When Kenneth Johnson's science fiction miniseries V premiered in 1983, it netted more than 40 percent of the television viewing audience and went on to spawn a sequel, a weekly series, novelizations, comic books and a remake. Yet the 2009 V reboot was cancelled in its second season, despite a robust premiere. Both versions were products of their respective times, but the original was inspired by classic works by the likes of Sinclair Lewis and Leo Tolstoy. Johnson's predilection for literature and history helped give his telling of V a sense of heart and depth that the...