The Highwayman (TV series)

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The Highwayman is an action themed science fiction television series created and produced by Glen A. Larson that ran on the NBC Network in 1988. The two hour pilot episode aired in 1987. It was later re-run as a made-for-television movie entitled Terror on the Blacktop. The series, with some changes in cast, followed in 1988. Only Nine hour-long episodes were telivised. The show crosses into themes between Knight Rider, M.A.S.K., X-Files and Mad Max.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 The Highwayman episode list 3 Trivia 4 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Set sometime in the "near-future", the movie and subsequent series follow the adventures of "The Highwayman". Played by Sam J. Jones, he is a high-tech U.S. Marshal conducting crime-fighting missions and solving bizarre mysteries (an alien UFO crash, an army of android clones, a road that time travels to the past, etc.); most all of which eventually involve some Road Warrior-esque combat along isolated stretches of desert highway.

The Highwayman has a sidekick named Jetto (Mark "Jacko" Jackson), an expert survivalist from the Australian outback. Both men are equipped with unusual looking, futuristic semi-trucks. One "transforms" and launches a hidden helicopter.

The duo are under the direction of Tanya Winthrop (Jane Badler). They are assisted by computer technician D.C. Montana (Tim Russ), who is also responsible for repair and maintenance of the vehicles.

[edit] The Highwayman episode list

Movie: "Terror on the Blacktop" — 1987-09-20

1. "Road Lord" — 1988-03-04
2. "The Hitchhiker" — 1988-03-11
3. "’Til Death Duel Us Part" — 1988-03-18
4. "Summer of '45" — 1988-04-01
5. "Send in the Clones" — 1988-04-08
6. "Billionaire Body Club" — 1988-04-15
7. "Frightmare" — 1988-04-22
8. "Warzone" — 1988-04-29
9. "Haunted Highway" — 1988-05-06

[edit] Trivia

• Sam J. Jones may be better known for his role of Flash Gordon in the 1980 film adaptation.
• Jane Badler may be better known for her role as Diana in V.
• Tim Russ may be better known for his role as Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager. His character, D.C. Montana, is an obvious play on writer D.C. Fontana's name.
• Mark "Jacko" Jackson, an Australian rules football player, may be better known for the "pre-bunny" Energizer battery commercials with the signature "Oi!".
• Some of the futuristic dashboard design of Highway’s truck is re-used from Larson’s previous hi-tech hit Knight Rider.

[edit] External links

• The Highwayman at the Internet Movie Database — pilot
• The Highwayman at the Internet Movie Database — series
• What The Highwayman truck looks like now.
• Tim Russ fansite review of The Highwayman.
• SciFi2K synopsis (includes screenshots).
• The Highwayman - Opening Credits.