7.2 /10 1 Votes
7.5/10 TV First episode date 19 September 1986 | 6.9/10 IMDb Genre Science fiction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Created by Bruce A. Evans
Raynold Gideon Developed by Mike Gray
James Hirsch
John Mason Written by Michael Marks
Mike Gray
John Mason
Randall Wallace Directed by Bill Duke
Robert Chenault
Bob Dahlin
Mike Gray
Robert Hays
Nancy Malone
Nick Marck
Bob Sweeney Starring Robert Hays
Christopher Daniel Barnes
Michael Cavanaugh Network American Broadcasting Company Executive producers Michael Douglas, Stephanie Austin, Joel Chernoff Cast Robert Hays, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Michael Cavanaugh, Patrick Culliton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starman is an American science fiction television series starring Robert Hays and Christopher Daniel Barnes which continues the story from John Carpenter's 1984 film of the same name. The series aired on ABC from September 19, 1986 to May 2, 1987.
Contents
Storyline
The series takes place fifteen years after the film's story and features the return of the alien as a clone of deceased photojournalist Paul Forrester (Robert Hays) to meet and guide his now-teenage son Scott Hayden, Jr (Christopher Daniel Barnes) as they try to avoid a U.S. government agent and find the missing Jenny Hayden.
Each episode of the series had the fugitive father and son moving from place to place meeting people that were in need of some assistance, while Scott tries to explain to his alien father what it means to be a human being and Starman must deal with fallout from Forrester's rather hedonistic past. Each has a small silvery sphere of alien material, about 3–4 cm in diameter, that allows a trained mind to project thoughts to carry out telekinesis or telepathy in some limited manner. Starman is adept, but Scott needs to learn how to focus; in one episode, "Blue Lights", Scott accidentally creates a picturesque image of a rotating ring of blue lights that is mistaken for a UFO. Both are also able to empathically connect with animals.
Starman and Scott are also trying to stay one step ahead of government UFO investigator George Fox (Michael Cavanaugh), who regards both father and son as a threat to humanity and will not tolerate Starman and Scott running free in society. In one episode, when Starman tells Fox that children are the world's hope for the future, Fox reacts with hostility to imply that Scott is some sort of mutant and therefore not acceptable. Starman, however, holds no malice toward Fox, and even treats a life-threatening injury before he and Scott make their escape.
In a two-part episode, "Starscape", Starman and Scott find Jenny Hayden (Erin Gray) living as an artist, under the name Karen Iseley, in Arizona. One more episode, "The Test", aired after the two-part episode, tried to pave the way for a second season, but the series was canceled.
Critical reception
Starman scored a critics' rating of 34 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 5 "generally unfavorable" reviews. These ranged from The Miami Herald calling it "warm and funny" to the Los Angeles Times stating, "Brother, is this a drag".
Awards and nominations
Starman was nominated twice in 1987 for the Young Artist Award. The series received a nomination for Best Family Television Drama, and its co-star Christopher Daniel Barnes received a nomination for Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Drama Series.
DVD release
The entire series was released on DVD in at least Region 1 format, on April 16, 2012.