Shadow Chasers

Shadow Chasers is an American science fiction mystery television series created by Brian Grazer and Kenneth Johnson.[1] Fourteen episodes were produced, ten of which were shown on the ABC television network, the remaining four on the Armed Forces Network. It debuted on November 14, 1985, and was produced by Warner Bros. Television.[1]

Shadow Chasers
GenreScience fiction
Mystery
Created byBrian Grazer
Kenneth Johnson
StarringDennis Dugan
Trevor Eve
ComposerJoe Harnell
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes14 (4 unaired)
Production
Executive producersKenneth Johnson
Brian Grazer
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesKenneth Johnson/Brian Grazer Productions
Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseNovember 14, 1985 (1985-11-14) –
January 16, 1986 (1986-01-16)

Plot

Shadow Chasers features strait-laced British anthropologist Jonathan MacKensie (played by Trevor Eve), who works for the fictional Georgetown Institute Paranormal Research Unit (PRU). In the pilot, MacKensie's department head, Dr. Julianna Moorhouse (Nina Foch), withholds a research grant to force him into investigating a supposed "haunting" involving a teenage boy (Bobby Fite).[2] He is paired with flamboyant reporter and popular author Edgar "Benny" Benedek (Dennis Dugan) to reduce the length of the investigation, over Moorhouse's objections; she does not want a sensationalist who writes for the supermarket tabloids to be associated with the Georgetown Institute.[1][3] Benny and Jonathan did not get along, but managed to solve the case despite their differences.[4]

As the series continued, Jonathan and Benny grudgingly learned to respect each other and their different skills.[2] Some episodes featured out-of-body experiences, genuine paranormal powers, and even bringing Dr. Moorhouse into the field on occasion. Other episodes had Benny and Jonathan investigating unreal happenings, running afoul of clever criminals, and defeating them. To Dr. Moorhouse's irritation, Benny was often able to turn his experiences into best-selling popular books and appearances on the late night talk show circuit.[5] Despite this, she continued to promote the partnership of Benny and Jonathan in their investigations.

Cast

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1
2		"Pilot"Kenneth JohnsonKenneth Johnson & Brian GrazerNovember 14, 1985 (1985-11-14)
Benny and Jonathan investigate a haunting at a house in Oregon owned by the physicist descendent of a witch executed in 1642 during the Salem witch hysteria, who died in a fire after none of the residents on his street would aid his son who was begging for help.
3"The Spirit of St. Louis"Victor LoblCraig BuckNovember 21, 1985 (1985-11-21)
Two national museums are arguing over which should possess and display "The Stone of Tutankhamun." The Stone is in St. Louis, where Benny and Jonathan each have close encounters with the Curse of King Tut. A street gang who worship the Boy King has definite plans for the Stone ... and for Benny.
4"Amazing Grace"Barbara PeetersSusan Goldberg & Bob RosenfarbNovember 28, 1985 (1985-11-28)
Following an auto accident, Benny has a near-death experience, which gives him a lead on a series of murders intended to look like normal deaths of terminally ill patients in a hospital. He and Jonathan are guided in their pursuit of the killer by the spirit of one of the deceased.
5"The Middle of Somewhere"Chuck BravermanRenee Longstreet & Harry LongstreetDecember 5, 1985 (1985-12-05)
6"Parts Unknown"Bob SweeneyLinda Campanelli & M. M. Shelley MooreDecember 12, 1985 (1985-12-12)
Benny and Jonathan are investigating cases of people buried alive. Benny appears to die of a heart attack, but Jonathan is suspicious of the timing. When his casket is exhumed and found to be empty, Jonathan pursues his theory that something evil is afoot, and uncovers a macabre secret.
7"The Many Lives of Jonathan"Cliff BoleRichard Manning & Hans BeimlerDecember 19, 1985 (1985-12-19)
A neuroscience experiment increases Jonathan's sensitivity to mental stimulation. Dr. Moorhouse sends Jonathan and Benny to learn why a burned 1940s residential hotel is resisting its own demolition. They break into the hotel to find the truth. In the process, Jonathan is possessed by a number of ghosts, each with unfinished business on this plane.
8"Phantom of the Galleria"Alan MyersonPeggy GoldmanDecember 26, 1985 (1985-12-26)
A former beauty queen is rescued from an attempted gang-rape after hours in the Santa Maria Galleria Mall by "a mysterious creature." The local railroad museum provides a legend about a wronged tycoon haunting the town, and its railroading history. However, a strange smell at the mall may be the key to solving the mystery.
9"How Green Was My Murder"Tony MordenteSusan Goldberg & Bob RosenfarbJanuary 9, 1986 (1986-01-09)
A scientist researching plant communication is apparently strangled by one of his plants. Jonathan is sent by Dr. Moorhouse to get to the bottom of it. Benny, pursuing the same story, links up with him. When more plant-related deaths occur, it's up to the duo to solve the case, without being murdered themselves.
10"Let's Make a Deal"Barbara PeetersPeggy GoldmanJanuary 16, 1986 (1986-01-16)
11"Cora's Stranger"Alan MyersonDiane FrolovUnaired (Unaired)
12"Curse of the Full Moon"TBDMaryanne Kasica & Michael ScheffUnaired (Unaired)
13"Blood and Magnolias"Chuck BowmanMaryanne Kasica & Michael ScheffUnaired (Unaired)
14"Ahead of Time"Tony MordenteRenee Longstreet & Harry LongstreetUnaired (Unaired)

Reception

Only nine episodes were shown in the U.S. Four others were only shown overseas on the Armed Forces Network during the original run of the series. The pilot frequently appears on cable, particularly on the Mystery Channel.

The show was the lowest-rated of 106 programs during the 1985-1986 TV season, (due in part to being broadcast in the same time slot as NBC's The Cosby Show and Family Ties and CBS's Magnum P.I. and later, Simon & Simon) averaging only a 5.8/9 rating/share.[6][7] This competition had been the focus of a series of humorous commercials for the series, starring such luminaries of the time as Ricardo Montalbán and Ron Howard. While heavily promoted during the network's mini-series North and South, the commercials proved to be prophetic, in that the series drew small audiences, and was frequently pre-empted in some markets.

References
  1. O'Connor, John J. (November 14, 1985). "'Shadow Chasers' on ABC". The New York Times. New York, NY. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  2. Rothenberg, Fred (November 14, 1985). "ABC Tries 'Shadow Chasers' To Combat Cosby And Magnum". The Dispatch. Lexington, NC. p. 24. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  3. Buck, Jerry (November 13, 1985). "Dennis Dugan plays writer in 'Shadow Chasers'". The Telegraph. Nashua, NH. Associated Press. p. 48. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  4. Holsopple, Barbara (November 13, 1985). "'Shadow Chasers' latest of bad lot as ABC sweeps out management". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, PA. p. C12. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  5. Goldberg, Susan & Rosenfarb, Bob. Shadow Chasers, Episode 1/04, "Amazing Grace." First aired November 28, 1985.
  6. Kelley, Bill (April 24, 1986). "NBC Top Network in 1985-1986 Nielsens". Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, FL. p. 1E. Retrieved August 30, 2010. The lowest-rated series, ABC's Shadow Chasers, drew 9 percent.
  7. Grossi, Mark (May 19, 1986). "Laughs on you; This fall, networks to give viewers what they want: sitcoms". Providence Journal. Providence, RI. p. A11. Retrieved August 30, 2010. 96. Shadow Chasers (ABC) 5.8
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