ABC Refusing To Credit Ken Johnson For V Remake

ABC is refusing to give Ken Johnson a “Created By” credit and related royalties for their remake of Johnson’s alien invasion-themed V. After calling it a remake, ABC has recently shifted gears claiming that its not a remake or re-imagining. Why the change? It comes down to money. If the new series is a remake, Ken Johnson would be due a “Created By” credit which would come with royalty payments. ABC doesn’t want to pay Johnson those royalty payments, which Johnson has received along with a “Created By” credit from all previous incarnations of V.

Warner Brothers has forced the Writer’s Guild of America to begin a special “remake arbitration” where three anonymous writers will be sent Johnson’s original screenplay and the new pilot script to rule on whether the new one is or is not a remake. If the arbiters decide that the new version of V is different enough, the term “remake” is applied. The Guild defines a remake as a motion picture that contains “substantial similarity” to a previous motion picture with respect to principle characters, general setting, plot, storyline, tone, events and structure.

Should the WGA decide that the new show is different enough, basically the creator ends up with no royalties, and the creator cannot even address the Guild on the matter (which is different from a regular arbitration). Additionally, the results are not allowed to be questioned or argued against.

Now realistically, this should be cut and dry and V should be labeled a remake. Let’s see, they both are titled V, they both involve lizard aliens that try to look like us, giant floating spaceships, a resistance forms against the aliens, etc. The most obvious argument here is that ABC is calling the new show V – it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see its a remake. Not to mention up until this situation, ABC pitched it as a remake/re-imagining.

Shame on ABC for trying to steal idea and not give the creator credit. It’s bad enough they are going to take a good show from the 80’s and ruin it, but to steal it is even worse. If somehow ABC prevails and Ken Johnson doesn’t get the “Created By” credit, I won’t watch or cover V, except to continue to point how ABC screwed V’s creator and encourage people not to watch the show.