Shark Bytes

"SABLE" was an example of JTS from Day One due to the stunted and twisted way it attempted to translate Writer/Artist Mike Grell`s comic character; "Jon Sable, Freelance" to tv...while managing to completely miss the mark.

Grell`s character; a man with lethal skills and a troubled past, struggling with a latent Death Wish due to the violent loss of his family, had far more depth than the tv show presented.

"Jon Sable, Freelance" would make an excellent big screen movie--or HBO series--but neutering it for network tv was just a Bad Idea from Day One.

I just remembered something about this stupid show that I've got to share, just to prove I really watched this show. The guy, Sable, had a black, blind computer-whiz friend who helped Sable solve mysteries with his Braille-equipped computer. He wasn't really a sidekick or partner to Sable 'cause, for obvious reasons, he never went around in black make-up with Sable actively solving the mysteries. Heck, the way the show portrayed the guy, I got the impression he never left his apartment. His only joy in life was telling the world's oldest, lamest jokes, mostly to poor Sable, 'cause I think he was the only one who ever visited him, and playing with a little box that played recorded laughter & applause when he turned it on after each dumb joke. Needless to say, this annoyed Sable no end & he would usually cut the guy off saying "Heard it!" as he began ANOTHER joke. Oh well, you can't have a show without a black guy, right?

This show was a mess. Not a fun mess either, just terrible. Even for some of the other drivel that was on at the time, this was pretty lame. This WAS the one aboot the guy who illustrated children's books by day & put on a black outfit & make-up at night to climb buildings & fight crime & stuff, because his wife was shot to death? It's been done, & it's been done better. This puss carried a gun with a really cool laser sight (you know the ones where the victim sees a red dot on his/her head seconds before (s)he gets it?) but it was NEVER loaded 'cause he hated guns (like MacGyver) because his wife was shot. I think every episode involved him & his stupid black make-up cornering some dopey criminal & scaring him into confessing before revealing that the gun's not loaded. Except for (of course) the one where some (other) nutter PRETENDS to be Sable except HE really shoots people with HIS gun (because he's not as nice as the REAL Sable) I'm spending more time on this than it deserves. Oh well, I'm at work.