The Highwayman (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Highwayman is an action-adventure themed television series starring Sam J. Jones
, set in "the near future." It was created by Glen A. Larson
and Douglas Heyes
. The pilot aired in September 1987
, and was followed by a short-lived series of nine episodes, with significant changes to the cast and format, that ran from March until May 1988
. It was summed up by many reviewers as a cross between Mad Max
and Knight Rider.
Opening narration by William Conrad
(all episodes after the pilot):
, conducting crime-fighting missions and solving bizarre mysteries. Each Highwayman in this group is equipped with a high-tech, multi-functioned truck.
The pilot movie used a different opening narration, also voiced by William Conrad:
They say he came into this world from someplace off the clock.
And his mother was an ice-cold wind; his pa a fiery rock.
It's told that on some starless nights his rig could up and blow,
And folks who say they saw it coming swear they didn't see it go.
Now you hear a lot of legends told when you ride the long hard slab,
From some who say the man is good and some who say he's bad.
But all agreed who've ever tried to play a cheatin' hand;
You only get one chance to draw against "The Highwayman."
Most crimes in our society begin or end on some stretch of road, where laws often terminate at county lines. Combatting these legal blackouts is a new breed of lawman; working the fringes of society's frontiers, and known simply as 'Highwaymen.
This is the story--and the legend--of one such man: The Highwayman.
The 1987 pilot movie starred Sam J. Jones
. Acting out the lead character, who is more mysterious than any of the other members of the mysterious group to which he belongs in that his real name is never revealed and in that he is only known simply as "The Highwayman" or "Highway," he drives a large black computerized truck with a bullet-shaped cabin, which actually belongs to a concealed helicopter (an Aérospatiale Gazelle
) which can detach from the rest of the truck. The truck could also operate in "stealth mode" where it became invisible, and also featured a futuristic sports car which came out of the truck's rear. Some elements of the futuristic dashboard design were re-used from Knight Rider.
Jones was joined in the pilot by Claudia Christian
as the Highwayman's liaison Dawn, and Stanford Egi as technical wizard Mr. Toto. The pilot was later titled "Terror on the Blacktop" when shown as a stand-alone TV movie.
After the 1987 pilot film, only Sam Jones (and his truck, which had by this time lost the ability to become invisible) returned for the revamped weekly series. He was joined by a new side-kick, Australian outback survival expert "Jetto," played by Mark "Jacko" Jackson; Jane Badler
as the Highwayman's "boss," Ms. Tania Winthrop, and Tim Russ
as D.C. Montana, who was responsible for the maintenance and modifications to the vehicles. The show was also filmed entirely on location in the American Southwest. (The name "D.C. Montana" is an in-joke
play on that of D.C. Fontana, famed TV script writer who worked on many shows including Star Trek
.)
After Jetto's truck, which was identical to the Highwayman's, was destroyed in the first regular episode, "Road Ranger," he is given his own, unique truck, the front half of which can separate into a futuristic car. The truck was later used in the first episode of Power Rangers Time Force, where it was seen transporting the prisoner Ransik until it was ambushed by Ransik's forces.
Although the organization shares elements with that of F.L.A.G. (the Foundation for Law and Government) from Knight Rider, it shares more with the mysterious Firm from the original three seasons of Airwolf
. The exact organization that the Highwayman and Jetto work for is never revealed in any great depth. Working under it, highwaymen seem to have powers beyond--but occasionally conflicting with--the ordinary police.
With much of the series featuring the Highwayman (and/or Jetto) driving their trucks along vast stretches of desert road, there are heavy modern-Western overtones to many episodes. With the hybrid vehicle
s and weaponry, and the ordinary police unable to deal with many fragments of The Highwayman's society, and the overall tone of the series, many of the episodes have a vaguely post-apocalyptic
feel to them.
Despite its short run, the series was broadcast in various other countries including Germany
, France
, Mexico
, The Philippines, South Africa
, Pakistan
and the United Kingdom
.
Production number order, reflecting the order that the episodes began filming, do not match either the actual nor the intended airing order.
), the other vehicles are generally that of the era in which the series was filmed. Many of these vehicles, such as the Ford Motor Co.'s Aerostar minivan, were marketed at the time as having sleek, futuristic designs. It is generally indicated that the series takes place a couple of years after that in which it was made. A coin in the episode "Summer of 45" is said to be dated 1992. It is not until "Warzone" that the date is given on-screen as 1992 (October for that episode).
That carried by the Highwayman appears to be similar to a stockless 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun with a sawn-off barrel, as used by SWAT
teams and some military agencies. In the pilot movie, two sheriff's deputies debate the properties of the Highwayman's sidearm, its power finally demonstrated when a shot accidentally destroys part of the county police station in which the Highwayman is being held.
In the episode 'Til Death Duel Us Part', it is revealed that this weapon has selectable 'modes' and is capable of firing both 9mm Parabellum and 20mm high-explosive ammunition.
The sidearm carried by Jetto is a stockless, full-length Heckler & Koch MP5
submachine gun
.
Sam J. Jones
Sam J. Jones is the stage name of Samuel Gerald Jones , an American actor also credited as Sam Jones.-Early life:Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
, set in "the near future." It was created by Glen A. Larson
Glen A. Larson
Glen Albert Larson is an American television producer and writer best known as the creator of Battlestar Galactica, The Fall Guy, Magnum, P.I. and Knight Rider.-Career:...
and Douglas Heyes
Douglas Heyes
Douglas Heyes was an American film and television writer, director, producer, actor, and composer with a long list of accomplishments.He was the father of actor Douglas Heyes, Jr..He died in Beverly Hills, California....
. The pilot aired in September 1987
1987 in television
The year 1987 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1987.For American TV schedule, see: 1987–88 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:...
, and was followed by a short-lived series of nine episodes, with significant changes to the cast and format, that ran from March until May 1988
1988 in television
The year 1988 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1988.For the American TV schedule, see: 1988-89 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:...
. It was summed up by many reviewers as a cross between Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
and Knight Rider.
Opening narration by William Conrad
William Conrad
William Conrad was an American actor, producer and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film and television....
(all episodes after the pilot):
- “There is a world, just beyond now, where reality runs a razor thin seam between fact and possibility; where the laws of the present collide with the crimes of tomorrow. Patrolling these vast outlands is a new breed of lawman, guarding the fringes of society’s frontiers, they are known simply as ‘Highwaymen’... and this is their story...”
Synopsis
The movie and subsequent series follow the adventures of "The Highwayman," one of a mysterious group, presumably of U.S. MarshalsUnited States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
, conducting crime-fighting missions and solving bizarre mysteries. Each Highwayman in this group is equipped with a high-tech, multi-functioned truck.
The pilot movie used a different opening narration, also voiced by William Conrad:
They say he came into this world from someplace off the clock.
And his mother was an ice-cold wind; his pa a fiery rock.
It's told that on some starless nights his rig could up and blow,
And folks who say they saw it coming swear they didn't see it go.
Now you hear a lot of legends told when you ride the long hard slab,
From some who say the man is good and some who say he's bad.
But all agreed who've ever tried to play a cheatin' hand;
You only get one chance to draw against "The Highwayman."
Most crimes in our society begin or end on some stretch of road, where laws often terminate at county lines. Combatting these legal blackouts is a new breed of lawman; working the fringes of society's frontiers, and known simply as 'Highwaymen.
This is the story--and the legend--of one such man: The Highwayman.
The 1987 pilot movie starred Sam J. Jones
Sam J. Jones
Sam J. Jones is the stage name of Samuel Gerald Jones , an American actor also credited as Sam Jones.-Early life:Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
. Acting out the lead character, who is more mysterious than any of the other members of the mysterious group to which he belongs in that his real name is never revealed and in that he is only known simply as "The Highwayman" or "Highway," he drives a large black computerized truck with a bullet-shaped cabin, which actually belongs to a concealed helicopter (an Aérospatiale Gazelle
Aérospatiale Gazelle
The Aérospatiale Gazelle is a five-seat light helicopter, powered by a single turbine engine. It was designed and manufactured in France by Sud Aviation . It was also manufactured under licence by Westland Aircraft in the United Kingdom , by SOKO in Yugoslavia and ABHCO in Egypt...
) which can detach from the rest of the truck. The truck could also operate in "stealth mode" where it became invisible, and also featured a futuristic sports car which came out of the truck's rear. Some elements of the futuristic dashboard design were re-used from Knight Rider.
Jones was joined in the pilot by Claudia Christian
Claudia Christian
Claudia Ann Christian is an American actress, writer, singer, musician, and director, best known for her role as Commander Susan Ivanova on the science fiction television series Babylon 5.-Career:...
as the Highwayman's liaison Dawn, and Stanford Egi as technical wizard Mr. Toto. The pilot was later titled "Terror on the Blacktop" when shown as a stand-alone TV movie.
After the 1987 pilot film, only Sam Jones (and his truck, which had by this time lost the ability to become invisible) returned for the revamped weekly series. He was joined by a new side-kick, Australian outback survival expert "Jetto," played by Mark "Jacko" Jackson; Jane Badler
Jane Badler
Jane Badler is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Diana, the chief antagonist in NBC's science fiction TV series, V, between 1983-85. Badler also appeared in ABC's "reimagined" version of V in 2011, again playing an alien named Diana, who this time is the mother of...
as the Highwayman's "boss," Ms. Tania Winthrop, and Tim Russ
Tim Russ
Timothy Darrell "Tim" Russ is an American actor, film director, screenwriter and musician. He is known for his roles on Star Trek: Voyager, as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, Samantha Who?, as Frank, and on the Nickelodeon live-action teen sitcom iCarly, as Principal Franklin, a recurring...
as D.C. Montana, who was responsible for the maintenance and modifications to the vehicles. The show was also filmed entirely on location in the American Southwest. (The name "D.C. Montana" is an in-joke
In-joke
An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or in joke, is a joke whose humour is clear only to people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of common understanding...
play on that of D.C. Fontana, famed TV script writer who worked on many shows including Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
.)
After Jetto's truck, which was identical to the Highwayman's, was destroyed in the first regular episode, "Road Ranger," he is given his own, unique truck, the front half of which can separate into a futuristic car. The truck was later used in the first episode of Power Rangers Time Force, where it was seen transporting the prisoner Ransik until it was ambushed by Ransik's forces.
Although the organization shares elements with that of F.L.A.G. (the Foundation for Law and Government) from Knight Rider, it shares more with the mysterious Firm from the original three seasons of Airwolf
Airwolf
Airwolf is an American television series that ran from 1984 until 1987. The program centers on a high-tech military helicopter, code named Airwolf, and its crew as they undertake various missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War theme....
. The exact organization that the Highwayman and Jetto work for is never revealed in any great depth. Working under it, highwaymen seem to have powers beyond--but occasionally conflicting with--the ordinary police.
With much of the series featuring the Highwayman (and/or Jetto) driving their trucks along vast stretches of desert road, there are heavy modern-Western overtones to many episodes. With the hybrid vehicle
Hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
s and weaponry, and the ordinary police unable to deal with many fragments of The Highwayman's society, and the overall tone of the series, many of the episodes have a vaguely post-apocalyptic
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
feel to them.
Despite its short run, the series was broadcast in various other countries including Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, The Philippines, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Cast
- Sam J. JonesSam J. JonesSam J. Jones is the stage name of Samuel Gerald Jones , an American actor also credited as Sam Jones.-Early life:Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
as The Highwayman (a.k.a. "Highway") - Claudia ChristianClaudia ChristianClaudia Ann Christian is an American actress, writer, singer, musician, and director, best known for her role as Commander Susan Ivanova on the science fiction television series Babylon 5.-Career:...
as Dawn (pilot only) - Stanford Egi as Mister Toto (pilot only)
- Mark "Jacko" Jackson as "Jetto" (credited on-screen as simply "Jacko")
- Jane BadlerJane BadlerJane Badler is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Diana, the chief antagonist in NBC's science fiction TV series, V, between 1983-85. Badler also appeared in ABC's "reimagined" version of V in 2011, again playing an alien named Diana, who this time is the mother of...
as Ms. Tania Winthrop - Tim RussTim RussTimothy Darrell "Tim" Russ is an American actor, film director, screenwriter and musician. He is known for his roles on Star Trek: Voyager, as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, Samantha Who?, as Frank, and on the Nickelodeon live-action teen sitcom iCarly, as Principal Franklin, a recurring...
as D.C. Montana - William ConradWilliam ConradWilliam Conrad was an American actor, producer and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film and television....
as the Narrator (uncredited)
Episodes
Note, one episode was shown out of their intended order. It is listed here in the intended order with explanatory notes.Production number order, reflecting the order that the episodes began filming, do not match either the actual nor the intended airing order.
| Ep.# | Episode | Director(s) | Writer(s) | Original airdate | Prod. # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date
The series is at first vague on the exact year that it takes place. Other than Highway and Jetto's trucks, Highway's occasionally seen sports car (a silver Lotus Esprit) and Ms. Badler's car (a red Mark II Toyota MR2Toyota MR2
The Toyota MR2 is a two-seat, mid-engined, rear wheel drive sports car produced by Central Motors, a part of Toyota, from 1984 until July 2007 when production stopped in Japan...
), the other vehicles are generally that of the era in which the series was filmed. Many of these vehicles, such as the Ford Motor Co.'s Aerostar minivan, were marketed at the time as having sleek, futuristic designs. It is generally indicated that the series takes place a couple of years after that in which it was made. A coin in the episode "Summer of 45" is said to be dated 1992. It is not until "Warzone" that the date is given on-screen as 1992 (October for that episode).
Weaponry
The firearms carried by the Highwayman and Jetto are larger and more imposing than traditional police sidearms.That carried by the Highwayman appears to be similar to a stockless 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun with a sawn-off barrel, as used by SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
teams and some military agencies. In the pilot movie, two sheriff's deputies debate the properties of the Highwayman's sidearm, its power finally demonstrated when a shot accidentally destroys part of the county police station in which the Highwayman is being held.
In the episode 'Til Death Duel Us Part', it is revealed that this weapon has selectable 'modes' and is capable of firing both 9mm Parabellum and 20mm high-explosive ammunition.
The sidearm carried by Jetto is a stockless, full-length Heckler & Koch MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
.
See also
- AirwolfAirwolfAirwolf is an American television series that ran from 1984 until 1987. The program centers on a high-tech military helicopter, code named Airwolf, and its crew as they undertake various missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War theme....
- AutomanAutomanAutoman is an American science fiction superhero television series produced by Glen A. Larson. It aired for only 12 episodes on ABC between 1983 and 1984.-Synopsis:...
- Blue ThunderBlue Thunder (TV series)Blue Thunder is a 1984 ABC TV series based on the movie of the same title featuring the Blue Thunder helicopter.The series used the converted Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopter and large portions of stock footage from the 1983 film. A ground unit named "Rolling Thunder" backed up the helicopter in...
- Knight Rider
- Street HawkStreet HawkStreet Hawk is an American television series that aired for 13 episodes on ABC in 1985. The series was a Limekiln and Templar Production in association with Universal Television. Its central characters were created by Paul M. Belous and Robert "Bob" Wolterstorff, and its core format was developed...
- ViperViper (TV series)Viper is an action-adventure TV series about a special task force set up by the federal government to fight crime in the fictional city of Metro City, California that is perpetually under siege from one crime wave after another. The weapon used by this task force is an assault vehicle that...
External links
- What The Highwayman truck looks like now
- The Steinwinter truck – The basis for Jetto’s truck (in Russian)
- SciFi2K synopsis (includes screenshots)
- Opening credits (video)
- Pictures of the vehicles (German)
- http://thehighwayman88.proboards50.com/index.cgi The only Highwayman discussion board on the internet