13/84

ACT ONE: Act One starts off with a reprisal of Diana's capture (pretty much identical to the filmed version, ending with the exploding fireworks) then a series of short scenes...a celebration one year after Diana's capture, Ham Tyler being hired by Nathan Bates, Elizabeth riding her horse (again, like the filmed version), Sean Donovan vandalizing a store and getting arrested, Elias at the Club Creole with Kyle Bates hitting on a piano player and Ham with Chris telling the latter that Kyle is his new assignment and lastly, Ham meeting with the captive Diana (interestingly in a clinging white chemise and human makeup but with her contacts off).

ACT TWO: In this act, we find Sean to be in a work camp due to his criminal acts and, apparently quite happy to stay there as he is having problems dealing with Julie in his father's life. Diana actually goes to trial and her extensive notes on her acts against humanity are used against her. Both Donovan and Julie are called to testify against her. During Julie's time on the witness time, Diana somehow (apparently mentally) causes Julie to see a series of odd symbols before collapsing.

ACT THREE: Julie is at Bates Laboratories during a series of tests involving a cataract-blinded rat. Somehow, Diana has given her a serum that destroys cataracts. Ham and Chris bring Kyle to Bates' office. We find out that Kyle suspects his father of being involved in his mother's disappearance six years before. Julie and Donovan fight when Donovan suspects Julie will stand in the way of Diana getting her just desserts. The next day, in the courtroom, Julie shows videos of the once-blinded rat and tries to convince all involved that Diana could help mankind. For a moment, it looks as if Diana may get life instead of a death sentence. But Elizabeth steps forward and mentally projects an image of something so heinous that Diana could not possibly escape death. Diana tries to suppress the image but fails and she is hustled out only to be shot by someone posing as a photographer.

ACT FOUR: This act pretty much goes as filmed except that Martin does not die at the end of this act. Instead Donovan wakes up to find Martin gone.

COMMENTS: This version is markedly different from what we ended up seeing. From the look of it, the original treatment was for three episodes; the two-part "An Eye for an Eye" and "Dreadnaught." In the end, they took those three hours and squeezed them into two. In this version, Chris Faber is present. Apparently he was meant to be a Big Brother figure for Kyle Bates. In the Writer's Guide, there had been a story suggestion ("Chateau") concerning Chris' possible conversion and I think this original version would have lead into that (see later summaries). Frankly, I would have loved to have seen this as Chris was one of my favorite characters, next to Ham. Also, this version gave Diana unspecified mental powers. I was not sorry to see this written out.

AN EYE FOR AN EYE (EPISODE ONE - PART TWO)
A TREATMENT by Paul Monash
REVISED 6/13/84

ACT FIVE: Elizabeth's metamorphosis continues. Diana somehow has Martin under her control. Martin tells Diana how the timer-watch and pills work and that he has a two week supply but, after Diana shoots him, goes over a cliff, taking the remaining pills with him. Donovan brings authorities to the hut where Diana had been held only to find it empty. Elizabeth's transformation ends. Chris and Kyle head on a motorcycle odyssey northward. Julie doesn't believe Donovan about Diana's escape until they see a news report concerning Martin being found dead. Julie remembers the radio telescope at Mt. Wilson. Willie gives Ham the clue about the radio telescope. Diana makes her way toward Mt. Wilson.

ACT SIX: Ham finds Martin's crashed vehicle. Diana kills the guard at Mt. Wilson and sends a message into space. She then begins to concentrate on Elizabeth, trying to call her. Elizabeth awakens and follows the call. Robert goes with her. Julie and Donovan arrive at Mt. Wilson. Donovan gets tackled by Ham. Diana eludes them and is slipping out when Elizabeth and Robert arrive. Diana shoots Robert and grabs Elizabeth but Donovan manages to snatch her back before Diana escapes in a just-arrived shuttle. Diana realizes that it's five minutes after she should have died and surmises that the Red Dust bacteria is no longer a threat.

ACT SEVEN: Ham tells Bates about Diana's escape and Elizabeth's transformation. Bates orders him to bring Elizabeth to him as she may be the key to all this. Diana prepares her troops for attack on Earth. Elizabeth tends to the wounded Robert, responding to his "Preta-na-ma" with a Diana-like "Not in our destiny." Donovan and Julie try to convince General Curtis Morgan that the aliens were once more a threat but the general assures them that it is impossible due to Vanguard One, the early warning manned satellite. He contact the commander of the satellite but, just as the commander is assuring them all is well, the satellite is blown out of the sky by the alien attack force.

ACT EIGHT: Diana is in the Mothership directing the attack. She gives orders to capture the Starchild when reports of heavy losses come in. There is a pattern to the losses, failure is occurring in colder climates. Bates confirms this to Julie, the Red Dust needs to be dormant every 12 months or it dies. Ham arrives at the Maxwell Ranch to rescue Robert and Elizabeth. Kyle is searching for some answers as to what happened to his mother when an alien attack ship lands near him and Chris. The aliens are killed by the Red Dust. Realizing there's trouble, the two men head back south. Donovan leads the few alien shuttle Earth has in an attack against the Visitors and manages to cripple the Mothership, forcing it to retreat for repairs. The aliens overrun the juvenile center where Sean (who seems happy to see them) is. The car that Ham, Robert and Elizabeth are in is disabled and they take refuge in Club Creole. General Morgan and Nathan prepare to initiate Code Delta.

COMMENTS: This version is markedly differently from what we end up seeing. Willie is Ham's driver/houseboy rather then working for Elias. This, I think, would have made some interesting interaction between the two. Elizabeth can talk from the onset here. I have some problems with Ham telling Bates about Elizabeth's transformation. Ham is naturally paranoid and I can easily see him wanting to keep that close to the chest, as it were. Another interesting note...they never followed up on the fact that Ham was involved in Diana's escape. It would have been more then interesting to see what would have happened if the Resistance had found out. Or what would have happened if Bates had blackmailed Ham with that knowledge.

Here's a different version of episode two...

SCORCHER (EPISODE TWO)
WRITTEN by Steven E. deSouza
FINAL DRAFT July 12, 1984

ACT ONE: This seems pretty much the same as the filmed version except that, instead of explaining the hazards of once again using Red Dust to Julie, Nathan is explaining it to an Army General. Ham and Donovan arrive at Club Creole and shown to the hiding place. There is no fight with Visitor shock troops. Julie is not present for the exchange between Bates and Diana concerning his rigging of the Red Dust tanks. Ham remains for the Resistance's planning.

ACT TWO: There seems to be just minor differences here, mostly in wording.

ACT THREE: There are differences here. Julie warns Nathan about the Resistance planning something against him. Later, Elizabeth joins the Resistance for the attack on the captured Mothership but Julie insists Ham remain behind due to a 104-degree fever. After the others leave, it is revealed that Ham is fine and that Julie is helping him in his plan to kill Bates.

ACT FOUR: Julie is fully aware of Ham's plan to kill Bates in this version and throws herself in front of Bates just as Ham is to fire. Cursing, Ham transfers his target and tries to take out Diana instead. This act ends with the following exchange between the two: HAM - We have to talk..... JULIE - I couldn't let you kill him, Ham. Oh, I know what Nathan is....but for better or worse, he's given us this open city...with the world outside falling apart we can use that....it could even save some lives. I couldn't let you end that. HAM - I trusted you, Julie. I believed every word you said. I put my neck on the line. I trusted you, and you took advantage of me. (Suddenly smiling) There's hope for you yet. The scene ends with Julie laughing in surprise.

COMMENTS: The mega-weapon him is called Scorcher. I don't recall what it was called in the filmed version. (The Particle Beam Triax. --David) I loved the ending of this version and the interaction between Julie and Ham. At one point during the show's run, both Faye and Michael were pushing for a romance to happen between their characters (especially with the romance between Julie and Donovan on the wan). This exchange seemed to be the perfect starting point.

And yet another version...

SCORCHER (EPISODE TWO)
WRITTEN by Steven E. deSouza
2nd REVISED FINAL DRAFT July 23, 1984

This version is much closer to the filmed version but there are differences.

ACT TWO: Julie is included in the explanation as to way the Red Dust can't be used but the general is there also, unlike the filmed version.

ACT FOUR: Again, it becomes apparent that Ham and Julie were working together. This time Ham deliberately shoots to miss, part of a plan to establish Julie as loyal in Bates' eyes. The scene ends with this exchange: JULIE - Only one thing worried me.... DONOVAN - What was that? JULIE (to Ham) - The thought you might not miss. HAM (reacting) - You sound suspicious of your friends. (Suddenly smiling) There may be hope for you yet.

COMMENTS: Again, there is an excellent exchange at the end of the show.

Don't let the "Episode Three" fool you, this is episode two once more...

There were actually three different episodes touted as the third episode of the series. "Dreadnaught" was the name of the original treatment and was later incorporated into the first two episodes. The only episode actually referred to as episode three was called "Breakout" and was not shown in the original run of the series but was shown in the second repeat run. What was thought by fans to be the third episode was actually the fourth, "The Deception." This was very confusing, especially considering the two episodes introduced Kyle Bates in far different manners. Here is the original outline for "Dreadnaught."

DREADNAUGHT (EPISODE THREE)
OUTLINE by Steven E. deSouza
June 14, 1984

ACT ONE: Diana finds the battle seemed to be even...the captured fighter ships seem to be creating a balance. She orders the Dreadnaught Berserker to Earth. Code Delta turns out to be a command that will dispense the remaining supply of Red Dust into the atmosphere but before the plan can go into effect, Julie runs in with the news that the mutated bacteria is destroying the normal version of the bacteria. Releasing the Red Dust could very well destroy Earth. All hope seems to be lost but Bates has his security aide, Chavez, increase security around the storage tanks and to rig them for demolition then to prepare a captured alien shuttle for travel to the Mothership. Meanwhile, at Club Creole, there are a number of refuges. Elias entertains Elizabeth with magic tricks. Elizabeth does some magic of her own, producing flowers from an empty prop. A explosion near the Club Creole reveals a hidden stairway leading downward. Nathan arrives aboard the Mothership to proposed a deal with Diana. Kyle and Chris find themselves trapped outside L.A. (A little comedy here when they jump a pair of Visitors for their uniforms...Chris has some trouble getting into his.) Kyle finds himself defending his father against Chris, who remarks that Nathan seems to be untrustworthy. Meanwhile, Bates makes his deal with Diana, threatening to release the Red Dust but says he won't...that he wants Los Angles.

ACT TWO: Elias discovers the speakeasy beneath Club Creole. Julie and Ham arrive to take Elizabeth to Bates as he believes the girl is too important to leave unguarded. Elizabeth goes into a strange mood, saying a singe word, "Betrayal." The alien attack abruptly stops. Bates announces on a special TV report that an arraignment has been reached with the Visitors and the Underground activities must be suspended at once so as not to upset the delicate trust. Julie weakly tries to defend Bates but Elias and Ham both believe he has sold them out. Ham takes Robert and Elizabeth to somewhere safe...somewhere Bates can't get ahold of them. Diana and her aide head out to meet the Berserker. The general and military people are escorted from the Free Zone' by Bates' people. Donovan makes a break for it and escapes. Diana meets the Berserker where Lydia, a rival from their training days, is security chief. Diana tells Lydia that John, Pamela and Steven died in action. Lydia says she would have to review the surveillance tapes, a revelation that reels Diana, who did not know about the hidden cameras. She recovers quickly, explaining that the ship was in human hands and that the treaty with Bates is just a ploy. Ham and Julie have taken Robert and Elizabeth to Ham's house, which is a super-high security residence complete with his own guards. Willie and Elizabeth greet each other warmly. Donovan arrives to tell about what had happened. Julie is still convinced that Bates is working for the best of humanity and vows to prove it, returning to Bates to find evidence to exonerate him. Donovan heads off to reform the Underground while Ham also returns to Bates to tell him that he couldn't find Elizabeth and to keep an eye on Julie. Diana has the Mothership searched for surveillance devices not her own. Ham reports to Bates, telling him he couldn't find the Starchild. Once Ham leaves, Bates tells Chavez he doesn't trust Ham, that he knows too much. Chavez says he'll deal with Ham and the Underground. Meanwhile, Elias is reluctant to re-join the Underground as Club Creole would be the happening' place but then there is a knock at the door as Chavez and the police arrive with arrest warrants.

ACT THREE: The Berserker moves closer to Earth and Lydia makes arrangements for a special force to retrieve the surveillance tapes from the captured Mothership. Lydia was certain that the tapes would provide evidence to court-martial Diana. Diana eavesdrops on the conversation. Elias chooses to help the Underground, hiding Donovan and the others in the hidden speakeasy before letting Chavez in. He promises Chavez to inform him if any Underground members show up. After Chavez leaves, Elias receives a call from Chris. Chris and Kyle are cut off from L.A. by alien troops. Chris first blackmails Elias with certain hidden secrets then bribes with a possible reward from Kyle's father to meet them with supplies at Elias' cabin near Arrowhead. Bates tightens his hold on the captured Mothership. The Underground plans to raid the Mothership and Julie is told to find a way to deactivate the security devices on it. Meanwhile, Diana is also planning on raiding the Mothership to get the tapes before Lydia does. The Berserker approaches Earth, Julie pulls rank on Chavez to get inside the Mothership, The Underground prepares for their attack, Diana's attack on the Mothership is launched.

ACT FOUR: Elias arrives at the cabin only to be captured by Visitors along with Kyle and Chris. Julie disables the security perimeter but is caught by Chavez. She convinces him that it was already off when she found it and he turns it back on...just as the last Undergrounder clears the fence. But the Underground is spotted by the guards and a battle erupts. Just as Chavez tells Julie he is prepared to kill the raiders, Diana's commando squad arrives and the two groups of humans merge to fight the aliens together. Robert, Julie and Donovan make their way to the control room and take the Mothership. They spot the Berserker and Robert sets the Mothership on a collision course, ordering Julie and Donovan to leave. The duo escape. Ham and Chavez are fighting side-by-side against the Visitors when Chavez sees their escape is about to be cut off. He slips off, leaving Ham hung out to dry. Ham is captured by Diana but his promised screams of revenge are directed at Chavez. Elizabeth senses Robert's impending death as he maneuvers the Mothership into the Berserker.

COMMENTS: It was recommended on this outline that Bates have a confederate and a character named Chavez was written in. This was presumably changed to Chang later. Unlike the filmed version, there were two Dreadnaughts in alien possession. There's no indication in this version that Bates had the explosives attached to the storage tank rigged to a pulseometer. He just used the threat of releasing the bacteria. A suggestion appears in the outline that another regular is needed...a hit man/aide for Diana. The Resistance is referred to as the Underground throughout this outline. All in all, this looked like an excellent episode and I can only wish they had followed this premise.