OT: Obscure "Car" TV shows...

WestCoastSVX · #1 01-14-2003, 03:05 PM

Here's something for fun.

A buddy and I were just discussing some of the TV shows of our youth (the 70's and 80's). I thought of a lot of big shows from that era that had a certain car(s) play a big part in the show. Think of "Starsky and Hutch", "CHiPs", "Magnum P.I.", "The A-Team", "Miami Vice".... to name a few. Then there are the shows where the car pretty much made up the plot and premise: "Dukes of Hazard" and of course "Knight Rider". With the success of "Knight Rider" there came several copycat shows that didn't do quite as well and are more of a challenge to remember.

Anyone remember "Streethawk" (or something like that) it was basically "Knight Rider" with a 300mph motorcycle from what I remember.

How about "The Highwayman"? This team of guys drove around a post-apocalyptic world in futuristic semi trucks. The main guy could turn his into a helicopter if he got in trouble and the other guy was that Jacko guy from the 80's (the big Austrailian guy in the Energizer battery commercials that looked like a wrestler and would yell out "OI"!). The clever producers of the show used Jacko's short lived commercial fame I think. He would always start out every sentence with "OI, Highwayman!"

"Viper" comes to mind too, though it may be early 90's. It came out whenever Dodge first introduced the Viper I believe. It appeared to be a completely Dodge funded show as far as I could tell. Almost every vehicle used was a brand new Dodge, and it was supposed to be in the slight future so they were kinda associating their current lineup as cars that would look futuristic. Like the police cruisers were all Dodge Intrepids.

The downside of this was that they had to show the Viper as one could go buy it, which didn't serve the purpose of the show very well. So the undercover cop or whatever he was had to drive around in a stock red Viper with the targa top roof panel off (back then remember there wasn't a Viper Hardtop yet), but when he had to go into action he had to transform the Viper into a more practical assault vehicle with some morphing effects. So that it could have a roof, grey armor plating, etc. Michael Knight never had to do that, he could fight the bad guys and still have a stock-looking car.

Any others? Or any comments on the above?

Aredubjay · #2 01-14-2003, 03:50 PM

I didn't remember "Highwayman" at first, but this jogged my memory http://www.scifi2k.com/highwayman.html

Another "vehicle" show, in which the vehicle was the star, was a show in the mid 70's. The star of the show was a Kenworth Conventional 18-Wheeler with supporting cast of Frank Converse and Claude Akins. Anyone remember it?

Mr. Pockets · #3 01-14-2003, 04:01 PM

Heat Vision and Jack.

Landshark · #4 01-14-2003, 04:06 PM

don't forget "B.J. and the Bear."

i'm gonna go get a monkey and a Knight Rider light strip for my SVX.

sfsvx · #5 01-14-2003, 04:08 PM

How about "My Mother the Car"?

Uncamitzi · #6 01-14-2003, 04:10 PM

Does anyone remember "THE FBI" back in the 60's... Every car on the road was a FORD...? (they were the sponsor of course)

WestCoastSVX · #7 01-14-2003, 04:12 PM

Randy, cool link! ha ha Somehow the trucks don't look as cool as they used to!

If you go back on that page to where they list shows, they have a good link to the Viper show as well.

BJ and the Bear - was that the one you were thinking of Randy? Or was there another trucker show?

Aredubjay · #8 01-14-2003, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dick Young
How about "My Mother the Car"?

We're trying to forget that one, and so is Jerry VanDyke. Ann Southern didn't make a very good car, either.

"Movin' On" was the name of the show I was talking about.

Aredubjay · #9 01-14-2003, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MacGyver
Randy, cool link! ha ha Somehow the trucks don't look as cool as they used to!

My 14 year old son and I will sometimes watch some of the "classic" Sci Fi movies from my youth. He moans and groans and says "how lame." Of course I agree with him and immediately go into a Mystery Science Theater routine.

Somehow, though, he didn't mind watching "Barberella."

huck369 · #10 01-14-2003, 05:19 PM

What about "Bad Cats" (a "Starsky and Hutch" Clone), 2 guys and a girl cop team, that chased crooks in a early 70's Canary Yellow W/Black stripes Chevy SS Nova.

I know it was one of Randys favorite colorrrr......I mean cars

#11 01-14-2003, 05:46 PM

I always thought "hawaii five o" had pretty cool cars.

- Ca$h

huck369 · #12 01-14-2003, 05:56 PM

Oh yeah "Hardcastle and McCormick" and the Coyote.....

SVXphile · #13 01-14-2003, 06:16 PM

How about the Munster Coach? A George Barris creation I think.

Did the Green Hornet's car have a name? Black Beauty or something like that....

Pat Brady's Nellybell, from the Roy Rogers show. Don

mohrds · #14 01-14-2003, 06:32 PM

How about the TV series Alien Nation. The human cop had a modded camaro supposed to be some future sports car. On various episodes they had concept cars rolling through the scenes.

Doug

LarryIII · #15 01-14-2003, 07:16 PM

Ok here we go back to the good ole days of black & white TV with only 3 networks:

77 Sunst Strip with a new T-Bird.

Highway Patrol with Broderick Crawford racing around in '55 Buick police cars yelling "10-4".

Boston Blackie with a Kaiser-Darren.

Route 66 with TV Tommy Ivo and a brand new 'Vette.

BTW: Didn't the Starship Voyager find a '27 Ford pickup in the Delta quadrant.