PilotTV.net is a website/Roku channel dedicated to airing TV Series pilots including many that were never broadcast on television. May 16th through 22nd will be Superhero Week running quite a number of nuggets that genre fans will want to check out. Start your free trial week and watch each of these:
*NBS – Never Before Seen
Hercules (1965) (NBS*) – Hercules saves Troy from the Sea Monster and saves Princess Diana. Gordon Scott (who replaced Lex Barker as Tarzan in that film franchise) played Hercules in this early attempt to spawn a live action series based on the Greek demigod.
The Incredible Hulk (1978) – A fugitive scientist has the curse of becoming a powerful green monster under extreme emotional stress. Pilot to the classic late-70’s series.
Captain Nice (1967) – Carter Nash was a chemist in a police department who discovered a liquid which could turn him into Captain Nice, an odd sort of superhero: very shy and dominated by his mother. Captain Nice flew (he feared heights) in his tattered leotards, fighting badguys because his mother told him to do so. This was a short-lived 60’s series that came from Get Smart creator Buck Henry. It starred William Daniels as Captain Nice who later provided the voice of KITT in the 80’s series Knight Rider.
Green Hornet (1966) – A newspaper publisher and his Asian valet/martial arts expert battle crime as the feared Green Hornet and Kato. Pilot to the classic, though short-lived, 60’s series that came from the creators of the Batman TV show.
Batgirl (1967) (NBS*) – At the Gotham City library, Barbara Gordon helps Bruce Wayne find a book on butterflies so he can prove a point to a friend, a millionaire explorer. This was a failed attempt to spin-off Batgirl into her own series (with recurring Batman actress Yvonne Craig continuing in the role).
The Ghost Busters (1975) – Fat Man and the guys try to bring Big Al back from the beyond. Saturday morning live action series starring F Troop vets Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch which long predated the better known big screen franchise.
Adventures of Superman (1952) – See how young Clark Kent leaves his home Planet and is sent to Earth to save lives. Pilot for the classic 1950’s series.
Justice League of America (1997) (NBS*) – An evil Weather Man intent on destroying New Metro City with a series of malevolent meteorological mishaps? Can the super-powered (and semi-employed) Justice League of America save the day? This is the much-maligned late-90’s attempt to launch a TV series based on the popular DC superhero team, though Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman wisely bowed out.
Shazam (1974) – A young boy, able to transform into the superhero Captain Marvel, travels the country fighting evil. Pilot for the mid-70’s Saturday morning live action series.
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Available from Warner Archives: Legends of the Superheroes
A cartoon come to life? A comic book come to TV? This late 70’s, live-action two episode special gave us all of the major DC superheroes together for the first (and still only) time on television with the exception of Superman (busy dazzling audiences on the big screen at that time) and Wonder Woman (busy dazzling audiences with her cleavage over on CBS). Kiddie-animation kings Hanna Barbara produced this in conjunction with their Super Friends cartoon and brought back Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin along with Frank Gorshin reprising his role as the Riddler. Also on board were the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Captain Marvel, Huntress, The Atom, and Black Canary along with assorted baddies from each of their rogues galleries such as Dr. Sivana, Sinestro, Weather Wizard, and Solomon Grundy. And it had a laugh track to boot!
