Captain Nice

"CAPTAIN NICE"-Produced by Talent Associates,Inc./Paramount Television In Association With NBC Productions. Filmed at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The series ran on NBC-TV. Premiere Episode of the series: January 9,1967. Last Telecast of the series: May 1,1967. 15 Episodes Were Produced-All In Color.

The campy and most successful action series "Batman" cast a very long shadow across superhero productions in film and on television. It was so successful upon its premiere on ABC-TV in the Spring of 1966 that by the following January of 1967,both competing networks(NBC and CBS)had invented their own superhero shows to air on opposite nights and challenge the supermacy of Adam West's Caped Crusader. What remains so interesting about this that both networks sought to repeat "Batman's" fame and fortune not by licensing well-known comic book superheroes but by creating new(and terribly lame)heroes instead. Even more intriguing,both networks,looking at "Batman" and apparently saw it as campy and a sitcom parody but at the same time both networks were matching the "Batman" formula to work with other shows,a prime example of this was the spy-series "The Man From U.N.C.L.E"(on NBC),which by the second and third seasons,NBC executives look at this series as just comedy and not serious at all. Instead the two networks(NBC and CBS)may have competed ably by producing a superhero show regarding various characters.Instead,ABC counter-programmed against "camp" in January of 1967,with a serious adaption of "The Green Hornet",which lasted one season.

The results of NBC and CBS's efforts were not pretty,and what emerged on television in the winter of 1967 were two half-hour series that never managed to attain individual identities in the eyes of viewers: "Captain Nice",which was on NBC,and "Mister Terrific",which was on CBS. These shows may have been made for adults but its main target audience that were watching the shows were children. In other words,straight-forward kiddie oriented material. Both shows lasted one season. Even more ominously,both shows ended their primetime span(with reruns)on the same date:August 28,1967,the same day both shows were dethroned in the Nielsens(along with the Western satire,"F-Troop",which was on ABC) by the final episode of the series,"The Fugitive",which became the highest-rated series finale in television history. In fact "Captain Nice" and "Mister Terrific",both looked and sounded so much alike that it was confusing to some viewers who either seem too like it or for the most part hated it. What made it so frustrating that is was an appropriate face,not to mention an enterprises that were designed to copy the "Batman" series,so rigorously. However,both sides failed and from this both shows were sent to the bottom of the television graveyard of forgotten sitcoms never to be heard from again. Of the two clone superheroes series,NBC's Captain Nice had the better pedigree,not to mention the cast.

"Captain Nice" was created by Buck Henry,the genius behind the spy-spoof "Get Smart",which was a huge hit for NBC at the time(NBC,1965-1968,and later on went to CBS,1968-1970),who serves as executive producer of this series along with producer Jay Sandrich. The series starred William Daniels(who would make a name for himself in other shows as well later on including "Saint Elsewhere",and the teen-comedy "Boy Meets World")as the meek Carter Nash,a police scientist that develops a serum endowing him superpowers to fight off evildoers. The series starred Ann Prentiss,Alice Ghostley,Liam Dunn,William Zuckert,and Byron Foulger. It's competition,"Mister Terrific"(which was on CBS)starred Alan Young,who was fondly remembered for his stint on the children's situation comedy show "Mister Ed"(which was on the same network).

I disagree with most of the comments saying that this show was bad. This was a funny show created by Get Smart's Buck Henry. I never missed an episode and managed to get all 15 in VHS tape format (although a bit fuzzy). Much better program than the competing super hero spoof, Mister Terrific

I vaguely remember this show. Of course, I was only ten when it was on, and our TV watching was limited. But I remember William Daniels was in it, as this hapless superhero. And he would use some potion to give himself superpowers - which were temporary. I seem to remember an episode where his powers dissipated when he was in the middle of something, like flying, and he had to quickly take more.

I had mostly forgotten about this show until my favorite, St Elsewhere, came on. Then the familiarity of William Daniels voice brought it back.

It was a humorous show, like "It's about Time," and didn't lend itself to scary dreams like the shows Chiller or The Outer Limits did.

Back then we appreciated almost anything with a 'kid theme', especially in the evening. There were a few tantalizing bits thrown at us back then, Top Cat and Bugs Bunny were prime time a few years earlier. But to have a whole non-animated series devoted to being able to drink a potion, ala NICE or eat a pill, as in Mr. Terrific and become super, now that was GREAT FUN. After all these years I remember Captain Nice leaping from a van where in the dark he dressed in culottes and the time the secret formula dripped into a gutter to powerize a 'HIC-BOOM' worm. Even then I knew it was cheap, but I watched it, right after Mr. Terrific.

I was about 16 when the show premiered and already a fan of comic book superheroes and comedy, so I HAD to watch this show. And I LOVED it. A shame it only ran one season.

What I also remember that in the promotion of the show, there was this great comic book art poster drawn by the legendary Jack Kirby of Marvel Comics fame but I only saw it on TV. I would love to own a copy of it if it exists anywhere.

One of the things I remember was a running gag used by the writers. The Commissioner (played by Liam Dunn, a thin balding older man, famous for being a comic foil in many Mel Brooks films) would say something like, "Don't tell me the bank was robbed again" to which the chief would echo the words, "The bank was robbed again." Then Dunn would say with great exasperation. "I asked you not to tell me that." It still makes me laugh today. Even fellow schoolmates would echo this gag.

With great comic talent like Alice Ghostly and Liam Dunn as backup, and on the heels of the ultra campy Batman series (which I hated at the time for making a mockery of a great comic book hero) it should have been a huge hit.

The public! Go figure.