RoboCop: The Series
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| RoboCop | |
|---|---|
| Format | Science fiction, drama |
| Created by | Stephen Downing |
| Starring | Richard Eden |
| Ending theme | "Future to This Life" by Joe Walsh & Lita Ford |
| Country of origin |  Canada |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Jay Firestone |
| Running time | 44 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CTV, syndicated on FOX |
| Original run | March 18, 1994 – November 26, 1994 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
RoboCop: The Series is a 1994 television series based on the film of the same name. It stars Richard Eden as the title character. Made to appeal primarily to children and young teens, the graphic violence that was the hallmark of RoboCop and RoboCop 2 is absent. Rather than killing criminals, RoboCop now has several non-lethal alternatives, which ensure that certain villains can be recurring. The OCP Chairman and his corporation are also treated as merely naïve and ignorant, in contrast to their malicious and immoral behavior from the second movie onward.
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[edit] Background
While RoboCop was initially an American property, Orion Pictures received a $500,000 cash infusion for TV licensing rights to Canada's Skyvision Entertainment. This allowed access to co-production treaties and possible partnerships with other countries. The series was filmed in Toronto, Canada and originally planned for a January 1994 debut, several months after the unsuccessful release of RoboCop 3. Skyvision was also in negotiation with Peter Weller, the original RoboCop, but this did not come to fruition. Twenty-two episodes were made, but the series was not renewed for a second season. Expense played a significant part in this; according to Skyvision VP Kevin Gillis, episodes would be produced at $1.2 million to $1.5 million each.[1]
The pilot episode runs two hours. It was adapted from a discarded RoboCop 2 script, Corporate Wars, by the writers of the original RoboCop, Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner.
Villains on the series include Boppo the Clown, Dr. Cray Z. Mallardo, William "Pud-face" Morgan, and Commander Cash (although, in one episode, it is revealed that Commander Cash was actually a misunderstood hero - a former OCP employee who was the real creator of OCP's Commander Cash toy line whose idea was stolen by a co-worker and subsequently terminated from the company due to the said coworker).
The series gave writers more of an opportunity to develop the central characters and to extend the human interest aspect through the introduction of Gadget, the station mascot and not-too-annoying child, who, along with the presence of Jimmy Murphy did much to shift the focus from the adult to the youth target audience. The writers also introduced an element of virtual romance and deus ex machina in the persona of Diana, formerly a secretary to crooked Vice-President Chip Chaykin, who becomes transmogrified through her death into the 'face' and 'body' of Metronet, OCP's city-running super-computer.[2]
Many of the episodes were explicitly critical of conservative and libertarian policies, i.e. the privatization of health care and welfare. The ironic handling of many of the negative aspects of modern urban life added a consistent element of black comedy.
[edit] Episodes
| Episode | Name | (Other names) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Pilot) | The Future of Law Enforcement | |
| 2 | Prime Suspect | (First Suspect) |
| 3 | Trouble in Delta City | (Delta City) |
| 4 | Officer Missing | (Absence of Police) |
| 5 | What Money Can't Buy | |
| 6 | Ghosts of War | |
| 7 | Zone Five | |
| 8 | Provision 22 | |
| 9 | Faces of Eve | |
| 10 | When Justice Fails | |
| 11 | The Human Factor | |
| 12 | Inside Crime | |
| 13 | Robocop vs Commander Cash | |
| 14 | Illusions | |
| 15 | Tin Man | |
| 16 | Sisters in Crime | |
| 17 | Heartbreakers | |
| 18 | Mothers Day | |
| 19 | Nano | |
| 20 | Corporate Raiders | |
| 21 | Midnight Minus One | |
| 22 | Public Enemies |
[edit] Home videos and merchandise
The episode "What Money Can't Buy" was released on VHS on March 28, 1995. Episodes of the series were also released in a Japanese laserdisc set. They include "First Suspect," "Delta City," and "Absence of Police."
An action figure collection for the series was produced by little-known Toy Island, a company that would continue making RoboCop figures in the future. The basic series includes RoboCop, Madigan, Stan Parks, Commander Cash (also released as "Commandant Cash"), and Pudface. It also features the OCP Interceptor, Tactical Field Vehicle, Tactical Field Ambulance, Mobile Armored Detective Vehicle, and Cyrochamber playset. In 1995, the Power Glow figure series was released. This includes RoboCop variations with illuminating armor such as a basic RoboCop (blue), Thermo Shield RoboCop (red), and Xicor Shield RoboCop (lime green). Each figure in the collection includes various accessories and several points of articulation.
A soundtrack entitled A Future to This Life was released January 24, 1995 on both CD and cassette by Pyramid Records. Aside from the show's theme writers, Joe Walsh & Lita Ford, it features classic rock songs from groups like The Band, The Flamingos, Iron Butterfly, and KC & the Sunshine Band.
The series has been released on Region 2 DVD in the UK and Region 4 DVD in Australia.
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[edit] References
- ^ Ayscough, Suzan Orion signs 'RoboCop' series deal Variety (April 29, 1993). Retrieved January 25, 2008.
- ^ Cook, Flynn A look back - RoboCop: The Series RoboCopArchive.com. Retrieved January 25, 2008.
[edit] External links
- RoboCop: The Series at the Internet Movie Database
- RoboCop: The Series at TV.com
- RoboCop Archive - RoboCop: The Series
