The 80s have been a time when nation music and a kind of hero born of the great ol boy class that got here into his personal. This might be seen in reveals like The Dukes of Hazzard, BJ and The Bear, in addition to films like Any Which Method However Unfastened and Smokey and the Bandit. They have been a time of what could be thought-about enjoyable motion movies and TV. Once more, this was personified in reveals the place often nobody bought severely damage, like The A-Workforce. The dangerous guys went to the identical taking pictures faculty as your pleasant neighborhood Stormtroopers. However, one TV present that may personify this “nobody better get hurt” journey sequence was The Fall Man.
The sequence was designed as a automobile for star Lee Majors, who had turn into a family title because of The Six Million Greenback Man, however struggled to discover a worthy follow-up. This is able to be it, with him taking part in Colt Seavers, a likeable stuntman who dietary supplements his earnings in an attention-grabbing manner: he moonlights as a bounty hunter. For Majors, this is able to be a ardour challenge, with him even singing the theme track. The present grew to become a serious hit, with Majors using a second wave of fame whereas his attractive co-star, Heather Thomas, would turn into one of many largest 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 evaluation 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 probably the most weird methods a TV present would occur. And but…for many who grew up with the sequence and that epic theme track, it makes full sense.
Glen Larson, a reputation Gone However Not Forgotten viewers ought to acknowledge, was one of many gods of 80s tv. He was hanging out with a buddy of his named David Somerville who simply occurred to be a member of a music group named The Diamonds. Somerville had written a theme track for a challenge about stuntmen referred to as “The Ballad of the Unknown Stuntman,” which he was buzzing and singing. Larson heard him and requested his buddy what it was. He had Somerville carry out the entire track. Based mostly on that track, Larson had an concept for a TV sequence.
Armed with Somerville and actually no script, Larson went in to pitch the thought of a present to ABC. The pitch consisted of Larson and Somerville singing the track. Lo and behold, that was sufficient for them, and the present bought the greenlight. It’s as loopy as some eventualities Colt Seaver would wind up in.
Larson’s concept grew to become a sequence that may give viewers precisely what was promised: loopy stunts and behind-the-scenes of what it was like making Hollywood motion movies. However persistently doing that for an hour every 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 state of affairs the movie dropped for some purpose. This idea would maintain a degree of motion nonetheless going and permit Colt to make use of his stuntman skills and coaching whereas coping with this different harmful line of labor.
The place is The Fall Man solid now?
The Fall Man wasn’t a deep premise, nevertheless it 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 because of 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 a very good ol boy appeal, which was one thing that may work years later when he was solid within the function he appeared born for, Bruce Campbell’s father in Ash Vs Evil Useless.
Majors would do lots of his stunts within the sequence in addition to singing the theme track. He additionally directed some episodes and produced the sequence. Numerous the visitor stars who would present up or cameo have been associates 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 have been based mostly within the Western style.
The Fall Man undoubtedly lent itself to this kind of “Redneck Cinema” style, which was rising in reputation within the late 70s and early 80s, and Main’s western resume helped vastly with that mystique. It was one thing Larson would carry to the small display in different sequence like The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, BJ and the Bear, and, to some extent, Simon and Simon.
Majors continues 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 liked the women and would strive his hand at being a stuntman alongside Colt and Jody, utilizing his many failed makes an attempt at levels in school to assist out when wanted. Barr’s charming smile, beauty, and loveable character made him a terrific foil for Main’s, and there was a terrific chemistry there.
Barr had already been in just a few TV sequence and movies at this level. He’d go on to co-star alongside David Rappaport within the incredible television sequence referred to as The Wizard as his bodyguard and companion. He’s since turn into extra recognized for writing and directing TV films just like the Hallmark Channel’s Notes from the Coronary heart Healer and Taking a Likelihood on Love. He’s additionally turn into a vineyard proprietor with the snazzily named Hollywood and Vine Cellars.
Heather Thomas performed Jody, the stunt girl 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 sequence in visitor roles and a few nice cult movies like Zapped alongside Scott Baio. However my favourites have been the Fred Olen Ray-directed Cyclone reverse a really younger Jeffrey Combs and Purple Blooded American Woman, 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 challenge 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 ebook referred to as Trophies.
Jo Ann Pflug would star for the primary season as Massive Jack, Colt’s bondswoman boss. Pflug was in lots of TV roles, TV movies, and have movies. However I’ll all the time keep in mind her because the fast-talking Louise Harper from The Night time Strangler.
Markie Submit would take over the bail girl function as Terri Shannon for all however the sequence’ final season. Submit was a staple on TV all through the 80s and had an enormous profession, along with her most well-known function being Christine from Night time Courtroom. The truth is, her dedication to being on The Fall Man prevented her from becoming a member of Night time Courtroom till its third season. Sadly, she would move away on the younger age of 70 in 2021 after an extended battle with most cancers.
However, we are able to’t recite the solid 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 automobiles 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 Ok 2500 with some additions. They did many stunts and jumps with the vans. Ultimately, GMC would modify the pickups to assist minimize down on the variety of them being trashed throughout stunts.
The Fall Man would turn into a serious, pun not meant, hit for ABC because of a terrific mixture of comedy, motion, and an enormous visitor star record. As stated, Lee Majors bought many associates to indicate up within the sequence. Simply within the pilot alone, Lou Rawls would play Nation Joe. And when you’ve gotten a man with a voice like Lou Rawls, you must discover somebody with an equally distinctive voice to play the villain harassing him. That function went to Percy Rodrigues, the voice of over 100 film trailers. Once you heard that voice coming onto a trailer you knew you have been in for one thing terrifying. From Jaws to The Exorcist, Rodriguez’s voice was all the time concerned.
Moreover 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 Massive John, the kid hit and runner in a villainous flip.
James Coburn performed himself, and so did Farrah Fawcett. Farrah’s look virtually didn’t occur. In actuality, she and Majors have been getting divorced, and it was taking part in out throughout many tabloids and within the information. Her associates had requested her to not do the cameo, which was a extremely candy second the place you possibly can see the love the actors nonetheless had for one another. However Farrah wished to indicate 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 track (“I’ve been seen with Farrah”).
The visitor stars and transient appearances over the present’s run have 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 plenty of extra. Very like 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 referred to 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 yr 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 is able to see Doug McClure return in addition to Schiavelli, and would additionally co-star Vernon Wells.
As I stated beforehand, there have been toy vehicles of Colt’s truck in several sizes and an airplane. The merchandise was enormous, with issues like lunchboxes, motion figures, t-shirts, and a board recreation.
Abroad, the present was additionally successful, with Fall Man Annuals produced within the UK, which was one thing accomplished for sequence like Physician Who and the like. If you wish to see the unique Fall Man sequence, 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 function movie referred to as The Fall Man, with him taking part in 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 challenge 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 seek 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 like a good time with a humorous and charming solid and many explosions and loopy stunts…which is precisely what The Fall Man ought to be. It’s an amped-up peek into Hollywood. However greater than that, it offers the fellows and gals who danger 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 successful, it should encourage the Oscars to provide us a greatest Stunt Individual award FINALLY. Try our EIC Chris Bumbray’s evaluation HERE!
