V
ABC | Release Date: November 3, 2009
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
60
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
17
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
USA TodayRobert Bianco
Season 1 Review: ABC can add to that list of achievements the season's most entertaining new hour, straightforward division: V. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan
Season 1 Review: The pilot for this drama is good. I have a few quibbles with it--some of the character drama is a bit clunky--but overall, I found the first hour of the show to be solidly entertaining and suitably suspenseful. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyKen Tucker
Season 1 Review: As an adventure series bristling with ideas, it's V+. Or as we grade 'em on Earth: B+ Read full review
80
Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert
Season 1 Review: No gold mine of symbolism is worth a damn when the show itself doesn’t have good old storytelling mojo behind it. And, based on the premiere, V has enough narrative drive and character definition to pull viewers into the creepy suspense of its dystopian world. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron
Season 1 Review: It could be complicated, but Peters' tightly written teleplay makes it easy to follow. In addition, the pilot raises provocative issues without getting didactic. That, combined with mythology less dense than, say, ABC's Lost, should make this an attractive viewing option. Read full review
80
Miami HeraldGlenn Garvin
Season 1 Review: Welcome to ABC's V, the final, the most fascinating and bound to be the most controversial new show of the fall television season. Read full review
80
Orlando Sentinel
Season 1 Review: The surprisingly timely V plays off concerns about universal health care, terrorism, sleeper cells and journalists' access to leaders. But the series is, above all, a first-rate thriller filled with twists, shocks and heroic figures. Read full review
80
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen
Season 1 Review: the new V begins with an entertaining, well-made pilot that tweaks aspects of the original story but generally retains many of the show's familiar elements. Read full review
80
VarietyBrian Lowry
Season 1 Review: The best science fiction always has something to say about the present, and the show does that without skimping on the soapy or dramatic elements. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesMary McNamara
Season 1 Review: As the plot of V progresses, no doubt we will see the subtle strangulation of democracy by fascism--already the press has been corrupted--and that is a story that cannot be told often enough. Especially when it comes, like the V's, in such a fine, fun and attractive package. Read full review
80
TV Guide MagazineMatt Roush
Season 1 Review: As enjoyable and exciting as the pilot is, it’s undeniably more simplistic than either Lost or FlashForward in its us-vs.-them setup. But I was instantly seduced and hooked by its lavish production values, the immediately gripping storyline and a strong cast. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyTanner StranskyJan 3, 2011
Season 2 Review: The alien-invasion reboot feels sharper and more focused. But the writers do seem obsessed with keeping the humans and Visitors on nearequal footing. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesPaige Wiser
Season 1 Review: Judging by the first episode, V seems like a solid adaptation. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman
Season 1 Review: V doesn't have an original premise - the humans versus aliens thing is as old as moving pictures. But the special effects are better, and if ABC can get you to buy into the storytelling then it might have another genre hit on its hands. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesPaige WiserJan 3, 2011
Season 2 Review: It's hard to muster up a sense of urgency about V. Mainly, I admire all the pretty people as I wait for the stunning bursts of violence. Read full review
63
New York PostLinda Stasi
Season 1 Review: Terrific special effects (except for the giant supermodel in the sky), good action, good acting, and, if they let them, the Visitors could probably put on a helluva good runway show, too! Read full review
63
Slant MagazineKris King
Season 1 Review: Despite the concept of Visitors infiltrating the ranks of humans feeling uncomfortably similar to that other successful sci-fi reboot, Battlestar Galactica, the terrorism angle boasts some of the update's most enticing intrigue. Read full review
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