Mr. Terrific

I was a big fan of Captain Nice and Mr. Terrific. I have some video of the Captain Nice program and after much searching, I recently bought the pilot for Mr. Terrific. Here's the big surprise - Alan Young, not Stephen Strimpell was the original Stanley Beamish, alias Mr. Terrific! Yes, the Alan Young from Mr. Ed. Mr Ed finished in 1966, so he must have filmed the pilot right after. Young was 47 when this was shot, but appeared to be trying to play someone in their late twenties or early thirties. He just seemed to be a little to old for the role, perhaps that's why Strimpell ended up with it.

It was very enjoyable to watch, regardless. It WAS silly. But I'll take that over the garbage that passes for comedy today!

I also remember this sitcom fondly. I remember the balding man who was the superhero's mentor. That was the man who invented the pill. Mr. Terrific pops a pill, then his face turns one color after another, then he gets super powers. I've always thought the pill was the reason this show got axed. It was a good show! But with all the pill-popping going on during the psychedelic sixties, I would imagine the network caught some blowback.

I can't believe someone else remembers this show! For twenty five years I've had a picture in my head of a portly guy in a suit talking across a desk to a skinny guy with a cape. They were in a high-rise building and the skinny guy flew out the window. I remembered he was some sort of secret agent. No one else remembered it and they thought I was thinking of Get Smart. I finally found it! I can now die in peace!

In 1967 I was just shy of five years old... but I had a recollection of a TV show where a man's powers would always leave him in the middle of a fight - I think even once when he was flying. I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere her but I think he had a watch with an alarm which would go off when his powers were about to expire - I remember on fight in a garage where he was rolling under cars to avoid the criminals in the scene after his powers had run out...

Even my parents couldn't remember this show - finally a friend who is about 5 years older than me remembered it and told me the name - ahh! Thank you people for letting me know I wasn't dreaming up things...

Now if someone would just find a way to get some old clips... don't know if they allow emails here - but if you find some, please send email to me at agpbasc@aol.com

Over the years I have brought up the subject of a guy name Stanley Beamish. My name being Stan subjected me to being called "Stanley Beamish" as a 9 year old kid back then. I was a skinny nerd type at that time myself. I loved the Mr. Terrific/Captain Nice shows while they were on the air and still wonder why they took them off the air. Over the years I was curious why no one remembered the show. I began to wonder if it was a figment of my imagination. Thank God for the information available by way of the internet. I feel like a little kid all over again just knowing that there were others who had the same curiosity. Let's send Mr. Terrific and Captain Nice into Iraq to stop the madness!