Mister Terrific (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Mister Terrific was an American TV
sitcom that aired on CBS
from January 9, to May 8, 1967. It starred Stephen Strimpell
in the title role, and lasted 17 episodes. The show was similar to NBC
's Captain Nice
, which followed Mister Terrific on Monday nights during its run. Riding the tide of the camp superhero
craze of the 1960s, the show's premise involved gas station attendant Stanley Beamish, a mild-mannered scrawny youth who secretly worked to fight crime for a government organization, The Bureau of Secret Projects, in Washington. All he needed to do was take a "power pill" which gave him the strength of a thousand men and enabled him to fly, much like Superman
, (albeit by furious flapping while wearing the top half of a wingsuit.) Unfortunately, he was the only person on whom the pills worked. Furthermore, with each pill there was a time limit of one hour (like Underdog and DC Comics
' Hourman
). Much of the show's humor revolved around Stanley losing his superpowers before he completed his given assignment.
Stanley's government employers were Mr. Barton J. Reed and Mr. Harley Trent, and his day-job partner at the service station was Hal Walters. Stanley was sworn to secrecy concerning his alter-ego and superpowers.
Alan Young
, who had just completed his run as Wilbur Post on Mister Ed
, was the original choice to play Stanley Beamish, and appeared in the original 1966 unaired version of the pilot, which featured a different supporting cast.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
sitcom that aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from January 9, to May 8, 1967. It starred Stephen Strimpell
Stephen Strimpell
Stephen Strimpell was the star of the cult television classic Mister Terrific....
in the title role, and lasted 17 episodes. The show was similar to NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Captain Nice
Captain Nice
Captain Nice was a comedy TV series that ran from January–May 1967 on NBC. Riding the tide of the camp superhero craze of the 1960s, the show's premise involved police chemist Carter Nash , a mild-mannered mama's boy who discovered a secret formula that, when taken, transformed him into Captain...
, which followed Mister Terrific on Monday nights during its run. Riding the tide of the camp superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
craze of the 1960s, the show's premise involved gas station attendant Stanley Beamish, a mild-mannered scrawny youth who secretly worked to fight crime for a government organization, The Bureau of Secret Projects, in Washington. All he needed to do was take a "power pill" which gave him the strength of a thousand men and enabled him to fly, much like Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, (albeit by furious flapping while wearing the top half of a wingsuit.) Unfortunately, he was the only person on whom the pills worked. Furthermore, with each pill there was a time limit of one hour (like Underdog and DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' Hourman
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
). Much of the show's humor revolved around Stanley losing his superpowers before he completed his given assignment.
Stanley's government employers were Mr. Barton J. Reed and Mr. Harley Trent, and his day-job partner at the service station was Hal Walters. Stanley was sworn to secrecy concerning his alter-ego and superpowers.
Alan Young
Alan Young
Alan Young is an English-Canadian actor and voice actor, best known for his role as Wilbur Post in the television series Mister Ed and as the voice of Scrooge McDuck in Disney films, TV series and video games...
, who had just completed his run as Wilbur Post on Mister Ed
Mister Ed
Originally produced in late 1960, Mister Ed is an American television situation comedy produced by Filmways that first aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966....
, was the original choice to play Stanley Beamish, and appeared in the original 1966 unaired version of the pilot, which featured a different supporting cast.
Cast members
- Stanley Beamish/Mister Terrific, played by Stephen StrimpellStephen StrimpellStephen Strimpell was the star of the cult television classic Mister Terrific....
- Barton J. Reed, played by John McGiverJohn McGiverJohn Irwin McGiver was a character actor who made more than a hundred appearances in television and motion pictures over a two-decade span from 1955 to 1975....
- Hal Walters, played by Dick Gautier
- Harley Trent, played by Paul Smith
Episode list
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "Matchless" | January 9, 1967 |
| 1-2 | "Mr. Big Curtsies Out" | January 16, 1967 |
| 1-3 | "I Can't Fly" | January 23, 1967 |
| 1-4 | "My Partner, the Jewel Thief" | January 30, 1967 |
| 1-5 | "The Formula Is Stolen" | February 6, 1967 |
| 1-6 | "Stanley the Safecracker" | February 20, 1967 |
| 1-7 | "Stanley the Fighter" | February 27, 1967 |
| 1-8 | "Stanley the Jailbreaker" | March 6, 1967 |
| 1-9 | "Fly, Ballerina, Fly" | March 13, 1967 |
| 1-10 | "Harley and the Killer" | March 20, 1967 |
| 1-11 | "Stanley and the Mountaineers" | March 27, 1967 |
| 1-12 | "Has Mr. Terrific Sold Out?" | April 3, 1967 |
| 1-13 | "Stanely Goes To the Dentist" | April 10, 1967 |
| 1-14 | "Stanley the Track Star" | April 17, 1967 |
| 1-15 | "Try This On For Spies" | April 24, 1967 |
| 1-16 | "Stanley Joins the Circus" | May 1, 1967 |
| 1-17 | "The Sultan Has Five Wives" | May 8, 1967 |
- Some episodes were edited together and released as a movie entitled "The Pill Caper".