hard to believe I woke up this AM thinking about Barry Sullivan in his role trying to capture 'The Immortal'. 37 years ago and the idea still reverberates. imagine, one person's blood able to smooth the wrinkles out of veteran actor Sullivan's face, make him young again, cure AIDS (more than a decade before we knew about AIDS), cancer, heart disease, and all else. handled differently, as one reviewer suggested in the Sci-Fi genre, this could have been a TV long run gem instead of a variation of 'The Fugitive' and chasing Dr. Richard Kimble. possibilities with the plot were untapped, thus the idea was wasted. perhaps it's time for a rebirth with more courage and bigger budget. the Sci-Fi channel might be the ticket. enjoyed remembering George and his rugged good looks. believe he was married to that beautiful Dove soap lady.
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kirbylee70-599-52617924 September 2019One of the joys of our time is being able to have access to the various movies and television programs we grew up with when we were young. The major series have been readily available since video tape began but those classic shows that didn't last long or were not the major hits that became classics in syndication were overlooked for some time. Now they're making it to disc finally and one of the companies making sure this happens is Visual Entertainment Inc. VEI has released several classic TV series in complete collections and here is one: THE IMMORTAL. Based on the novel by James Gunn it was short lived but worth watching.
Beginning as a pilot movie of the week airing in 1969 and series running in 1970 it starred Christopher George as Ben Richards, a test driver with something special that no one else has: blood that protects him from illness and aging. Ben works for a megalomaniac billionaire named Jordan Braddock (Barry Sullivan) who survives a plane crash only to possibly die when his blood type can't be matched. Hearing this and knowing his blood type is the same, Ben agrees to a transfusion. Afterwards Braddock not only gets well but feels younger. When it's discovered that this is due to Ben's blood, Braddock has him kidnapped and imprisoned in a secret area in his home intent on milking him for blood when he needs it to stay healthy and live forever. Until someone helps Ben escape.
Thus began the series about Ben Richards on the run while numerous billionaires all discovering his secret and desiring his blood. A secondary storyline ran through the show with Ben trying to find the brother he never knew he had, concerned that he too would possess this rare blood type and be sought out by the same people.
As with most "on the run" series of the time each episode found the lead in a different location with different problems taking place there that he helped with. The same sort of plot device was used in series like THE FUGITIVE, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE and THE INCREDIBLE HULK. It worked in each show it was used in and does so here too.
Christopher George was an underrated actor who deserved more credit than he deserved and it shows in this series. He'd already had a short lived hit with the TV series THE RAT PATROL and would go on to star in several big name movies before being relegated to B-movies and bit parts in TV series. No matter what he was involved in he always did an amazing job and deserved better. He elevates this series and it should have lasted longer but unfortunately was canceled mid-season.
Now the series can be rediscovered through this release from VEI and at an affordable price as well. The release includes the pilot as well as the every episode. If you enjoyed it and remembered it then you can now go back and watch it once more since it never garnered enough episodes to get a syndication run. There are no extras but that's fine since it is the show itself that will interest fans. And at just $22.99 for the entire series it's well worth the investment.
Watching this series took me back to when I was young and saw it for the first time, wondering what happened when it stopped airing. Of course it seems a little dated now but that will happen when a show takes place in a certain time period. Clothing, cars and cities look like they did then. None of that will disrupt the enjoyment you will have watching this once more or for the first time. I can't recommend this one enough. -
edmund1299 August 2007Ben 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? -
len-269 December 1998I saw every episode, few as there were. Although I remember few plots, the recurring theme was similar to The Fugitive. Each week, Ben Richards would encounter some good people in desperate straits, and he would help them, despite the threat of capture. Frequently that help involved him giving someone a transfusion.
I suspect this concept would not work in the 1990's. -
BCP_BluesPower11 September 2016This may seem familiar or similar to those who know the Fugitive but I became pretty obsessed with this show when I was about 8 or 9 and recall being apoplectic when it was canceled! The story of a man who would live forever or 1000 years seemed so appealing to me as a young kid with my first portable Sony TV that parents gave me to lose my pester presence in front of living room TV nightly! Chris George was very good in this (my 8 year old mind was fairly discerning given I was kind of a oenophile even then). Think it was head an shoulders above many other dramas at that time which were mostly formulaic detective shows like Mannix. I never gravitated towards fantasy or Sci Fi other than this show and Twilight Zone but believe this was first show on at 10pm that I woke up tired for school because of. Sorry I don't remember more plots but if I can rematch it perhaps it will come flooding back.
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Christopher George is excellent in this short lived man-on-the-run series. The stories are odes to friendship, loyalty, honesty, treachery, perseverance etc., the show is about life, the episodes are morality tales.
The Immortal is derivative of The Fugitive but don't be disappointed when you compare the two. The producers were not trying to equal the former show and The Immortal should not thus be judged too harshly for not measuring up. It is not The Fugitive 2.0 but it is a lot of fun and adventure, even when on occasion the writers could have done a better job.
Let us examine alleged plot holes.. Some ask why is he running, why doesn't he just go to the police for protection from the evil corporation ? Or, why doesn't he just agree to make regular donations of blood to Maitland (or Braddock) and remain free ? 1. We should assume that Maitland is kinda all-powerful, he controls the political machine in a large swath of the nation, as well as the media. This is why Ben Richards cannot just go to the police or FBI for protection, they are corrupt. 2. If Ben Richards agreed to make regular donations of blood to Maitland it is easy to see how this arrangement would quickly fall apart. For one thing there would eventually be a host of other 'Maitlands' lining up to have a piece of the immortality pie. And back in 1970 technology could not extend ones blood components like we can today. Every rich dude in the world - or just ordinary folks with big dreams- would, be wanting a piece pf Richards, this tug of war would probably result in the premature death of Richards through misadventure. This is why Maitland must be the sole controller of the blood source and Ben Richards must be captured and isolated.
I watched every episode and the pilot. Most of them knocked the ball right outa the park. Highly recommended. -
garyed40-591-6378184 May 2013I 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.
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Spaniel-516 February 1999I 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. -
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. -
Herowithgreeneyesandblue17 February 2010A 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. -
newslogger4419 January 2022This short-lived and obviously derivative, man-on-the-run type series had such a weak premise, it's no wonder it was cancelled. The notion that someone with a unique medical issue which, if studied and successfully applied to benefit mankind could be openly harassed, relentlessly stalked and chased across the country, not to mention be abducted and confined (all criminal acts, needless to say) and brazenly committed by some arrogant, terminally ill, wealthy corporate mogul is preposterous to say the least. Why doesn't Ben Richards simply hire a good lawyer and then report his situation to the media and the FBI which would be obliged to protect him and arrest Mr. Maitland along with his thugs? Granted this series was targeted at a juvenile audience, it nevertheless strains credibility to the limit. Even an eight-year-old would be shouting back at the TV screen, "C'mon, Ben. Stop running as if you're a criminal! You're NOT!". Furthermore, episode after episode the friendly people he meets who DO sympathize and even help him escape (particularly in episode 3) never bother to contact the police to confront Maitland and and his crew who are clearly breaking the aforementioned laws.
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robert375021 July 2022Whatever one thinks of Christopher George, I can see why this failed. It was basically a lower quality rehash of The Fugitive. David Jansen did it better. The "immortal" aspect was essentially irrelevant, since there were no science fiction elements that arose from it, making the premise fairly pointless other than a reason for him to keep running.
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QueenoftheGoons16 June 2022It had a few actors i like in it. Always loved Christopher George but it really wasn't all that good. The rainbow butcher ep was not bad. Vic Morrow played the SOB cop in it. Made that nice. That was it.