Shark Bytes
"The Immortal" was based upon a story by James Gunn, about humans who develop a generalised immunity to diseases and pathogenic conditions, and are hunted down by others when the condition is discovered to be transferrable by massive blood and bone marrow transfusion and transplant.
The TV series was far more an action-adventure than the pure philosophy and survival of a new life form story, but both have their points; Indeed the TV series could well have becoem as well thought of as "The Incredible Hulk" if it had gone to two seasons.
The TV series was far more an action-adventure than the pure philosophy and survival of a new life form story, but both have their points; Indeed the TV series could well have becoem as well thought of as "The Incredible Hulk" if it had gone to two seasons.
lol i almost left a bad word agaisnt this show thinking it was the horrible lorenzo lammas show,, but i saw a few of these show in syndication when i was younger,, i think a remake is way over due
This show had a stylish, exciting pilot directed by Joseph Sargent that was shown as a Movie of the Week. The cast included Carol Lynley, Barry Sullivan, and Jessica Walter. But they couldn't really figure out how to turn it into a series. All they came up with was a Fugitive rehash. The premise of a man who never ages is interesting, but how do you turn it into a series? Perhaps the series should have covered thousands of years. We could watch Ben Richards' friends and (girl friends) aging and dying as Ben stays young. He would lead an existence that was both tragic and blessed. In various episodes he could be a contemporary (and friend) of Aristotle, Alexander the Great,Jesus,Shakespeare, Newton,Darwin,Freud, George Washington, Jefferson, Wyatt Earp, Patton, JFK, etc. He could serve in the Peloponnesian War, the Crusades, the Civil War, WW1, WW2, Korea, and Vietnam. Maybe Ben Richards is a professional soldier through the ages. The character would have time for almost unlimited intellectual growth but also would experience enormous guilt as he leaves his aging friends and lovers behind.
This was one of those action shows that if you were a certain age (10-18) you watched. Like a lot of shows of that era, it would not have been cancelled if the networks paid attention to demographics back then. But they went by pure numbers. Great show, kind of like the poor man's Fugitive. Don't know if it could have held up long-term but it would have been nice to see at least 2 seasons worth.
Never jumped - wasn't on long enough! I found a website with the theme from this show - kinda creepy, with a "thump-thump, thump-thump" heartbeat behind the Christopher George voice-over - "I've got to live free!" George was some sort of test-track driver who gets injured and that's how "they" discover his rare blood. Not only was he being chased by the evil millionaire Maitland, but The Government was also chasing him so They could isolate him "for his own protection." I think Chris George was hitch-hiking around the country looking for his brother who might have the same blood. ABC continued this theme with Kung Fu a year or two later. North America was just as big in the 1870s as in the 1970s, and it must have been really hard for these guys to find their respective brothers. I believe they both found their brothers, but it was all anti-climax, in both shows. Christopher George never quite made it big, but when you're married to Lynda Day, does it matter?
Ignoring most of the above comments because they do NOT apply to this particular show, I loved the Immortal with Christopher George being pursued by the evil billionaire Mr. Maitland in his black Lincoln Town Car. Kind of gives you an idea what life was like before stalking laws. Too bad nobody watched this show though.
I first saw this show after SNL. Embarrassingly enough, I thought it was part of SNL and continued to watch it. It was actually really good (Episode about prep school that brainwashed their kids) and the guy who played Goodwin was really cute, so there began my obsession with The Immortal. No matter how tired I was, I kept myself awake until two in the morning just to catch this show. I especially enjoyed the fairy tales episode, which like every episode was full of comedy, action, fun, and cheesy special effects. It was the show of my dreams and I miss it, although I am considering buying the DVD set.
Don't know if it jumped but the above poster certainly has!! Read the airdate!! 1970!! This refers to the original Immortal show. A sort of Fugitive series, the hero having a unique blood chemistry that keeps him young and heal from any injury. In the pilot movie some old billionaire (did they have billionaires in 1970!) was trying to catch him and use a transfusion of the hero's blood to keep him alive. OK, I have to agree that the 2000 Immortal series was at best a poor quality knock off of Highlander (garbage in garbage out?). Perhaps the 2000 show deserves its own Shark entry?
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