The Wizard (TV series)

Summary

The Wizard is an American action-adventure television series created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Paul B. Radin, that aired on CBS from September 9, 1986 to March 12, 1987, during the 1986-1987 television season.

The Wizard
GenreAction-adventure
Created by
Written by
  • Michael Berk
  • Douglas Schwartz
Starring
Voices of
ComposerArthur B. Rubinstein
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes19 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Running time1 hour
Production companiesBSR Productions
20th Century Fox Television
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 9, 1986 (1986-09-09) –
March 12, 1987 (1987-03-12)

Premise edit

Simon McKay is a genius and inventor with dwarfism who chooses to spend his life as a philanthropist and innovative toymaker dedicated to preserving and protecting innocence. CIC agent Alex Jagger is assigned to protect Simon from the evil forces who wish to use Simon's genius for their own nefarious purposes. They are soon joined by Simon's long time friend, Tillie Russell. Simon, Alex, and Tillie become a family unit working together through adventure and adversity, especially when it comes to defeating Simon's self-proclaimed arch-enemy, Troyan, who would rather seek revenge upon the world for his suffering from the radiation poisoning he brought upon himself than take responsibility for his own actions.

Cast edit

Main edit

Gates McFadden appeared as an intended regular in the series pilot, but was replaced by Fran Ryan for the regular series.

Guest stars edit

  • Macon McCalman as Linden ("El Dorado", "The Other Side")
  • Roy Dotrice as Troyan ("Reunion", "Twist of Fate", "Trouble in the Stars")
  • Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Mr. Cheng ("Reunion", "Trouble in the Stars")
  • Peter Kent as Poole ("Reunion", "Trouble in the Stars")

Episodes edit

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"El Dorado"Peter H. HuntStory by : Douglas Schwartz & Michael Berk & Paul B. Radin
Teleplay by : Michael Berk & Douglas Schwartz
September 9, 1986 (1986-09-09)
The wish of a Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation recipient to meet The Wizard sends Simon, Alex, and Darcy Stafford (Cheryl Gates McFadden) on an unexpected journey, racing against the clock to find the legendary treasure of El Dorado and the missing brother whose bone marrow could save a life.
2"Reunion"Peter H. HuntMichael Berk & Douglas SchwartzSeptember 16, 1986 (1986-09-16)
A hidden message on a necklace brings Simon and Alex to Hong Kong to rescue Simon's friend Tillie Russell from his arch-enemy Troyan (Roy Dotrice), whom the trio must stop before he can carry out his latest destructive, deadly, get-rich-quick scheme.
3"Haunting Memories"Peter H. HuntStory by : Michael Berk & Douglas Schwartz & Kerry Lenhart & John J. Sakmar
Teleplay by : Kerry Lenhart & John J. Sakmar
September 23, 1986 (1986-09-23)
Unexplainable events at a local toy store lead Simon and Alex to help the owner (Kristen Meadows). Alex realizes that the establishment was a gas station before being converted into a toy store, and that he and the owner bear a striking resemblance to a couple who was murdered at the gas station 30 years ago.
4"Seeing is Believing"Peter H. HuntDouglas Barr & Dale KernSeptember 30, 1986 (1986-09-30)
Simon's prototype robotic helper dog, Aegis, and his new owner (Nadine Van Der Veld) find themselves in need of rescue when mercenaries try to turn this new technology to serve their own nefarious purposes.
5"An Inside Job"E.W. SwackhamerStory by : Mary Ann Kasica & Michael Scheff
Teleplay by : Mary Ann Kasica & Michael Scheff & David R. Toddman
October 7, 1986 (1986-10-07)
Simon, Alex, and Tillie help a mysterious runaway (Andre Gower) straighten out his life and stop the terrorists bent on destroying an airliner with Simon's radio controlled plane, The Golden Fleece.
6"Born to Run"Burt BrinckerhoffAlex Gansa & Howard GordonOctober 14, 1986 (1986-10-14)
Simon and Tillie are reunited with an old friend (Leslie Jordan) whose long shot to win permanent custody of his recently orphaned niece and nephew is jeopardized by Alex's new love interest (Morgan Brittany).
7"The Other Side"Charles BravermanBrad RadnitzOctober 21, 1986 (1986-10-21)
Alex's surprise reunion with an old friend (Bart Braverman) leads to an unwanted reunion with an old adversary (Elizabeth Savage) and the unexpected field test of Simon's latest and most innovative invention. Being left a widower from a Russian wife, Simon's friend is claiming responsibility for his 6 year old daughter from that marriage and that she is an American by law, whereas the daughter is held at the Russian Consulate with threats that she will be spirited away to the USSR if Simon does not comply.
8"Twist of Fate"Peter H. HuntMichael Berk & Douglas SchwartzOctober 28, 1986 (1986-10-28)
The early morning vision of a friend and mentor (Viveca Lindfors) in mortal danger sends Simon and Alex on a treacherous journey across the Himalayan mountains to cross paths once again with Troyan, and the possible fruition of Simon's other vision - his own fiery death.
9"Nobody's Perfect"E.W. SwackhamerRick MittlemanNovember 8, 1986 (1986-11-08)
Simon inadvertently discovers the cure for Inventor's Block when he must rescue his best inventing buddy (Avery Schreiber) from the clutches of a mobster (Al Ruscio) bent on using a garbage eradicating machine to destroy incriminating evidence.
10"It Takes a Chimp"E.W. SwackhamerStory by : Michael Berk & Douglas Schwartz
Teleplay by : Michael Berk & Douglas Schwartz & Jeff Kincaid & Brad Radnitz
November 15, 1986 (1986-11-15)
A mysterious coin, a new chimpanzee friend, and a run-in with a member of nobility (Sarah Douglas) who is anything but noble brings Tillie some unwanted and unexpected adventures, teaching her a valuable lesson about pre-judging others and herself.
11"Endangered Species"Peter H. HuntMichael Berk & Douglas SchwartzDecember 16, 1986 (1986-12-16)
Simon, Alex, and Tillie see a zoologist who has captured a feral child raised by wolves in India (Priscilla Weems) and are disgusted with how the zoologist considers her to be like one of the animals he studies. Things take a turn for the worse when a ruthless businessman tries to kill the wild girl, but she escapes into the unfamiliar environment of an American city. Simon believes that the businessman used to be a mercenary who murdered a family who were friends of Simon's, and the wild girl may be connected to the massacre.
12"Trouble in the Stars"Michael CaffeyStory by : David Rappaport
Teleplay by : Brad Radnitz & Rick Mittleman
December 30, 1986 (1986-12-30)
The circumstances of a friend's very mysterious, out-of-this-world death brings Simon in contact with a teenage scientist (Robbie Rist) so focused on finding alien communications he doesn't realize he has actually stumbled upon Troyan's latest destructive, deadly, get-rich-quick scheme.
13"The Heart of a Dancer"Peter H. HuntStory by : Brad Radnitz & Deborah Zoe Dawson & Victoria Johns and Michael Berk & Douglas Schwartz
Teleplay by : Deborah Zoe Dawson & Victoria Johns and Michael Berk & Douglas Schwartz
January 6, 1987 (1987-01-06)
When a dancer (Marine Jahan) is permanently paralyzed by a stalker's (Chris MacDonald) bullet, Simon, Alex, and Tillie help her to recover, grieve, take control of her new life, and stop her would-be assassin before he can finish the job.
14"Never Give Up"Don WeisMichael Berk & Douglas SchwartzJanuary 20, 1987 (1987-01-20)
The Wizard's board game Never Give Up inspires a determined young boy's (Kenny Morrison) initiative to seek Simon's help in freeing his isolated tribal community from the clutches of a drug dealer (Jud Omen) and his gang.
15"Daydream Believer"Peter H. HuntStory by : Gabe Torres & John Whelpley
Teleplay by : John Whelpley
January 27, 1987 (1987-01-27)
A boy (Trey Ames) with an overactive imagination seeks out The Wizard to help him stop a Soviet plot to destroy a missile being tested at a nearby military base. But who really is the one letting their imagination run away with them?
16"Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves"Marc DanielsStory by : Jonathan Glassner
Teleplay by : Jonathan Glassner & Michael Berk & Douglas Schwartz
February 3, 1987 (1987-02-03)
Tillie must face her fear of superstitions and call on her experience as a fortune teller to help Simon and Alex rescue and reunite a girl and her twin sister (Natalie Gregory in a dual role) who have never met, but communicate through visions.
17"The Aztec Dagger"Peter H. HuntStory by : Michael Cassutt
Teleplay by : John Whelpley & Michael Cassutt
February 19, 1987 (1987-02-19)
When Simon's hero and inspiration (Stewart Granger) suddenly turns up — a shell of his former self — Simon and Tillie soon find themselves in the Lost Temple of the Sun one step ahead of a crooked art collector (Roy Brocksmith) to return a stolen dagger, lift a curse, and help a hero regain his self-esteem and self-worth.
18"Papa Simon"Michael CaffeyStory by : Arthur Bernard Lewis
Teleplay by : Michael Berk & Douglas Schwartz & Jonathan Glassner & Arthur Bernard Lewis
March 5, 1987 (1987-03-05)
A baby left on the doorstep brings 'Uncle' Alex and 'Papa' Simon a series of new adventures, including saving the infant's teenage parents from the clutches of a ruthless businessman looking to sell the baby for profit, and helping the young family find their way back home.
19"H.E.N.R.I. VIII"Peter H. HuntSteven BarnesMarch 12, 1987 (1987-03-12)
Simon must race against the clock and risk his own life to save the life of the robot he created and discover who is trying to frame H.E.N.R.I. (voice of Roddy McDowall) for murder before they kill again.

Save The Wizard Campaign edit

Midway through the first season Michael Berk and Douglas Schwartz received word from 20th Century Fox Television that The Wizard was being abruptly canceled. Rather than simply accept this, Berk and Schwartz worked to obtain a guarantee of the series' filming continuance through the end of the season.[1][better source needed]

Immediately following this incident, Berk and Schwartz created the Save The Wizard Campaign. This campaign included making personal phone calls and sending out letters and special flyers[2][better source needed] asking fans of The Wizard to write in to the CBS Television executive office to tell what the show meant to them, as well as asking them to send letter copies to The Wizard's administrative office. Letters and petitions poured in from all over the United States and Canada.[citation needed] School children and families sent in letters collectively,[citation needed] while adults collected signatures.[citation needed]

Despite the ambitious campaign, the studio executives did not change their minds regarding the cancellation. The series has yet to be released on DVD despite some fan attempts.

References edit

  1. ^ The Wizard Website: FAQ Cancellation
  2. ^ The Wizard Website: Save The Wizard Campaign Index

External links edit

  • The Wizard at IMDb  
  • The Wizard Official Fansite & Definitive Cyberhome