Gemini Man (TV series)


Gemini Man is an American action-adventure drama series that aired on NBC in 1976. The third television series based on H. G. Wells' 1897 science fiction novel The Invisible Man, Gemini Man was created to replace the previous season's The Invisible Man using simpler and less expensive special effects.

Plot

The series starred Ben Murphy as laid-back denim-clad motorcycle-riding secret agent Sam Casey who, while diving to retrieve a fallen Soviet spy satellite, was exposed to radiation in an underwater explosion, which rendered him invisible. The agency he worked for, a high-tech government think tank called Intersect, found a way to return him to visibility and control his new power by the use of a special wristwatch referred to as a "DNA stabilizer," which was invented by scientist Abby Lawrence. Pressing a button on the digital watch would make him vanish, clothes and all, which was a helpful tool in his line of work, but he could only do this for 15 minutes per day or else he would die.
A pilot of the series aired on May 10, 1976, and the series began airing on September 23 of that year. Although 11 episodes were produced, only five were aired in the United States before the cancellation of the show, although the entire series was seen in Britain with somewhat greater success that led to a record album and hardcover annual based on the show. Richard Dysart played Casey's boss, Leonard Driscoll, in the pilot and William Sylvester played Driscoll during the series.

Cast

Pilot

Series

Television movie

Two episodes, "Smithereens" and "Buffalo Bill Rides Again", were re-edited into one 90-minute television movie titled Riding with Death, which was released in 1981.
Riding with Death used scenes from as establishing shots for sweeping computer room scenes. The "Guardian" logo appears in at least one segment. Though not immediately verifiable, at least one segment uses the "Colossus" speaker/microphone.
The film had to deal with the dropping of Katherine Crawford from the cast by the latter episode, the length of time between filming, and the appearance of an arch-villain in the second "half" who did not exist in the opening of the series. Both parts feature singer Jim Stafford as a trucker named "Buffalo Bill" who befriends and helps Sam.
In 1997, Riding with Death was featured in an episode of movie-mocking television show Mystery Science Theater 3000. Mike Nelson and his robot friends highlighted the thin connection between the two halves of the "movie", and the general incoherence of the plot.

Home media

The complete television series was released as a region 2 DVD in the French territory in November 2013 by Elephant Films with two language tracks, French and English. The episodes are uncut.