"Swamp Thing" (1990) TV series 1990-1993

Directors:

Tom Blomquist
Chuck Bowman

Writers:

W. Reed Moran (multiple episodes)
Len Wein (comic book)
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

27 July 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

He's on your side.

Plot:

The adventures of a man-turned-muck monster. Swamp Thing was once a man named Alec Holland, but after being caught on fire...

Plot Keywords:

Swamp | Monster | Based On Comic | DC Comics | Swamp Monster

Cast

Mark Lindsay Chapman	...	Dr. Anton Arcane (72 episodes, 1990-1993)
Dick Durock	...	Swamp Thing (72 episodes, 1990-1993)
Scott Garrison	...	Will Kipp (60 episodes, 1990-1993)
Kevin Quigley	...	Graham / ... (45 episodes, 1990-1993)
Carrell Myers	...	Tressa Kipp (32 episodes, 1990-1993)

Series Directed by
Walter von Huene		(17 episodes, 1990-1993)
Chuck Bowman		(11 episodes, 1992-1993)
John McPherson		(7 episodes, 1990-1993)
David Jackson		(6 episodes, 1990-1992)
Steve Beers		(6 episodes, 1992-1993)
Tony Dow		(5 episodes, 1990-1993)
Mitchell Bock		(4 episodes, 1991-1993)
Bruce Seth Green		(3 episodes, 1991)
Tom DeSimone		(3 episodes, 1992-1993)
Andrew Stevens		(3 episodes, 1992)
Fritz Kiersch		(2 episodes, 1990)
Yuri Sivo		(2 episodes, 1990)
Tom Blomquist		(2 episodes, 1992)

Series Writing credits
Tom Blomquist		(11 episodes, 1992-1993)
Steven L. Sears		(9 episodes, 1992-1993)
Sandra Berg		(8 episodes, 1990-1993)
Jeff Myrow		(7 episodes, 1992-1993)
Judith Berg		(6 episodes, 1990-1993)
Joseph Stefano		(5 episodes, 1990)
Wade Johnson		(4 episodes, 1990-1991)
Daniel Kennedy		(4 episodes, 1990-1991)
Tom Greene		(4 episodes, 1991)
William Whitehead		(4 episodes, 1991)
Jim Byrnes		(4 episodes, 1992-1993)
Terry D. Nelson		(4 episodes, 1992-1993)
Randy Holland		(3 episodes, 1992-1993)
W. Reed Moran		(3 episodes, 1992-1993)
Babs Greyhosky		(3 episodes, 1992)
Bruce Cervi		(2 episodes, 1992-1993)
John Lansing		(2 episodes, 1992-1993)
Brenda Lilly		(2 episodes, 1992-1993)
Fred Golan		(2 episodes, 1992)
Len Wein		(unknown episodes)
Bernie Wrightson		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Tom Blomquist	....	executive producer (50 episodes, 1992-1993)
Benjamin Melniker	....	executive producer (48 episodes, 1990-1993)
Michael E. Uslan	....	executive producer (48 episodes, 1990-1993)
Steven L. Sears	....	co-producer (47 episodes, 1992-1993)
Boris Malden	....	producer (46 episodes, 1990-1993)
Andy Heyward	....	executive producer (43 episodes, 1990-1993)
Jeff Myrow	....	co-producer (24 episodes, 1992-1993)
Joseph Stefano	....	supervising producer (13 episodes, 1990)
Tom Greene	....	executive producer (11 episodes, 1990-1991)

Series Original Music by
Christopher L. Stone		(24 episodes, 1990-1992)

Series Cinematography by
Geoffrey Schaaf		(17 episodes, 1990-1991)
Joseph Mangine		(4 episodes, 1992)

Series Film Editing by
Judith Berg		(5 episodes, 1990)
Sandra Berg		(5 episodes, 1990)
John Elias		(unknown episodes)
Pete Opotowsky		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Orvis Rigsby		(3 episodes, 1990-1992)

Series Makeup Department
Erin Koplow	....	makeup department head (22 episodes, 1990-1991)
Jim Beinke	....	makeup effects application / makeup effects application, construction and supervision (unknown episodes, 1990-1992)
Michael Burnett	....	special makeup effects artist (unknown episodes)
Tony Gardner	....	special makeup designer (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Joseph Bellotti	....	production manager (1 episode, 1991)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Polly Ann Mattson	....	second assistant director (62 episodes, 1990-1993)
James Lansbury	....	first assistant director (50 episodes, 1992-1993)

Series Art Department
Lily Duke	....	storyboard artist (72 episodes, 1990-1993)
Tim Steinouer	....	props (50 episodes, 1992-1993)
Stephen M. Clark	....	set dresser (22 episodes, 1990-1991)
Karen Rigsby	....	set dresser (8 episodes, 1990-1991)
Jerry Blohm	....	swing gang (unknown episodes)
John F. Escobar	....	assistant property master (unknown episodes)
Johnny Graham	....	lead person (unknown episodes)
Jeff 'J.Mac' McDonald	....	set dresser (unknown episodes)
Alan S. Reynolds	....	lead scenic artist (unknown episodes)
Bently Tittle	....	props (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Thomas E. Allen	....	sound mixer (50 episodes, 1992-1993)
Bill Turchinetz	....	sound effects editor (22 episodes, 1990-1991)
Peter J. Devlin	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Mark Muncy	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Ken Gorrell	....	special effects (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Jim O'Rear	....	stunts (3 episodes, 1990-1991)
John Evanko	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Thomas J. McTague	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Felipe Savahge	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Gar Stephen	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Amy Stephen Wilder	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
Scott Workman	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Brett Allen	....	camera operator (35 episodes, 1992-1993)
Robert Beverlin	....	assistant camera (22 episodes, 1990-1991)
David S. Campbell	....	first assistant camera (22 episodes, 1990-1991)
Andy Clapp	....	gaffer (22 episodes, 1990-1991)
Marc Wostak	....	grip (22 episodes, 1990-1991)
Bob Nealy	....	camera and electrical department (7 episodes, 1993)
C.W. Fallin	....	director of photography: additional photography (6 episodes, 1992)
John C. Moulds	....	first assistant camera (3 episodes, 1990)
Pierre Roseman	....	gaffer (unknown episodes)
Michael J. Walsh	....	second assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Kimberly Mullen	....	casting associate (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Oliver Peters	....	on-line editor (72 episodes, 1990-1993)
Mitch Wilson	....	negative cutter (31 episodes, 1990-1993)

Series Music Department
Nick Vidar	....	music engineer / music programmer (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Gerald F. Nichols	....	production assistant (50 episodes, 1992-1993)
Lisa Marie Hill	....	first assistant accountant (39 episodes, 1992-1993)
Jillian Amburgey	....	script supervisor (31 episodes, 1990-1993)
Joseph Stefano	....	developer for television (14 episodes, 1990-1991)
Rotimi Rainwater	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1990)
Jacqueline R. Clay	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)
Ande Hecht-Endewardt	....	production accountant (unknown episodes)
Damian Mcknight	....	production intern (unknown episodes)
Kevin Schmidt	....	production associate (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• BBK Productions
• Universal TV

Distributors

• USA Network (1990-1993) (USA) (TV)
• Shout! Factory (2008) (USA) (DVD) (first two seasons)
• Shout! Factory (2010) (USA) (DVD) (season three)

Special Effects

• Alterian (creature effects and makeup effects)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

30 min (72 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Gatorland - 14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, Florida, USA

Company:

BBK Productions

Trivia:

Swamp Thing was shot on location at the Universal Studios and Gatorland theme parks in Orlando, Florida. Many rides and attractions are visible or feature prominently throughout the series.

Quotes:

Swamp Thing:The swamp is my world. It is who I am. It is what I am. I was once a man. I know the evil men do. Do not bring your evil here, I warn you. Beware the wrath of... Swamp Thing!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Gamera vs. Guiron (#4.12)" (1991)

So close, yet so far...

I enjoyed the first SWAMP THING film for what it was, and despise the second for what it was. I had read the comics for many years but didn't know what to expect of a weekly show that would have a small budget. Looking back, I feel the series succeeded as often as it failed.

The best episodes were those that focused on Swamp Thing (or 'Alec' as he was referred to by the people who knew him). The series started out on shaky footing, and had Swampy act out of character. In the first episode he turns a bad guy into a tree until the writers establish that he would never take a human life. Any episode that had him turn back human was well done.

Most of the episodes made him a Rod Serling of the swamp, taking a back seat to the action. A lot of these weren't too bad, but the bad ones were terrible. These boiled down to two plots: bad guys hide out in the swamp, only to have to face their crimes in a nightmare-ish way, or people with problems wander in the swamp, to become better by facing their fears. The best of these was when Ray Wise (Dr. Holland from the original movie) guest starred as someone who might be an alien and almost kills Swamp Thing.

In my opinion far too many episodes chronicled Arcane's (Swamp Thing's enemy) foul adventures. I realize that there is a fan base of women (and some men) who found the character/actor too sexy for words and wanted even less of Swamp Thing in each episode. Be that as it may, I feel the series as a whole suffered for it, and that will keep people from rediscovering it.

The series lacked truly dramatic episodes, the ones that would get the media's attention (like how 'The Best of Both Worlds' episodes of Star Trek:TNG did). There wasn't a single two-part episode throughout the run, which would've allowed the writers to develop a deeper story. Plotlines were never adequately ended, such as the disappearance of Tressa's son.

In the face of all these detriments, I enjoyed the show (and have almost every episode on tape; doubtful there will be a DVD release). Although it could have been so much more, it was certainly better than many other shows or movies based on comic books.