The 80s had been a time when nation music and a kind of hero born of the nice ol boy class that got here into his personal. This may very well be seen in exhibits like The Dukes of Hazzard, BJ and The Bear, in addition to films like Any Which Approach However Free and Smokey and the Bandit. They had been a time of what could be thought of enjoyable motion movies and TV. Once more, this was personified in exhibits the place often nobody received critically damage, like The A-Crew. The dangerous guys went to the identical capturing college as your pleasant neighborhood Stormtroopers. However, one TV present that will personify this “no one higher get damage” journey collection was The Fall Man.
The collection was designed as a automobile for star Lee Majors, who had turn out to be a family identify due to The Six Million Dollar Man, however struggled to discover a worthy follow-up. This may be it, with him enjoying Colt Seavers, a likeable stuntman who dietary supplements his revenue in an attention-grabbing manner: he moonlights as a bounty hunter. For Majors, this could be a ardour mission, with him even singing the theme music. The present grew to become a serious hit, with Majors driving a second wave of fame whereas his beautiful co-star, Heather Thomas, would turn out to be one of many greatest pin-ups of the 80s. The present has simply been given the big-screen therapy, with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt starring within the well-received remake (learn our assessment right here), so now it’s time to pay tribute to the unique present.
How did The Fall Man get made?
The Fall Man got here to be in most likely some of the weird methods a TV present would occur. And but…for individuals who grew up with the collection and that epic theme music, it makes full sense.
Glen Larson, a reputation Gone But Not Forgotten viewers ought to acknowledge, was one of many gods of 80s tv. He was hanging out with a good friend of his named David Somerville who simply occurred to be a member of a music group named The Diamonds. Somerville had written a theme music for a mission about stuntmen known as “The Ballad of the Unknown Stuntman,” which he was buzzing and singing. Larson heard him and requested his good friend what it was. He had Somerville carry out the entire music. Primarily based on that music, Larson had an thought for a TV collection.
Armed with Somerville and actually no script, Larson went in to pitch the concept of a present to ABC. The pitch consisted of Larson and Somerville singing the music. Lo and behold, that was sufficient for them, and the present received the greenlight. It’s as loopy as some situations Colt Seaver would wind up in.
Larson’s thought grew to become a collection that will give viewers precisely what was promised: loopy stunts and behind-the-scenes of what it was like making Hollywood motion movies. However constantly doing that for an hour per week would get actually costly and exhausting. So the lead character of our Fall Man, Colt Seaver, would have a gig between his stunt jobs as a bounty hunter for bail jumpers, a situation the movie dropped for some cause. This idea would maintain a stage of motion nonetheless going and permit Colt to make use of his stuntman talents and coaching whereas coping with this different harmful line of labor.
The place is The Fall Man forged now?
The Fall Man wasn’t a deep premise, but it surely was a hell of enjoyable. And this was helped alongside in spades by casting Lee Majors as Colt Seaver. Majors had a historical past with Glenn Larson due to his work in Six Million Greenback Man. Lee was likable, had a glimmer in his eye, and was not from bionics this time. He had been round stuntmen and the business for some time. He had ol boy allure, which was one thing that will work years later when he was forged within the position he appeared born for, Bruce Campbell’s father in Ash Vs Evil Useless.
Majors would do a lot of his stunts within the collection in addition to singing the theme music. He additionally directed some episodes and produced the collection. A variety of the visitor stars who would present up or cameo had been mates of Majors who had been round some time by this level in his profession in quite a few TV and movie roles, a number of which had been primarily based within the Western style.
The Fall Man positively lent itself to this kind of “Redneck Cinema” style, which was rising in recognition within the late 70s and early 80s, and Main’s western resume helped significantly with that mystique. It was one thing Larson would deliver to the small display in different collection like The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, BJ and the Bear, and, to some extent, Simon and Simon.
Majors remains to be working in each TV and movie, most notably within the beforehand talked about Ash Vs Evil Useless the place he gave as nice a chin as Bruce Campbell on display.
Douglas Barr performed Howie Munson, the naïve and lovable sidekick for Colt. Howie cherished the women and would attempt his hand at being a stuntman alongside Colt and Jody, utilizing his many failed makes an attempt at levels in faculty to assist out when wanted. Barr’s charming smile, beauty, and loveable persona made him an amazing foil for Main’s, and there was an amazing chemistry there.
Barr had already been in a number of TV collection and movies at this level. He’d go on to co-star alongside David Rappaport within the unbelievable television collection known as The Wizard as his bodyguard and companion. He’s since turn out to be extra identified for writing and directing TV films just like the Hallmark Channel’s Notes from the Coronary heart Healer and Taking a Probability on Love. He’s additionally turn out to be a vineyard proprietor with the snazzily named Hollywood and Vine Cellars.
Heather Thomas performed Jody, the stunt lady who helped maintain Howie in line and was Colt’s proper hand. Thomas was a shocking actress whose poster wound up on the wall of a LOT of 80s teenage boys. She appeared in a number of TV collection in visitor roles and a few nice cult movies like Zapped alongside Scott Baio. However my favourites had been the Fred Olen Ray-directed Cyclone reverse a really younger Jeffrey Combs and Purple Blooded American Lady, the place she starred alongside Kim Coates, Christopher Plummer, and Andrew Stevens.
Thomas’s time in Hollywood wasn’t a straightforward one although, and he or she’s talked in regards to the struggles that occurred whereas she was extra within the public eye. Stalking grew to become a life-threatening problem when considered one of Thomas’s stalkers got here to her home and climbed a fence whereas brandishing a knife. Thomas did return to performing although and likewise grew to become a author, penning the e book known as Trophies.
Jo Ann Pflug would star for the primary season as Huge Jack, Colt’s bondswoman boss. Pflug was in lots of TV roles, TV movies, and have movies. However I’ll at all times keep in mind her because the fast-talking Louise Harper from The Evening Strangler.
Markie Put up would take over the bail lady position as Terri Shannon for all however the collection’ final season. Put up was a staple on TV all through the 80s and had an enormous profession, together with her most well-known position being Christine from Evening Court docket. In reality, her dedication to being on The Fall Man prevented her from becoming a member of Evening Court docket till its third season. Sadly, she would cross away on the younger age of 70 in 2021 after an extended battle with most cancers.
However, we will’t recite the forged of The Fall Man with out mentioning its most iconic character…and that’s Colt’s GMC Decide-Up. Many who owned the toy automotive model of this child would have it race alongside the opposite well-known autos of the 80s like KITT, The ATEAM Van, and, after all, The Normal Lee. The 1980’s was a magical time to be a automotive geek. The truck was a GMC Okay 2500 with some additions. They did many stunts and jumps with the vans. Finally, GMC would modify the pickups to assist lower down on the variety of them being trashed throughout stunts.
The Fall Man would turn out to be a serious, pun not meant, hit for ABC due to an amazing mixture of comedy, motion, and an enormous visitor star checklist. As stated, Lee Majors received many mates to point out up within the collection. Simply within the pilot alone, Lou Rawls would play Nation Joe. And when you may have a man with a voice like Lou Rawls, you must discover somebody with an equally distinctive voice to play the villain harassing him. That position went to Percy Rodrigues, the voice of over 100 film trailers. While you heard that voice coming onto a trailer you knew you had been in for one thing terrifying. From Jaws to The Exorcist, Rodriguez’s voice was at all times concerned.
In addition to Rawls and Rodrigues, Delta Burke would seem as a waitress, and Lara Parker was a really sad resident on the town. Terry Kiser (Bernie from Weekend at Bernie’s) was Jody’s director. Eddie Albert, one other staple from movie and TV performed Huge John, the kid hit and runner in a villainous flip.
James Coburn performed himself, and so did Farrah Fawcett. Farrah’s look nearly didn’t occur. In actuality, she and Majors had been getting divorced, and it was enjoying out throughout many tabloids and within the information. Her mates had requested her to not do the cameo, which was a extremely candy second the place you might see the love the actors nonetheless had for one another. However Farrah needed to point out the world that she and Majors weren’t at one another’s throats because the headlines would have you ever imagine. So she did the cameo, which lends itself to the road Majors sings within the theme music (“I’ve been seen with Farrah”).
The visitor stars and transient appearances over the present’s run had been MASSIVE. Right here’s a brief sampling. Richard Kiel, Milton Berle, Linda Evans, Vincent Schiavelli, Lou Ferrigno, Tom Selleck, Heather Locklear, Richard Burton, Roy Rogers, Lindsay Wagner and lots of extra. Very similar to Dukes of Hazzard, some nation music performers like Johnny Lee, Mickey Gilley, Dottie West, Ray Stevens, and Charlie Daniels could be part of the present.
However my favorite episode of The Fall Man needed to be the one which aired on October 31st, 1984…with the unique title known as October the 31st. This episode sees Colt, Howie, and Jody all at a supposedly haunted mansion alongside Elvira and John Carradine. However John isn’t the one Carradine right here as his sons David, Keith, and Robert are additionally within the episode. This episode could be adopted up the next 12 months with October the 32nd, which might have Elvira return the place Colt and firm are filming a horror movie and coping with an escaped psychological affected person. This may see Doug McClure return in addition to Schiavelli, and would additionally co-star Vernon Wells.
As I stated beforehand, there have been toy automobiles of Colt’s truck in numerous sizes and an airplane. The merchandise was large, with issues like lunchboxes, motion figures, t-shirts, and a board sport.
Abroad, the present was additionally a success, with Fall Man Annuals produced within the UK, which was one thing completed for collection like Physician Who and the like. If you wish to see the unique Fall Man collection, you possibly can order it on Amazon Prime.
Is the film a becoming tribute?
The reply to the query of if Fall Man ought to return has already been answered. This week, Ryan Gosling is starring in a big-budget remake characteristic movie known as The Fall Man, with him enjoying Colt Seavers who on this isn’t a bounty hunter for bail jumpers however is just a stuntman. The Jody right here, performed by Emily Blunt, isn’t his assistant however the movie director of the mission he’s engaged on and who additionally occurs to be his ex-girlfriend. There’s no Howie round, however the hearsay is that Lee Majors does have a job within the movie, which follows Colt as he tries to search out the lacking main man of the film, Tom Ryder, performed by Aaron Taylor Johnson earlier than Jody’s movie is shut down.
The trailers all present this appears to be like like a good time with a humorous and charming forged and many explosions and loopy stunts…which is strictly what The Fall Man ought to be. It’s an amped-up peek into Hollywood. However greater than that, it provides the blokes and gals who threat their lives for our leisure a highlight that’s been well-deserved for a very long time. And right here’s hoping that with a movie like this most assuredly being a success, it’s going to encourage the Oscars to present us a greatest Stunt Individual award FINALLY. Try our EIC Chris Bumbray’s assessment HERE!
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