Vengeance Unlimited (1998–1999) User Reviews

Catch it if you can.

[herrgaman · 10/10 · 21 February 2003]

This is the all-time great overlooked series that is so little remembered, it doesn't even qualify for cult status. I managed to see it on late-night TV in Sweden, and I was astonished by the quality of the writing. Everything about it was consistently top drawer from episode one, unlike virtually every other great show I can think of. No wobbly, awkward start here.

Some series just come and go under the radar, nobody seems to take notice. What a shame that happened with this show. Don't hold your breath for a deluxe DVD box set, but that's exactly what "Vengeance Unlimited" deserves.

Awesome

[fastal · 10/10 · 6 October 2002]

Topnotch in every aspect. Probably died due to the time slot. ABC was very resistive to moving this from 7pm on thursdays to any later time slot. The show was of substantive quality, but was not family hour viewing. So, why do we need to look ahead at the latest Nielson ratings for ABC? They are, once again, last, because they have no executives with a pulse. Hopefully, CBS will learn their lesson with HACK!!!!

I agree that this show should not have been canceled!

[thr728 · 10/10 · 2 June 2002]

I enjoyed watching the bad people getting their up comings! That was the first time that I have seen Michael Madsen. It was a brilliant show and I cannot believe how silly the network was to cancel this show. Michael Madsen was excellent in this show! My husband even loved the show and was VERY disappointed when it was canceled. What were the network people thinking?!?

Why was this show cancelled?

[beowuuf · 26 June 2004]

This show, for UK viewers, was buried at, oh, 3am on a Saturday/Sunday morning on channel four. It was sheer fluke that I caught it, but so glad I did!

The idea of the show was that a person who had suffered an injustice that had gone unpunished would receive an anonymous note offering 'Vengence Unlimited'. They would then receive a visit from Mr Chapel, who would offer to help them get justice in exchange for either One million dollars, or, somewhere down the line, a single favour. Of course, none of the victims could afford that, so this left a very good trail of people in varying positions and authority to help right other people's wrongs later in the show.

The first episode followed a quest to set up the murderer of a mother, who was freed by a corrupt lawyer. Kathleen York's character was introduced as just another person who owes Chapel a favour for, Unlike the other people he had helped though, at the end of the first episode she tracked him down help him help others.

This was a good vehicle for Michael Madson, as he got to play his usual cool likable rogue but as a good guy, so not someone to be killed off at the end! The plots were intelligent, and it was always fun to try and work out how he would finally the bad guy. Another one to chalk up on the 'why did they cancel this?!' list.

BRING IT BACK ABC!!!!!!!!

[destiny_johnny · 10/10 · 21 June 2000]

This is the best show I've seen on TV after the Untouchables - probably better than them too. The scripts are great and acting is brilliant (they couldn't find a better actor for the job then Michael Madsen). They should really bring it back on the air. I've seen every part of it and I was always scared that it would get old, but it just always found a new way to make me laugh in an evil way as M.M. or K.Y. found some new way to punish bad people. BRING IT BACK ABC!!!!!!!!

The Best, Smartest and Sadly, Shortest (1 season) Show EVER!!!

[moviez101 · 10/10 · 22 September 2006]

I'm going to be the first in line when this comes out on DVD!! Though the show is reminiscent of the 1985 Series, STINGRAY with Nick Mancuso, (which also suffered the SAME only 1 season, no renewal curse) it stressed less on clothing and a cool car, and more on devilishly delicious plots, scams, and every twist in the book in order to nab the bad guy all the while messing with their heads and even sometimes there lifestyle/livelyhoods. Every episode had their evil deeds displayed to them in the most original, moral dilemma, make 'em squirm, way that makes Mr. Chapell's "One Liners" more enjoyable than a Schwarzenegger flick that only Mr. Madsen can deliver. "I had my fingers crossed. The whole time. The entire time. (moves his fingers to normal) OhhH!! I was beginning to cramp!" Or the ending of "Dishonorable Discharge" about how he feels about his job "Yeah, its very rewarding, even when you don't get to see the results in person" as the scene cuts away to the criminal taking his first shower in prison and a moment later 4 bald tough regular prisoners enter the room, bullettime slow motion, with the music "It's Raining Men" Halaluya!!! This was just a sampler of what each new episode had to bring to the plate. Storyline over guns and ammo, thou they were used time to time to when it helped move the story forward. A well placed dead hooker here, and a briefcase switcheroo there, and justice was almost always served best, in reverse for the villain in the end. Sometimes using the very tools that got them off scott free, against them, confusing themselves and the viewer to ask out loud "What are you talking about?" just to see the final dominoes all fall in place in the nick of time. Making an exit that usually meant that the "Favour" was payed in full and...."I'm out of your life...Forever" answered back with "THANK GOD!!"

Or the one million dollars...... ;-)

I thought the show was great

[talosian70 · 10/10 · 13 November 2006]

As usual with television, shows that really hit home and people enjoyed seem to be dropped quickly, and this is one of them.

Maybe it was popular since Chapel may have been the fantasy alter-ego of so many people because he really looked to find and do justice, which is very lacking in the legal system in many countries, including the U.S.

Oh well, I was finally lucky enough to find every episode available for download, but of course I didn't do that :-) as it's illegal, but I sure would love for it come come out on DVD so I cold have the closed captions.

My Cable Went Out

[greenviking · 10/10 · 13 January 2016]

My favorite show of all time... and while 1998 TV admittedly doesn't look so good in the age of Vikings or House of Cards, the fundamentals of Vengeance Unlimited are still exemplary.

Of the many good things I could say about this short-lived series, I think the ultimate summary would be this: it's perfect casting. Michael Madsen has (as of this writing) 246 acting credits, including several outrageous bombs. Do you really need to be told that he was drunk throughout the filming of Bloodrayne, for example?

But VU appears to have been an endeavor built entirely around Madsen, not unlike Mads Mikkelsen with Hannibal, or Bill Murray with Lost in Translation. It honestly seems that Madsen *is* Mr Chapel, in every moment of every scene.

As to what the show's about? Well hell, you probably wouldn't be at this page if you didn't know, right? It really is an extraordinarily unique "the bad guy gets away with it, but then the good guy gets away with it" formula. And very cynically comedic throughout.

Unfortunately the show disappeared so quickly that it never even made it to obscure DVD status... but... I've found that low-grade VHS-rip conversions of just such *do* exist.

Age & quality notwithstanding, it's a bygone concept well worth the search.

Best ever TV show

[sideways8 · 10/10 · 25 August 2006]

My wife and I thought this the best ever TV show we've ever seen. Chapel was clever, witty, ruthless, unflappable and inexorable in his desire for justice for the afflicted. You could not stop watching this show. ABC confirms the rock headedness of the average TV bigwig. They just don't get what really grabs us. Putting it on opposite Friends and Frazier (both drek) just confirms that they wanted this series to fail. I got my DVD copies from the listing at the bottom of it's IMDb.com web page and they are not bad. Go get 'em.

Oh by the way, TCM showed "The Public Defender", Richard Dix (1931), and if you look at that you will see that Vengeance is loosely based on the ideas expressed in that flick.

This show should never have been cancelled!

[cls58 · 10/10 · 5 November 1999]

I loved this show! I was very distraught when it was cancelled. I don't think people understood it. It took me a couple episodes to really appreciate the humor and excitement this movie displayed. Also, it might have been on in the same time spot as another show that people really liked so it didn't get as big of an audience as it could have. I guess I'll just have to wait until it becomes syndicated.

I loved it!

[esrogs · 10/10 · 10 August 2001]

This show was great. I think I only saw two episodes, but they were fantastic. I wish this show was still running. It was fun, exciting and suspenseful. I don't know why it was canceled. Maybe the time slot, maybe the name turned people off, maybe it wasn't hyped enough (I just remember finding it whilst surfing one day).

We loved this show

[drgibson63 · 10/10 · 4 June 2010]

My wife and I discovered this show during its brief run and never missed an episode. I certainly hope that it is one day released officially on DVD. Apparently it can be purchased on unofficial Amazon-imitating sites and on sell.com, but the quality I'm sure must be substandard. Michael Madsen was superb as Mr. Chapel, a soft-speaking tough guy who righted wrongs. The writing and delivery was understated and very witty. There was great chemistry between Madsen and his sidekick, Kathleen York, a former client. Vengeance Unlimited was the type of show that would have been a huge hit on HBO or FX or TNT. Unfortunately, it was dumped for one season on ABC against Friends. I've never understood why a cable network has not purchased the 16 episodes for one season of re-runs. It would be a great hit. Eventually I'm sure ABC will get off its duff and release a DVD to high sales.

Was one of the best TV shows ever! Thanks ABC NOT

[jclarkeaw · 23 June 2005]

Once in a while there comes along a show or movie where everything just comes together like Silence Of The Lambs, this show is one of them. It's like it was made just for Michael Madsen who was perfect casting. The show was fantastic and the writing and casting was also. The main reason it was not picked up is it was against Friends and ABC didn't stand by it as they should have but never do, the least they could have done is move it. ABC actually screwed the show and producers by hanging them up and not making a decision until the last moment, there were other networks interested in it but ABC wouldn't make a decision until the last minute and then it was to late to get it on another network. There was a big amount of people on the WB Vengeance web page trying to get it to stay on and the producers and creators actually wrote pieces on there updating the news. What a shame and what a waste of great talent and a loss for the viewing public.

Best show ever on television

[julietackaberry · 10/10 · 21 May 2006]

Vengeance Unlimited had it all. Great cast relationships. Great stories. Great actors. Each time I watched it I thought to myself, "I should tape this." But I never did because I thought it would go on for many seasons. I can't believe the show was canceled. Each episode dealt with a different 'unjustice' to someone and Mr. Chapel brought justice to them in the most inventive, entertaining ways imaginable. All done with no guns! Added to the writing was Mr. Madsen's great personality and humor. Kathleen York as his sidekick was superb. She brought a bit of tension to the mix as you never knew what she would do on her own. Please, is there anyway we can get this series released on DVD? Who do we petition?

It was canceled because

[mzfitz · 10/10 · 6 November 2015]

the show "friends" took over it's time slot. a show I still despise to this day!

I loved this show so much and when it only went one season I was so sad it was my go to show every week until it wasn't and I can't even find it on DVD or anything to show others how awesome it was! It had everything a person would want in a show it's like Burn Notice but BETTER! WAY BETTER! This show should've never been canceled!! Michael Madsen was perfect for this part if they ever decide to bring it back I hope they look him up to continue playing the part of "Mr. Chapel" The very thought they're going to bring back "friends" instead of this show just shows me how far we've sunk as a nation

Definitely in my top 10 Shows of all time

[toej-30983 · 9/10 · 30 March 2022]

Every episode was great.

I wish I could watch it somewhere.

I had a few episodes on VHS but they are long gone The show was such a perfect mix of action,drama and there were some laughs.

A should've been classic

[moviecop180 · 8/10 · 15 June 2018]

Between the smart writing, great guest cast and leads in Madssen and York this should have been a classic but unfortunately it didnt get past episode 13. On a positive note it means the show didnt last long enough to hit a bad patch but honestly it is one of a small number of shows I wish had gotten a full series/ mlti series run. Great msic and temendous promos which can be found on youtube

I couldn't believe it was gone after one season.

[emily_w_trott · 10/10 · 3 February 2019]

Vengeance Unlimited was one of the few shows that I could not wait to get home to watch. I loved watching Mr. Chapel set up a scheme that would not only free his client, but also make the crooked cops or other villains pay the price for their treachery. While he was deadly serious about his work, Mr. Chapel did it with a lot of humor that helped to build the tension even more. He was like Jim Rockford with a bite. Everything from the acting to the story lines was fabulous. If you can find this show anywhere it is definitely worth a watching.

The Collaborative Equalizer

[bosporan · 8/10 · 19 March 2022]

Perfect progeny of The Equalizer, builds on the tradition and adds the concept of paying forward. Each beneficiary owes help on a case going forward. Liking the (original tv-series) Mission Impossible vibe, using guile and psychology to defeat targets rather than retributive violence à la Death Wish. Kathleen York's character (KC) is an excellent side-kick; have seen her in many things now and she has good range and never disappoints.

I love it!

[mor_s · 26 July 2002]

I really enjoyed this show. It's all about justice and doing the right thing. I loved how Chapel managed to punish the bad guys with a sophisticated scam. He made them go crazy and incriminated them in something they hadn't really done- all to make sure they don't go unpunished from the horrible things they have really done. I like Chapel's character- he has a unique sense of humor, he's a bit cocky and sure of himself, very cunning and truly cares about the wrongs in the world. His goal is to fight evil and injustice and in his own words:" We live in a world, you and I, where people can kill someone and get a book deal out of it because they hire the right lawyer, or they get an acting teacher who teaches them how to cry on camera. KC:"You think you can change all that?" Chapel:"Well, maybe not, but I don't have to tolerate it."

Michael Madsen is excellent as Chapel. He has this tough-and-rough look about him (which is why he usually plays the bad guys...) which really fits Chapel's character. Kathleen York is great too as KC- Chapel's assistant.

The idea of the show, plots, script, acting- everything is great. Too bad it only lasted 1 season before it was canceled (only god knows why...). If you have the chance- watch this show. I promise you'll be feeling very satisfied when the episode ends and thinking: "Yes! Chapel really nailed that guy...".

Watch and enjoy.

PLEASE Bring it back

[snoozer43 · 18 December 2003]

I could not believe that they canceled this series. It has to be the worst move in television history. Just one episode would have you thinking the same way. If you never saw it, I can only describe it as a combination of the movies "The Sting", "The Grifters", "Absence of Malice" and "the Pretender" a television series. Of course I'm exaggerating, but thats how I felt about this show. I would be thrilled just to watch the reruns if the powers that be would at least allow that.

Venegance Unlimited is a great show.

[lrshannon · 6 July 2005]

I loved this show.I don't understand why it was taken off the TV schedule.I hope to find it on DVD somewhere.I wish they would put this show back on TV.It is so very hard to find a good show on TV now.Michael Madson is a great actor,and I hope to see him on another TV series someday.Maybe they will put Venegence Unlimited on as a series again.I sure would watch every episode,and I am sure a lot of viewers would do the same.If they would put Venegance Unlimited back as a series,I sure hope they would have Michael Madsen as the star.No one else could play the role as good as he does.It would not be as good with someone else in the starring role.

how could they cancel this show?

[byor · 5 April 2001]

It is super great awesome fantasticorama! I mean that. Super and awesome and fantastic. Michael Madsen is great and all the episodes of the TV show were almost as good as the movie!

This is a great show with terrific acting, awesome scripts and a really good premise.

[George-45 · 30 October 1998]

This show rocks my world. Michael Madsen is so awesome as the avenging angel/devil. He really cares about people and wants to punish those that wreak suffering on others. It's obvious that the event that triggered his avenging ways was some type of loss in his life. Most likely his wife was abducted and killed for some reason. The fact that he couldn't save her drives him to save others in similar situations. His relationship with K.C. is very well played. She was originally afraid of him but got to know him as a great guy. Now I think she feels that their relationship is sort of brother-sister in nature. I wish Chapel could have a relationship with a woman but with his lifestyle it would be difficult to say the least. He is so charming and sure of himself, but he's not cocky or arrogant. He tells it like it is and he isn't afraid to get hurt or hurt others to see that justice is done. I really respect his way of life. He seems to live for his job, not really having any vices to distort his perception. He keeps a clear head and because of it is always able to get himself out of trouble. He does things his own way, not involving law enforcement because sometimes law enforcers are as corrupt as the people they fight. I like the show also because it has a nice sense of humor. When Chapel accidentally spills the contents of K.C.'s purse and sees her underwear, or when he gives one of his patented quick retorts to the baddie, it makes me laugh. The humor aspect is a nice and refreshing aspect of a show that could have been extremely dark otherwise. It's a tremendous show that I hope survives the season. Michael Madsen is a great actor. Him and his character are blessings bestowed on us by ABC. I just hope they don't take the show away before it has a chance to become a fully developed crime/drama/mystery.

Vengeance Unlimited: Too bad they don't make programs like this!

[mckenna-7 · 28 January 2006]

When I first saw the commercials for Vengeance Unlimited, I knew that this was one program that I mustn't miss. I was right! Vengeance Unlimited was a great series with good triumphing over evil and the wrongdoers getting what they deserved. It brought to mind the old classic series "The Equalizer," but unlike the gentleman avenger Mr.McCall, Mr.Chapel really leaned hard on the scales of justice. ABC, the network which carried Vengeance Unlimited, along with other networks have gone out of the way to prop up flop programs, and defy the tastes of the viewers by canceling some great shows. Examples are Love, Sidney; Joannie Loves Chachi; Ellen Degeneres;along with countless other shows which started out as ideas that belonged in the trash from the start. I wish that Vengeance Unlimited was never taken off the air. A box set would be a distant 2nd best thing to returning to production.