Automan was created by Glen A. Larson the same
year he created Manimal (which was also recently released on DVD), Masquerade
and Trauma Center (he was certainly a busy boy), none of which would see
a second season. I had never seen this show before, so there was no nostalgic
value for me, as there was with Manimal. Yet I seriously enjoyed it.
It’s actually a much better show, and has a fun, light tone. Part of the fun is
in the character of Cursor, who is a computer-generated light that appears just
before Automan shows up, and is, as Heather McNair says in an interview, “a
little, naughty Tinkerbell.” Cursor is able to create any image that Walter
and Automan require, including a computer-generated car that is able to take
ninety-degree turns, as in Tron.
Automan himself is something of a flirt, charming other
computers to get his way. Like in the pilot, when he talks to the traffic
light, who responds like a lover; or when he talks to a slot machine at a
casino in the second episode. Those are some of the series’ most delightful
moments. And it’s not just computers that succumb to Automan’s charms, but
women as well. There is a really funny moment in the first episode when
Walter’s landlady flirts with him.
The series’ pilot, which was written by Glen A. Larson,
is feature-length. In the opening titles sequence, you can see a poster of
Heather Thomas (I had that exact poster on my wall at the time). There is a
brief narrated segment at the beginning (which would be included in all
thirteen episodes), in which Automan gives the audience an introduction: “This
is the true story of Walter Nebicher, doing what he likes best –fighting crime
on the streets. You see, Walter is a policeman. Unfortunately, the chief
doesn’t want Walter on the streets. So Walter must fight crime in his own way,
in the computer room. That’s where he’s an expert.” Walter is a bit of
loner, whose computer expertise isn’t truly appreciated by the rest of the
department. This is in the early 1980s, remember, when computers were not yet
so widely in use. There are quite a few wonderful guest stars in the first
episode, including Patrick McNee, Doug McClure, Sid Haig and Mickey Jones. Sid
Haig plays a hoodlum at a bar who hits on Roxanne. He is perfect and hilarious
when he tells her, “As a matter of fact, I’ve got great news: I’m in love.”
There are plenty of notable guest stars throughout the
series. The third episode, “The Great Pretender,” features the always-wonderful
Clu Gulager as Rudy Brock, a criminal who is planning his wedding to the
daughter of a former congressman. There is a really good scene where his
fiancée sort of confronts him with something she’s heard about his past, and he
manages to not tell her the truth while also not lying to her – a nice touch,
him not lying to her, for it shows the human side of his character. One odd
thing about this episode is that it has a scene where a cab driver has a bomb
in his car and makes an excuse to leave, while leaving our heroes trapped in
the back seat. That exact scene is also in an episode of Manimal. And
here’s the most interesting thing: the cab driver in both shows is played by
the same actor: Talbot Simons. An interesting connection between the two
series. Both Billy Drago and Richard Anderson appear in the episode “Renegade
Run,” one of the goofiest and most enjoyable episodes. One of the most
interesting guest appearances is by Laura Branigan as a singer named Jesse
Cole. She is shown recording a music video for the song “Hot Night,” a song
that would also be in Ghostbusters. Laura Branigan flirts with Automan, who
has become a fan. Automan says, “You don’t have to be human to want to get
down and boogie.” Besides “Hot Night,” she sings “Gloria” and
“Satisfaction.” It’s odd, because she’s playing a character named Jesse, so
it’s like Laura playing Jesse who is covering Laura.
And then in the very next episode, Michelle Phillips is a
guest star (and in her first scene, she wears a sexy lynx coat), playing an
actor named Veronica Everly. This is perhaps my favorite episode. After Automan
gets a small part in a film, he asks, “What’s an agent?” The director
tells him, “Like a vampire, with a telephone.” And then in “Zippers,”
John “And-that-foot-is-me” Vernon is the guest star. And Automan finally
comes across a computer that doesn’t succumb to his charms.
There is some good dialogue in this series. Like in the
first episode, one criminal says, “Are you trying to commit suicide?”
The other responds, “Well, it might be the best way out, but I think I’ll
settle for getting drunk instead.” In the fifth episode Rachel (played by
Delta Burke) says: “I think I know where we can find the answers to a lot of
our questions. Are you game?” Automan answers, “Well, I started off as
one.” And in the eighth episode, when Lt. Curtis takes his first ride in
the computer car, he says, “Didn’t you ever hear of the speed limit?”
Automan answers: “Certainly. It just doesn’t apply to me.” And there are
several references to video games of the time. Automan at one point says, “Pac-Man,
we’re close friends.” And in the final episode, Walter says to Automan, “For
someone who can trace his family tree back to Pong, I’d think you’d have a
little more appreciation for games.”
Special Features
This four-disc set contains some special features, all on
the fourth disc. Calling Automan: The Auto Feature is a forty-two-minute
feature, which includes interviews with cast members Chuck Wagner, Desi Arnaz
Jr. and Heather McNair, as well a little bit with series creator Glen A.
Larson. The actors talk about getting their roles, about their characters and
about Cursor. Desi Arnaz Jr. talks about Michelle Phillips being a guest star
and about his own group having opened for The Mamas And The Papas. They also
talk about Laura Branigan and some of the other guest stars.
In addition, there is The Story Of Automan, which
is a short printed bit about the show, and Feature Story, which is a
promotional bit from the time of the show’s initial run. There are also cast
and crew biographies, two photo galleries, and a trailer for Manimal.
Automan: The Complete Series was released on DVD
on November 10, 2015 through Shout! Factory.
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