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Automan (ABC, 1983-1984)
RL as Lt. Jack Curtis.
OVERVIEW:
Automan was a sci/fi series that ran on ABC from December 1983
until April 1984. It consisted of a ninety minute pilot and 12 one-hour episodes, including one that never aired.
The show was created by Glen A. Larson, who also served as the series' executive producer. He had previously functioned
in that capacity in a legion of other shows, including The Virginian, Quincy, Battlestar Galactica, BJ and the
Bear, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Magnum, P.I., The Fall Guy, and Knight Rider. In addition to his
many producing credits, throughout his career he had also written (The Fugitive), directed (Switch),
and composed the themes (McCloud, Quincy) for numerous other shows.
The show was loosely based on the 1982 movie Tron, which was produced
by Donald Kushner. Kushner worked on Automan as both a co-producer and a special effects consultant.
However, in Automan, as opposed to Tron, the action happened outside of the computer instead of inside
it.
In the series, Walter Nebicher, a mild-mannered computer expert for the
Los Angeles Police Department, wants nothing more than to be out on the streets fighting crime. However, he is relegated
to a desk job by his crusty commanding officer, Captain E.G. Boyd, who doesn't trust computers and refuses to take
Wally or his skills seriously. To help deal with his frustration, Walter creates a three-dimensional
holographic super hero and dubs him Automan. He gives him that particular name because, as Walter
explains, Auto is the world's first "automatic" man.
ABOVE: Captain Boyd with Roxanne (l), and Wally (r).
Automan has incredible powers. Because of the way Walter programmed
him, there's not much he can't do. With the help of Cursor, a sparkling, suspended hologram that is always
with him, Auto can conjure the Auto Car, Auto Plane, and Auto Chopper out of thin air. He can absorb Wally
(or anyone else, for that matter) into his body in order to protect him from bullets and to help him walk through
walls and other solid material. He can dance like John Travolta and play tennis like Jimmy Connors. He's
the best man for whatever task needs to be accomplished because Wally programmed him to be the best.
The only weakness Automan seems to have is that he requires an incredible
amount of energy to function. That makes him less effective during the day because so much energy is
being consumed then. In his natural state, Auto appears as a glittering blue form with a human head and hands.
When on a case with Wally, he dresses in whatever clothes the situation calls for, and the only visible evidence that he is
not a "real" man is the blue lines that appear at his collar and cuffs.
Both Captain Boyd and Lt. Jack Curtis, a detective who is friends with Wally
and who asks for his help on some of his cases , think that Auto is a federal agent named Otto J. Mann. Roxanne
Caldwell, Wally's co-worker and love interest, is the only person in the department who knows the truth about
Auto's real identity.
ABOVE: Jack seeks Wally's help with one of his cases (top),
and the beautiful Roxanne, who knows the truth about Wally's crime-fighting friend (bottom).
Bob played the role of Lt. Jack Curtis, and for
the first time in sixteen years, since the cancellation of The Man Who Never Was, he was a regular cast member of
a television series, this time in a supporting role.
Very little is known about Jack. Captain
Boyd refers to him as the best detective in the department. He went to the police academy with Nate Hester, his
friend and partner who was killed in "Death by Design". In the first episode, Jack was heavily involved with an Interpol
agent named Tanya DuBois. Their romance looked serious, but it apparently did not work out since Jack had
no qualms about sleeping with Liang Lu later on in the series.
Automan starred Desi Arnaz, Jr.
as Walter Nebicher. Arnaz's parents were, of course, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Sr., two of the biggest
and most beloved stars in Hollywood's history. He had literally grown up in show business -- as a baby he appeared
on the cover of the very first issue of TV Guide. He had many credits on his resume before joining the
cast of Automan, but the show was his first starring role as an adult.
ABOVE: Auto (Chuck Wagner) takes Wally (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) on a wild
ride.
Chuck Wagner, a relatively unknown actor, was only 25 when he was cast in the
title role. His only previous credits had been as a semi-regular on the soap opera General Hospital,
and in guest appearances on Dynasty and The Dukes of Hazzard. He is still active in show business
today, primarily in theater. More information on Wagner and his career can be found on his official website, a
link to which is provided at the bottom of this page.
Rounding out the cast were Heather McNair, who played Roxanne Caldwell, and Gerald
S. O'Loughlin, who played Captain E.G. Boyd. For trivia buffs, this was at least the third time that
O'Loughlin and Bob had worked together -- in the TOH episode "Here's to Courageous Cowards", in an episode
of The Rookies entitled "An Eye for an Eye", and on Automan. They also later appeared together in
an episode of Murder, She Wrote called "Badge of Honor".
ABOVE: Gerald O'Loughlin (Captain Boyd) and Desi Arnaz, Jr.
(Walter Nebicher) in Automan.
Automan was cancelled after only
thirteen episodes. In fact, the last episode, "Club Ten", never made it on the air. According to a published interview
with Chuck Wagner, there were several factors that contributed to the show's demise. Foremost was the expense
involved in producing the show. By today's standards the special effects that were used were primitive. However, back
then they were cutting edge and very costly. In fact, Automan was the most expensive show on the air during
its run. ABC was reluctant to order more episodes of a series that was cost so much to produce, especially
when the ratings were mediocre at best.
Those low ratings can be attributed
to the fact that the series aired at the same time as CBS's wildly popular Magnum, P.I.
Compounding the problem was the fact that the Winter Olympics, which ABC aired in February, broke up the continuity
of the show's schedule and made it more difficult to maintain a loyal audience.
Although Automan was viewed in
favorable terms in the sci/fi community, where it has sort of a cult following to this day, it was generally panned by
critics at the time. The suspect acting by the leads, and the sometimes silly and predictable plots made it an
easy target for them.
ABOVE: Jack, Wally, Roxanne, and Captain Boyd try to solve a case
in this scene from Automan.
However, despite the low ratings and bad
reviews, the show boasted some big name guest stars, including Delta Burke, William Windom, Mary Crosby, and Michelle Phillips,
and featured cameos by game show host Peter Marshall, singer Laura Branigan, and tennis pro Roscoe Tanner.
There were also guest appearances by several
actors that Bob had worked with in the past, most notably Richard Anderson, who is probably best known for
his role as Oscar Goldman in The Six Million Dollar Man. The two of them had already appeared in A
Gathering of Eagles, and a made for TV movie called The Astronaut. They would later go on to work in The
Bionic Showdown, another made for TV movie, and in two episodes of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. Doug
McClure (The Virginian), Clu Gulager (also of The Virginian), Glenn Corbett (12 O'Clock High),
and Robert Hogan (also 12 O'Clock High), also appeared in the series.
Another actor Bob got to work with
on Automan was Patrick Macnee, who was the debonair spy John Steed on The Avengers. Macnee
later played Steadman, an MI-6 operative
who was responsible for setting up Paul and Annie on a blind date, on Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.
ABOVE: Clockwise from upper left: Wally, Roxanne, Capt. Boyd, and
Jack.
EPISODE GUIDE:
**WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Synopses taken from the January 1992 issue of Epi-Log (Winter Special
#1), reviewed by William E. Anchors, Jr.
"Automan" (Pilot episode) - December 15, 1983
Walter becomes involved in a missing persons case
after Jack, the officer assigned to the case, also disappears. With the assistance of the newly-developed Automan, he
links the missing lieutenant to the Global Guard Security agency, a group that is covertly abducting engineers and technicians
from around the world. The missing workers, as well as Jack, are being transported and imprisoned at a remote, inescapable
mountain resort in Switzerland. While there, they are forced to work for the organization that kidnapped them, and are
given a life of luxury as long as they follow orders. Traveling to Switzerland with Automan, Walter must break out an
uncooperative Jack before he is shot by his captors.
Guest Cast:
Lydell Hamilton... Patrick Macnee
Det. Ted Smithers... Doug McClure
Tanya DuBoise... Camilla Sparv
P.J. Hawkins... Steven Franken
Peterson... Robert Hogan
Collins... Steven Keats
Cramer... James Antonio, Jr.
Chuck Wilson... Robert Dunlop
Martin Wills... Don Galloway
Credits:
Written by... Glen Larson
Directed by... Lee Katzin
"Staying Alive While Running a High Flashdance Fever"
- December 22, 1983
Walter, Jack, Roxanne, and Capt. Boyd are sent out
to meet with an informant who wants to sell information about the mob buying into a casino in Las Vegas with the help
of certain political figures. When Curtis meets her, two cars of thugs appear and kidnap the girl. Walter calls up
Auto on a pay phone, and they pursue the kidnappers in the Auto car. After running one car off the road, Auto changes
the car into a helicopter and follows them from the air, where they see the other car containing the informant enter the grounds
of a large estate. After Auto leaves because of lack of energy, Walter calls in a SWAT team to descend on the estate,
only to find that it belongs to Judge Farnsworth, the police commissioner's best friend and the department's biggest backer.
Unable to find the girl or the car at the estate, Walter is ridiculed for making a foolish mistake, but he continues to pursue
the case and learns that the judge is scheduled to rule on a case involving Leonard Martin, an organized crime figure.
Receiving a call from the judge's distraught secretary, Ellen Fowler, Auto flies to Las Vegas to meet her, and is soon followed
by Walter after being informed of the trip by Cursor. Meeting with Miss Fowler, she gives them a bank account book belonging
to the judge, which shows him receiving payoffs and having overseas accounts. Soon after, Martin orders Jason to kill
the girl, who is actually working for Martin to set up the judge on criminal charges. When her body is found, the judge
is arrested for murdering her because she revealed his illegal payoffs. Jack and Roxanne join Walter in Las Vegas to
close up the case, but Walter and Auto begin to suspect that the judge has been set up, and their suspicions are confirmed
when Auto checks the casino's computers. In the meantime, they receive worse news: Roxanne has been kidnapped by the
mobsters, who threaten to kill her if the police don't release to the news media the information they have about the judge's
payoffs.
Guest Cast:
Ellen Fowler/Miss Simmons... Mary Crosby
Judge Alexander Farnsworth... William Windom
Leonard Martin... Don Gordon
Jason... Robert F. Lyons
Bartender... Angela Aames
Jackson... Jorge Cervera
Drunk... Jack Perkins
Credits:
Written by... Glen Larson
Directed by... Winrich Kolbe
"The Great Pretender" - December 29, 1983
In his latest scheme, Rudolph Brock, a local crime czar, sets a trap for a truck
transporting paper used by; the government for printing money. After the theft, Auto and Walter set out to trap the
criminal by closing down his operations, thereby forcing him to use the paper to print money in order to keep up his payments
to the local syndicate. Using expertise gained from watching Walter's gangster video tapes, Auto goes undercover as
a hotshot gangster and manages to close down Brock's car theft ring, gambling casino, prostitution ring, and loan shark operation.
Despite Brock's attempts to stop Walter and Auto, including several attempts by Kevin Mayhew to kill them, he is unsuccessful
and is receiving threats from the syndicate because he is behind on payments. While Walter and Auto continue to harass
Brock's operations, Jack stumbles onto his counterfeiting operation and is caught by Brock's men and they learn that Walter
is a cop. In the meantime, Auto works out a deal to buy Brock's counterfeit money, but during the exchange Brock's men
recognize Walter. After a fight, Mayhew is convinced to work for Auto instead. With his help, Walter, Jack, and
Auto must stop Brock before he can get married and leave the country with the payoff money.
Guest Cast:
Rudolph Brock... Clu Gulager
Kevin Mayhew... Michael Callan
Lauren Robinson... Andrea Howard
Russo... Robert Long, Jr.
Seymour Laird... Ed Griffith
Parsons... James Andronica
Gritch... Todd Martin
Robinson... Richard Deer
Nelson Trotter... Rick Jason
Credits:
Written by... Sam Egan
Directed by... Kim Manners
"Ships in the Night" - January 5, 1984
Six men on business trips to the island of San Cristobal
have disappeared, after having gone there to buy illegal drugs to bring back to the U.S. Jack and Roxanne are sent to
the island to investigate the disappearances, while Walter and Auto use the Auto plane to fly there and back them up.
Upon their arrival, Walter is arrested by island police, and an escaping Automan goes undercover as a rich American to find
the murderers. With the help of the island police, Robert Sawyer, a drug dealer and fugitive from the U.S., has been
luring desperate businessmen to their deaths by selling them drugs, keeping the money, and dropping them from his plane over
the open ocean. While Walter persuades the police to release him, Auto passes himself off as a crooked businessman wanting
to make an "investment". The scheme works, and Auto is taken to the airport while Walter, in the meantime, has been
caught by Sawyer's men and is also being taken to the plane to be given a final ride to his death.
Guest Cast:
Robert Sawyer... Scott Marlowe
Liang Lu... France Nuyen
Woody... Steven Hanks
James Dowling... Frank Aletter
Police Sergeant... Abraham Alvarez
Captain Romano... Cesare Danova
Johnson... Branscombe Richmond
Bank Guard... Rick Garcia
Credits:
Written by... Park Perine
Directed by... Bob Claver
"Unreasonable Facsimile" - January 12, 1984
Henry Innes, the co-owner of a helicopter parts manufacturing
company, becomes alarmed when a third helicopter in three months crashes and kills five people after having the company's
parts installed. With their company being sold in a few days, he tries to convince his partner, Jarrett Powers, to reveal
to authorities before the sale that their defective parts were the cause of the crashes. When Jarrett refuses to
co-operate, Henry contacts their financier, Edward Scanlin, a loan shark who was the only one who would refinance their
company when it nearly went bankrupt, and is killed by Scanlin for his efforts. After Innes' body is found, Walter is
put on the case to track down the killer with the only clue they have -- an appointment book showing his having a meeting
at a local singles night club. At the club, Walter meets Innes' daughter Rachel and pieces together the meeting with
Scanlin, which his partner denies. To lure Scanlin and Powers out into the open, Auto poses as a Texas millionaire looking
to purchase the manufacturing company. Working with Rachel, they find at her father's home a computer disk listing the
defective surplus parts sold as new pieces. Driving to the home to join them, Walter is trailed by Scanlin and Powers,
who realize they must now kill the trio in order to keep them quiet.
Guest Cast:
Henry Innes... Robert Sampson
Rachel Innes... Delta Burke
Jarrett Powers... Glenn Corbett
Edward M. Scanlin... Gerald Gordon
Norman... David S. Sheiner
Christine Powers... Lina Raymond
Bartender... Conroy Gedeon
Francine... Toni Nero
Hortense Behrens... Ruth Warshawsky
Theodore Behrens... Walter Brooke
Credits:
Written by... Sam Egan
Directed by... Winrich Kolbe
"Flashes and Ashes" - January 19, 1984
Walter is infuriated when a good friend and fellow
police officer is framed for a break-in at a police armory, and his body is found in the burned-out ruins of the destroyed
building. Following a lead, Automan and Walter trail two police officers previously suspected of burglary to a night
club where the guns stolen at the armory are sold. While there, Walter is seen by a crooked police lieutenant who arranged
the robbery, and he sets up the computer expert to make it appear that he was involved with the theft. Walter is relieved
of duty. Now without his shield -- and threatened by his superiors to stay away from the case -- Walter must prove both
his and his friend's innocence.
Guest Cast:
Lt. Whittaker... Jeffrey Pomerantz
Sam Lymon... Daniel Torppe
Dean Springer... James Emery
Jeff Coe... Michael Horsley
Rollie Dumont... Hari Rhodes
Madame Russo... Anita Dangler
Tennis Pro... Roscoe Tanner
Credits:
Written by... Doug Heyes
Directed by... Kim Manners
"Biggest Game in Town" - January 26, 1984
A computer genius, Ronald Tilson, sabotages the city's
computers to get even for his being fired for allegedly embezzling funds while setting up their systems. After a bomb
threat, shutting off the city's power, and opening the flood gates on a local dam, Tilson demands $10,000,000 to stop sabotaging
the city. When officials refuse to pay up, he re-programs the local airport's flight control computers so that
two aircraft will be flying unknowingly on a collision course. With the lives of hundreds of passengers at stake, Automan
narrowly manages to divert a crash with the use of the Autoplane. Walter and Automan finally track down Tilson and his
accomplice at a local computer convention, and arrest the two after they attempt to escape. In jail, the computer pro
reveals that one more disaster will strike that evening -- a bomb has been planted in police headquarters, one powerful enough
to destroy the building and everyone in it. Seconds later a computer locks the doors on the building, and everyone inside
faces death within fifteen minutes unless Walter and Auto can find the bomb in time.
Guest Cast:
Ronald Tilson... Rick Lenz
Ellie Harmon... Kristen Meadows
Bart Johnson... Felton Perry
Lt. Malcolm Whittaker... Jeffrey Pomerantz
Street Guy... Africanus Roscius
Frank Cooney... Ron Harvey
Laurie... Tami Barber
Sam Maroni... Timothy Blake
Credits:
Written by... Larry Brody
Directed by... Winrich Kolbe
"Renegade Run" - March 5, 1984
An old friend of Walter's contacts him to help her
and her brother, who are being terrorized by a corrupt sheriff into signing a paper giving him the deed to their parents'
property. After Chico is thrown into jail and Teresa is forced to sign the papers, Teresa and Walter fly to Cherry Valley
to contact her attorney, who turns out to be working for the sheriff and an important politician. After driving to her
parents' homestead, the sheriff and his deputy arrest Walter for possession of drugs they planed in this rental car, and put
him and Teresa with Chico on a local work farm. Finding out about the arrest through the computer, Automan appears at
the police station as federal agent Mann, and travels to Arizona with Jack to free Walter. Unknown to Walter and Auto,
Chico has made arrangements for the Renegades motorcycle gang to bust him out of the prison. Knowing that if the
gang attacks the work farm many people will be killed or hurt, Auto persuades the gang members to make him their leader and
let him lead an attack to free Chico, Teresa, and Walter.
Guest Cast:
Teresa Fuentes... Gina Gallego
Chico Fuentes... Billy Drago
Sheriff Clay Horton... Richard Lynch
Carl Donovan... Richard Anderson
Stone... Terry Kiser
Gretchen Lewis... Gretta Blackburn
Miss Lucy... Carol Webster
J.P. Crazy... Michael MacRae
Travis... Damon Douglas
Credits:
Written by... Larry Brody
Directed by... Allen Baron
"Murder MTV" - March 12, 1984
Walter is assigned to watch over a female rock star,
Jessie Cole, after an attempt is made on her life. Unknown to the police, Lee Cole, the star's father and manager, is
being extorted by an unknown man. The mystery man knows that the father thinks he accidentally killed a police officer
who tried to arrest his daughter for drug possession, and is supposed to have the murder on tape to prove it. After
another attempt is made on Jessie's life, Lee seeks help from an old friend who owes him a favor, and who is a member of the
mob. Repaying the favor, the man lends him two hit men to get rid of the extortionist. Seeing the hit men at the
Coles' home, Walter and Auto suspect that there is more going on than what they are being told. They find out the true
identity of the thugs when Jack is run off the road by them in a high-speed chase. Before the police can arrest the
two, they are both killed by the extortionist when Lee tries to double cross him by setting a trap at a pay-off site.
After the fouled-up pay-off attempt, Jessie is kidnapped by the extortionist, who turns out to be Sam Clementine, a disgruntled
member of the rock star's support group. By this time Lee finally tells the police the whole story, who now must help
find his daughter and capture Clementine before he can kill Jessie.
Guest Cast:
Jessie Cole... Laura Branigan
Lee Cole... Michael McGuire
Sam Clementine... Sander Johnson
Frank Ladrone... Albert Paulson
Josie... Christie Clardige
Leo Shane... Gerald Burns
Delivery Boy... Paul Haber
Tony Lupas... Michael Gregory
Joanne... Ola Ray
Carlo Crane... Zitto Kazann
Credits:
Written by... Guerdon Trueblood and Doug Heyes
Directed by... Bruce Seth Green
"Murder, Take One" - March 19, 1984
Ray Gillette, a leading Hollywood gossip columnist,
is killed shortly after arguing with Veronica Everly, a failing actress who has been blasted in his columns. While going
over the writer's notes, Auto uncovers several leads, including one relating to a movie called The Silver Dawn, which Gillette
found out was being financed by Michael Hagedorn with illicit drug profits. Traveling to the studio to both visit Veronica
Everly and to check on Hagedorn's movie, Auto lands the lead in the film after the other actor who had the part quit.
Meanwhile, Walter stakes out Hagedorn's home and observes the arrival of the car of a known money launderer. Walter
and Auto find out that Hagedorn's movie, which is being made mainly to give his girlfriend a film to star in, must be completed
within three days in order for the sponsors to pay for its completion. If the film isn't completed in time, he will
be forced to pay for it himself with money he needs to pay for a heroin shipment arriving in the country soon. To thwart
his plans, Auto must hold up the production so that the film cannot be completed in time. In the meantime, using part
of a phone number traced by Automan, Walter tries to track down the location of Hagedorn's men and the drug shipment.
Guest Cast:
Ray Gillette... Peter Marshall
Veronica Everly... Michelle Phillips
Michael Hagedorn... Ed Lauter
Philip Eames... Greg Mullavey
Kitty Hopkins... Winnie Gardner
Oscar Selby... Tim Rossovich
Sheila Dunham... Hilary Thompson
Seymour... Floyd Levine
Roland... Mark Wheeler
Frank Loren... Bart Braverman
Credits:
Written by... Sam Egan
Directed by... Kim Manners
"Zippers" - March 26, 1984
A newly-opened male stripper club is a cover for a
string of burglaries conducted by employees who break into homes of their customers by copying their house keys after parking
the customers' cars. Investigating the case, Walter and Auto find another complication: one of the break-ins netted
a ring containing a stolen microchip listing names and addresses of people in the federal witness protection program.
By obtaining the chip, the mob can kill the potential witnesses before they can appear in court. Several hoods are determined
to obtain the chip, and will do anything to get it, including killing Walter, whom they have mistaken for the burglar who
stole the ring.
Guest Cast:
Dennis Stanton... James Callahan
Carlos Rayner... John Vernon
Gary Baxley... James Morrison
Victor... Erik Stern
Buck... Billy Ray Sharkey
Stanley... Tom Everett
Mrs. Stanton... Jill Andre
First Girl... Cis Rundle
Second Girl... Mae LeBlanc
Rummy... John Alderson
Credits:
Written by... David Garber and Bruce E. Kalish
Directed by... Alan Crosland
"Death by Design" - April 2, 1984
While Jack and his former partner are tailing a mob
hit man named LeBlanc, the partner is killed when he attempts to sop the murderer who has just eliminated a fashion designer
who refused to cooperate with the organized crime members who financed his business years earlier. Afterwards, other
thugs from the mob threaten the other owner, Tracy Morgan, if she doesn't turn over control of the company to their boss.
After Jack is pulled off the case for punching LeBlanc when the assassin is released from jail for lack of evidence.
Walter and Automan pursue the case. To force a confession from the killer, they create a fictitious character named
"Mad Dog", a crazed, vengeance-seeking cop out to obtain justice from unconvicted crooks, to smoke out the mobsters.
Guest Cast:
Eric LeBlanc... Luke Askew
Simon Rafferty... Lance LeGault
Tracy Morgan... Anne Lockhart
Tom Sholes... David Spielberg
Nate Hester... Edward Mallory
Noah Jeffries... J.D. Hall
Model... K.C. Winkler
Gill... Eric Server
Woodrow "Woody" Oster... John Ericson
Joseph Sylvana... John Crear
Credits:
Written by... Sam Egan
Directed by... Gil Bettman
"Club Ten" - unaired
While at Club Ten, an exclusive jet-set spa, to write
an article for Travel World magazine, Laura Ferguson, a friend of Roxanne's, leaves a request for help on Roxanne's
answering machine after she and her boyfriend get into trouble. After calling Walter over to her home to listen to the
tape, he arrives and the two are attacked by a man who unsuccessfully attempts to get the cassette tape from her answering
machine. Talking over the situation with Captain Boyd, the police chief sends Walter and Roxanne to Club Ten to investigate
her friend's disappearance. Unfortunately, Automan informs Walter that he can't get in because they only accept perfect
"10s", so Auto places his reservations as Otto J. Mann, and has Walter accompany him as a valet, something that Walter isn't
excited about. Flying to the resort, they check in and are spotted almost immediately by the man who had broken into
Roxanne's apartment, and he reports their arrival to his boss, Roger Crandall. They are given rooms next to Laura's,
who they are told is on a cruise for a few days. Entering the locked room with the help of Auto, they do not realize
that they are being watched by Crandall, who is searching for some missing diamonds. He thinks they are after them as
well. Using the writer's diary, Auto leaves to trace her movements during the previous week, and is tailed by one of
the club's employees. Shortly after, Walter leaves to ask around the club about Laura, and he is tailed by a club member,
who, after confronting him, reveals that he is also a police officer. The officer, named Valdez, reveals that his department
believes that Crandall is using Club 10 as a front for his diamond smuggling operation. Believing that Walter is interfering
with his operation, Valdez sends a complaint to Captain Boyd, who decides to send Jack down to straighten out the situation.
In the meantime, Felipe and Laura try to escape from the room that they have been tied up in for days. Crandall kills
Felipe. Auto, Roxanne, and Walter decide to try to flush out Crandall by making it look as if they found the diamonds.
At a party later on Auto begins buying champagne for everyone, then gives some diamonds, made by Cursor, to some admiring
females. Observed by Club 10 employees, one of them reports seeing Auto with the diamonds, and another employee goes
through their rooms looking for more of the diamonds. Walter catches the man in his room, but is overcome in the ensuing
struggle. When he wakes up he finds himself on a golf course, gun in hand, with Felipe's dead body beside him.
Seconds later, surrounded by a crowd of people, he is arrested for murder by Captain Valdez. Although Walter convinces
Valdez that he isn't guilty, the captain leaves him in jail anyway to keep him out of the way. After being out of action
a few hours for lack of power, Auto comes to the rescue adn they escape the jail. Losing the police with some high-speed
manuevers in the Autocar, they return to the club and find Roxanne missing and Jack Curtis waiting for them. While discussing
her whereabouts, Auto uncovers an important clue-- the ribbon Laura's typewriter contains several sentences not on the last
page she typed. By reading it, they find out that the diamonds are in the bottom of an aquarium in the dining room,
something that Crandall has also learned from Laura after threatening to kill Roxanne. Waiting for Crandall to arrive
in the dining room to get the diamonds, Walter, Auto, and Jack catch him in the act, but also find out that the two girls
are tied up in the back of a Jeep heading for a cliff on the other side of the island. Leaving in the Autocar, then
changing into the Auto Chopper, Walter and Auto catch up with the fleeing Jeep just before the girls are killed.
Guest Cast:
Laura Ferguson... Robin Eisenman
Captain Valdez... Brett Halsey
Geri... Barbara Horan
Ted... Marshall Teague
Waiter... Edward Crotty
Credits:
Written by... Michael S. Baser and Kim Weiskopf
Directed by... Kim Manners
Automan Links:
Automan Page at Chuck Wagner's Official Site
This site contains all kinds of information about
Chuck Wagner, including photos, a biography, and news about his career. It also has a page devoted exclusively to Automan. There are
screen captures, including three or four of Automan with Jack, an incomplete episode guide, and an interview with Larry Brody,
the show's executive producer.
Will and Sandy Lee Fong's Automan Site
This site contains an extensive list of Automan
memorabilia (including pictures of most of the items), an overview of the show, a link to an episode guide, and
a photo archive. You can also order tapes of the show here, possibly available on DVD soon.
Review of the Series and Interview with Chuck Wagner
Excellent page that has an in-depth overview of the
series, plus a lengthy interview with Chuck Wagner where he discusses specific episodes, reasons for the show's cancellation,
and tells what it was like to work with his co-stars.
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