Golden Years 

An elderly janitor hurt in an explosion at a secret army lab run by "The Shop" starts to grow younger. A ruthless operative is sent to cover it up, so the janitor and his wife go on the run with the help of a sympathetic female agent.

Creator:

Stephen King

Stars:

Keith Szarabajka, Felicity Huffman, Ed Lauter

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Keith Szarabajka	...	Harlan Williams 7 episodes, 1991
Felicity Huffman	...	Terry Spann 7 episodes, 1991
Ed Lauter	...	Gen. Louis Crewes 7 episodes, 1991
R.D. Call	...	Jude Andrews 7 episodes, 1991
Bill Raymond	...	Dr. Richard X. Toddhunter 7 episodes, 1991
Frances Sternhagen	...	Gina Williams 7 episodes, 1991
Stephen Root	...	Major Moreland 6 episodes, 1991
Philip Lenkowsky	...	Billy Delois 5 episodes, 1991
Tim Guinee	...	Fredericks 4 episodes, 1991
Graham Paul	...	Rick Haverford 4 episodes, 1991
Janis Corsair	...	Computer 4 episodes, 1991
Erik King	...	Burton 3 episodes, 1991
John Rothman	...	Dr. Ackerman 3 episodes, 1991
Randell Haynes	...	Hawkins 3 episodes, 1991
Mert Hatfield	...	Sheriff Mayo 2 episodes, 1991
Harriet Sansom Harris	...	Francie Wil 2 episodes, 1991
Susan King	...	Nurse 2 episodes, 1991
J.R. Horne	...	Dr. Eakins 2 episodes, 1991
Sarah Melici	...	Mrs. Rogers 2 episodes, 1991
Caroline Dollar	...	Little Girl 2 episodes, 1991

Storyline

Explosion in the most secret laboratory of the USA. The old janitor Harlan Williams is incubated by totally unknown chemicals. Now he changes and becomes younger instead of older. The government is interested in finding out everything about this changes and hunts the fugitive Harlan. A hunt across the USA starts.

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Plot Keywords:

growing younger | reverse aging | freak accident | government assassin | woman in bra and panties | 

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Taglines:

His body held the secret of time. Now time...is running out!

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 July 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stephen King's Golden Years

Company Credits

Production Co:

Laurel Productions, Laurel-King Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

232 min 40 min (6 episodes) 236 min (DVD) 360 min (extended edition) 360 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 widescreen

Did You Know?

Trivia

When in Francine's safe house (Episode 7) one of the "hippies" introduces another as "Captain Tripps" That's also the name of the flu that wiped out earth in "The Stand", also by Stephen King.

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Quotes

Gina Williams: Harlan, where are your glasses?
Harlan Williams: I see better without them now.

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Alternate Versions

The U.S. video version includes a few scenes not shown on the television broadcast.

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Connections

Featured in The Secrets of Dick Smith (1991)

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Soundtracks

Golden Years
(Theme Music)
David Bowie

User Reviews

Good buildup, poor payoff.

Stephen King is no stranger to television, both with adaptations of his work (from "Tales From The Darkside"'s version of 'Word Processor of the Gods' to the miniseries "The Stand") and original scripts (witness "Storm of the Century" and that episode of "The X-Files"). "Golden Years" was his first venture into television originals, and it certainly avoids the depths of "The Shining" (the Kubrick version, not the one with Rebecca DeMornay), but neither is it as effective as "The Dead Zone."

An elderly janitor (Keith Szarabajka in old-age makeup) is caught in an explosion at the plant where he works; he survives, but he soon starts to grow younger, and with his wife (Frances Sternhagen) he goes on the run from the people behind the plant... this blend of "Cocoon" and "The Fugitive" worked for the most part, with Szarabajka's rejuvenation a slow process instead of an overnight thing (by the end of the series he was still pretty old), and his pursuers (Ed Lauter, Felicity Huffman) weren't out-and-out villains. But the series blew it in the final episode, never producing a real finale - it just seemed to stop, leaving a distinct "That was IT?" impression.

Proof that it's never a good idea to rest on your Laurels.