''Night Man'' is a superhero television series, developed by Glen A. Larson, that aired in

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

from September 15, 1997 to May 17, 1999. The series is loosely based on the

character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...

from ''The Night Man''

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

published, through the

Ultraverse The Ultraverse is a defunct comic book imprint published by the American company Malibu Comics which is currently owned by Marvel Comics. The Ultraverse is a shared universe in which a variety of characters – known within the comics as Ultras � ...

imprint, by

Malibu Comics Malibu Comics Entertainment, Inc. (also known as Malibu Graphics) was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. Notable titles published by Malibu included ' ...

, which was later purchased by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

, and was created by

Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early lif ...

, who also wrote three episodes of the series. The show stars

Matt McColm Matt McColm (born January 31, 1965) is an American actor and stuntman, and former model. Biography Born in 1965, he has a twin brother named Mark. His family comes from Santa Barbara. He attended Bishop Garcia Diego High School. He has mod ...

as the title character, a superhero whose real name was Johnny Domino, a

saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pro ...

. ''Night Man'' is also one of the few series to cross over with characters from Larson's previous series. In the episode "Manimal", Johnny allies with Professor Jonathan Chase, the star of the short-lived 1980s series ''

Manimal ''Manimal'' is an American superhero television series created by Glen A. Larson and Donald R. Boyle, it ran on NBC from September 30 to December 17, 1983. The show centers on the character Jonathan Chase ( Simon MacCorkindale), a shape-shiftin ...

''.

Plot summary

Johnny Domino is a well-known San Franciscan

jazz musician This is a list of jazz musicians by instrument based on existing articles on Wikipedia. Do not enter names that lack articles. Do not enter names that lack sources. Accordion * Kamil Běhounek (1916–1983) * Luciano Biondini (born 1971) * A ...

who is accidentally struck by a

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

bolt in a freak cable-car accident. The strike allows him to telepathically recognize evil but robs him of the ability to sleep. Although Night Man has no other superhuman powers of his own, he owns a special blue-caped bulletproof black bodysuit that gives him several abilities, including

flight Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...

, holographic

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

-style

invisibility Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be ''invisible'' (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology. Since objects can be seen by light i ...

and advanced

sight Visual perception is the ability to interpret the surrounding environment through photopic vision (daytime vision), color vision, scotopic vision (night vision), and mesopic vision (twilight vision), using light in the visible spectrum reflecte ...

functions through the round red lens over the left eye of his mask including the ability to see in the dark and fire a

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fi ...

beam. Although he often fights new enemies in each episode as the series progresses, his nemesis is computer technologies billionaire Kieran Keyes (

Kim Coates Kim F. Coates (born February 21, 1958) is a Canadian–American actor who has worked in both Canadian and American films and television series. He has worked on Broadway portraying Stanley Kowalski in ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' and in the lead ...

), who would slay Johnny's father, Frank Domino, in the premiere of the second and final season.

Cast

as Johnny Domino/Night Man, a saxophonist who is struck by lightning while playing inside a cable-car. As a result, his brain gains

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmi ...

-like properties, able to "pick up" certain mental frequencies. He is now attuned to the "frequency of evil", which enables him to "hear" evil thoughts and evil-doers wherever he goes. He wears a bulletproof bodysuit, as well as an

anti-gravity Anti-gravity (also known as non-gravitational field) is a hypothetical phenomenon of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or t ...

belt that enables him to fly, a cape with holographic

-style invisibility properties and a mask with a round red lens over his left eye, which gives him the ability to see/aim in the dark and fire a laser beam. *

Earl Holliman Henry Earl Holliman (born September 11, 1928) is an American actor, animal-rights activist, and singer known for his many character roles in films, mostly Westerns and dramas, in the 1950s and 1960s. He won a Golden Globe Award for the film ' ...

as Frank Dominus, Johnny's father and former police detective. As a result of production being moved to Vancouver, Canada for Season 2, he is killed by villain J.D. Gunt in the premiere of Season 2. In the comics, this character was named Eddie Domingo who worked as a security guard and was Night Man's sole confidante. * Derek Webster (Season 1) and Derwin Jordon (Season 2) as Raleigh Jordan, Johnny's friend and confidante, as well as the developer of Night Man's armor. * Felecia M. Bell (credited as Felecia Bell) as Jessica Rodgers/Black Panther, owner of the House of Soul, the club where Johnny performs. Her character was axed in Season 2 after production moved to Vancouver, though she does appear in 2 episodes. * Michael Woods as Lieutenant Charlie Dann, Frank's former partner and apprentice. His character was axed in Season 2 after production moved to Vancouver. *

Jayne Heitmeyer Jayne Heitmeyer is a Canadian actress appearing in many science fiction and horror movies and TV shows. Heitmeyer was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is known for playing Lt. Briony Branca in the second season of '' Night Man'', Jessie Jaw ...

as Lieutenant Briony Branca, a detective who investigates criminal actions in Season 2.

Guest appearances

* Patrick Macnee as Dr. Walton, Johnny's psychiatrist in season 1. Usually advises him on how to use his newfound abilities. * Taylor Dayne as Carla Day/Black Arrow, a singer who is Johnny's love interest. Although she only appeared in the pilot episode, she is mentioned a few more times during the series' run. * Enuka Okuma as Crystal, a singer who works at the club. * Fabiana Udenio as Rachel Lang, an alien villainess who approaches and hypnotizes Johnny (turning him into a hedonistic and selfish person) in order to discover NightMan's secrets and use his powers for her own will. * Shane Brolly as Joran/Chrome, a supervillain who uses telekinetic powers, granted to him through the same lightning bolt that struck Johnny. He seeks to take over Bay City and destroy NightMan, but is overpowered and defeated by him. He later reappears and joins forces with Rachel Lang to destroy Johnny and discover NightMan's secrets. In the end, both are defeated for good. * Jacinda Barrett as Lucy Devlin/Selene, a monstrous witch/sorceress who assumes a female human form. She is hired by Jessica as a Magic (illusion), magician entertainer at the House of Soul anniversary party, but she inadvertently uses black magic techniques to send Charlie, Frank and Raleigh to another dimension. After NightMan saves them and travels to his own dimension (where he reunites with his deceased mother), he is able to overcome her tricks and defeat her. However, by the end of the episode, it is unclear if the whole thing was reality or just one of Johnny's dreams. * Ric Young as Chang, a Chinese diplomat whose goal is to cause a third World War using a high-technology neutron cannon weapon. * Simon MacCorkindale as Jonathan Chase, the titular hero from the ''

'' series crossing over into the episode of the same name. * Saskia Garel as Jasmine, the Jazz singer who works at the club. In addition, Little Richard, Jerry Springer, and Donald Trump made special appearances as themselves in "Whole Lotta Shakin'", "House of Soul", and "Face to Face", respectively. David Hasselhoff also makes a surprise cameo as a villain in the first episode.

Home media releases

Lionsgate Entertainment released a complete series on DVD on June 12, 2018. The box displays the claim that it is "based on the Marvel Comics comic book" when in actuality it is based on a Malibu Comics comic book which is a subsidiary of Marvel Comics.

Awards and nominations

Episodes

References

External links

Official Website

*

{{Marvel Comics TV 1990s American science fiction television series 1990s Canadian science fiction television series 1997 American television series debuts 1999 American television series endings 1997 Canadian television series debuts 1999 Canadian television series endings American superhero television series Canadian superhero television series English-language television shows First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Television shows based on Marvel Comics Television series by Alliance Atlantis Television series by Tribune Entertainment Television series created by Glen A. Larson Television shows set in San Francisco Fictional portrayals of the San Francisco Police Department Ultraverse