Un filo nel passato

While all of us who were hooked by this series probably still mourn its passing almost all the plaudits are, directly or otherwise, in reference to the concept or the writing. Both of these were indeed superb; however one aspect seems to have been overlooked. I doubt if there is another actor alive who could have brought to the character of Thomas Veil the precise qualities brought by Bruce Greenwood. He was simply perfect for the role. Combining appeal, intelligence and a certain "je ne sais quoi" of seeming a quarter of a bubble off, a semi-tone out, a tiny percentage off the beat and yet also perfectly normal. While everything else was terrifying, strange and unfathomable Greenwood was the sympathetic Everyman caught up in peculiar events and yet he himself is also peculiar. The audience can thus identify with Thomas Veil both as just like us and also as like us when we feel slightly bent. Greenwood conveyed this as probably no one else could. Should he not have won a Best Actor Emmy?

Quite possibly the best show in age of modern television that was cancelled before it could shine. The concept of the "man on the run" and the conspiracy that invariably drives such events has been done before, but what made Nowhere Man a more effective, if not evocative story was the idea that Thomas Vail quite possilby fabricated the events that caused him to go on the run. Everything he was running from, he may have created. This plus the many turns and twists the episodes took made the series irresistable to many, maddening to most and unfortunately fodder for dismissal in the pantheon on UPN. Its really too bad SciFi hasn't sought fit to continue the series or at least pick it up for rerun. They did some good fan service when they picked up other slain series like "Prey" and "Burning Zone" for replay, and you would think this one would come up for the running. Shame really.

This was one of the most brilliantly written shows of the 1990s. Unlike the vast majority of shows, it did NOT hold the audience in contempt and therefore dumb down the show, but created a captivating and surreal treat for those ready to watch something different. It was similar to the British series The Prisoner (early in season one only--after that, The Prisoner lost it's brilliance and momentum very quickly).

The problem is that in nearly every case like this, this is sure proof that the show will not last! Another excellent case was Brooklyn Bridge. The network also had no faith in this program because once again it was not mind rot--it was exquisitely written and engaging. Years ago, well-written shows for people who think were possible--the original Mission: Impossible is a good example. However, I fear that we are in an age where schlock sells.

PS--This GREAT series is now out on DVD! Get your copy ASAP!

Tom Veil has the opposite problem of Number Six on "The Prisoner." Instead of being placed in a world which suppresses his individuality, he is placed in a world that doesn't even acknowledge his existence.

This is an excellent show. I am thankful to have seen it. How UPN cancelled this and kept "Voyager" (especially when Voyager started getting bad with Seven-of-Nine-a-thons and The Rock) is a mystery to me. A combination of "X-Files" and "The Prisoner" mixed in with "The Fugitive," and stuffed into the "Traveling Angel" format of shows like "Quantum Leap" and "The Incredible Hulk."

A minor classic.

Thomas Veil was a masterpiece of television characterization. A man who, in the blink of an eye, had lost everything that meant anything to him, a statistic is a cunning game played by unseen puppetmasters. Whether or not the gruesome photograph of 4 men being hanged in Vietnam was the true reason behind his situation, we will probably never know. What we do know is that by limiting this show to one season, UPN has deprived us of something magical, something thought provoking. In a world of yuppie trash shows like Cops and Seventh Heaven, few can appreciate, or even remember Nowhere Man and the mark it made on those of us who followed Mr. Veil from one waypoint to another in search of the truth.