Il mio amico Ultraman

I remember "My Secret Identity" with Jerry O'Connell. This was a really cool show from the late 80s and very early 1990s that revolved around a 13 year old kid named Andrew Clements that gets superpowers from his nerdy next door neighbor's plant growing laser beam. The series seemed to revel in it's campy setting, and there were plenty of injokes for comic book fans. Jerry O'Connell did this show after "Stand By Me" but before "Sliders", "Jerry Maguire" or any of his really big hits from the mid 90s to the present, so he was a recognizable 13 year old name but not a huge, elite name at the time. And while he was no longer "the fat kid" like he was in "Stand By Me", he didn't yet look like some big studly jock, so the character of Andrew Clements had a very believable dorky aspect to him.

Andrew like most 13 year olds, just loves the idea of having superpowers. He's not like many heroes who hates having the powers and the responsibility of being a hero. For Andrew it's the greatest thing in the world to be a superhero, he even calls himself "Ultraman", but in a move that grounded the series in some mode of reality...he never goes public with his powers, only him and Dr. Jeffcoat (whome he calls Dr. J in a very dated reference now) know about the powers...ala "The Greatest American Hero". I think what ruined the series was when Andrew moved from middle school to high school and sprouted into this big, 5'10+ hulking guy. Jerry O'Connell blossomed into this huge athlete and no longer came across as the uber geek anymore during the 1990-1991 final season. That best friend he had was just plain annoying, it seemed like Andrew lost some of his friendship with Dr. J and hung out more with his new high school pal. The magic was just gone as a result of the kid getting older and losing his innocence. But watch the 1988-1990 part of the series, especially the first season, it was a very different and unique series about a middle school boy that is as excited as ever about getting superpowers.

This was a classic Canadian kids show about a kid who accidentally gets zapped with a mutation laser by his neighbour (a scientist) then develops powers such as the ability to fly, then starts helping people, stopping crimes, etc week to week. It's low budget and obviously very silly but tons of fun and good lighthearted family entertainment all ages could enjoy.

All superheros had to start somewhere. This entertaining series is about Andrew Clements(Jerry O'Connell). An ordinary teenager with a love for superhero comics, One day visits his scientist friend Dr. Benjamin Jeffcoate(played comically well by Derek Mcgrath), gets hit by a photon beam, and gets superpower, like some of the superheros he reads about in comics. But Andrew has yet to become a superhero. He must use his superpowers for one thing first, surviving High School. A good series, and a good premise. But has Jerry O'Connell got older, the series began to wear it self out. This inspired another show with a similar premise called The Secret World Of Alex Mack.

My favorite thing to do was to record the show on audio cassette and listen to them when I was laying in bed trying to go to sleep. I didn't have a TV in my room, but I was so obsessed with the show that I never wanted to stop being in that world.

I remember this particular bit...Andrew was in his room, supposed to be studying geometry, but he was completely bored with it...

"I, Andrew Clements, invested with the powers of Ultraman, do hereby declare that all trapezoids, squares, triangles, and all other stupid shapes shall be banished from this planet and replaced with one long straight line!" Aw, good stuff.

Well, that comment wasn't exactly true. Every fanboy's dream would be to get a date, stop working at Wal-Mart,and get out of his parent's basement!! Onto the show!!! It's about a kid -Jerry O'Connell of Sliders- who after a laboratory accident, gains the ability to hover, move at super human speeds and is invulnerable. The show was half of a sunday night kid's block also featuring the Adventures of Beans Baxter. It was later moved next to the live action Superboy. If you are not a comic book fan, you won't get it. If you are, you probably already have...