sentra14 Reviews

The Highwayman: The Highwayman (1987) Season 1, Episode 0

One of the last great TV action shows

[10/10 · 31 January 2008]

Sam Jones is highly underrated, both as an action actor/tough guy and a great person in real life. The Highwayman, to me, was one of the last great action series and had all the elements I like, even if they are cheesy. It had the tough guy, the wise-cracking sidekick (Jacko), the hot babe (Jane Badler) and the trusted associate (Tim Russ). Plus, to top it all off, the great William Conrad did the narration. You can't beat all that. But, it didn't escape the axe of the TV execs. Another casualty, among many others (like The Phoenix). I have the complete series from the original airings with all the original commercials intact. The regular pilot is Terror On The Blacktop. Epguides.com lists a previous movie called Road Ranger. Does anyone have any details about this movie? I've never seen it and would like to get my hands on it.

Route 66 (1993 TV Movie)

This was a good sequel

[7/10 · 14 May 2006]

In this sequel to the classic show, James Wilder plays Nick Lewis, the illegitimate son of Buz Murdock, who was played by George Maharis in the original series. He never knew his now deceased father but inherited a few old record albums, some photos and a perfectly preserved 1961 red and white Corvette convertible. He picks up Arthur Clark, a loud-mouthed hitchhiker (Dan Cortese) and their journey into escapism begins. On June 3, 1993, Cortese and Wilder served as emcees for "Route 66 Day" in Santa Monica, California, organized to kick off the series and also celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Corvette. They presented Mayor Judy Abdo with a bronze plaque on behalf of NBC and Columbia Pictures Television saluting the city for its participation in "Route 66 Day" and the city's historic position near the end of the famous highway. Harley Peyton, executive producer and writer of the new series, said the idea for the show simply came from his desire to do a road show. He said he knew that such a show would be a rip-off of the early 60s series, so he just concluded he might as well do a new Route 66. But I personally think he should have used an original title like "The Highway" or whatever. I think he was probably capitalizing on the name of the original series to give it a shot in the arm. Hey, at least he didn't use the original theme song. The music for the new show was by the very capable Warren Zevon. I was a big fan of the original Route 66, and to be completely fair, instead of scoffing at the idea of a sequel, I welcomed it. Most Generation-Xers had probably never seen or heard of the original series and it could have been a great modern day adventure of a couple of guys travelling the highways and byways, meeting new people and experiencing life. But with just four episodes, it just didn't get the chance to completely develop the characters or stories. Part of what made the original series such a hit was the scenery. All four episodes of the remake were filmed in beautiful California, but not enough scenery was shown.

Route 66 (1993– )

This was a good sequel

[7/10 · 14 May 2006]

In this sequel to the classic show, James Wilder plays Nick Lewis, the illegitimate son of Buz Murdock, who was played by George Maharis in the original series. He never knew his now deceased father but inherited a few old record albums, some photos and a perfectly preserved 1961 red and white Corvette convertible. He picks up Arthur Clark, a loud-mouthed hitchhiker (Dan Cortese) and their journey into escapism begins. On June 3, 1993, Cortese and Wilder served as emcees for "Route 66 Day" in Santa Monica, California, organized to kick off the series and also celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Corvette. They presented Mayor Judy Abdo with a bronze plaque on behalf of NBC and Columbia Pictures Television saluting the city for its participation in "Route 66 Day" and the city's historic position near the end of the famous highway. Harley Peyton, executive producer and writer of the new series, said the idea for the show simply came from his desire to do a road show. He said he knew that such a show would be a rip-off of the early 60s series, so he just concluded he might as well do a new Route 66. But I personally think he should have used an original title like "The Highway" or whatever. I think he was probably capitalizing on the name of the original series to give it a shot in the arm. Hey, at least he didn't use the original theme song. The music for the new show was by the very capable Warren Zevon. I was a big fan of the original Route 66, and to be completely fair, instead of scoffing at the idea of a sequel, I welcomed it. Most Generation-Xers had probably never seen or heard of the original series and it could have been a great modern day adventure of a couple of guys travelling the highways and byways, meeting new people and experiencing life. But with just four episodes, it just didn't get the chance to completely develop the characters or stories. Part of what made the original series such a hit was the scenery. All four episodes of the remake were filmed in beautiful California, but not enough scenery was shown.

Journey to the Unknown (1968– )

Excellent series

[24 July 2005]

I have the entire series on video, taped mostly from Sky (Europe) broadcasts. After 35+ years, the show still holds up well. Each show featured an American actor in the lead with British supporting players. Some of my favorite actors in the series included George Maharis, formerly of Route 66, and Barbara Jefford, a British actress. Ms. Jefford played an evil aunt to a boy made to wear dresses and pose as a girl. It would be great if the series would be released on DVD but I'm afraid it's one of the countless short-run series that are very fondly remembered but will never make it to disc. This would be a great series for Encore Mysteries to run.

Lucan (1977–1978)

Lucan

[8 May 2005]

Another one of the many many good short-lived shows that got the axe for one reason or another. The premise of the show is that Lucan was lost in the northern Minnesota wilderness as a baby and was captured when he was 10 years old and kept at a research university for the next 10 years. Dr. Hoagland took the boy under his wings and taught him everything he needed to know to survive in the civilized world. At the age of 20, Lucan caught two men stealing drugs from a lab and there was a fire in which one of the men died. Lucan was blamed for the death and had to run away and was pursued by an obsessed cop, Mr. Prentiss. Lucan was still always in contact with Dr. Hoagland and would meet with him to give advice or help him elude Mr. Prentiss. Lucan's mission was to find his real parents and followed any leads he could find. Sometimes this was a detriment when people with ill intentions used this to lure him in for their own selfish reasons. Lucan didn't really have any super powers, he just reverted to his wolf/animal instinct when under pressure. He could run faster and jump higher but he couldn't make anyone disappear. This show followed the popular formula originated in The Fugitive series - a man on the run who went from town to town, always made friends easily and was being pursued by an obsessed cop. Lucan was an MGM production, so I am assuming Ted Turner owns the show. I have managed to track down the pilot and 6 other episodes and am seeking the other 5. I also acquired the rare movie Stalk The Wild Child starring David Janssen. This movie is from 1976, about the same time Lucan would have been filming. It is very similar to Lucan but I don't know if this movie was actually any inspiration for the Lucan series or not.

The Midnight Special (1972–1981)

GREATEST MUSIC SHOW OF ALL TIME

[7 December 2004]

It's not really fair just reviewing the Andy Kaufman episode just because it's the only one ever released on video. The show was much more than an Andy Kaufman episode. It showcased the best that the music world had to offer in the 1970s and it's archives house some of the best performances of all time. It's really a shame that the owner, Paul Brownstein, does nothing with the tapes but just sell "clips" to corporations that sell disco albums on TV at hundreds of bucks a clip. Too bad the real fans won't ever be able to see the show again like it was presented. The same thing has happened to Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. It's only offered as "clips". I'm glad I have my own library of original tapings of the shows to watch over and over.

Dolly (1987–1988)

I THOUGHT THE SHOW WAS GREAT

[28 October 2004]

I don't agree with the other user's comments and thought

the show was very entertaining and fast-paced. Brett Butler did most of the writing and did an acceptable job for the skits. At least we had a chance to see a real variety show once more. The variety show format was already dead but was revived for a short time with Dolly. I have the entire series on video and still enjoy watching it from time to time. It

sure beats anything else on TV these days, at least in my opinion. Maybe that's why it didn't last longer - it

didn't have any sex or violence.

Tales of the Unexpected (1977)

Great obscure show

[30 September 2004]

This show ran for such a short time that few people ever heard of it and it is often confused with Roald Dahl's show of the same title. I have 5 episodes of the show on video, my absolute favorite being "No Way Out" with Bill Bixby. I liked just about any series that Quinn Martin produced and this was one of my favorites. If I can ever find the other shows in the series, I'll write an episode guide. The series was called "Twist In the Tale" in the UK, but almost no information can be found about it. I doubt it will ever be released on video or DVD but I would be the first to buy it if it was. I would love to share information with anyone who has any information on the show.

World of Giants (1959)

Great short-lived series

[17 April 2004]

I was very young when this series was on television but still remember it. I think that very few people actually saw it since it only lasted for 13 episodes and it was in the days when many areas only had a tiny handful of channels to choose from. I am very fortunate to have one surviving episode of the show on tape. It is "Look Up At a Giant" and I believe it is the pilot episode. I can't say for sure, but I am certain that Irwin Allen got his inspiration for 'Land of the Giants' from this series. It is true early science fiction at its best and would be more well remembered today if it had lasted two seasons instead of just one. I hope it resurface on disc someday but I doubt it will happen.

Five Fingers (1959–1960)

Another great obscure show

[17 April 2004]

There were many many shows that most people don't remember. This is one of them, but not because it wasn't a great show but because it aired in the days when there weren't many channels available plus the fact that it only lasted a mere 16 episodes. I have four episodes on tape and wish I could have seen the other episodes. It was a very well-made series with David Hedison as a double agent under the guise of a talent agent. This was Hedison's first TV series and he would later become famous for his role in 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea', which would last for an amazing 110 episodes. If I could choose which TV series I would like to see on DVD, 'Five Fingers' would be at the top of my list.