Forgotten Television: Night Man

Johnny Domino (Matt McColm), a talented jazz saxophonist living in San Francisco is struck by lightning during a freak cable car accident which grants him the unique ability to hear evil thoughts. However, he is unable to sleep as a side effect. Using this new power, he takes on the mantle of Night Man, donning a high-tech, bulletproof suit equipped with advanced weaponry and stealth technology developed by his friend and confidant Raleigh Jordan (Derek Webster – season 1 and Derwin Jordan – season 2). His suit is bulletproof, allows him to fly, turn invisible, enhanced vision, and shoot laser beams.  By day, Johnny maintains his life as a musician, but by night, he becomes a vigilante fighting against criminals, corrupt figures, and various supernatural threats. Including a cross over episode which saw him fighting Jack the Ripper alongside Jonathan Chase (Simon MacCorkindale) otherwise known as Manimal who starred in his own series in the early 1980s.  Chase has the ability to shapeshift into various animals, the two most common are a black panther and a large hawk.  In the time between Manimal (1983) and Night Man (1997), Jonathan Chase has learned how to use a crystal to travel through time.  In an attempt to stop Jack the Ripper, he unwittingly gives the serial killer the same ability and begins chasing him through time.  Jack has vowed to ruin Chase’s life by destroying those closest to him, which we discover is a twenty-something-year-old daughter that he somehow had in the years between the series (possibly a result of his meddling with time). Chase bumps into Domino who hears the evil thoughts of Jack the Ripper and ends up helping Manimal protect his daughter.

Night Man is a science fiction and superhero television series that aired from 1997 to 1999, based on the comic book character created by Steve Englehart and published by Malibu Comics (later acquired by Marvel). Blending noir atmosphere with cyberpunk aesthetics, the show explores themes of justice, morality, and the burden of power, while embracing its comic book roots. The shows first season was filmed in San Diego, California. Although the series is set in Bay City a fictional representation of San Francisco. The production utilized San Diego locations to represent the show’s urban backdrop. For the second season, production moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This shift led to noticeable changes in the show’s cast and setting, with several characters from the first season being written out and new Canadian actors introduced. This transition also brought about a different visual aesthetic, as the Vancouver locations provided a distinct atmosphere compared to the first season’s San Diego settings.

Night Man was created by Glen A. Larson and is notable for its mix of jazz culture, superhero tropes, and low-budget 1990s special effects. Larson is known for creating many memorable science fiction television series including Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century, Knight Rider, Automan, and the aforementioned Manimal. Although only Manimal and Night Man had a direct crossover, events from an episode of Automan correspond to events in an episode of Manimal. Making Automan, Manimal, and Night Man all taking place in a shared universe. Larson also wrote for several other series and created many non-sci-fi shows as well, like Quincy, M.E.; Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries; B. J. and the Bear; Magnum, P.I.; and The Fall Guy, just to name a few.

I liked the series when it was released but didn’t watch it much, most likely due to scheduling issues or possibly just not knowing what time it was on.  The series is formulaic and pretty much follows the 80s and 90s template for shows in this genre being very episodic in nature.  The one bit of ultimate praise to herald onto Larson is the fact that the main character, being a superhero, actually wore a superhero costume and it looked good.  So often we get superheroes who never “suit up”.  There could have bene some improvements, the red eye for example is a bit too big and distracts from the overall look, and for someone trying to hide their identity, the mop of hair is a sure giveaway to who is under the cowl, although that was done to match the art from the source material, so I can’t fault them too much for that. Though campy at times and limited by budget constraints, and schlocky special effects, Night Man has since gained a cult following for its quirky tone, retro-futuristic style, and memorable theme music (composed by Larson). Overall, the show is fun and although it is done with serious intention, it never takes itself too seriously balancing the drama with the camp!