The Powers of Matthew Star

Hundreds of shows have come and gone, but Matthew Star remains my favorite. The acting by the cast (especially Peter Barton, considering the fact he was around 26 playing a 16 year old) is superb and the original story lines up until the point mid-season when the show was revamped (at the network's request, I'm presuming) are fantastic.

The idea that as if growing up on Earth isn't hard enough, Matthew Star was expected to lead a planet of people to freedom some day, was inspired. There are great emotional scenes when you realize that despite being a prince with special powers, Matthew was humble and very unsure of himself at times.

My big regrets are that the show ended so abruptly and that the show isn't available on DVD to be enjoyed by our new generation of Sci-Fi fans (hint, hint). I sure would have looked forward to Season 2: The Return to Quadris!

Even in the fashion-tragic 80's, Matthew Star (Peter Barton), the Alien prince of Quadris looked foolish. The white jumpsuit, the Farrah hair, the pseudo-Michael Jackson glove. Midway through the run of the series, the producers took a good, long look at their Star. Their solution? Matthew became a secret agent. Better solution? Cancellation.

... it is much bigger and grander in my memory than it actually is. I guess its power, at least in my case, is in its nostagia, so YMMV.

Peter Barton stars as Matthew Star, a normal-looking high-school age teen who is secretly a fugitive prince from a distant planet. Lou Gossett Jr co-stars as Walt, also an alien, who has acted as Matthew's guardian on Earth, where the boy has lived most of his life. Being part of the alien royal family, Matthew has various super powers, such as telekinesis and limited telepathy. Matthew just wants to live the life of a normal Earth teen, spending time with his high school sweetheart Pam (series regular Amy Steel), while Walt goes undercover as a science teacher at the school Matthew attends. Matthew and Walt have to deal with assorted troubles from the mundane (drag-racing teens, trouble on the football team) to the extraordinary (alien bounty hunters, inquisitive scientists).

At the half-season mark, the series underwent a soft reboot, with the high school setting eventually dropped, and Amy Steel being dropped from the cast. Matthew and Walt are now working for the government, in the person of skeptical contact James Karen. They are assigned missions searching for valuable technology, stopping terrorists, or fighting other sundry crimes. Matthew also exhibits a bunch of new powers, such as being able to project an astral body version of himself that can walk through walls; shoot laser blasts from his hands; and even transforming items with a wave of his hand.

The series has a reputation as one of the worst science fiction shows in television history. I was prepared for worse than it is, but it's still not good. The stories range from silly to stupid, and there's a lot of early-80's network cheese on display (plenty of laughing freeze-frames to close out episodes). Barton and Steel (who had both starred in different Friday the 13th movies) are blandly pretty, while accomplished pro Gossett is definitely slumming (he was appearing in this when he won his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for An Officer and a Gentleman). The producers included Harve Bennett who had worked on Star Trek (Leonard Nimoy directs an episode, and Walter Koenig wrote one), and Bruce Lansbury, brother of Angela Lansbury. Bruce's daughter/Angela's niece Felicia Lansbury appears in one of the last episodes.

{Its hard to remember specifics about this show, but all i know is two things. I loved this show when i was younger, and NO ONE ELSE remembers it! Every sci fi geek I ask looks at me like i have two heads when i mention the name Matthew Star.}

I'm so with you chad. I'm so happy to be reading these comments and know that I am no longer alone. I was beginning to think I dreamt the damn show! LOL. I do hope someone will release it on DVD sooner or later. I'm sure they will. Just earlier in the year I was thinking the same for the Bionic Woman starring Lindsey Wagner and "viola" what did I just buy last month? The entire 3 seasons on DVD. So there is hope my powered friends. Be Patient! It will come! LOL

It's been 16 years since the planet Quadris was conquered. Prince Matthew Star (Peter Barton) was only a baby when he escaped to Earth with his guardian Walt Shepherd (Louis Gossett Jr.). The plan is for Matthew to develop his special powers and return to free his people. On Earth, Walt is outwardly a normal teenager. Pamela Elliot (Amy Steel) is his girlfriend. Walt gets a job as a teacher. They are pursued by intergalactic assassins. General Tucker uncovers their secret and offers to maintain it for friendly cooperation.

I am almost certain that I watched parts of the show since I seem to recognize the space battle intro. It's also possible that I simply remember a long forgotten trailer. I am glad that I don't remember the show. It's pretty bad. The writing is clunky. There are questionable logic leaps in the setup. Even with the boring expositions, the premise still has plenty of holes. The lead is charismatically challenged. Thank God for LGJ. Then there are the episodes themselves. They are generally not good and the show is cancelled after one season.

The first twelve episodes have Matthew going to school with girlfriend Pam. The general premise is good but I don't like the side trips. It should be a high school drama with a dash of superpower. Instead of staying at the school, the show seems intent on going off every which way away from the school. It doesn't develop the romantic relationship or the other main student characters. Monica could have been a good Scooby gang member. It's obvious that he should slowly develop his powers but he's powerful right from the start. The tension comes when he is forced to use his powers in public. While it's nothing good, this still has potential. With time at the school, some semblance of interpersonal drama could develop. For some unknown reasons, the show does a jump in time and story after the new year.

Major Wymore takes over from General Tucker sending Matt and Walt on various missions. Pam is long gone. In addition, Matt has new powers and a signal ring. Even the intro is changed leaving out their home world and escape. I'm guessing that the show wasn't doing well and that's why the sudden retooling. It doesn't help in any way and only made things worst. The show worked best with the kids and the school. Episode 12, Fugitives, is probably the best of the bunch and it's crazy to have the makeover right after. It becomes a different show and dies. The first half is a six but the second half is much lower.