Mike Post Movies

In this pilot film for the short-lived satirical TV series The Last Precinct, a group of misfit police-academy rejects are given one final opportunity to distinguish themselves in the field of law enforcement when they are assigned to the LA's seediest and most woebegone precinct, the 56th. Under the diligent but ineffectual leadership of Captain Rob Wright (Adam West), these losers-in-blue immediately ingratiated themselves to their higher-ups by stealing a sheriff's drug-sniffing dog, which leads them to the headquarters of a drug ring--and possible redemption if they can make an arrest without killing themselves in the process. Inasmuch as Stephen J. Cannell was the prime instigator of The Last Precinct, NBC had such high hopes for the property that the network scheduled its two-hour premiere on January 26, 1986, right after the Super Bowl telecast. But to no avail: Though picked up as a weekly series, The Last Precinct was mustered out after only six episodes. ~Saw Film/Marsh/Marrill/TV Guide/Internet/Expert ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this Stephen Cannell-produced pilot for a potential TV detective series, Mac Davis plays an ex-highway patrolman and Joseph Cortese an ex-trucker, related by marriage. Their wives were twin sisters--were, because in addition to all the other "ex" qualifications in their lives, Davis and Cortese are ex-husbands. Still pals after their group divorce, the boys become private eyes. Their first case is to get the goods on a shady tycoon (Robert Culp), who happens to be their former father-in-law. Brothers-in-Law was the first Steven J. Cannell independent production which failed to sell as a series, but it wouldn't be the last. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Created by Stephen J. Cannell, the made-for-TV Stingray combines choice elements from such past successes as Knight Rider, The Lone Ranger, and (stylistically, at least) Miami Vice. Nick Mancuso stars as the title character, a mysterious good samaritan who has apparently named himself after his jazzed-up car. In the course of events, Stingray foils the plans of an insane doctor, scuttles the operation of a drug-and-vice lord, and locates a missing child using ingenuity, brute force, and a variety of disguises. All he asks in return from the people he helps is that they will someday do a favor for him -- at any time, at any place. Robyn Douglass costars as Stingray's lady love, Deputy D.A. Daphne Delgado (who probably sells seashells by the seashore). Originally broadcast July 14, 1985, on NBC, Stingray was blatantly the pilot for a weekly TV series, which ran from March 4, 1986, to July 31, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Inspired by the popular Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry movies, the weekly, hour-long NBC cop drama Hunter starred former NFL star Fred Dryer as the Eastwoodesque title character, LAPD detective sergeant Rick Hunter. Originally operating out of the Homicide department, Hunter spent the series' first season patrolling the mean streets of Los Angeles' less savory districts, partnered with the equally no-nonsense lady cop Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer), aka "the Brass Cupcake." Using a Magnum revolver that he called Simon--as in "Simon says 'Freeze'!"--Hunter gave no mercy or quarter to the various thugs, pimps, pushers and lowlifes with whom he came in contact. And like Dirty Harry, our hero was given to pithy catchphrases, notably the oft-repeated "Works for me." Introduced with a two-hour TV movie on September 18, 1984, Hunter languished near the bottom of the ratings during its first season due to the stiff competition of CBS's Dallas. Things improved significantly when Roy Huggins took over as executive producer at the beginning of Season Two, primarily due to a softening of the previously grim and intractible characters of Hunter and Dee Dee, and the decision to move them to a more upscale section of LA to provide them with a wider variety of antagonists. Also, Hunter's unsavory past as the son of a mobster--and his checkered present with a slew of crooked relatives and former acquaintances--faded into the background and eventually disappeared altogether. During the first two seasons, Hunter went through several superior officers, each one of whom despised him and sought out any excuse to divest him of his badge. Finally in Season Three, the producers settled on Charles Hallahan as Charles Devane, who remained with the series for the remainder of its run. Though not much more fond of Hunter than his predecessors, Devane was at least willing to cut his most contentious cop a little slack due to the results he'd gotten with his strongarm methods. At the end of Season Six, Dee Dee McCall left the department to get married. The following season, both Hunter and Devane were moved out of Homicide and into the department's elite Metro Division, focusing on cases that warranted extra-special attention. Hunter's new partner was Officer Joanne Molinski (Darlanne Fluegel) who unfortunately was killed halfway through the season. In the series' final months on NBC, Hunter developed a romantic relationship with Sgt. Chris Novak (Lauren Lane), a former girlfriend and presently the single mom of a cute little girl named Allison (Courtney Barella). Ending its network run on August 30, 1991, Hunter was briefly revived four years later in the form of a TV movie, The Return of Hunter: Everyone Walks in L.A., then again in 2002 with another feature length episode, Hunter: Return to Justice. This last project led to a brief weekly revival of the property, reuniting Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer, which ran from April 12 through May 10, 2003 on NBC. Created by Frank Lupo, Hunter was a Stephen J. Cannell pro ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The weekly TV series Riptide was kicked off on January 3, 1984 with a 2-hour "movie premiere"--which is TV Guide talk for "pilot film." Cody Allen (Perry King) and Nick Ryder (Joe Penny) are hip, handsome Southern California detectives. Teaming up with their service buddy, computer geek Murray Bozinsky (Thom Bray), the boys set up their own agency, using a cabin cruiser as headquarters (shades of Surfside Six). In the pilot, the detectives tackle the mystery of a yacht hijacking, which an eyewitness insists was a case of sabotage and murder. Also appearing in this initial Riptide adventure are regulars-to-be Jack Ging as Lt. Quinlan, Anne Francis as charter-boat skipper Mama Jo, and Gianna Russo as restaurant owner Straightaway. Riptide ran from 1984 through 1986, after which Joe Penny and Perry King continued their Hollywood hunkdom, while Thom Bray became the voice of John Arbuckle on the cartoon series Garfield. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Tommy Lee Jones plays the title character in The River Rat. Released from prison after 13 years, Jones heads south to meet his hoydenish daughter Martha Plimpton for the first time. The father-daughter relationship flounders until Jones takes the girl on a long, bonding raft trip on the river. Both Jones and Plimpton become fugitives from justice when they run afoul of crooked parole-officer Brian Dennehy. Before the film's allotted 93 minutes have passed, Plimpton has proven time and again to be truly her father's daughter. It's a toss-up as to which is more enjoyable in River Rat, the film itself or the wall-to-wall musical score by Mike Post. Screenwriter Thomas Rickman was underwritten for his directorial debut by Robert Redford's Sundance Institute. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Adam is the heartbreakingly true story of the disappearance of 6-year-old Adam Walsh (John Boston) at a South Florida shopping mall. Adam's anguished parents John and Reve Walsh (Daniel J. Travanti and JoBeth Williams) turn to the FBI for help in finding their son, only to discover that the federal organization does not involve itself in such cases. As hope for Adam's return fades, the Walshes begin an organization to aid and comfort other families of missing children. The story does not end happily for Adam or his parents, but as a result of this tragedy, Congress passes the Federal Missing Children Act in 1983. This made-for-TV drama, originally telecast October 10, 1983, was followed by a sequel three years later. The real-life John Walsh later hosted the popular "reality-based" TV series America's Most Wanted. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

British director Tony Garnett's American film debut is a tale of revenge that criticizes American gun culture. Karen Young plays Kathleen Sullivan, an idealistic Boston educator who travels to Texas to teach. In her new home town she meets Larry Keeler (Clayton Day), a handsome lawyer who is obsessed with guns. On their first date together, things seem to go swimmingly, but on their second date, Larry brings his gun along and Kathleen finds herself raped with a firearm pointed at her head. Kathleen becomes consumed with vengeance; she learns how to handle a gun, becomes a crack shot, and goes forth to seek revenge for her rape. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Robert Conrad stars as a Marine pilot assigned to run a military school after facing mandatory retirement. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Tenspeed and Brown Shoe was a "cult" comedy adventure series created by Stephen J. Cannell, which ran from January to June of 1980. Ben Vereen played E. L. "Tenspeed" Turner, a silver tongued African-American con artist. Jeff Goldblum costarred as staid stockbroker Lionel Whitney, whom Tenspeed nicknamed "Brown Shoe." This oil-and-water combination teamed up to form a detective agency. Just how this came about is explained in the 2-hour pilot for Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, which aired on January 27, 1980. In addition to uniting the stars, the pilot's storyline included a murdered gang leader, a Marathon Man style ex-Nazi diamond fence, and a suitcase full of hot mob money. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this children's movie, a single executive enjoys her life on the fast track, but when she is talked into becoming a den mother to a rambunctious pack of Cub Scouts, her life is temporarily derailed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This second made-for-TV movie features the Marvel Comic-book hero who must keep the villains from succeeding in accelerating the ages of government officials. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide