Mode, Models und Intrigen

Was this a great piece of filmography-no, but was it entertaining-yes. Most reviews comment on the fate of Jon-Erik Hexum, and it's natural since he died on the set. The shame is if he had the training of his character, he would have known better. The great thing is his mother allowing his organs donation.

As for the show, it was a typical 70-80s shown. Beautiful women, great snipets of songs, action, story, and Hexum. Although he had limited experience, he was really a good actor and had a charisma that would have made him a great star. It would have been interesting had he lived whether the show would have gone beyond season 1 unlike Voyagers! which it too was an entertaining show much like Quantum Leap or the Time Tunnel, so it's being ended was rather unfair.

Attempting to help the Wright brothers, Phineas, our intrepid, if clumsy, traveler-in-time deeply contemplates running off a cliff edge with a glider --to test aerodynamic designs. Does he correctly comprehend the aerodynamic forces involved? His fellow traveler Jeffrey is worried, running after him, yelling, "You can't...it's suicide!...Bogg!". But Phineas will not be stopped, and, leaping off the cliff, admonishes young Jeffrey, "I'm a Voyager kid! Sometimes you've got to bite the bullet." Alas, Phineas crashes, --not comprehending the aerodynamic forces involved. Phineas is next seen lying deathly still on the ground, Jeffrey rushing to him crying, "Bogg!". Phineas will regain consciousness, of course, and all will be well, of course. This scene is in episode one, and part of it is used in the opening sequence for every episode of "Voyagers!".

About two years later, on the set of "Cover Up"...

Jon-Eric Hexum, Phineas Bogg of an earlier time, and a highly intelligent man, will foolishly point a prop gun, loaded with blanks, to his head and jokingly pull the trigger. And with this bullet, so unnecessary to bite, Mr. Jon-Eric Hexum proved he still had not learned aerodynamics, this time of exploding gases, so powerful...even poignant.

Almost twenty years ago there was a show that featured an American modelling agency doing a spot, hence involved Bonny Tyler singing the theme song - Holding out for a hero - however, the modelling agency was a front for a CIA organisation. It was called Cover-Up, a tremendously enjoyable CBS action escapade series about a couple of "striking adventurers" posing as a model plus a photographer on location of their assigned missions, and the "main hero" was Jon-Erik Hexum (character's name Mac Harper) who unfortunately died in 1984. The show nevertheless continued with somewhat different Anthony Hamilton taking his place, but lasted about a year. Regardless of its cancellation, Cover-Up was one of the greatest and most stylish espionage shows from the early 1980's, and surely knocked off similar tv projects.

When I was a kid, I was a fan of Jon-Erik Hexum, mainly because of his show "Voyager", so I became a fan of his new show "Cover-Up", it was not Shakespeare and it could have been better but it was fun to watch, a kind of James Bond fantasy show. It was exiting, and the show did his job: entertain boys and get girls (and the mothers of some kids) in love with Jon-Erik Hexum. I was shocked to hear that the "Jon" was "playing" with a "blank semi loaded" gun and shot himself. What was he thinking!? well not much obviously!! This 26 years old man, considered on of the most photogenic men in Hollywood, still almost 20 years later, it is hard to find an actor (good actor) with his good look and great body, the man was a Greek sculpture. He had every thing to become a big screen superstar. He made just one mistake, to treat guns like toys, one thing a I leaned since very young "GUN ARE ALWAYS LOADED, EVEN IF THEY ARE EMPTY", an empty gun should be treated as the most dangerous weapon; as a fact many "accident" (the correct word is criminal negligence)are caused by guns that were supposed to be empty. I feel sorry for Jon and his family, but it would have been worst if he had aimed the gun to an innocent bystander. He lost his live, present and future. He stole happiness from himself.

This CBS television series was totally 80s. I was 14 when it came out. Beautiful women, a cool action hero, what's not to like. I don't believe it's available for purchase, but there's low quality episodes on youtube. Jon-Erik Hexum's death was such a tragedy. I still enjoyed the series with Hamilton, but Hexum was the #1 choice for obvious reasons. The series will seem dated and even a bit silly by today's standards, but it was hot stuff in 1984. Elizabeth Daily's singing of "Holding Out for a Hero" is better than Bonnie Tyler's, but I don't see the song available for purchase either.