Die Maske

This could have been a great series. Great storyline, pulled from a comic book with a substantial cult following; very competent cast (especially Springfield and Coleman, both of whom paid their dues in daytime TV) with good chemistry among one another.

A previous reviewer summarized the plot fairly well. Two minor points, however:

1) Chance's fee was *10%* of the client's annual salary (not the entire annual salary) and

2) Chance and his crew were not "Five people who did not exist", they were 4 people who were well known to several governments who had hired them to protect various dignitaries, and allowed Coleman's character full access to government records, as well.



I do disagree with the characterization of the storyline as "pretty unbelievable." This was science fiction/fantasy, based on a comic book. In other words, escapist entertainment. It wasn't *supposed* to be true to life, any more than series such as "The Incredible Hulk" or "Batman". As such, I think "Human Target" hit it's mark very nicely.

Too bad ABC pulled HT after it's summer replacement run of seven episodes; perhaps with more time, it would have found an audience.

I try not to spend to much time in front of the tube, but I gotta say, I loved this show. my favorite was Jeff (SaMi Chester) smart, funny, and deadly. I've been trying to follow the actor's career. I think they should make a series of (Human Target) MOW's and bring them all back! I wonder if anyone thought about that?! And if someone has any idea how to find more SaMi Chester stuff out there please let me know. he brought the kind of power and grace that made me want to sit in front of the tube with my family and cheer!

As mentioned, this series was based on a small comic-book character who mostly appeared as a back-up feature in Detective Comics and Action Comics, among others. I think most people heard, "based on a comic book" and immediately thought, "What, a character wearing spandex and a target on his chest."

Christopher Chance's real story is that he is a private detective and master of disguise whose specialty is impersonating people who believe they have been marked for murder, thus taking their place in the crosshairs and earning the nickname, "the Human Target." His motivation comes from the fact that he failed to protect his father, who was gunned down. Chris tried to take the bullet for his dad and swore he wouldn't fail to protect others.

I guess Bilson & DeMeo thought that was a little too ordinary, so they made his disguise skills the part of a high-tech setup in a stealth jet with assistants. In the comics, Chance lived in a studio above a Boston restaurant, whose owner acted as his receptionist of sorts.

The stories were not too shabby, but the problem with a series about a master of disguise is that the guest-star does most of the big moves and heroics to maintain the illusion. Rick Springfield sat around while John Wesley Shipp or Scott Paulin kicked ass. ;)

I simply thought the high-tech angle wasn't necessary or cost-effective.

This series had so much going against it from its outset that it's a true wonder it ever saw the (brief) light of day. A relatively unknown comic book character, a much-maligned "rock star" lead, & two proven yet not wildly popular producers do NOT a hit series make.

An obscure DC Comics character (created in the mid-'60s by writer LEN WEIN) wouldn't exactly seem to be the best fodder for a proposed TV series, but DANNY BILSON & PAUL DeMEO (the wunderkind behind the "Trancers" series of movies, "The Rocketeer", "The Flash", "The Sentinel", "Viper") were able to add an intriguing new spin on what was once a "filler story" character. As with all good writers, they fleshed out the character of Christopher Chance (nicely portrayed by veteran rocker / actor RICK SPRINGFIELD), giving this former cardboard cut-out a history, a purpose, & above all, angst & neuroses.

Chris Chance is a Viet Nam veteran, formerly an officer in Special Ops (presumedly an assassin) who turned his back on killing & violence after a nervous breakdown left him in a V.A. hospital. He decided to use his rather specialised skills to help people who are in a jam by assuming their identities until the bad guys got rousted, hence the title of the character & the series.

Chance assmbled a highly-skilled, diverse team of operatives to help him in his work: Libby (SIGNY COLEMAN), a former CIA analyst, Philo (KIRK BALTZ), a top-shelf Hollywood FX makeup artist, & Jeff (SaMi CHESTER), a trained pilot & buddy of Chance's from their stint in 'Nam.

Although the '92 summer series only lasted seven episodes, it was well-done, using what was at the time state-of-the-art FX, & utilising some of more brilliant, if unknown to the general public, writers in the comic & TV field (comic book veteran HOWIE CHAYKIN immediately springs to mind). Springfield was able to convey a wonderful sense of depth & melancholy that was apropos for the character (while he was the correct age to portray Chris Chance, his boyish looks had the unfortunate tendency to undermine the seriousness of his character), the supporting team did equally fine jobs (most notably Chester), & the guests who were brought in (SCOTT PAULIN, DAVID CLENNON, RICHARD BELZER, HARRY GUARDINO, R. LEE ERMEY, & KEVIN McCARTHY) only served to thicken an already rich broth.

I don't know if any further episodes were made or commissioned, but it would've been fascinating to see how many diverse directions this series & its characters could've taken, given the... chance.

I have a special fondness for this series, centering around one particular episode:

Chance is hired by a judge, who happens to be his father's best friend! Chance isn't too enthusiastic about going home, since his father still thinks he has a dead-end desk job at the VA, as per Chance's cover story: During dinner, his father says he's got a friend at some company who can get him a better job...

Later, Chance shoots some pool with his father - while disguised as the judge! So, he gets to dispense some advice like "Why don't you go easy on the kid! He might surprise you!" Great scene!

His father finally discovers Chance's secret, and that final scene still brings a tear to my eye - going something like "I always thought you were wasting your life away... but a HUMAN TARGET?! I'm so proud of you."