The Worst Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Ongoing series looking at sci fi and fantasy entries that can be considered among of the biggest misfires and losers of the genre.
What Is It?
This series follows Dr. Jonathan Chase, a wealthy professor and criminologist who possesses the mysterious ability to transform himself into virtually any animal. Chase uses his powers—most frequently turning into a black panther or hawk—to help police detective Brooke McKenzie solve crimes.
Aired: NBC, 1983, 1 Season Totaling 8 Episodes
Starring: Chuck Bail, Georg Fenady, Daniel Haller, Sidney Hayers, Leslie H. Martinson
Created By: Glen A. Larson, Donald R. Boyle
Where Did It Go Wrong?
There might have been a decent premise buried somewhere in this series, but 1980s broadcast television would not let that come out. The networks had long had an aversion to sci-fi TV by the time this one hit the schedule, and NBC had already been stung by the expensive failure of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. So if they did greenlight a genre entry for Prime Time, they would rarely allow it to explore the themes most closely related to its concept. And that was certainly the case with Manimal, as it delivered a rather generic crime procedural with a twist, mostly focused on the single gimmick that the lead could turn into an animal. Poor scripts and terrible scheduling (airing against that season’s Number 1 show, Dallas) made things worse, leading to a quick demise, with not many viewers regretting its cancellation.
A Closer Look:
Glen A. Larson is well-known for his schlock action shows, though he did have a few successful standouts in his career, such as Magnum, P.I., Quincy, M.E., and The Fall Guy. His scorecard with genre entries was not particularly good, though, producing such turkeys as Automan, The Highwayman, and Night Man, as well as expensive failures like Battlestar: Galactica and the previously mentioned Buck Rogers series. In fact, Larson has already shown up in this Worst of Sci-Fi TV series with Galactica: 1980 (more on that at this link), and he will be appearing again.
Manimal definitely counts among the worst of Larson’s output, and it has since developed somewhat of a notorious reputation. As I said above, the basic concept was not bad, but the execution killed the show as much as the scheduling. We are told that Jonathan Chase learned the secrets of animal transformation from his father, who had spent years traveling and studying in Africa and other remote parts of the world. But this ability was never really explored, nor do we find out if others have mastered it (though in a later crossover with 1997’s Night Man, we find that Chase’s daughter has inherited the ability to transform). The supernatural transformation definitely offered the potential for some interesting storylines, but network execs wanted by-the-numbers procedural tales instead.
The other option would have been for the creative team to embrace the rather goofy premise and have fun with its campiness. Larson actually succeeded with this in the first (and best) season of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, playing it very much tongue-in-cheek and over-the-top. A similar approach might have elevated Manimal to at least a guilty pleasure, but instead the show just overlaid the animal-transformation gimmick on top of any number of formulaic police stories.
At least the transformation sequences were impressive, especially for television at that time, coming from makeup and effects master Stan Winston (The Thing, Aliens). But all too often, Chase transformed into either a panther or a hawk, allowing the show to reuse existing effects and possibly because they had plenty of stock footage of those two animals.
Ultimately, this one succumbed to its own weight (and the brutal competition in its timeslot) and disappeared from the schedule after only eight episodes had been produced. It has since been recognized as one of the worst shows of all time, appearing at Number 15 on TV Guide‘s top (bottom?) list of television turkeys. And it certainly ranks pretty low when compared to other sci-fi TV entries.
Would a Reboot Help?
The initial reaction is no, a reboot would not help this show and should not be considered. But if done right, it might just work. Probably the best way to approach it would be to camp it up and possibly also bring in other dubious Glen A. Larson superheroes such as Automan, Night Man (which already had a crossover), and maybe even Knight Rider. I’m not quite certain this concept could carry an ongoing series, but a movie or two would be fun.
The other thought is to go the dark Battlestar: Galactica reboot route and really delve into the supernatural nature of the character. Maybe somebody should put that idea in front of Ronald D. Moore and see if he has an interest in running with it? But I am thinking this character is pretty low in the reboot queue, so I don’t expect to see Jonathan Chase returning anytime soon.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series was released on DVD, and you can still pick that up at a reasonable price. It is not currently available on any of the major streaming services, but episodes do show up on YouTube.
Do you consider Manimal to be one of the worst sci fi/fantasy TV shows of all time, or does it count as genre guilty pleasure? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments below.
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