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Kenneth Johnson

Kenneth Johnson

Director, writer and producer · Born October 26, 1942 (84) · Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Kenneth Johnson (born 26 October 1942) is an American screenwriter, producer and director best known as the creator of the V science fiction franchise and The Incredible Hulk TV series. His creative efforts are almost entirely concentrated in the area of television science fiction. A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Johnson is a graduate of the Carnegie Institute of Technology. His early TV work includes The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman and The Incredible Hulk. Johnson created the character of Jaime Sommers and the Bionic Woman series. In 1983, he wrote and directed the original miniseries V, about an invasion of Earth by reptilian aliens. The miniseries aired on NBC, and a year later was followed by a sequel, V: The Final Battle, which Johnson briefly worked on before leaving the project due to disagreements with the network. Johnson was subsequently credited as a co-writer of the sequel miniseries under the pseudonym Lillian Weezer, and was not involved at all in the weekly V television series that followed. In 1989, he produced the television series Alien Nation based on the 1988 film of the same name. In 1997, he wrote and directed the movie Steel, based on the DC comic book character Steel. It featured basketball player Shaquille O'Neal as John Henry Irons, the character's alter-ego. In 2006, Johnson announced his completion of a four hour script for a new V mini series called V: The Second Generation. The storyline takes place 20 years after the original 1983 mini-series, ignoring the second mini-series (V: The Final Battle) and subsequent weekly television series. However, NBC told Johnson that they were more interested in a remake of the original V mini-series instead, which, if successful, might lead to his proposed sequel. Since then, Johnson adapted his screenplay for V: The Second Generation into a novel. It was published by Tor Books and released on February 5, 2008. However, since his discussions with NBC, Warner Bros (who hold the television rights to the V franchise) have opted to produce a remake of V (written by Scott Peters) for the ABC Network, thus ending any prospect of Johnson's sequel being produced for television.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 26, 1942 (84)
From
Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA
Works as
Director, writer and producer
Titles
22 on MovieCove · 42 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 21% in 30 days

What are Kenneth Johnson's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Genres

Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 18th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
26%
Society
18%
Self
15%
Survival
14%
Morality
12%
Power
9%
Ideas
5%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 3 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 9 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 6 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Warm
5
Thrilling
5
Hopeful
4
Dread
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Hopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet6
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Kenneth Johnson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Kenneth Johnson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

42 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • WWE Cruiserweight Classic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • V(2009)

    Show 2 episodes · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Bionic Woman(2007)

    Show Creator

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all shows

  • Cold Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Joseph Shaw

  • Don't Look Under the Bed(1999)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century(1999)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Seven Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Steel(1997)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy(1997)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Alien Nation: The Enemy Within(1996)

    Director · Creator · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • D3: The Mighty Ducks(1996)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Alien Nation: Millennium (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director · Creator · Writer

  • Alien Nation: Body and Soul(1995)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • JAG(1995)

    Show 10 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Alien Nation: Dark Horizon(1994)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Sherlock Holmes Returns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Alien Nation(1989)

    Show 22 episodes · Director · Creator · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Short Circuit 2(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Shadow Chasers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Creator · Story · Teleplay

  • V(1984)

    Show Creator

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Hot Pursuit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Hot Pursuit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 12 episodes · Producer · Writer

  • V: The Final Battle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • V(1983)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Senior Trip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Director · Composer · Executive Producer · Writer

  • Bride of the Incredible Hulk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Cliffhangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 12 episodes · Creator · Producer

  • Curse of Dracula (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

  • The Secret Empire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The World of Dracula (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • The Girl Who Saved the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director · Writer

  • The Return of the Incredible Hulk(1977)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Incredible Hulk(1977)

    Director · Screenplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Incredible Hulk(1977)

    Show 82 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • The Bionic Woman(1976)

    Show 9 episodes · Director · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • The Bionic Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Writer

  • The Six Million Dollar Man(1974)

    Show 10 episodes · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Griff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe(1970)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Adam-12(1968)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • V: The Second Generation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show Creator

Career shape

A full career of 42 titles, 41 of them dated from 1968 to 2016.

Biggest box office

D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996)

$23M worldwide

Highest rated

V (1983)

Midcredits 85th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 42: 2 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting29 of 42: 12 only directing, 17 with another role · typical Midcredits score54thWriting23 of 42: 2 only writing, 21 with another role · typical Midcredits score54thProducing9 of 42: 0 only producing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thMusic1 of 42: 0 only music, 1 with another roleOther crew14 of 42: 3 only other crew, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score51st

42 titles, 23 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 16 of them.

By decade

1960s2 · crew1970s13 · crew1980s10 · crew1990s12 · crew2000s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew2010s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Kenneth Johnson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 22 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · director, writer

Steel (1997)

86th percentile spread · 68% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, producer

V (1983)

Midcredits 85th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 61/100 and the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Kenneth Johnson's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 18 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian of all films: 36

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Kenneth Johnson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kenneth Johnson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Eric Pierpoint shares the most, 5.

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers