Captain Nice
Captain Nice | |
---|---|
Genre | Comedy |
Created by | Buck Henry |
Starring | William Daniels Alice Ghostley Ann Prentiss |
Theme music composer | Vic Mizzy |
Composers | Vic Mizzy Jerry Fielding |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No.of seasons | 1 |
No.of episodes | 15 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Buck Henry |
Producer | Jay Sandrich |
Production location | Paramount Studios |
Cinematography | W. Wallace Kelley |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production company | NBC Productions |
Original release | |
Network | NBC |
Release | 9 January 28 August 1967 | –
Captain Niceis an AmericancomedyTV seriesthat ran from 9 January 1967 to 28 August 1967, Monday nights at 8:30 pmESTonNBC,oppositeABC'sThe Rat PatrolandCBS'sThe Lucy Show.The show was an unsuccessful attempt to cash in on the 1966 smash hitABCTV version ofBatman.[1]A similar series onCBS,Mr. Terrific,also aired on Monday nights that season in the 8 pm EST time slot.
A single-issue comic book adaptation was published byGold Key Comicsin November 1967. Reruns ofCaptain Niceaired onHa!(Comedy Central) in 1991.
Plot
[edit]Riding the tide of thecampsuperherocraze of the 1960s, the show's premise involved police chemist Carter Nash (William Daniels), a mild-manneredmama's boywho discovered a secret formula that, when he drank it, transformed him in an explosive burst of smoke into Captain Nice.[2]
Nash called himself "Captain Nice" in his first appearance when a bystander asked him who he was: his belt buckle was monogrammed "CN," and Nash later admitted, "It was all I could think of!"[3]On that occasion the explosion that transformed him blew off most of his clothes, leaving him in long underwear and with the remnants of his shirt suggesting a cape.
Captain Nice didn't behave much differently from Carter. His costume consisted of whitepajamasadorned with gold stars, red stripes on the pants, the words "Captain Nice" (initially misspelled "Captin" until a smaller 'A' was added) in blue across the chest, a red-white-and-blue belt with a gold buckle, and an over-sized red and blue cape, all lovingly sewn by his domineering mother who had basically cajoled Nash into his crime-fighting career. In some episodes he wore his regular glasses as Captain Nice, but in others he wore adomino mask,but still wore his glasses over the mask. Despite the kitschy garb, the very sight of Captain Nice somehow struck fear into the hearts of criminals.
His superpowers included superhuman strength, invulnerability, and the ability to fly, although Nash had a greatfear of heights,and his natural clumsiness increased whenever he drank his super serum.[4]
Carter had a would-be girlfriend in the police department,meter maidSergeant Candy Kane, although he seemed mostly oblivious to her obvious attentions.
Cast
[edit]- William Danielsas Captain Nice / Carter Nash
- Alice Ghostleyas Mrs. Nash
- Ann Prentissas Sergeant Candy Kane
- Liam Dunnas Mayor Finney
- Byron Foulgeras Mr. Nash
Production
[edit]The series was created byBuck Henry,who was a co-creator of the hit seriesGet Smart.The show's premise is similar to that ofCBS'sMister Terrific,which precededCaptain Niceon Monday nights.
Ann Prentiss,younger sister of actressPaulaand sister-in-law of actorRichard Benjamin,played Candy.
Alice Ghostley(who was only three yearsDaniels'senior) played Carter's mother. She later won fame as the witch Esmerelda onBewitched,and as neighbor Bernice on the comedyDesigning Women.
Carter's father, whose face wasnever seen,was portrayed by one of the films' most prolific character actors,Byron Foulger.In a reverse of Foulger'subiquityand familiarity in films, his appearances in this series generally found him hidden behind a newspaper and not making a sound.
Episode list
[edit]Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate | Production # | Short Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|
1-1 | "The Man Who Flies Like A Pigeon" (pilot) | January 9, 1967 | LP35005 | Carter tries to explain the importance of his new formula. |
1-2 | "How Sheik Can You Get?" | January 16, 1967 | LP35006 | Captain Nice helps rescue a woman from Sheik Abdul. |
1-3 | "That Thing" | January 23, 1967 | LP35007 | Caterpillar develops a ravenous appetite and super powers when it accidentally drinks Nice's secret formula. |
1-4 | "That Was the Bridge That Was" | February 6, 1967 | LP35008 | Carter searches for con artists who built a faulty bridge and kidnapped Mayor Finley. |
1-5 | "The Man With Three Blue Eyes" | February 20, 1967 | LP35010 | A mentalist is kidnapped by thugs who think he can find a fortune in stolen money. |
1-6 | "Is Big Town Burning?" | February 27, 1967 | LP35011 | Carter risks being unmasked as Captain Nice in order to reveal the identity of an arsonist. |
1-7 | "Don't Take Any Wooden Indians" | March 6, 1967 | LP35013 | Captain Nice prevents a disgruntled explorer from murdering his benefactor. |
1-8 | "That's What Mothers Are For" | March 13, 1967 | LP35014 | Carter is dismissed in an economy move, and Mrs. Nash retaliates by stealing his costume. |
1-9 | "Whatever Lola Wants" | March 20, 1967 | LP35012 | While trying to stop a jailbreak, Captain Nice is slipped a pill that makes him appear intoxicated. |
1-10 | "Who's Afraid Of Amanda Woolf?" | March 27, 1967 | LP35015 | Captain Nice breaks up a potential massacre, so in retaliation the gang invades the Nash home. |
1-11 | "The Week They Stole Payday" | April 3, 1967 | LP35016 | Carter discovers that the Bigtown payroll has been replaced with counterfeit money. |
1-12 | "It Tastes Okay, But Something's Missing" | April 10, 1967 | LP35017 | Carter Nash lacks the secret formula he needs to turn into Captain Nice in order to prevent a robbery. |
1-13 | "May I Have The Last Dance?" | April 17, 1967 | LP35009 | Carter and Sergeant Kane are captured by fur thieves. |
1-14 | "One Rotten Apple" | April 24, 1967 | LP35018 | A nightclub owner (played byBob Newhart) must be protected from potential killers. |
1-15 | "Beware Of Hidden Prophets" | May 1, 1967 | LP35019 | Carter is fired when a quack mentalist predicts a criminal will escape from jail. |
Home media
[edit]Captain Nicewas released in Germany by Pidax film media Ltd (AL! VE) on Region 2 DVD on August 5, 2011 under the titleDas Geheimnis der blauen Tropfen - Die komplette Serie[The Secret of the Blue Drops - The Complete Series]. Audio is German language only, with no English language option. Episodes are reportedly heavily edited with some only running 14 minutes in length per episode.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^Wells, John (2014).American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969.TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 146.ISBN978-1605490557.
- ^Terrace, Vincent (2016).Television Series of the 1960s: Essential Facts and Quirky Details.Rowman & Littlefield. p. 45.ISBN9781442268357.
- ^Terrace, Vincent (2015).Crime Fighting Heroes of Television: Over 10,000 Facts from 151 Shows, 1949-2001.McFarland & Co. p. 42.ISBN9780786484454.
- ^Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2009).The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present.Random House. p. 219.ISBN9780307483201.
External links
[edit]- Captain NiceatIMDb
- Captain Nice Program Introat YouTube