fine whine

Intent is three quarters of something or other. I've been meaning to mention this for at least two months but haven't done so for no good reason.

I've renewed Lee Goldberg's book of Unsold TV pilots at least twice. It was one of the shows that caught my eye, and only now do I share it with you.

But before I do that, let's see what you can recall. I found the story of a pilot about a former astronaut who had become super intelligent by way of some solar happenstance.

Heat vision and Jack, you say. Not so, I say. What follows is the unfiltered truth (i.e. the exact entry. Please don't sue me!)

55. Northstar. ABC 8/10/86. 90 minutes. Phillips/Grodnick Productions and Warner Bros. Television. Director: Peter Levin. Executive Producers: Clyde Phillips and Dan Grodnick. Producer/Writer: Howard Lakin. Music: Brad Fiedel.

Originally titled The Einstein Man, this stars Greg Evignan as an astronaut who, while on a walk outside the spaceship, is zapped by a solar disturbance. When he gets back to earth, he has superhuman powers--and a superhuman mind--that's triggered by sunlight. But if he gets too much direct sunlight--without the protection of special sunglasses--he'll literally explode from overload. So, like his predecessor "The six million dollar man," he becomes a secret agent. Mitchell Ryan is his boss, Deborah Wakeman is the scientist who works with him.

Cast: Greg Evigan (as Major Jack North), Deborah Wakeman (Dr. Allison Taylor), Mitchell Ryan (Col. Evan Marshall), Mason Adams (Dr. Karl Janss), David Hayward (Bill Harlow), Sonny Landham (Becker), Robin Curtiss (Jane Harlow), Richard Garrison (Agent), Steven Williams (Agent), Ken Foree (Astronaut).

So yeah, Ben Stiller and Jack Black might not have been as original as they thought. So what?

The book's an interesting read albeit an out of date one. I've had a lot of experience with failed pilots and misunderstood shows, having seen everything from the failed Journey to the center of the earth to the Charming family thing and shows about robot girls and fathers from space.

Heck, I was even part of a focus group/feedback thing once wherein I watched bits of TV shows and then answered phone questions about them. It devolved to a screenshot, a pitch and a bunch of smilie faces and I was supposed to say which face represented my reaction.

I mainly went with the "face that is neither happy nor sad".

Hey, I was seven or eight at the time.