Scrap_Iron is basically correct. Superheroes were popular in the late '70s, and ABC wanted a superhero series. Cannell insisted that the super powers had to be in the suit, that Ralph could not himself possess them.
TGAH was basically a comic drama about a bunch of often-clueless people, including Maxwell's * FBI boss. Today's kids don't like the show because they don't understand that strong character interactions is the basis of good storytelling. "Duh... Where are the explosions?"
The special effects were poor, even for their time. Movies still used travelling mattes, which were impossibly expensive for a weekly series. The flying sequences were done by a company called Magicam. ** I suspect the film elements were converted to video, manipulated, then returned to film. The results were decidedly mediocre, and generally unconvincing.
On the other hand, the stunts were the best in any TV series I've ever seen. Week after week, Katt's stunt double took a major beating.
There's no question the budget was tight. In early episodes, Ralph becomes invisible using, a smooth lap dissolve -- which costs money. In later episodes, it's done with an in-camera cut -- which costs nothing, and looks Really Ugly.
* Does anyone know whether Bill Maxwell was named after Maxwell Smart, or even Robert Maxwell, one of the producers of Adventures of Superman?
** At least three companies used this name, including one run by Douglas Trumbull.
reply
share