Nowhere Man

This series sticks out as one of the best sci - fi mystery series ever aired. Unfortunately it aired on the UPN network during it's early years, and died in the ratings.

Not since THE PRISONER has a series left me saying "What the F..." every time I saw it. Imagine a world where you're identity, career, family, and finances disappear in the time it takes to go to the bathroom. Then imagine there's no one in the world you can never truly trust. (Especially if they smoked cigars).

Part of the story revolved around a photograph Thomas veil took as a war photographer. The picture of 4 men, executed by hanging, was about to be displayed to the public as part of Veil's first major photo exhibit. The photo had a lot of hidden meaning. It's origins weren't ever what Veil thought they were - Even though he took the photo himself. (Or did he?)

The pilot movie was directed by Tobe Hooper, and was considered by many reviewers to be a minor classic.

The series had an ending of sorts - Which I won't reveal that made some sense. But all in all the series could have lasted longer than the one season it ran. I, for one, miss it.

I started watching Nowhere Man, like many people here, because it came on after Star Trek: Voyager, and my interest in the former soon began to eclipse my interest in the latter. I didn't catch every episode (given its obvious quality I assumed I would have ample opportunity to watch it in reruns) but the ones I did see had a huge impact on me and I was lucky enough to see the final episode.

Nowhere Man is the kind of show you need to discuss with other viewers, but I can count on one hand the number of people I've met who remember it and inexplicably none of them cared for it. I was totally nuts for the show when it was on the air but I was much younger at the time. Truthfully, over the years I had worried that it would not live up to my memories.

Finally, Nowhere Man's single season has been released in a great 9-disc DVD set, and after 10 years I've truly enjoyed the chance to rediscover each of the 25 episodes. It's just as good as I remembered (and even better in some cases), with only a few episodes that don't quite measure up to the rest. Bruce Greenwood's performance is incredible. There is literally nobody else who could have made Thomas Veil more human. He makes even the silent moments a fascinating pleasure and basically carries the entire series. That's not to suggest that there aren't great performances from other actors, but Greenwood is the keystone of the show and he handles the weight effortlessly. You don't see acting of this quality on television very often. The writing is consistently solid and smart (though as I mentioned there are some "off" episodes), and Mark Snow (of The X-Files and Millennium fame) provides a wonderfully varied, appropriately moody soundtrack.

The bottom line: if you're a fan of The Prisoner (which strongly influenced the creator of the series) and/or The X-Files, you owe it to yourself to give Nowhere Man a chance. It's hard to believe that a show this good was canceled and it's harder to believe it graced a channel like UPN. At least we got one great season out of it.

Thomas Veil was a masterpiece of television characterization. A man who, in the blink of an eye, had lost everything that meant anything to him, a statistic is a cunning game played by unseen puppetmasters. Whether or not the gruesome photograph of 4 men being hanged in Vietnam was the true reason behind his situation, we will probably never know. What we do know is that by limiting this show to one season, UPN has deprived us of something magical, something thought provoking. In a world of yuppie trash shows like Cops and Seventh Heaven, few can appreciate, or even remember Nowhere Man and the mark it made on those of us who followed Mr. Veil from one waypoint to another in search of the truth.

This was one of the most brilliantly written shows of the 1990s. Unlike the vast majority of shows, it did NOT hold the audience in contempt and therefore dumb down the show, but created a captivating and surreal treat for those ready to watch something different. It was similar to the British series The Prisoner (early in season one only--after that, The Prisoner lost it's brilliance and momentum very quickly).

The problem is that in nearly every case like this, this is sure proof that the show will not last! Another excellent case was Brooklyn Bridge. The network also had no faith in this program because once again it was not mind rot--it was exquisitely written and engaging. Years ago, well-written shows for people who think were possible--the original Mission: Impossible is a good example. However, I fear that we are in an age where schlock sells.

PS--This GREAT series is now out on DVD! Get your copy ASAP!

Nowhere Man has to be one of the best "unknown" television programs of recent memory. If there were martians, it would have been a hit. Actually, X-Files fans would (and probably did) love this program. It's dark. It's all about a conspiracy. No one can be trusted. Like the X-Files, some shows were crucial to the main storyline, and others were somewhat more light-hearted. Somewhat.

The story goes like this: Thomas Veil is "unveiling" some of his photographs at a local art gallery. A particularly interesting one features a US soldier hanging several people. Afterward, he celebrates with his wife at a restaurant. He briefly goes for a smoke in the washroom, and upon returning to his table discovers that his wife is gone, and the owner acts as if he doesn't know who Tom is. And that's where the series takes off. It seems that his photo of the military man hit a nerve. Every episode sees Tom either running from people who want him dead, or trying to re-establish contact with his friends and family. Of course, they all act as if he is a stranger, or worse yet, if they do side with him, it is only in the interest of later double-crossing him. Basically, The Fugitive, but with a twist. My fellow countryman, Bruce Greenwood, is always excellent in the lead role.

Unfortunately, the show lasted only one season, making the final episode seem somewhat rushed, with some ends needing to be tied up (or so I think).

If the series is, or becomes available on DVD, I highly recommend you pick it up!