Feeling nostalgic for those unusual television shows which didn't last long? Here's a list of some very odd shows for you to enjoy.
The following shows were too strange for television, as most of them last only for one season (or even less). But we'll always remember them fondly for the fact that they were strange:
Manimal (1983)
The panther transformation sequence. Notice the amazement of the zoo animals.
The astounding adventures of a man who can turn into any animal! Man... animal... manimal! Get it? Ah, never mind. This show followed the shape-shifting heroic exploits of Dr. Johnathan Chase, which sadly lasted for only eight episodes. Too bad, I was looking forward to seeing Dr. Chase turn into a wombat or a platypus or a squid or some other weird creature.
Man from Atlantis (1977 - 1978)
In this scene, the Man from Atlantis has a race with a dolphin. Guess who wins? Yup. Man from Atlantis.
This unusual show about Mark Harris, a man supposedly from Atlantis, lasted only thirteen episodes (although there were four made-for-tv movies). Due to his Atlantean body, he could breathe underwater (natch), had super strength and could withstand incredible ocean pressures. Too bad he couldn't withstand his series being cancelled, though.
Supertrain (1979)
Now that's one big ugly train. But wait, it has malls and swimming pools and adventure!
Sort of like a weird "Love Boat" on the train tracks. The train in question was a massive nuclear powered bullet train that could go from New York to Los Angeles in 36 hours. It lasted only nine episodes, being considered one of the worst television flops in history.
Quark (1977 - 1978)
Just flyin' "round the galaxy, collecting garbage... now there"s a career!
This short-run tv show (only eight episodes) was set in the year 2222 and followed the (mis)adventures of Adam Quark, commander of the United Galaxies Sanitation Patrol Cruiser. His mission, along with his unusually wacky crew, was to fly around the galaxy collecting space trash. This series is considered a cult classic among science-fiction fans. A show about garbage collection? Can't miss with that!
Street Hawk (1985)
The gritty adventures of a police office and his high-tech motorcycle capable of reaching speeds up to 300 m.p.h. Personally I don't see the safety in zooming around city streets at almost half the speed of sound, but there you go. This gem of a tv series lasted only thirteen episodes. Did you know the theme music for this show was composed by Tangerine Dream? Now you know.
Small Wonder (1985 -1989)
The theme song is horrible... turn it off... please, TURN IT OFF.
Just your typical family with an android 10-year old girl. The premise of the show is the father, Ted Dawson, builds an android that he then tries to conceal from his greedy boss. This show has also been criticized for being one of the worst shows of all time.
Automan
Gotta love that Tron-like look.
Here's a strange one, a tv show about a cop and a computer-generated hologram fighting crime. Only thirteen episodes were made. Automan also had a computer-generated sidekick named Cursor that could make things like cars or clothing or delicious fudge (joke).
Bosom Buddies
Tom Hanks in drag, now there's good television!
The premise of this show was pretty far-fetched: two single men dressing up as women so that they can live in a woman's only building because the rent is "dirt cheap". Surprisingly enough this show lasted two seasons.
Galactica 1980 (1980)
Here's a well-made "Galactica 1980 in three minutes" clip for your edification.
Only ten episodes were made of this show, which was created to appease the demand of fans of the original "Battlestar Galactica". If the fans knew the sequel was going to turn out like this, they may have re-thought their write-in campaign. Did you know that people from Battlestar Galactica become like superheroes on our plant Earth? It's true.
Whiz Kids (1983)
Gotta love that funky digital soundtrack...
Young hackers as detectives! Where can you go wrong? Well, this show lasted only one season with eighteen episodes. If you like watching a whole bunch of geeky kids using 1980's technology to solve mysteries, you'll love this show.
