SERIES index

A LOOK BACK: ROBOCOP:THE SERIES
By: Flynn Cook

Richard Eden

Many a movie franchise has been lucrative enough to attract a Television audiance. Take a look at the popular Stargate: SG1 and Kung-Fu: The Legend Continues for example, and all have added to the franchise's popularity. Some film have even spawned (Or helped spawn) an animated series or two, which are regarded in high respects, shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Batman: The Animated Seires, just to name a few. However, there is one show that is often overlooked, and typically downtrodden. The show was launched at the most inappropriate time, and merely added to the fall of the film series, and franchise profitability, due to it's shortcomings. The show had modest ratings and the highest of aspirations. In 1994, the series died before it could really start.

The show was called: RoboCop: The Series.

Commonly bashed for it's attempted social satire, and looked down upon by RoboCop fans for it's lack of violence, the show recieves less credit then it truly deserves. This retrospective will hopefully shed some light on the forgotten and underappreciated series, which, given a good time slot, and more leeway in the way of violence, could have run for a good 3 or 4 seasons.

The time was 1993. Orion Pictures, now a subdivision of MGM inc. and the Canadian Skyvision Entertainment, saw the terrible box office returns for the feature film RoboCop 3, and read the terrible reviews. However, MGM still saw promise in the Paul Verhoven-started franchise, and hoped to try and bring RoboCop into the households of America, as a prime-time syndicated Television series. However, MGM had placed the blame for the failure of RoboCop 3 on the undeserving screenwriter, Frank Miller, and thus, decided that the cure for RoboCop's failure was the bring back the original screenwriters for the first film; Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner.

They commisioned Skyvision entertainment to produce 21 one-hour episodes of the show, and a two-hour pilot for the series. Screenwriters Neumeier and Miner were asked to start the series off with a bang, so they wrote the pilot movie. However, the duo decided that this was their chance to resurrect their original script for the film RoboCop 2, (Which had been rejected by Orion due to it being unfavorable in their eyes) and, with a few edits, the script was re-written into the pilot for the RoboCop syndicated Television series.

They essentially wrote out the two sequels that they didn't pen themselves, erasing the continuity established by Frank Miller. RoboCop has moved back to Metro South, (As Murphy, he transferred from Metro South to Metro West at the beginning of RoboCop) Lewis is no longer his partner, and OCP never went out of business. Within, the show continues the social satire established as a 'RoboCop-standard' in the first film. We continue to see the omni-informative Media Break. We see commercials for an extremely strange talk show called What's On Your Mind?, (Which discusses subjects such as the US Military posing nude for charity) and, instead of prision, criminals are put into the "Henry Ford Clinic for the Morally Challenged". Also present on Television in RoboCop's world is the OCP superhero/advertisement; Commander Cash, which would come on TV periodically, and convince people to spend mass quantities of cash.

Most likely, Neumeier and Miner did not script the alternate for Lewis, Sargeant Reed, add the resident child, or bring Robo back to Metro South. It is quite possible that those aspects were changed by Skyvision to avoid copyright infringement on the non-essential characters. In truth, The replacements, Detective Lisa Madigan and Sargeant Stan Parks, are essentially just Lewis and Reed with different names, albeit watered down slightly. The OCP CEO, instead of being called "The Old Man", was re-titled "The Chairman". The child, which was adopted by Parks after the Pilot, was named Gadget. She was allowed to roam freely throughout Metro South. Also, Ellen Murphy, RoboCop's wife, was re-named "Nancy Murphy."

At the time, Television violence had been severly cut back, by the order of parents across the nation, due to the antics of the multi-colored Power Rangers. Thus, RoboCop was not allowed to follow in the path set by the first film. Which is unfortunate, because RoboCop had always been meant to be an extremely gory concept, and the limitations of television at the time watered down the image of RoboCop.

Due to the new limitations, RoboCop was only allowed to use his gun to place a electronic 'tag' on his foes, to track them later, or use it take a fellon out of commision the easy way, by shooting down, say, a chest-of-drawers, to fall onto a criminal and incapacitate the foe. However, this was cause for the later writers of the series to re-visit RoboCop's other abilities. And quite imaginatively, at that. The series called for RoboCop to use his amazing strength, often pulling doors off of hinges and bending steel bars. His voice/stress analyser, which can detect lies, and his Thermographic vision, allowing him to track heat signatures.


A side-effect of RoboCop's inability to kill was his only returning foe. William Ray "Pudface" Morgan. A strange cross between a 1920's gangster, and Freddy Kruger. This 'arch-enemy' appeared on the show, at best, a few times, because the writers must have known that a retuning villain wasn't such a cool concept when it comes to RoboCop.

The budget was quite good. Each episode could go as high 1.25 million to film. However, what the series lost in budget and violence, the writers made up for with excellent scripting. Each and every episode was intreuging, entertaining, and, at each show lasting an hour, gave the show a hook. Giving you a reason to keep watching.

The writing, above all else, was the true highlight of the show. Showcased were Robo's powers and his brain. Thus, the show became an action/adventure/mystery show starring RoboCop. Each week, viewers were presented with a riviting storyline, practicaly daring them to solve it before RoboCop did. RoboCop constantly is found using his interface spike, to upload and find clues. By the episode's end, he always solved the mystery, and had captured the perp. The writers also focused on Murphy's tortured soul. Resulting, in true RoboCop fashion, in fantasic and moving scenes involving Murphy's former life, and RoboCop's encounters with Murphy's child and wife. Throughout the series, Madigan constantly nags Robo to tell his wife and son about who he is, but every time, RoboCop responds with a resounding 'no'. The pilot ends with him saying: "They need a husband... and a father. I cannot be that. But I can Protect them."


Both Peter Weller and Robert John Burke refused to portray the cyborg policeman in the series. Therefore, Skyvision was forced to cast a new RoboCop, and, with some training, the replacement, one Richard Eden, quickly became a fan favorite 'Robo-actor'. Eden intensely studied the movement of both Weller and Burke, soon becoming able to emulate them in appearance and behavior. Eden himself was simply an amazing person for RoboCop, each step he took was measured, replicated precisely from the actors before him. Eden also understood the psychological aspect of RoboCop, always portraying him as emotionless and almost cold. With a touch of sadness.

Quite possibly the best example of Eden's acting is in a flashback RoboCop has during the pilot, taking place right after the first film. Eden portrays a helmetless RoboCop, staring into a mirror, running a slow hand over Murphy's old face in shock. Then, all at once, he rears back his fist and, in anger at OCP and the world for taking his life, smashes the mirror.

The Chairman of OCP, instead of being evil, as the Miller films established, was portrayed in the series as a caring person. One who does not want evil at his company. He certainly seems to bind the entire cast together, and bring a warmth to the show in his friendliness. Yvette Niper portrays Madigan as someone equal to Lewis, just as tough and Robo's partner--half the time.

Another character which became a regular on the show was RoboCop's head technician, a Charlie Lippencott. He was the comic relief, and was played fairly. He was never annoying, and was, quite often, funny. The pilot also introduced an ongoing character. The brainchild of Neumeier and Miner, in their original RoboCop 2 Script, was Diana. A woman who, in the pilot, is killed by evil OCP execs, and her brain is put into cyberspace as "Neurobrain", which was to run Delta City. However, things happened, and she was freed from control by OCP, and became an assistant to RoboCop, repairing him when he needed it, and helping RoboCop research things, while still existing in cyberspace, appearing as a hologram. Charlie and Diana once shared a dance, perhaps indicating a love that was never followed? We shall never know.


Of course, this editorial/retrospective wouldn't be very good if I didn't take a look back at a few of the best episodes.

The Human Factor is a fan favorite, which pits RoboCop and Murphy's father, a former cop himself, against a criminal hell-bent on destroying OCP, one who had been captured by Murphy's father before his retirement. At the end, after constant dramatic moments between the two, Murphy's father shows that he knows RoboCop's secret; that his son lies under the helmet.

Prime Suspect, based on the RoboCop comic book mini-series from the time, sees RoboCop framed for the murder of an elderly couple, and results in RoboCop being hunted down when he refuses to be arrested, and tries to find his foe. How do you frame RoboCop, you ask? Why, you simply make yourself a copy of RoboCop's gun, and dispose of it, seeing as RoboCop is the only one that can fire his own gun.

Officer Missing sees RoboCop hurt, and on the run. However, he is found by someone able to patch him up, which allows RoboCop to defeat the gangs terrorizing a local neighborhood.

The show is host to some rather embarrassing moments, due to the intended cornball jokes and antics, however the writing and the acting definitely help bounce back against this. The sho itself boasts many more wonderful and exciting episodes, and is not to be taken lightly.

However, some fans just can't cope. There are those who look down on the series merely because of it's shortcomings when it comes to faithfulness to Paul Verhoven's film. In the eyes of non-fans however, it is well-enjoyed.



Although the show had many great things going for it, the show failed to out-perform other shows such as Baywatch and evening sitcoms. The programming for the show was terrible. Most did not know about it, and it was put in on the worst time slots.

Including the fact that people were sure it would be as 'terrible' as RoboCop 3, compared to the other films, and certainly, knowing the other films, parents were reluctant to let their kids watch a show based on such a violent film, not realizing that the show would have to be tame to get aired on TV.

Despite this, the entire series managed to make it's way on VHS, so I sincerely suggest you give this show another try if you've spit on it, or seek out the VHS cassettes when you can, because when Orion set out to make this show, it's reputation did not help, and only added to the downfall of the RoboCop franchise. The final blow being the terrible animated series; RoboCop: Alpha Commando.

The series is extremely underappreciated, and should be given a shot. You never know which episode will just 'click' with you.

Thank you for your co-operation. Stay out of trouble.

--Flynn Cook