Automan

The 1980s were full of optimistic TV action series of a kind we just don't see any more. Not that I'm against the high-quality screen writing of such shows as "24", "Buffy" or "Angel"; it's just that I miss the old popcorn dramas which were nothing if not fun and provided ample light relief from stressful schooldays. Recent releases of "The A Team", "Knight Rider" et al on DVD have brought that old pleasure back, but I'm still eagerly anticipating "Airwolf", "Street Hawk" and "Automan". The latter two lasted only one season, but they were certainly enjoyable to me and my school friends. In those days when an American TV show was cancelled it was of too little consequence to become known in the UK, so we never knew why these fun shows disappeared. "Automan" appealed to me because it seemed to be a reverse of "Tron". The hero was rather straight-laced (even compared to Christopher Reeve's Superman!), but the show had plenty of visual treats and action to satisfy kids like me. It's the humour that I would like to re-evaluate as an adult. I'm almost certain I'd enjoy seeing this again!

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit this but I loved Automan. Like a lot of things from the 80s I think we are amazed with what things appealed to us back then. An episode of Friends summed it up when college aged Ross and Chandler turn up to thanksgiving dressed as if they were from Miami Vice. Yes this series typified 80s style in many ways and because of that has not stood the test of time. I can't see them repeating it in the UK because 14-15 year-olds will think it is stupid.

Anyway the show is about an LA cop(Arnaz jr) who has an expertise in computers. With his computer equipment he creates Automan(Wagner) and the flashing 'cursor' who makes the cars, boats, guitars or whatever Automan needs at the time. The two of them go after the big bad criminals and get them. Only two people know about Automan, his creator and another cop, an attractive female who never quite becomes anyone's love interest. There are lots of good driving scenes, likable characters and fairly good Sci-fi effects but most of all it has charisma. Unfortunately it is also a silly idea that never quite explains itself and is so corny the phrase corny could be replaced by the word Automan.

If you see it for the first time now you will probably be shocked at how bad it was. If you remember it from the first time round you will probably have that old familiar feeling which you might describe as comfortable.

This was a well cheesy show, with "Auto" and "Cursor" a blatant plagiarism of "Tron" and "Bit". That said, it was harmless fun, for the most part and enjoyable enough.

Although it didn't last long it seems to be one of the few shows that, although looking wooly and trite now, gained a dedicated following at the time.

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.

Yes, this was a little predictable, as one reviewer said, but it had a sense of humour that American shows seldom crack. Strangely, it was from Glen Larson, whose creations have not always stood the test of time. Yet the charm in Automan was so delicious that it was a shame that it only lasted 13 episodes.

Walter Nebicher (Desi Arnaz) is a computer geek who creates a hologram called Automan (Chuck Wagner) - but the character turns out to have not only Walter's ideas for a crime-fighter, but his own soul. Turns out Automan has lived in a parallel, video-game universe (à la Tron, the big SFX hit of the early 1980s) and counts Pac-man and Donkey Kong ('He's an animal') among his friends.

This improbable storyline, plus Automan's sidekick, Cursor (who has quite the eye [he must have one!] for the ladies) played for good laughs. What we do know is that the characters are not really going to develop much. Walter has a stereotypical loud cop boss with a New York accent (Gerald S. O'Loughlin) who hates him, a beautiful female police detective (Heather McNair) who fancies him, and an immediate superior (Robert Lansing) who feels he's misunderstood yet wants to make him feel valued. And the villains are similarly flat, perhaps with the exception of the suave Patrick Macnee in the première episode.

For a guy who doesn't like sci-fi (and who was in his teens when this aired), it was a fine way to spoof the genre and to poke fun at the primitive nature of video games and early 1980s' computers. Additional ideas were that Walter could feed in data about human life into Automan, so he could dance like John Travolta after receiving a Beta tape with a disco flick - another opportunity for set-ups. A priceless tennis-playing scene sees Cursor replace the real ball, set up for more laughs. Sometimes the oldest gags are the best ones.

Meanwhile, Automan gets stuck on everyday human problems: when asked what his (astrological) sign is, he cannot reply. Walter suggests, 'Tell him you're an Apple II.'

Unlike Galactica 1980, the special effects don't look too primitive, and in its day, were very swish for TV.

Automan did have the storylines of a kids' show, much like the similarly ill-fated Enos, the Dukes of Hazzard spin-off that was its contemporary. However, folks appreciated a bit of a tickle then, seeing a splash of humour in the (by then) tired genre of the one-hour-format cop show. Numerous episodes looked expensive and probably were - so the show always looked the part. Automan is a product of its era and still retains some fascination for me. Sometimes, you just need something that isn't so serious.