Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Forgotten TV: NOWHERE MAN

Forgotten TV: NOWHERE MAN



This show lasted only one year (1995-96) and I am not sure I saw every episode.  Bruce Greenwood plays a photo-documentary maker whose whole existence is erased in the time it takes to use a restroom. It appears everyone in his life has been persuaded to lie to him. He comes to believe that his circumstances relate somehow to a photo he took of four men being hanged in South American.

It harkens to a lot of other movies and shows like CORONET BLUE, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, etc. It was expected to be a huge hit, got great reviews, but disappeared. I love this sort of show, but they often seem to self-destruct. Maybe in 1996 we weren't ready for story arcs quite yet. Or maybe this should have been a movie rather than a TV show since it hung so much on a conceit.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have to admit - I've never seen this one...

Jeff Meyerson said...

Never saw it either. In general I don't like the kind of "no, you were alone, your wife wasn't with you" or "no, we never had that conversation" plot, but occasionally it is done well enough to hold me.

Jeff M.

Al Tucher said...

Bruce Greenwood is another in the long line of low-key Canadians who are around for years before you realize that there's nothing they can't do.

George said...

NOWHERE MAN was one of those TV programs that were too ahead of their time. This kind of program would find an audience today.

Chad Eagleton said...

I remember Nowhere Man. I think if the show had been on a different network, it would have done better. As one of the first offerings from UPN, I'm not sure it ever had muhc of a chance.

pattinase (abbott) said...

That's a good point. Some networks are far more generous with a show than others. HBO for instance has several shows that have tiny audiences and it has stuck with them.