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You can’t
help but love it when the powers that be
at the networks decide that some theatrical
movies have what it takes to be considered
for episodic TV. Take for example 1983's
"Blue Thunder." Directed by John
Badham, the film introduced the world to
a new weapon being tested for the war on
crime (and I'm not talkin' Robocop, here),
the Blue Thunder. An extremely advanced
helicopter equipped with everything from
heat sensors that allowed the pilot to 'see'
through walls to an electric cannon. It
was also capable of running in whisper mode
allowing it to maneuver in near silence.
This was tailor made for a TV series spin-off.
So in 1984, ABC launched its own version
of "Blue Thunder." This time the
copter was piloted by Lt. Frank Chaney (James
Farentino) and Clinton Wonderlove (Dana
Carvey). And they worked alongside ground
support provided by 'Ski' Butowski (Dick
Butkus) and 'Bubba' Kelsey (Bubba Smith).
Together, they fought crime with a combination
of an unorthodox vehicle and unorthodox
methods.
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The series lasted for a whopping 11 episodes
before being trounced by the lesser impressive
"Airwolf." The series came and went
so quickly that even I, who watched everything
back then, missed it completely.
It wasn't until a few weeks ago, when Sony / Columbia
Tristar announced the release of the complete
series on DVD that I even remembered the "Blue
Thunder" series existed. Then, when the set
showed up, I looked at the cover and stared in
amazement at the choice of cast. James Farentino
was a given, but I was surprised to see Dana Carvey,
whom I didn't realize starred in anything prior
to "Saturday Night Live." Then there
was the ever loving Dick Butkus and the wild and
crazy Bubba Smith (whose workout videos far outshined
his work in "Police Academy 1 through 43."
Alright, I'm kidding a little there, actually
it was a fairly fun cast that was put together
and after watching the first few episodes have
to agree with some of my colleagues that "Blue
Thunder" had a similar charm to "The
A-Team", making it a fun sort of guilty pleasure.
After watching the entire 11 episode run, I even
found myself a little disappointed that the series
didn’t run a little longer. It wasn't great
by any stretch of the imagination, but it certainly
offered a lot of the same type of escapist humor
and adventure that was prevalent during the 80's.
Carvey did manage to be a little over the top
at times, and while was amusing, he was a little
more often annoying. Even the name 'Wonderlove'
got to be a little much (though for some reason
the name Clinton Wonderlove seems like an appropriate
moniker for our 42nd president. I mentioned it
was sucker punched by "Airwolf", which
was the more popular show, and as much as I liked
Bellisario's foray into the 'gadget laden helicopter
arena, I really enjoyed "Blue Thunder"
a little more.
The DVD set offers up all 11 episodes but does
not have a single special feature to speak of.
While I would have enjoyed some interviews from
the cast, I do understand that the series did
not have enough of a following to allow for the
cost of including any. This is set that makes
for a fun watch, but admittedly will only appeal
to a select few.
Episodes:
Second Thunder
A Clear and Present Danger
Arms Race
Revenge in the Sky
Trojan Horse
Skydiver
Clipped Wings
Payload
The Long Flight
Godchild
The Island
Starring: James Farentino, Dana Carvey, Bubba
Smith, Dick Butkus
Extras: None
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Sony / Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 8/22/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give Blue Thunder: The Complete Series
a C+.
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