"Automan" had more episodes air than "Firefly".
“Automan” arrives on DVD allowing me to watch more than the show’s opening sequence. How did a show about Desi Arnaz Jr and Chuck Wagner working together as a crime fighting computer duo ever work in the early 1980s. The easy answer is cocaine, but I feel it goes beyond that. I love digging through old shows from the era and there was an obvious push to cash in on any Sci-Fi trend that was picking up steam. Thanks in part to Dykstra’s work with Larson shows like Battlestar Galactica, the bridge between film and TV was narrowing. I just wish someone cared about the scripts in the same way.
I assume that after Tron opened, people thought it was going to be a far bigger hit. The influence between here and there is noticeable. However, visual aesthetic can only get so far. Does the work with Cursor really matter to the overall plot. The only real push is getting Walter to generate Automan when needed to fight crime. Change the locale and throw in a few obstacles to differentiate between episodes.
The DVD comes with an all-new documentary, featurettes, biographies, galleries and a trailer as the special features. The A/V Quality is pretty stellar for a show of its age. The transfer is strong enough with era appropriate sound. I’m not sure if it was meant to be mono, but it can’t be Dolby surround. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to fans.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!
