"The Master" (1984) TV series 1984-

Creator:

Michael Sloan
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

20 January 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Action

Tagline:

The Master Is Here! He's the supreme warrior. Even his eyes can kill you. His student is the supreme heartthrob. His eyes can melt you

Plot:

An aging American ninja master and his headstrong young apprentice search for the elder man's daughter.

Plot Keywords:

Ninja | Drifter | American Ninja | Ninjitsu | Ninja Magic

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Lee Van Cleef	...	John Peter McAllister / ... (13 episodes, 1984)
Timothy Van Patten	...	Max Keller (6 episodes, 1984)

Series Directed by
Sidney Hayers		(3 episodes, 1984)
Gordon Hessler		(3 episodes, 1984)
Ray Austin		(2 episodes, 1984)

Series Writing credits
Michael Sloan		(11 episodes, 1984)
Susan Woollen		(7 episodes, 1984)
Tom Sawyer		(3 episodes, 1984)

Series Produced by
Michael Sloan	....	executive producer (13 episodes, 1984)
Joe Boston	....	producer (11 episodes, 1984)
Martin M. Goldstein	....	associate producer (7 episodes, 1984)
Larry Whelan	....	associate producer (7 episodes, 1984)
Judith Pritchard	....	associate producer (6 episodes, 1984)
Nigel Watts	....	producer (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Original Music by
Les Hooper		(13 episodes, 1984)
Bill Conti		(6 episodes, 1984)

Series Cinematography by
Robert F. Sparks		(9 episodes, 1984)
Frank Beascoechea		(3 episodes, 1984)

Series Film Editing by
Edwin F. England		(6 episodes, 1984)
Beryl Gelfond		(3 episodes, 1984)
Buford F. Hayes		(3 episodes, 1984)
Artie Mandelberg		(2 episodes, 1984)

Series Casting by
Vicki Rosenberg		(4 episodes, 1984)

Series Art Direction by
William McAllister		(8 episodes, 1984)
Joseph M. Altadonna		(5 episodes, 1984)

Series Set Decoration by
Richard Friedman		(7 episodes, 1984)
Marc E. Meyer Jr.		(6 episodes, 1984)

Series Makeup Department
Jean Austin	....	hair stylist (11 episodes, 1984)
Webster Philips	....	makeup artist (11 episodes, 1984)

Series Production Management
Donald L. Gold	....	production manager (11 episodes, 1984)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chip Chalmers	....	assistant director / second assistant director (13 episodes, 1984)
Dirk Petersmann	....	first assistant director / assistant director (5 episodes, 1984)
G. Warren Smith	....	first assistant director (4 episodes, 1984)
Cathy Kinsock	....	first assistant director / second assistant director (2 episodes, 1984)
Jerome M. Siegel	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Art Department
Jim Ellis	....	property master (4 episodes, 1984)
Roger Pancake	....	property master (4 episodes, 1984)
Bill Hudson	....	property master (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Sound Department
Charles M. Wilborn	....	sound mixer / production sound mixer / ... (11 episodes, 1984)
Charles McCann	....	supervising sound editor (3 episodes, 1984)
Gordon Webb	....	cable person (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Special Effects by
Jack Monroe	....	special effects (8 episodes, 1984)
Phil Cory	....	special effects (5 episodes, 1984)

Series Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt double: Lee Van Cleef / stunts (13 episodes, 1984)
Shô Kosugi	....	stunt coordinator (13 episodes, 1984)
Phil Adams	....	stunt coordinator (8 episodes, 1984)
Gary Davis	....	stunt coordinator (5 episodes, 1984)
Ed Anders	....	stunts: Lee Van Cleef (unknown episodes)
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Dick Durock	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Pat Romano	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Michael M. Vendrell	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Dick Warlock	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Joseph D'Agosta	....	casting (6 episodes, 1984)
Monica Swann	....	casting (6 episodes, 1984)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Shelly Levine	....	costume supervisor (11 episodes, 1984)
Karen Kaufman	....	costumer: ladies / costumes: ladies (6 episodes, 1984)
Lynette Bernay	....	costumer: ladies / costumes: ladies (5 episodes, 1984)

Series Editorial Department
Larry Lorden	....	assistant editor (4 episodes, 1984)
Neil Mandelberg	....	assistant editor (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Music Department
Bill Conti	....	composer: theme music (13 episodes, 1984)
James D. Young	....	music editor (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Marlo Hellerstein	....	transportation coordinator (5 episodes, 1984)
Hank Nesel	....	transportation coordinator (4 episodes, 1984)
Ron White	....	transportation coordinator (3 episodes, 1984)

Series Other crew
Shô Kosugi	....	ninja coordinator / technical advisor / ... (13 episodes, 1984)
Tom Sawyer	....	executive story consultant (13 episodes, 1984)
Tami Smight	....	assistant to executive producer / assistant to producer (13 episodes, 1984)
Gene Kraft	....	title designer (12 episodes, 1984)
Terry Morse Jr.	....	production executive (12 episodes, 1984)
Beverly Setlowe	....	assistant to producer / production coordinator (12 episodes, 1984)
Cliff T.E. Roseman	....	location manager (9 episodes, 1984)
Esther Beardslee	....	production coordinator (7 episodes, 1984)
Tamra Fitzgerald	....	post-production coordinator / production secretary (7 episodes, 1984)
Sally Roddy	....	script supervisor (7 episodes, 1984)
Michael J. Burmeister	....	location manager (2 episodes, 1984)
Johnine Novosel	....	assistant to producer (2 episodes, 1984)

Production Companies

• Michael Sloan Productions
• Viacom Productions

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1984) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Film Ventures International (FVI) (1991) (USA)
• Film Ventures International (FVI) (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Quality Video Inc. (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Trans World Entertainment (TWE) (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Glen Glenn Sound Company  sound
• Sound FX  sound editing
• Unlimited Hope  music editing

Also Known As:

"Master Ninja" - USA (video title)

Runtime:

60 min | 60 min (13 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Michael Sloan Productions

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The roof of the bar begins to collapse before the Master kicks it.

Quotes:

Max Keller:Don't worry, I won't leave this bar through the window.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Being from Another Planet (#5.5)" (1992)

For fans of Van Clief and indiscriminate fans of anything 'ninja-oriented'

I thought that the first couple of episodes of "The Master" (later released as "Master Ninja I') had some nice moments. Lee Van Clief may have been far too old, flabby, and frail to physically convince the audience that he could be a ninja master (amazing how "he" lost his gut whenever the stunt double stood in for him in the black ninja costume) but he did project a certain old school machismo and he could always deliver a good line. Yes, Demi Moore stuck out like a sore thumb in episode 1, and the wheelchair chick and the dancer from episode two delivered some of the worst lines in the history of television, but still...There were some decent stunts (for a TV series) and some energetic sword fights and a few decent attempts at wry East-meets-West humor. It was never 'great' the way "The Fugitive" was great, but it didn't actively suck...at first. And episode 2 had one great line (even though Van Patten flubbed it): "I knew the Master would find a way to get me up on a tightrope sooner or later." Given the situation, it was pretty funny.

The problem lay in the fact that a) the producers rapidly ran out of ideas after the first few episodes, reducing the show to a buddy version of "Then Came Bronson", and b) Timothy Van Patten's mush-mouthed delivery and frozen faced acting got old quick and c) there was very little chemistry between the two lead actors. Anyone who wasn't a male adolescent with an obsession with martial arts would find very little to interest them, especially since the series producers watered down the 'ninja' content extensively - they seemed to be trying to increase the series' appeal to American audiences, but they only alienated that core element who was only watching the show for the ninja action in the first place.

Especially annoying was the fact that Van Patten was supposed to be some kind of "Tiger Beat" teen-idol and had a different love interest in every episode, but the lack of chemistry between him and his female of the week was apparent even to a blind man. To be fair to Van Patten, the writers put him in some incredibly contrived situations and gave him some very dopey dialog to convey his hipness...I'm not sure Cary Grant could have pulled off some of those scenes.

Although I spend a lot of time thinking about and practicing martial arts, I gave up on this series by episode 4, and every time I checked in on it for a minute or two (as the season wore on) I found even less to keep me going back. It looks like everyone else agreed, and the show sank without a trace. Too bad...but the series was a day late (to cash in on Bruce Lee) and a dollar short (wasn't willing to live up to the potential of its concept).