One of the joys of our time is being able to have access to
the various movies and television programs we grew up with when we were young.
The major series have been readily available since video tape began but those
classic shows that didn’t last long or were not the major hits that became
classics in syndication were overlooked for some time. Now they’re making it to
disc finally and one of the companies making sure this happens is Visual
Entertainment Inc. VEI has released several classic TV series in complete
collections and here is one: THE IMMORTAL. Based on the novel by James Gunn it
was short lived but worth watching.
Beginning as a pilot movie of the week airing in 1969 and
series running in 1970 it starred Christopher George as Ben Richards, a test
driver with something special that no one else has: blood that protects him
from illness and aging. Ben works for a megalomaniac billionaire named Jordan
Braddock (Barry Sullivan) who survives a plane crash only to possibly die when
his blood type can’t be matched. Hearing this and knowing his blood type is the
same, Ben agrees to a transfusion. Afterwards Braddock not only gets well but
feels younger. When it’s discovered that this is due to Ben’s blood, Braddock has
him kidnapped and imprisoned in a secret area in his home intent on milking him
for blood when he needs it to stay healthy and live forever. Until someone
helps Ben escape.
Thus began the series about Ben Richards on the run while
numerous billionaires all discovering his secret and desiring his blood. A
secondary storyline ran through the show with Ben trying to find the brother he
never knew he had, concerned that he too would possess this rare blood type and
be sought out by the same people.
As with most “on the run” series of the time each episode found
the lead in a different location with different problems taking place there
that he helped with. The same sort of plot device was used in series like THE
FUGITIVE, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE and THE INCREDIBLE HULK. It worked in each show it
was used in and does so here too.
Christopher George was an underrated actor who deserved more
credit than he deserved and it shows in this series. He’d already had a short
lived hit with the TV series THE RAT PATROL and would go on to star in several
big name movies before being relegated to B-movies and bit parts in TV series.
No matter what he was involved in he always did an amazing job and deserved
better. He elevates this series and it should have lasted longer but
unfortunately was canceled mid-season.
Now the series can be rediscovered through this release from
VEI and at an affordable price as well. The release includes the pilot as well
as the every episode. If you enjoyed it and remembered it then you can now go
back and watch it once more since it never garnered enough episodes to get a
syndication run. There are no extras but that’s fine since it is the show
itself that will interest fans. And at just $22.99 for the entire series it’s
well worth the investment.
Watching this series took me back to when I was young and
saw it for the first time, wondering what happened when it stopped airing. Of
course it seems a little dated now but that will happen when a show takes place
in a certain time period. Clothing, cars and cities look like they did then.
None of that will disrupt the enjoyment you will have watching this once more
or for the first time. I can’t recommend this one enough.
Click here to order.
No comments:
Post a Comment