These interviews with actress June Chadwick (Lydia) and Robert Englund (Willie) were conducted when "V": The Series had been on the air for several episodes. Said interviews were conducted by Visitors Among Us editor Edward Gross.
V.
At one time the letter was synonymous with victory and peace, but now it has become symbolic of the Visitors, an alien race of reptilians in human guise who are intent on domination and the utilization of humanity as fodder.
The continuing struggle betrween man and lizard is the premise of NBC's "V", the highly touted series which is possibly the best television science fiction since Star Trek. Among the Visitors are Willie, played by Robert Englund, part of an underground faction who sides with the humans; and Lydia, played by June Chadwick, a commander alongside the venemous Diana, who sees her mission as a necessity and nothing more. As such, these particular Visitors are spheres apart, yet the human beings playing them are similar in that they're both passionate about their co-stars and the desire that the show reach its full potential.
"In a science fiction context," explains Englund, "Willie is interesting because there are no rules and he can practically do anything from a dramatic point of view. He can be stronger than people might think, or more intelligent. I've been playing Willie since the original mini-series and it's almost like putting on an old comfortable sweater. Because of this I find myself starting to relax a little. Another aspect of the role I enjoy is that it gives me a chance to break away from 'heavy' roles and play an almost child-like innocence."
Since Englund has been involved for several years, adjustment was not something he had to deal with, but how did Chadwick cope with being the new lizard on the planet?
"Actually, the only feeling of awkwardness I had," explians Chadwick in her British accent, which she downplays, "was having to establish a character very quickly. The cast and company, though, were delightful to me."
And how does she like playing a space bitch? "It's great fun," she laughs. "I think the serious bitches may have to tackle the role from a different angle, because they don't really set out to be that way. What they are really trying to do is acehive a certain status and they're very insecure, so they have to cover up by being hard and bitchy. In that way I don't think Lydia is a bitch. She's not covering up insecurity, though she certainly doesn't have any enormous compassion for Diana and there is a competition going on.
"Lydia is a strong role," Chadwick adds, "and she knows where she's going. Similarly, I know where I'm going and I'm ambitious, but I'm more vulnerable and sensitive than she is. A lot of times where Lydia would just fume, I would burst into tears."
Characters aside, it seems as though a large part of the "V" concept has been changed. In mini-series form it was an allegory of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, while the series seems to have developed into more of an action-adventure format, losing that edge.
"That's a good point," says Englund. "Occasionally we bring that element in, but it's not reinforced in every episode. They're trying to get the series a rhythm and identity of its own, and once the new characters get their stories out, the background story will become more evident again. We have, however, dealt with concentration camps, had the lizards act more like gestatpoes, and featured our own version of the Nazi Youth Corp, all of which will be dealt with more in the future. We'll also be exploring some new areas."
Among those areas will be a look at some religious aspects of the Visitors. "I don't know whether it's derivitive of Dune," he admits, "but i think they're hinting at an underground Christianity-like movement. I'm not sure whether or not Willie will be a part of it, or if he's just an innocent who knows about it and spreads the word. There may be future plots where we'll see more people involved in the religion."
The ratings for the series have been mediocre, and both actors have theories as to the reason. "One of the problems," muses Chadwick, "is that the show has been lacking in special effects, which is being corrected, and since there are so many new characters, it's going to take a while for the writers to truly realize who the characters are."
"Also," adds Englund, "I think sometimes they shoot for the wrong demographics and neglect our science fiction fans, because they're catering to the action-adventure fans a little too much. Occasionally they use ingredients which may be right for other shows, but which sacrifice a bit of character bio. They don't realize that because it is a science fiction show, and our background stories are so strange, they can have more fun with the science fiction elements, even just talking about tthem rather than an expensive effect."
Finally, why has "V" struck a chord with the public? "It's very exciting and different," Chadwick says with sincere enthusiasm. "It's not your typical Star Trek kind of space adventure. Trek really was fantasy in terms of bing set so far int he future, while 'V' is quite credible in the idea that another race has come to use humans as food. People can identify with the cahracters and the fact that it's a modern day story. It could happen."