Stingray (The Complete Series)
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Nick MancusoDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: NTSC
Running Time: 18000 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-02-19
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Stephen J. Cannell
Movie Reviews of Stingray (The Complete Series)
Movie Review: Great series, ahead of its time
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great series that was treated very shoddily by the network. According to "Adventures in Prime Time: The Television Programs of Stephen J. Cannell" by Robert J. Thompson, NBC wanted a light, comedic show, and when Stephen J. Cannell delivered the Stingray pilot, a dark, moody mystery-adventure, the network passed on the series. However, high ratings for the pilot meant that the network reluctantly ordered eight episodes, thus resulting in Season One of Stingray. After that, the network tried cancelling the series again, but then needed filler for a dead-end timeslot, and ordered 15 more episodes at the last minute, resulting in Season 2. Because of how NBC buried the show, it did not survive its third cancellation, and viewers lost out on one of the most innovative, clever, and stylish shows of the 80's.
Nick Mancuso is mesmerizing as Stingray. He manages to convey a haunted compassion that elevates the character above what could have been a stereotypical womanizing loner, and the glimpses of Stingray's past are fascinating. Mancuso also does an amazing job at the many undercover guises Ray uses to crack the case (some favourites: Italian hairdresser, Mexican field worker, surgeon, casting agent, Greek chemist, college student). Mancuso's only weakness seems to be the fight sequences. Having a martial arts-trained hero was innovative at the time, but the use of stunt men instead of Mancuso was rather obvious. All in all, though, Ray was a complex and charismatic hero whose mysterious past would have remained intriguing for many seasons to come.
The stories were also extremely clever. The pilot and the first season, especially, were full of complex plots and deep characterization. The relationship between Ray and the guest stars was given proper depth, and Ray was shown to make mistakes, and have to recover from them. Season 2 was more uneven, mostly because the shows were ordered at the last minute. Some of the stories were obviously rushed (The Neniwa, Blood Money), or did not even match the continuity about Ray's past from the first season (Gemini, The First Time is Forever). But the second season also introduced humour, in such fantastic episodes as Autumn (a parody of film noir) , Caper (a parody of caper movies), and Cry Wolf (where a spoiled movie star drives Ray crazy). It is a tribute to the versatility both of the premise and Mancuso himself that these espisodes can be so hilarious, and still not undermine the inherent dignity of Ray's purpose. It is too bad that the network squashed this show before it could fulfill its promise.
Another stylish signature of the show was the embedded "music video" in each episode, similar to Miami Vice. However, the songs were written especially for the show, which sometimes backfired (bad 80's pop is just hideous), but sometimes worked amazingly well. The songs that still stand up to this day are in "Ether", "Below the Line", "Orange Blossom", "The Greeter" (this one moves me to tears), "Echoes", and "Autumn". Since I don't have copies of the original broadcasts, I was only made aware of soundtrack substitutions after reading some of the other reviews. It's too bad, since music contributed greately to the moodiness of the show, but I guess I have to grateful that Stingray made it to DVD at all.
It is truly a shame that this show didn't get the chance it deserved. Even having only seen a few episodes just once when I was a teenager, Stingray made such an impression on me that I remembered it vividly 20 years later when this set was released. I am happy to say that it is even better than I remember! Highly recommended.
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