Stingray

For a few years in the late '80s, when I was just starting high school, "Stingray" was a regular fixture of my Friday nights. I used to stay home to tape it and "Crime Story" every week, so I got to see many episodes, and I think they still exist on ancient videocassettes somewhere in my brother's house. What can I say? This was easily one of the most stylish of the prime time dramas of the day, kind of Film Noir meets MTV, complete with quasi-music-video segments (all Post/Carpenter compositions, of course), disorientating quick-cuts in time with dramatic bursts of electronic drums, lots of shadows and glistening wet nighttime streets. Very moody and atmospheric at times, especially the episodes directed by David Hemmings (the same one who starred in Blow-Up and other movies). Being a sci-fi geek at the time, probably my favorite episode of all was the implausibly silly but neat-looking "Playback" (the "Desert Dome episode" as I call it, directed by Hemmings and co-starring Eugene Roche). Great series. Bring it back. Not that they ever will. Did I mention the '65 Vette?

This was one of my favorite shows. I guess I like stories in which the good guy always makes the "clever" bad guys look like idiots and still make it believable. But then, I'm very easily fooled and was more so when I was 25 and this show was new. Nick Mancuso was convincing and the co-stars were always experienced actors such as Robert Vaughn.

As a previous commenter stated I'd agree with the following:

• Better than other shows of that era: A-team, Knight Rider, etc. Deeper plots and better characters. - The original pretender. The main character, Ray, took on the 'role' of a character and would try to fix wrongs. One particular show (if memory recalls correctly) he became a surgeon...pretty good stuff.

Was disappointed when it was canceled, would have like to see a few more seasons but we know how the 80's were.....shallow characters (somewhat kidding here....don't let the flame-wars begin).

Good day all.

This show had a sleek, polished feel to it and was very artistic in its camera techniques, yet at the same time was accessible and fun. Ray was a very heroic figure and at the same time endearingly vulnerable. You knew if he were real you could trust him, and if you were female you hoped he might spend a little intimate time with you before disappearing again into his nameless existence. I hope desperately that someone will rerun the meager few shows that got made, but until then I cherish my few episodes on tape.

i remember being mesmerized by this show and of course the vintage 1965 Stingray driven by Nick Mancuso. He played his character quite well...he was very handsome, mysterious, yet there was also a vulnerability to him that i found extremely sexy -- not to mention those hypnotic dark eyes and the stealth in the way he carried himself. like i said...sexy...elusive and yet very masculine, with a chameleon-like existence...much like "The Pretender". unlike the other private eye characters, where they are paid for hire, "Ray" only provided favors for those he helped, and when the time came, for the favor to be given back. sounded fair enough for me. it's a shame this series was so short lived. i lived for those Friday nights before "Miami Vice" when "Stingray" came on...with its sexy, yet edgy musical score.

to be quite honest...they could've kept "MV" and continued with "Stingray"...perhaps one day the good folks of TV Land will show the short reruns of it...we can only hope.