Automan

For some odd reason, I actually liked this show. I was only 16yr when it aired, but I loved the special effects. This show really seems like something Disney would make. It was a little bit of Tron with low-budget comedy crime fighter thrown in. The two things I remember the most is the title song and the auto-car. The song had a catchy tune that I still hum now and then. The car would get created by "Cursor", Automan's sidekick and it was very cool how it was done. Cursor would start drawing the lines of the car and then pick up speed as he drew the rest. It would make some electrical sound while Cursor drew it. Like Automan, the car was a glowing neon light blue. When automan drove it, it steered like the motorcycles in TRON. It would make sharp turns left or right and Desi Jr's character would get slammed against the door window. The show was just fun to watch back then. The main thing that killed it was the writing. The villains weren't anything special and each story really didn't draw you in and make you want to come back. The comedy aspect of the show was decent. It also was expensive to make each episode and because it didn't draw a big audience, they really didn't make much money off of it. I still would love to see this on DVD just for nostalgic purposes.

OK, at the mid-70s you have to recognize how the American TV shows became more and more interested in the idea of being "super" more than ever. After the phase of the cowboy shows, the espionage ones, then the mysteries' solvers, we came to the point of a man, or a woman, who's part human and part machine, or that person who got superpowers anyway. It's very well known matter in the old comics, but from the 1970s in TV, the revelation, or the revolution, began.

Remember titles like: (The Six Million Dollar Man - 1974), (The Invisible Man - 1975), (The Bionic Woman - 1976), (Gemini Man - 1976) and (Wonder Woman - 1976). At the same time, another kind became in fashion: the Buddy-shows like (Switch - 1975), (Starsky and Hutch - 1975), (CHiPs - 1977), (The Hardy Boys-Nancy Drew Mysteries - 1977). So, why not to gather the 2 successful elements, "The Superhuman" and "The 2 Buddies Team", in one sci-fi / action show.

They already married them in (Future Cop - 1977); a short-lived TV show about a veteran patrol officer who gets an android for a partner. After more prosperous ones, like (The Greatest American Hero - 1981) and (The Powers of Matthew Star - 1982), there was the big hit (Knight Rider - 1982) where an ex-policeman is in the company of a talking supercar to achieve justice. And right in the next year, (Automan) has been born.

It was such a smart and funny idea. Read its tagline: "A computer generated superhero and his human creator fight crime in their city".. this is music to my ear! Imagine a talking computer, in the form of a brawny good man, with a comic human partner, in action all the time; this has endless ironies.

If you watched it as a kid, you'd never forget it. The whole azure image of (Chuck Wagner) as (Automan) is something that sticks in your memory forever. And sure its formula speaks cleverly to the child in you, unlike the most of nowadays' shows I suppose. As an adult, I just hated points like the unneeded striptease of the title character at one episode, which was obviously inserted to have more viewers, however in cheap and embarrassing way!

Ohhh, the 1980s is gone, so most of the childish innocent fun too. You'd think that the makers of these shows were great children themselves. I believe watching CSI today makes you cherish these oldies much, and discover the secret of them being real classics for reasons other than the nostalgic feel.

Unfortunately, (Automan) lasted for only 13 episodes; I won't say that 13 is the most ill-fated number for many canceled shows, but let's say that many good things come in 13 such as: (A Man Called Hawk - 1989), (The Lone Gunmen - 2001), (Pepper Dennis - 2006) and (Automan). My best regards to the nice azure robot, its makers, and their time.

Another case of a show I really enjoyed as a kid being taken off the air rather quickly. Whatever a kid enjoyed to watch back in the 70's and 80's always seemed to get the quick hook back then. This one is brought to us by the same guy who did "Buck Rogers" and the lesser known "Manimal". It also came on about the same time as the latter. The show was about a computer guy who somehow creates this strange computer dude or brings him into this world, can not remember so well now as I have not seen the show in a very long time. What I remember the most about this one though is the cool car which I debated with a kid at school was faster than the car on "Knight Rider". Which how there was any debate for anybody who has seen both shows is beyond me this car went so fast and could do 90 degree turns for crying out loud. I also remember "Automan" losing his power whenever more machines and such were used. The effects were very Tron-like and not bad for a television show made back in the 80's. Why shows such as these got such a quick hook is beyond me, well not really my guess is they just cost to much to produce as opposed to the quirky comedies that usually went on way to long (Happy Days anyone).

This show is completely corny. Of course, this is a bi-product of its decade and genre, but it still seems cornier than its counterparts. And most of the acting isn't too great, with the exception of Chuck Wagner, whom I thought did a good job as Walter's complete opposite. The girl was pretty much filler. Almost like they thought they needed to have a cute woman in the cop shop to draw in...young boys? Show they were EEO? I don't know, but she seemed a total waste of film.

But darn it if I don't love this show. Cheese makes for a good, silly 45 minutes of entertainment. And even bad sci fi is often good. And Desi Arnaz Jr. made for a good geek. The writers I think went a bit far with that whole stereotype of computer geniuses being totally awkward screw ups in any other arena but IT, but I suppose it did help display the contrast between Walter and Automan, who was what Walter wished he was.

But don't watch this right after Dragnet or Adam-12, as you may think the LAPD suddenly went insane.

No one should be embarrassed to admit they liked this show. Look at how many people here gave it positive reviews. I can't remember much more than how cool that car was and Automan's suit, how wild it was! I liked the cast a lot. I also remembered that it starred Desi Arnaz Jr. and that I was bummed when it was canceled. They never gave it a chance. It takes a little time to develop a following and this show and "The Flash" would have done well had they not yanked them off the air so soon. I kind of remember that the theme song was very good also, but can't remember much about it. You can vote to see it, and other shows, on DVD at: TVShowsOnDVD.com.