Old Sci-Fi/Mystery show - Search
Scott G. Hall
seventies -- Search. The plot had a spy (007ish) who wore a camera on his
neck and had an ear implant that not only allowed communication, but also
allowed monitoring of his vital signs. Burgess Meridith (sp?) played the
person behind a console that received telemetry, vitals, video, and did the
communications (Max Headroom-like).
I seem to remember that it aired only for one season (at least here in the
States). Some of the special effects on this series later showed up on
shows like Six Million Dollar Man and Logan's Run, and some of the plot
ideas showed up all over the place -- even in ST-TNG and Star Wars.
Anyone know:
1) who has the current rights to the series,
2) who I might contact regarding its current airing,
3) or if the Sci-Fi channel has picked it up for their "collectors series"?
[I don't mind posts as an answer, but also include my email address as a
copy to -- I'll be sure to see your answers]
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Gharlane of Eddore
s...@cbgbcs.cb.att.com (Scott G. Hall) writes:
> I would like some help in locating and old TV show that aired in the early
> seventies -- Search. The plot had a spy (007ish) who wore a camera on his
> neck and had an ear implant that not only allowed communication, but also
> allowed monitoring of his vital signs. Burgess Meridith (sp?) played the
> person behind a console that received telemetry, vitals, video, and did the
> communications (Max Headroom-like).
Primary production honcho was Leslie Stevens, and Anthony Spinner was
an important principal in the operation.
There were money problems, due to Universal's parsimonious approach to
funding that type of show, and Stevens end-ran them by getting Hugh
O'Brian involved at the outset. You see, Hugh O'Brian bought a LOT
of oil land in Texas, back in the fifties, with his earnings from
shows he starred in *then*. Result: Enough liquid assets to fund
about half the new show, and never miss a dime of it if it didn't pan
out.
If you can find a copy of the pilot movie, "PROBE," pay close attention
to the editing and the music, which were exceptional work at the time.
When the program went series, Stevens tried to go for alternating
production crews and stars, so he could run it at a lower stress level
than most such series; Doug McClure was the best pick, but at various
times folks like Tony Franciosa were involved, too.
I believe that the "Sci-Fi" channel re-runs them ocasionally, but it's
been years since I've seen any of them. I *can* tell you that in
summer '72, Universal funded a format revision crew of a half-dozen
competent SF writers to work up a good series format and a set of
scripts, but that due to airtime(length) changes, Stevens ended up
doing most of the script work himself, hewing to the original format.
Some of the revision crew's work was so good that if it had been shot
and aired, no one would remember "STAR TREK;" but it all got shoved
into a vault somewhere and forgotten.
A ham-handed and blatantly plagiaristic attempt was made to RE-make
"SEARCH" last year, when Fox Network had "FORTUNE HUNTER" in production.
In fact, the pilot for "FORTUNE HUNTER" used entire scenes and blocks
of dialog lifted bodily out of "PROBE," the pilot movie for "SEARCH."
> I seem to remember that it aired only for one season (at least here in the
> States). Some of the special effects on this series later showed up on
> shows like Six Million Dollar Man and Logan's Run, and some of the plot
> ideas showed up all over the place -- even in ST-TNG and Star Wars.
The "plot ideas" you refer to are very old-hat in the genre; but yes,
FX footage from the shows did get recycled in other Universal products,
at least. Harve Bennett was notorious for prowling the film vaults
and grabbing anything he could splice into his shows to save a buck,
even rewriting scripts to suit available footage. (And he's not the
only one... "WONDER WOMAN" used the saucer and alien world footage
from ...get this... the MASTER print... of "THIS ISLAND EARTH"...
*several* times.)
> Anyone know:
> 1) who has the current rights to the series,
Gotta be Leslie Stevens and Hugh O'Brian, unless they sold their rights
to the studio.
> 2) who I might contact regarding its current airing,
Check the Scheds on the "Sci-Fi" channel.
> 3) or if the Sci-Fi channel has picked it up for their "collectors series"?
I dunno, but surely someone else here will.
Note that the "SEARCH" episodes had more program material per hour than
the "Sci-Fi" channel likes to air, so unless they run it in an extended
slot, you'll be seeing cut versions. (Not that this is necessarily bad.)
> [I don't mind posts as an answer, but also include my email address as a
> copy to -- I'll be sure to see your answers]
No, thanks. Read the topic.