ALL SCI-FI

[Krel]

This was CBS's superhero comedy. I didn't see many of the episodes, but I did like what I saw.

The show is set up by the opening credits narrated by Paul Frees:

"A scientist both wise and bold sets out to cure the common cold. Instead, he found this power pill, "Which", he said, "most certainly will turn a lamb into a lion. Like an eagle he'll be flyin'! Solid steel will be like putty. It will work on anybody!"

But it was found this potent pill made the strongest men quite ill. And so the secret search began to find the one and only man! What they found made them squeamish, for only Stanley Beamish, a meek and droopy daffodil, could take the special power pill that sent him soaring through the skies, fighting foes and fighting spies! When he took the pill specific, it made him the most magnific, prolific, Mister Terrific!"

The Bureau of Secret Projects computer identifies gas station attendant Stanley Beamish as the only person that could take the power pill. The pill gives him super strength for one hour. The pill doesn't make him invulnerable however, so a special bulletproof coat was constructed. The coat's arms had wings, which allow him to fly by flapping his arms!

When Stanley took the power pill, he turned different colors while the pill took effect. I think that he had to wait a certain amount of time before he could take a second pill.

Stanley Beamish was played by Stephen Strimpell. Stanley's gas station coworker who didn't know about his government job was Hal Walters played by Dick Gautier.

The head of the Bureau of Secret Projects, the man who recruited Stanley, was Barton J. Reed played John McGiver.

Like "Captain Nice", "Mr. Terrific" didn't last long, and due to the family only having one TV, I didn't see many episodes.

A scene I remember is that he has locked himself in a closet in an apartment as criminals are trying to get information out of him. He has a problem as his power pill had fallen into a candy dish on a table. While the criminals are distracted, he bursts from the closet, runs to the candy dish, pops the pill and jumps over the balcony railing.

The criminals run to the railing, see Stanley hanging onto the railing and haul Stanley into the room as he says, 'Wrong Pill!'

David.

[Bud Brewster]

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I couldn't find a video of the pilot that was actually aired, but I did find an "unaired pilot" which cast Alan Young as the hero, shortly after Mr. Ed was cancelled! It's 50 minutes long, so the series (or at least the pilot) was intended for a one-hour time slot.

The writing and acting are actually quite good — at least in the part I've watched so far. Give it look, guys.

_________Alan Young "Mr Terrific" unaired pilot


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

I found this comedic take on superheroes lame.
Now Captain Nice, that was a hoot.