"Automan" Automan (1983)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Lee H. Katzin

Writer:

Glen A. Larson (creator)

TV Series:

"Automan" (1983)

Original Air Date:

15 December 1983 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A computer nerd creates a holographic "man" called "Automan" (AutomaticMan) and uses him (and his holographic car and a talking cursor) to help solve crimes. |

Plot Keywords:

TV Series Pilot | Superhero | Character Name In Title

Cast

Desi Arnaz Jr.	...	Walter Nebicher
Chuck Wagner	...	Automan
Heather McNair	...	Roxanne
Gerald S. O'Loughlin	...	Police Capt. E. G. Boyd
Robert Lansing	...	Lt. Jack Curtis
Talbot Perry Simons	...	Taxi Driver / Killer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jim Antonio	...	Cramer (as James Antonio Jr.)
Robert Dunlap	...	Chuck Wilson
Dennis Fimple	...	Taxi Driver
Steve Franken	...	P.J. Hawkins (as Steven Franken)
Don Galloway	...	Martin Wills
Sid Haig	...	Gang Member #1
Robert Hogan	...	Peterson (as Robert J. Hogan)
Mickey Jones	...	Gang Member #2
Steven Keats	...	Collins
Gloria LeRoy	...	Landlady
Patrick Macnee	...	Lydell Hamilton
Doug McClure	...	Det. Ted Smithers
Herman Poppe	...	Swiss Guard
Camilla Sparv	...	Tanya
Carol Vogel	...	Joanne Wills

Runtime:

Germany:70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

The car made by Cursor is a famous Italian Lamborghini Countach.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Automan enters the psc's building, a microphone is visible for almost two seconds in the upper part of the frame.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Automan" (1983)

Very short run

Although very formulaic like most action shows of the 70's and 80's, I remember seeing the show a number of times (and liking it) but I think it never even made it through a full season if I remember right, because I think it bombed in the ratings department. I actually still have a recording of the main theme music (along with sound effects) from the opening credits! The Automan Character was supposed to be a computer generated "Automatic Man" (hence the name Automan)zapped into the real world in the same but opposite way that Jeff Bridges was zapped into the computer world of Disney's "Tron" made the previous year.

Despite the fact that it was meant to copy the kind of computer generated imagery seen in "Tron", the visual effects were actually done optically using more traditional means, as CGI was still very much in it's infancy and very expensive back then. The costume that the Automan character wore was made to scintillate by substituting an optical effect into matted out portions of the suit, likely covered with bluescreen material which allowed for the VFX department to replace it with a blueish purple glitter and an optically enhanced glow. This was also very similar to how the costumes for "Tron" were also able to glow.

I remember that the "computer generated" car was a real black Lamborghini Countach which had reflective pin striping applied to give the effect of a blue vector-line style glow, again an homage to "Tron". Also, the car, driven by Automan would make exact 90 degree turns (again, exactly like the Lightcycles in "Tron") which resulted in passenger Desi Arnaz Jr's face being splashed against the side window! Of course, the 90 degree turning effect was simply done by two cuts of the car going in the different directions and editing the film together to suit.

Having seen so few episodes I'm surprised that I remember so much about it. Back then, I absolutely ate this stuff up, even though a lot of these things were so unoriginal and made in a very assembly-line type of format. Despite it's apparent bombing in the ratings I hope nevertheless that it someday appears on DVD. I'll buy it for sure! Nostalgia is a lot of fun, even when the subject is so poorly done.

Did I mention that it has a lot of things in it that bear a striking resemblance to "Tron"?

EjIMBo.