Fortune Hunter (TV series)
| Fortune Hunter | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Steven Aspis[1] |
| Starring |
|
| Composer | David Michael Frank |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (8 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production companies | BBK Productions Columbia Pictures Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | Fox |
| Release | September 4 – October 2, 1994 |
Fortune Hunter is an American action-adventure drama series that aired on Fox in the United States from September 4 to October 2, 1994, starring Mark Frankel as spy Carlton Dial.[1][2]
Of the 13 episodes produced, only five were broadcast in the US, though the series aired in its entirety in other countries. The decision to have the series air immediately after Fox NFL Sunday was a factor in the dismissal of Sandy Grushow, president of Fox Entertainment, by chairman Rupert Murdoch.[3]
Plot
The series follows the adventures of Carlton Dial (Mark Frankel), an ex-government agent who now works for the Intercept Corporation, a high-tech global recovery organization based in San Francisco, with his tech-savvy partner, Harry Flack (John Robert Hoffman).[1] Dial's assignments take him to exotic locales and into danger to recover sought-after items–such as classified information, complex weapons systems, and endangered species, which have fallen into the wrong hands–for a fee.[4] He takes his assignments seriously, as he is determined to keep his perfect success record intact. On these assignments, he utilizes technology such as a special contact lens that he wears, which features a built-in camera and electronic earpiece. It allows Harry, who is linked to him by computer, to see and hear everything he does and communicate with him from the Corporation's home office and relay information.
Cast
Main
- Mark Frankel as Carlton Dial
- John Robert Hoffman as Harry Flack
Recurring
- Kim Faze as Yvonne
Guest
- Anne Francis as Mrs. Brady, Dial's contact at Intercept[1]
- Dana Wheeler-Nicholson as Danielle Fabian, a Russian spy[1]
- Chris Sarandon as Jackson Roddam, a trillionaire harboring a dangerous weapon[1]
- Michael Shamus Wiles as Rangoon Sim
- Edward Albert as David Jarrett
- Paula Trickey as Dr. Sheila Kendall
- Wendie Jo Sperber as Nadine
- Beth Toussaint as Maggie Ford
- Barbara Carrera as President Isabella Duarte
- Emiliano Díez as Emilio Echavo
- Philip Michael Thomas as Gary Colt
- David Ackroyd as Paxton Leeds
- June Chadwick as Angel Sheriden
- Nancy Valen as Madison Reynolds
- Angela Harry as Nev Collins
- Gregory Scott Cummins as Maximillian Hess
- Lorenzo Caccialanza as Reynoldo Contia
- Bobbie Phillips as Kelly Owen
- Clive Revill as Trevor Dial
- Shari Shattuck as Christine
- Afemo Omilami as Pierre Toussant
- Dwight Schultz as Jack Sasso, Dial's new colleague after Flack's promotion
- Meg Foster as Georgia Appleton, another new colleague
- Jessica Tuck as Tricia Chamberlain, another new colleague
- Brett Rice as Nick Gunn
- Tom Atkins as Richard Bennett
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Frostfire Intercept" | Lewis Teague[1] | Steven Aspis[1] | September 4, 1994[1] | |
| 2 | "The Aquarius Intercept" | Jefferson Kibbee | Steven Aspis | September 11, 1994 | |
| 3 | "Triple Cross (a.k.a. The Corkscrew Intercept)" | Tucker Gates | Jack Bernstein | September 18, 1994 | |
| 4 | "Hot Ice (a.k.a. The Winter Star Intercept)" | Guy Magar | Harold Apter | September 25, 1994 | |
| 5 | "Red Alert" | Mike Levine | Carlton Cuse | October 2, 1994 | |
| 6 | "Countdown" | Guy Magar | Jack Bernstein | Unaired | |
| 7 | "The Alpha Team" | Lee H. Katzin | Michael Fisher | Unaired | |
| 8 | "The Cursed Dagger" | Kim Manners | Jeff Kline | Unaired | |
| 9 | "The Deadliest Game" | Guy Magar | Steve Aspis | Unaired | |
| 10 | "Stowaway" | Ralph Hemecker | Frederick Rappaport | Unaired | |
| 11 | "Sea Trial" | Lee H. Katzin | Jack Bernstein and Carlton Cuse | Unaired | |
| 12 | "Body Count" | James A. Contner | John Warren | Unaired | |
| 13 | "Target: Millenium" | Terrence O'Hara | Steven Aspis & Jack Bernstein (teleplay), Steven Aspis (story) | Unaired | |
|
John Robert Hoffman does not appear in this episode. His character is described as being "promoted." Dwight Schultz, Meg Foster, and Jessica Tuck are introduced as Dial's new work colleagues. | |||||
Production
Fortune Hunter was creadted by Steve Aspis and filmed in Orlando, Florida by BBK Productions, executive produced by Carlton Cuse and Frank Lupo.[1]
Reception
Tony Scott of Variety compared Dial to James Bond, and wrote, "Drugged drinks, an evil villain, poker in evening clothes, dinner-jacketed fights, explosions, electronic machinery and familiar plotting add up to a spyorama lampoon—it's strictly second-bill action, off-the-rack dialogue, unimaginative direction and casual acting."[1] Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret News wrote, "The pilot drags and it's too hokey, but the extremely handsome Frankel has star potential."[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Scott, Tony (September 1, 1994). "Fortune Hunter: 'The Frostfire Intercept'". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Sloman, Tony (October 12, 1996). "Obituary: Mark Frankel". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Carter, Bill (September 30, 1994). "Murdoch Replaces Fox Programming Chief". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2008.
- ^ a b Pierce, Scott D. (September 7, 1994). "The 1994 Fall Season: A Few of the New TV Shows Are Great, a Few Are Bombs; Most Are Just Redundant". Deseret News. Retrieved May 9, 2025.