Auto man. I thought I was the only nut who remembered this. Loved watching it along with Street Hawk, Knight Rider, Airwolf, Manimal and The Highwayman.
If you could somehow make that happen in real life it would kill the occupants on the first turn, seat belts or not. I remember how furious my mom was when they passed a seatbelt law where we lived. Today she’s furious about being asked to wear a mask. Time is a flat circle.
I remember seeing this as a child in the early 80's and really loving it. I waited a long time to see some more episodes, now I know why I didn't get any. Over the years I have met a total of one other person who has seen Automan. It was awesome!
I loved this show. Yes, I'm old. Particularly love the gag where he and the car don't obey inertia, but any passengers do, so when he takes a 90 degree turn they get their face smashed against the glass.
Automan's presence on TV was so fleeting when I was a small boy, in later years I wasn't sure if it had ever really existed at all, or if I was just imagining something that in my head seemed like the best concept ever for a show.
I would have loved this show as a kid if it was aired in the US at the time. I would consider watching the series now, but my eyesight is getting poor and it's hard for me to read subtitles.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Wagner at a Nashville Shakespeare Festival production of Julius Caesar two years ago while chaperoning a high school field trip. The director of the company arranged for me to have a special meet and greet following the show. He was so gracious and kind and was surprised to see I actually had an Acamas Automan action figure on card for him to sign. He just kept on saying how rare an item it was and all the other actors wanted to check it out. Of course, my students made fun of me afterward because they said I was going all fanboy on him. Good times! I have pics if you’d like to see them. He was still in his Ghost of Caesar costume when we met 👍😊
I live in Nashville too and saw him at Julius Caesar as well. He also was one of the main performers on my carribean cruise over this past New Years (back when cruises still existed), and talked to him briefly and told him how I loved him in Automan when I was a kid. He grew up in Nashville and went to Gallatin High School.
Cool! I met Peter Cullen (the voice of Optimus Prime) at CyberCon in NYC, June of '05. Got him to sign an animation cell of "The Return of Optimus Prime Part 2" that I got with my Transformers Season 3 part 2 DVD set from Rhino Entertainment.
I used to think Automan and Manimal were just dreams of my youth and figments of my imagination. Thank you internet.....and more importantly The Incredible Toy Galaxy!!!!
I thought The Highwayman was a fever dream of the 80's until youtube. And there's still a show about a guy who gets smarter and more physically adept when in sunlight (but is NOT the Jack Black comedy) that I am not sure existed.
Awww man, This was such a huge part of my childhood TV memories alongside Streethawk, Airwolf Manimal,Man from atlantis and Salvage one (I think that was correct) .Thanks for showing this forgotten gem a little love.
@@seeingeyegod manimal never got much traction. i hadnt heard it mentioned in several yrs. b4 this vid. ... yet i @ least knew of manimal when it aired. i can.not. recall any info. re: automan -- & as a yung teen then i wuld hav been the target audience[!] /cheks wiki. OH. it was up against scarecrow/mrs king on monday nites. //yea, that was a dumb move on their part.
Being a kid in the early 80s exposed one to so much. One of my faves, Misfits of Science, definitely needs a reboot or big screen adaptation! 😉 Honestly though, I did love that show. The Autocar was coolest!
I swear in relative terms...this show is one of the coolest ever. I made sure I tuned in every night as a kid, and I picked up an auto man briefcase set in the dollar store . I was bewildered when it no longer came on TV. I 100% picked up on the Tron vibes because I had seen the movie back then.
Dan feels like a new host every time he pulls up on set. No beard, long hair like Bob 2.0 from Reboot, then like COVID had him with 5 o'clock apocalypse shadow. CAN WE GET FIGURES OF DAN?!?
I'm getting a weird Full House vibe from this Dan. Maybe it's the hair/ shirt combo? It's like the perfect mashup of Danny, Joey, and Jesse that I never asked for.
I remember being SO disappointed when the show didn't come back the next season. :( And for like two decades, it felt like I was the only person who had ever heard of or seen the show. None of my friends at school had any idea what I was talking about.
For years I remembered this cool show with a glowing driver who would drive so fast that traffic barely noticed him. Lol a few years back I realized it was Automan. It can't hold up to my kid memories, but it's still cool to look back on.
I was never able to watch this when I was kid, my grandmother had control ot the TV channels in the house and Automan clashed with Coronation St. I maybe saw one episode and being a Tron fanboy it was awesome.
I remember seeing one episode of this when I was 5. It always stuck with me because it was the first time I ever saw a person, a man, an Automan wearing a turtleneck.
The only thing I remember about this show (besides the car making 90 degree turns instantly), was that every time the bad guys kidnapped someone, the room they locked the victims in always conveniently had a working computer and modem, allowing the victim to summon Automan and get rescued.
That's actually really creative & ingenious to be honest & truthful with you. Glen A. Larson was truly a prodigy & genius. I'd never seen this ever or at least I think I haven't.
I love Toy Galaxy!! So many episodes are like a time machine, taking me back to my childhood. I literally learn something every single time. Keep up the great work!!
Dan you’ve outdone yourself with this one man! I loved this show as a child. I only got to see it in syndication once after it originally aired. I wish they had gone a bit further with it.
This is still a favorite show of mine 😋 my favorite episode is where Laura Brannigan guest star 🥰...yes kids, I’m old 🤷🏽♂️ Sadly like most of my childhood I never saw the toys...even as an adult I haven’t seen any in conventions or other Great video Mr Larson, Producer Greg MP 👍🏽✌🏽 and I’m in if you’re doing Automan II 😃...is Producer Greg gonna play Cursor? 🤨
Holy crap, now there's a blast from the past, loved cursor & the 90 deg cornering of the car, classic, keep making there videos, especially for people who really know what that means, ' be kind rewind'.
I have been trying to remember this show my entire life. I remember watching a couple episodes when I was a kid but could never find out what it was or if it was just my imagination. Thank you so much for this video!
Thanks for the cool retrospective guys. Here in Australia, they used to air 'Automan' and then 'Manimal' back to back in the evenings - as a 7 year old kid in 1984, it was pure magic. Especially as they were botrh right after 'Knight Rider' :-D
I've probably watched 50 of u guys' vids. And I crack up every time. Also, I'm in ur demo. 44 yr old white dude who had all this stuff and watched these shows. Kudos y'all! Great work!
This is a great channel and yes I definitely remember Automan! I was 13. I notice more now in some of these clips how good Chuck Wagner is in the title role whereas at that age I was noticing all the special effects, the car etc. No idea how it would stand up today but it's almost 40 years ago. One thing I notice with a LOT of Glen Larson productions (and maybe a lot of TV of that era) is they had amazing title sequences and themes (Six Million Dollar Man) and then you notice a lot of it afterwards is actors standing around very small sets discussing stuff. Or maybe throwing a punch at someone. But look at Miami Vice now - the sets are quite small. Never noticed at the time because they sold the concept so well in the first minute. We have an impression in our minds at a certain age that Steve Austin was ALWAYS using his bionics or Automan was ALWAYS driving around in the car. Sometimes a show is a pleasant surprise years later and other times not so much. I think it's largely the charisma of the actors that give it some staying power or a reassessment. Still...I'm going to have to find this again!
I went to a car show as a kid and saw DAJ and the car! I think Wagner was there but it was a long time ago and I was looking at all my favorite childhood cars. I loved that show!
Wow, you JUST KEEP FINDING my childhood! I loved this show the short time it ran, even if I knew perfectly well it was just ripping off Tron, especially the 'bit'. Hell this channel is amazing. If I hadn't a few years ago untangled the puzzle of what I knew the anime character of Captain Harlock as I used to watch as a kid on the French-speaking CBC channel (as an English speaker) was an insanely popular in France dub/rework of Harlock called "Albator" I'd have no doubt you guys had a video about it somewhere.
Three things - 1) also, comic book artist Erik Larsen 2) You're starting to look a little like Bruce Campbell, or more specifically Ash 3) this is my favorite channel on RUclips right now - thanks for all the awesome content!
I did that with the original _Alice_ theme when it was shown on weekday morning re-runs. Also Shirley Hemphill's _One In A Million_ show and of course _Taxi_ and _Laverne & Shirley._
I did have one of those Automan action figures. I couldn’t do much with him as he was a lot bigger than most of my other action figures. In the end I used him as a wrestler with my WWF action figures. Sadly he had to retire from the ring after suffering a career-ending injury - his leg fell off.
I'm so glad you did a review on this. When I try to explain this show to friends they look at me like I made it all up. For a while I started to believe maybe I did make it up. No one seems to remember or know about this classic gem.
Next to the Raiders vs Redskins and the KITT vs Goliath, Automan was the most talked about thing on television that year...at least among us first grade boys.
I loved this series. I watched every episode that was played. I'm looking everywhere for the DVDs. I cannot see why it cannot be rebooted these days. Imagine all of the adventures that he could have, if he had all of the Internet to navigate through. I can imagine many crimes, from all over the place being solved by him and Walter travelling through the cyber-highway at the speed of light. If there is to be a reboot, the light-hearted humour must still be a part of it. The world is too dark of a place if the entertainment is dark as well. It really needs to keep things light, and Cursor is hilarious too.
Even at just 12-13 episodes, Automan holds a very special place in my heart. Back in 1985 they showed it on Kuwaiti tv and my sister & I loved it. We recorded some of the episodes on VHS tapes and took it with us when my family moved back to India in 1987. I bought the dvd a couple of years ago but it is only now that I am watching it again. Simpler times and fun times.
It was fledgling tech then. Computers were becoming interconnected. That's why (I thought anyway) he could do things like make red lights turn green when they were in pursuit. Seems like I also remember traveling either via computer or the power lines. He took so much energy that he came out at night when the electric grid was less loaded.
There is in interview with Wagner, who was asked if the show has gone longer than it had, what direction he thought it might of took, he said Dezi wanted to explore the spiritual and inter dimensional aspects of the character & the growing technological impact of computers (early concepts of cybercrime & A.I?) on the human race. Both he & Dezi wanted to the show to be more than just a crime fighting series with a philosophically uplifting message for the viewers. Would of been a interesting show had it been allowed to develop.
I'd watch that. I'm reminded of Homelander from The Boyz and wonder if Automan would evolve to see himself in a similar fashion to that character. Feeling superior and untouchable compared to mere humans.
This was a great show. Cursor and the sharp turns face pressed to the window gag we're hilarious. Gonna share this link with my friends that viewed with. Thanks Dan..... Lost the goatee i see....
I had the Captain Power action figure with the Power On Energizer stand.... I forgot all about the POE stands gimmick.... When my POE stand turned itself on with lights & sounds, I jumped straight up with legs bent, ready to run.... Lol.... It was still dark Saturday morning when Captain Power aired, Biker Mice from Mars also....
I have no memory of this show, and I would’ve loved a show like this back then! And Captain Power was awesome, a friend of mine had one of the ships and honestly the show didn’t need the toy gimmick to keep me interested. Now......who remembers the epic show “Highwaayman?” It was ahead of its time, had an awesome truck/helicopter thing, and a wacky Australian sidekick!
Oh my good lord!! Iv been trying to remember this series for years!!! I actually had almost convinced myself I made up the memory of this show!!! Thank you!!
But Harlan hated just about everyone and constantly accused people of stealing his ideas. His egotism, ire, and litigiousness are legendary in the sci-fi community.
Dude, thats awesome... I asked you if you knew about this once awhile back in a live chat but it didnt get responded to... Very cool. When I was a kid, I went to an Auto Show that had General Lee, KITT and the bike from Automan
Been waiting for someone to do a video on this after watching The Powers Of Matthew Star, then buying the DVD and Automan popping up in my suggested purchases next so I bought it as well. Holy 80’s cheese at its best. I never knew I needed either show in my life until I stumbled upon both. They are the type of forgotten shows that definitely need more love. Can’t wait for the next forgotten classic you share next...
I remember this show. I was blown away by this. At the time, I wanted to change my name to Automan. I remember having a serious conversation with my mom about changing my name. WOW! 35 years age. Thanks
Great episode I remember seeing an episode of this show when I stayed at my aunts house in Florida. I was like 11-12 years old in the 90’s probably a re-run on some local tv channel. I remember looking in the old and great TV GUIDE to find it on locals channels in Boston,MA when I came home.. NO LUCK !!!
Thanks for the video👍. That was the t.v. show! But I never knew the name, I was 6 or 7 at the time, that and Knight Rider. I loved it so much that my Dad was going to call the t.v. station to complain after it was cancelled, I remember him telling me that but all I could remember was a cool Tron like car, always carried that in memory just couldn’t place the show. Wow, nice. I knew quality even as a kid and I loved cars, transformers anything related. Great stuff!
Yep, used to get into heated debates with friends over which was better. I always sided with Automan. Now I learn that Glen Larson produced both? I feel conflicted.
What the youngens need to understand...before we had a DCEU or an MCU we had shows like AUTOMAN, MANIMAL, THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO, THE PHEONIX (who remembers that one?), THE POWERS OF MATHEW STAR, MISFITS OF SCIENCE, STREET HAWK...most of these show only lasted 1 to 2 seasons but it was all we had and for us kids this was big time TV...This was our MCU!!!
Fun ep. Looooved Automan. Interesting to know the Tron connection wasn't just visual. it makes this even better, now can we get Automan to appear in the next Tron movie???
I always thought 'The Greatest American Hero' should have been the inspiration of some awesome Marvel or DC comic book superhero. It simply wasn't to be.
Auto man. I thought I was the only nut who remembered this.
Loved watching it along with Street Hawk, Knight Rider, Airwolf, Manimal and The Highwayman.
The Highwayman, an almost forgotten gem
You're not the only one.
I couldn't remember this show name for shit and people was thinking I was lying about this show
I don't remember the show very well, but I always remembered that scene.
Street Hawk was quite good, but they got lazy with the limp.
The way the car turned sharply at 90° angles causing the hapless passenger to faceplant against the interior door windows....ah sweet memories :-)
Pretty much a subliminal message to always use seat belts. I find it hilarious that the "genius" that created Automan kept effing forgetting that.
I still loved the physical comedy of it though 😂
If you could somehow make that happen in real life it would kill the occupants on the first turn, seat belts or not. I remember how furious my mom was when they passed a seatbelt law where we lived. Today she’s furious about being asked to wear a mask. Time is a flat circle.
@Optimus Prime Same. That's the only thing I remember as well.
It was the show's no. 1 gag.
I remember seeing this as a child in the early 80's and really loving it. I waited a long time to see some more episodes, now I know why I didn't get any. Over the years I have met a total of one other person who has seen Automan. It was awesome!
I loved this show. Yes, I'm old.
Particularly love the gag where he and the car don't obey inertia, but any passengers do, so when he takes a 90 degree turn they get their face smashed against the glass.
Automan's presence on TV was so fleeting when I was a small boy, in later years I wasn't sure if it had ever really existed at all, or if I was just imagining something that in my head seemed like the best concept ever for a show.
There were several shows like that with me. Toy Galaxy has brought a lot of memories of them back.
"in a scale of 1 to 10, think of me as 11"
I would mention it and most ppl don’t remember it!
Holy crap. Totally forgot about this, but definitely used to play "Automan" on the kindergarten playground.
Me too (although I was 1st grade)! Nobody else ever remembers this. I used to love how the car cornered @ hard 90 degree angles
Holy crap! I have never heard of this show!! Sounds kind of cool though!!!
I would have loved this show as a kid if it was aired in the US at the time. I would consider watching the series now, but my eyesight is getting poor and it's hard for me to read subtitles.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Wagner at a Nashville Shakespeare Festival production of Julius Caesar two years ago while chaperoning a high school field trip. The director of the company arranged for me to have a special meet and greet following the show. He was so gracious and kind and was surprised to see I actually had an Acamas Automan action figure on card for him to sign. He just kept on saying how rare an item it was and all the other actors wanted to check it out. Of course, my students made fun of me afterward because they said I was going all fanboy on him. Good times! I have pics if you’d like to see them. He was still in his Ghost of Caesar costume when we met 👍😊
I live in Nashville too and saw him at Julius Caesar as well. He also was one of the main performers on my carribean cruise over this past New Years (back when cruises still existed), and talked to him briefly and told him how I loved him in Automan when I was a kid. He grew up in Nashville and went to Gallatin High School.
Mike Smithfield I had forgotten he grew up in Nashville. Thanks for sharing your story with me. 😊
Cool! I met Peter Cullen (the voice of Optimus Prime) at CyberCon in NYC, June of '05. Got him to sign an animation cell of "The Return of Optimus Prime Part 2" that I got with my Transformers Season 3 part 2 DVD set from Rhino Entertainment.
Toy Galaxy brings us back to a time when things were simple.
I thought I'd imagined this series.
Been trying to find it for years. It blew me away as a kid and I will now be looking to watch it all again.
I used to think Automan and Manimal were just dreams of my youth and figments of my imagination. Thank you internet.....and more importantly The Incredible Toy Galaxy!!!!
Same here
I thought The Highwayman was a fever dream of the 80's until youtube. And there's still a show about a guy who gets smarter and more physically adept when in sunlight (but is NOT the Jack Black comedy) that I am not sure existed.
LOL Same here, I completly forgot about both of those shows until they were reviewed here.
Definitely not the Mandela Effect.
Dolly DID have braces.
Ah, Cursor - a pixel with an eye for the ladies if ever there was one.
lol If he was like that now he'd be branded a sex pest and arrested! Question: Can you arrest a digital graphic?
@@white-dragon4424 It would be easier to just drag and drop him into the nearest Recycle Bin.
I forgot about their version of "Bit" from TRON.
Awww man, This was such a huge part of my childhood TV memories alongside Streethawk, Airwolf Manimal,Man from atlantis and Salvage one (I think that was correct) .Thanks for showing this forgotten gem a little love.
Robert Espley lol man from Atlantis. I thought I was the only one who ever saw that show. Patrick Duffy before Dallas.
Those shows are fun but they were all one season wonders.
I was alive at the time but never heard of Manimal till this show flashed the title real quick
@@seeingeyegod manimal never got much traction. i hadnt heard it mentioned in several yrs. b4 this vid. ... yet i @ least knew of manimal when it aired. i can.not. recall any info. re: automan -- & as a yung teen then i wuld hav been the target audience[!] /cheks wiki. OH. it was up against scarecrow/mrs king on monday nites. //yea, that was a dumb move on their part.
Being a kid in the early 80s exposed one to so much. One of my faves, Misfits of Science, definitely needs a reboot or big screen adaptation! 😉
Honestly though, I did love that show. The Autocar was coolest!
Misfits was awesome.
I have been trying to remember the name of Misfits of Science for decades now. Thank you. And, yes needs a serialized reboot.
@Max Headroom 🤣🤣🤣
I swear in relative terms...this show is one of the coolest ever. I made sure I tuned in every night as a kid, and I picked up an auto man briefcase set in the dollar store . I was bewildered when it no longer came on TV. I 100% picked up on the Tron vibes because I had seen the movie back then.
Dan feels like a new host every time he pulls up on set. No beard, long hair like Bob 2.0 from Reboot, then like COVID had him with 5 o'clock apocalypse shadow. CAN WE GET FIGURES OF DAN?!?
I second this!
This is just a variant of the classic figure Dan.
Hasbro recently made one. Going by the pseudonym of "Mr Fantastic"...
But which one is Canon?
I'm getting a weird Full House vibe from this Dan. Maybe it's the hair/ shirt combo? It's like the perfect mashup of Danny, Joey, and Jesse that I never asked for.
Thanks! We had fun making the show!!!
I remember being SO disappointed when the show didn't come back the next season. :( And for like two decades, it felt like I was the only person who had ever heard of or seen the show. None of my friends at school had any idea what I was talking about.
For years I remembered this cool show with a glowing driver who would drive so fast that traffic barely noticed him. Lol a few years back I realized it was Automan. It can't hold up to my kid memories, but it's still cool to look back on.
I loved this show as a kid. My biggest memory of the show is Automan dancing in a club and twirling his jacket over his head 😁
I was never able to watch this when I was kid, my grandmother had control ot the TV channels in the house and Automan clashed with Coronation St. I maybe saw one episode and being a Tron fanboy it was awesome.
I remember seeing one episode of this when I was 5. It always stuck with me because it was the first time I ever saw a person, a man, an Automan wearing a turtleneck.
The only thing I remember about this show (besides the car making 90 degree turns instantly), was that every time the bad guys kidnapped someone, the room they locked the victims in always conveniently had a working computer and modem, allowing the victim to summon Automan and get rescued.
That's actually really creative & ingenious to be honest & truthful with you. Glen A. Larson was truly a prodigy & genius. I'd never seen this ever or at least I think I haven't.
I love Toy Galaxy!! So many episodes are like a time machine, taking me back to my childhood. I literally learn something every single time. Keep up the great work!!
My favorite show of the eighties. I managed to buy the DVDs after years of waiting. Thanks for talking about it.
Dan you’ve outdone yourself with this one man! I loved this show as a child. I only got to see it in syndication once after it originally aired. I wish they had gone a bit further with it.
I love Automan: the colour of the leaves, the chill in the air, warmer clothes and the promise of winter.
I thought Automan was that thing Rob tripped over in the intro of the Dick Van Dyke Show.
Glen, we hardly knew you. You brought me so many of the best moments in my life. Thank-you.
This is still a favorite show of mine 😋 my favorite episode is where Laura Brannigan guest star 🥰...yes kids, I’m old 🤷🏽♂️
Sadly like most of my childhood I never saw the toys...even as an adult I haven’t seen any in conventions or other
Great video Mr Larson, Producer Greg MP 👍🏽✌🏽 and I’m in if you’re doing Automan II 😃...is Producer Greg gonna play Cursor? 🤨
Holy crap, now there's a blast from the past, loved cursor & the 90 deg cornering of the car, classic, keep making there videos, especially for people who really know what that means, ' be kind rewind'.
I have been trying to remember this show my entire life. I remember watching a couple episodes when I was a kid but could never find out what it was or if it was just my imagination. Thank you so much for this video!
Thanks for the cool retrospective guys. Here in Australia, they used to air 'Automan' and then 'Manimal' back to back in the evenings - as a 7 year old kid in 1984, it was pure magic. Especially as they were botrh right after 'Knight Rider' :-D
I remember when this first aired. Had to suspend a lot of disbelief when Walter summoned Auto from a cash register, but i powered through
Great video. Automan was one of my favorite shows. I learned quite a bit about the show.
Whenever my brother or I took a corner as sharp as we could in the car we called it an Automan. If you have seen the show, you know why.
I've probably watched 50 of u guys' vids. And I crack up every time. Also, I'm in ur demo. 44 yr old white dude who had all this stuff and watched these shows. Kudos y'all! Great work!
Excellent memories with this one, I dreamed of having a cursor like Automan's IRL.
This is a great channel and yes I definitely remember Automan! I was 13. I notice more now in some of these clips how good Chuck Wagner is in the title role whereas at that age I was noticing all the special effects, the car etc. No idea how it would stand up today but it's almost 40 years ago. One thing I notice with a LOT of Glen Larson productions (and maybe a lot of TV of that era) is they had amazing title sequences and themes (Six Million Dollar Man) and then you notice a lot of it afterwards is actors standing around very small sets discussing stuff. Or maybe throwing a punch at someone. But look at Miami Vice now - the sets are quite small. Never noticed at the time because they sold the concept so well in the first minute. We have an impression in our minds at a certain age that Steve Austin was ALWAYS using his bionics or Automan was ALWAYS driving around in the car. Sometimes a show is a pleasant surprise years later and other times not so much. I think it's largely the charisma of the actors that give it some staying power or a reassessment. Still...I'm going to have to find this again!
I want to see “Automan 2” starring Dan Larsen 😂. That was funny guys.
I literally LOL'd way too hard at that.
@@jamieott3832 the delivery and what they delivered really hit hard in he laugh department. Too funny!
I could not remember the name of this show from my childhood, until you came along with this video. Thank you.
I went to a car show as a kid and saw DAJ and the car! I think Wagner was there but it was a long time ago and I was looking at all my favorite childhood cars. I loved that show!
Wow, you JUST KEEP FINDING my childhood! I loved this show the short time it ran, even if I knew perfectly well it was just ripping off Tron, especially the 'bit'.
Hell this channel is amazing. If I hadn't a few years ago untangled the puzzle of what I knew the anime character of Captain Harlock as I used to watch as a kid on the French-speaking CBC channel (as an English speaker) was an insanely popular in France dub/rework of Harlock called "Albator" I'd have no doubt you guys had a video about it somewhere.
I wish I'd picked up that action figure. I remember seeing it on sale in Asda as a kid. It was a great show.
Three things - 1) also, comic book artist Erik Larsen 2) You're starting to look a little like Bruce Campbell, or more specifically Ash 3) this is my favorite channel on RUclips right now - thanks for all the awesome content!
I remember having my cassette recorder ready when the second episode aired and telling my brother to be quiet so I could record the theme song.
I did that with the original _Alice_ theme when it was shown on weekday morning re-runs. Also Shirley Hemphill's _One In A Million_ show and of course _Taxi_ and _Laverne & Shirley._
Great job Dan and Greg! Loved this show as a kid. Now I just need a History of Street Hawk
I did have one of those Automan action figures. I couldn’t do much with him as he was a lot bigger than most of my other action figures. In the end I used him as a wrestler with my WWF action figures. Sadly he had to retire from the ring after suffering a career-ending injury - his leg fell off.
Thank you for revisiting literally every single thing from my childhood!!!
I had the Automan figure, loved it. Never realized the toyline was mainly British.
Ah the golden formula that *never fails*
One is a X, the other is a Y together they fight crime! It's perfect.
"Computer-generated policemen that isn't always PC"
@strontiumXnitrate He was just mac
I'm so glad you did a review on this. When I try to explain this show to friends they look at me like I made it all up. For a while I started to believe maybe I did make it up. No one seems to remember or know about this classic gem.
Next to the Raiders vs Redskins and the KITT vs Goliath, Automan was the most talked about thing on television that year...at least among us first grade boys.
All of us kids agreed that Automan had the cooler car, but Michael Knight had the cooler show.
I totally forgot about this show. I remember loving it. The vehicles stick out the most, especially how the car made high speed 90 degree turns.
This gives me hope that someday we’ll see an episode about “Manimal” 😄
We'll definitely cover Manimal. No idea when but it'll happen.
@Toy Galaxy
Cool 😎 Oh, and “Mann & Machine” too, keep the “sci-fi cop show” theme going 🤓
@@SecretGalaxyTV How about an episode on "Mighty Orbots"? *googles* You already did one! ruclips.net/video/envqBtdvU0w/видео.html
@@SecretGalaxyTV There's a scene involving a cabbie with an explosive cab that was used in both Automan and Manimal.
@@SecretGalaxyTV Was that the Patrick Duffy webbed fingers show or another one?
I can't believe I never heard of this show it sounds great! Thanks for bringing it to my attention Toy Galaxy 😁
Loved this show as a kid but not calling it the "Auto-mobile" is one of the worst oversights of that decade.
I know, right? It's was such an obvious choice, but maybe that's why the avoided using that name.
Auto-auto.
@@Belgand Auto squared!
Probably tough to trademark the name, so no go.
The auto-car was so cool.
Especially those 90 degree turns!
I loved this series. I watched every episode that was played. I'm looking everywhere for the DVDs. I cannot see why it cannot be rebooted these days. Imagine all of the adventures that he could have, if he had all of the Internet to navigate through. I can imagine many crimes, from all over the place being solved by him and Walter travelling through the cyber-highway at the speed of light. If there is to be a reboot, the light-hearted humour must still be a part of it. The world is too dark of a place if the entertainment is dark as well. It really needs to keep things light, and Cursor is hilarious too.
How did I never hear of this? The name of episode 2: “Staying Alive While Running a High Flashdance Fever.”
I had totally forgotten about this show. Thanks for a walk down memory lane.
In a roundabout way, you could say that Automan was also set in the same universe as Tron just because part of the production had a hand in both.
Props for timing the topic commercials with the RUclips ads. Made them less annoying.
Fun fact: Automan eventually became the school bus driver on The Simpsons.
"My name is Auto, and I like to get Blotto" 😏
Lol nice catch
Loved this show. But you didn't mention the awesome theme tune!
Bus driver by day.... VAMPIRE SLAYER BY NIGHT! BUSMAN!
Hahh! 😂
I so need to watch this! Love Tron and I think I would love this also! Great review Dan and Greg👍😁
I remember having an action figure of Automan growing up
Even at just 12-13 episodes, Automan holds a very special place in my heart. Back in 1985 they showed it on Kuwaiti tv and my sister & I loved it. We recorded some of the episodes on VHS tapes and took it with us when my family moved back to India in 1987. I bought the dvd a couple of years ago but it is only now that I am watching it again. Simpler times and fun times.
*_4:36_*_ "While others _*_surf the net"_*_ in 1983?_ 😮
It was fledgling tech then. Computers were becoming interconnected. That's why (I thought anyway) he could do things like make red lights turn green when they were in pursuit. Seems like I also remember traveling either via computer or the power lines. He took so much energy that he came out at night when the electric grid was less loaded.
I had *never* heard of this show until watching your video. It looks like one of those quirky lost 80's gems; like "The Greatest American Hero."
with "Cursor" as himself
Clever, educational, and funny, as always. Thank you. Keep it up. 👍🏻
There is in interview with Wagner, who was asked if the show has gone longer than it had, what direction he thought it might of took, he said Dezi wanted to explore the spiritual and inter dimensional aspects of the character & the growing technological impact of computers (early concepts of cybercrime & A.I?) on the human race. Both he & Dezi wanted to the show to be more than just a crime fighting series with a philosophically uplifting message for the viewers. Would of been a interesting show had it been allowed to develop.
I'd watch that.
I'm reminded of Homelander from The Boyz and wonder if Automan would evolve to see himself in a similar fashion to that character. Feeling superior and untouchable compared to mere humans.
This was a great show. Cursor and the sharp turns face pressed to the window gag we're hilarious. Gonna share this link with my friends that viewed with. Thanks Dan..... Lost the goatee i see....
How did I miss this show? Then again, not many people remember Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.
I'm right with you bro! I thought I was the only one who remembered Captain Power! Lol 80s shows rules
I had the Captain Power action figure with the Power On Energizer stand.... I forgot all about the POE stands gimmick.... When my POE stand turned itself on with lights & sounds, I jumped straight up with legs bent, ready to run.... Lol.... It was still dark Saturday morning when Captain Power aired, Biker Mice from Mars also....
I had one too, watched it as a kid
I have no memory of this show, and I would’ve loved a show like this back then! And Captain Power was awesome, a friend of mine had one of the ships and honestly the show didn’t need the toy gimmick to keep me interested. Now......who remembers the epic show “Highwaayman?” It was ahead of its time, had an awesome truck/helicopter thing, and a wacky Australian sidekick!
I remeber the toys more than the show.
Thanks for doing this video, no one I know in my age group remembers Automan. It was a fun show to watch!
Loved his alias- “Otto Mann”. 😂
The first time I saw Automan was on SciFi Channel where they aired reruns of network science fiction series.
Me too! They had all the ‘80s action/sci-fi reruns. Automan, Manimal, Greatest American Hero, etc.
we need a REBOOT of Automan into day's time line ..
That would ruin it.
Oh my good lord!! Iv been trying to remember this series for years!!! I actually had almost convinced myself I made up the memory of this show!!! Thank you!!
Hilarious, referring to Harlan, who hated Gene Roddenberry, made one episode, and consulted on one movie, a a "Star Trek Writer".
An un-filmed Automan script was written by famous Trek writer D.C. Fontana!
But Harlan hated just about everyone and constantly accused people of stealing his ideas. His egotism, ire, and litigiousness are legendary in the sci-fi community.
@@Belgand You did make sure he wasn't behind you before typing, right? ;)
Ironically, those were his endearing characteristics.
@@lynngreen7978 Normally I'd say that was impossible but I wouldn't be surprised that his spirit would live on purely out of spite.
Dude, thats awesome... I asked you if you knew about this once awhile back in a live chat but it didnt get responded to... Very cool. When I was a kid, I went to an Auto Show that had General Lee, KITT and the bike from Automan
What type of phone did AUTO-MAN use?
An AUTO-MOBILE.
lol
Been waiting for someone to do a video on this after watching The Powers Of Matthew Star, then buying the DVD and Automan popping up in my suggested purchases next so I bought it as well. Holy 80’s cheese at its best. I never knew I needed either show in my life until I stumbled upon both. They are the type of forgotten shows that definitely need more love. Can’t wait for the next forgotten classic you share next...
I woundered what the hell happened to Automan.
" on a scale of 1-10 , I'm, an 11 "!!
One of my favourite programs as a kid, over the years I've brought it up and surprised how many had never heard of it.
Remember they showed this in Britain on a Saturday night.
I remember this show. I was blown away by this. At the time, I wanted to change my name to Automan. I remember having a serious conversation with my mom about changing my name. WOW! 35 years age. Thanks
Automan was just too ahead of its time. It would've faired better in the 90's. I was saddened as a kid to hear of it's demise.
Great episode I remember seeing an episode of this show when I stayed at my aunts house in Florida. I was like 11-12 years old in the 90’s probably a re-run on some local tv channel. I remember looking in the old and great TV GUIDE to find it on locals channels in Boston,MA when I came home.. NO LUCK !!!
- I remember loving this show. 😎
Thanks for the video👍. That was the t.v. show! But I never knew the name, I was 6 or 7 at the time, that and Knight Rider. I loved it so much that my Dad was going to call the t.v. station to complain after it was cancelled, I remember him telling me that but all I could remember was a cool Tron like car, always carried that in memory just couldn’t place the show. Wow, nice. I knew quality even as a kid and I loved cars, transformers anything related. Great stuff!
I spent many hours as a kid trying to decide which one was cooler, automan’s car or kitt
Automans' car surely as it could morph into any vehicle and make high speed 90 degree turns!
What about street hawk
Automan's car could transform into a helicopter, jet, motorcycle and a tank.
Sorry, KITT.
You've been outclassed.
Yep, used to get into heated debates with friends over which was better. I always sided with Automan. Now I learn that Glen Larson produced both? I feel conflicted.
I love this show as a kid in the 80’s, I’m from the Philippines btw. This brings me back to my childhood.
Still remember the bad guys “ if he can do it, we can do it.” They couldn’t do it as their car crashed.
Destroying lotsa property.
Man I love Toy Galaxy, I thought I was the only person alive who remembered Automan! :D
You're not the only one!
I remember being sad when I realized this show wasnt coming back. I think I was about 9
What the youngens need to understand...before we had a DCEU or an MCU we had shows like AUTOMAN, MANIMAL, THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO, THE PHEONIX (who remembers that one?), THE POWERS OF MATHEW STAR, MISFITS OF SCIENCE, STREET HAWK...most of these show only lasted 1 to 2 seasons but it was all we had and for us kids this was big time TV...This was our MCU!!!
Yes, I watched ALL of those!
Just now Realizing that was Desi Arnez Jr on the Show
Fun ep. Looooved Automan. Interesting to know the Tron connection wasn't just visual. it makes this even better, now can we get Automan to appear in the next Tron movie???
One of the best shows ever. 2nd only to The Greatest American Hero
I always thought 'The Greatest American Hero' should have been the inspiration of some awesome Marvel or DC comic book superhero. It simply wasn't to be.
This is a fantastic episode Dan. I ❤Automan.