The Immortal

I have clear memories of watching this series and have never forgotten it. It does run along the same lines as the Fugitive, although the lead character is being chased by those outside the law.

Every time I watch the current series "The Pretender" I see the same story line as "The Immortal". The hero being chased by a corporate entity because of a special gift that he has (special blood in this case) and sorting out people's problems along the line.

I'd like to see the Immortal once again.

Ben Richards was not a fugitive from the law, as many of the people he encountered assumed by the way he acted, but a fugitive from the human race, he couldn't seek help from authorities because he had something no one else had and everyone wanted, immortality that was also contagious through a blood transfusion from him.

When you get down to it, we are all terminally ill, we just sugar coat the term and call ourselves mortals. But what would any one give to cure themselves of their own terminal illness we call mortality? Capture one man and turn him into a blood donor for the human race? Was Maitland really evil and greedy, or was he just like the rest of us? I think the character of Ben Richards could of been used in many Hollywood movies as the trump card to movies with a sad ending or a movie lacking a twisted plot.

The Big Question I have is there any surviving film footage of this great short lived series?

A guy (Christopher George as Ben Richards) has immunity to all things and even ages at a fourth the rate of the rest of us and it's his blood that's the key. He's offered "everything he could ever want" by a rich guy that wants him for regular blood transfusions. Problem is, immunity guy leads a dangerous life so rich guy demands of immunity guy to live a risk free lifestyle, soft and cushy protection hosted by rich guy. Immunity guy loves his dangerous lifestyle and prefers it to a protected one that would be torture to him so he refuses the offer. Rich guy doesn't take no for an answer and considers himself entitled, irregardless to any idea of individuals having self ownership.

So then comes the drama, rich guy hires an oily creep to capture immunity guy and bleeds him when he catches him, but immunity guy keeps getting away...DOH'.

While the chase from rich guy and company goes on, immunity guy comes upon various unfortunate individuals whom he saves by giving them a blood transfusion.

There's also an undercurrent (and actually most important) theme about individualism, freedom etc. There's something to the theme about the nonconformist personality who is always under attack to get back in the box. This show was a variation of that theme.

I tried to watch a friend's Vid of The Immortal tonight. I couldn't. It hurt too much. It was SO much a cliché hunk of nothing soap opera I had to turn it off.

Ben Richards, the brave race car driver who is immune to all of life's diseases. The evil old man Braddock wants to imprison him to vampire his blood so he will stay young forever. Sylvia, the soft focus blonde girlfriend of Ben who can't quite take it all.

The series was even worse than the made for TV movie. How many episodes can you go of Richards almost being captured? I have seen worse, but most of it was made specifically for children. I remember enjoying it when it was first on, but I was an eight year old child then. It seemed interesting and adult then. Now, it's just painfully badly written.

I remembered this series from when I was a child and after hearing it was possible spent months scanning ebay for a DVD copy. Finally bought it and after viewing about half,,, disappointed. episode plots are weak at best, story flow between chase scenes is painfully slow, Overall writing is poor. I understand that the first season of any show is usually the fleshing out period, but its as if once the idea was created the producers didn't know what to do with it. It seems they were just trying to basically repeat the Fugitive which had ended just two years before. I can't fault Christopher George his performance was more then excellent through out but given his talent he really deserved better then this. Nice seeing his future wife in the 'Man on a punched card" episode though.

Gary