Hubbry Logo
Exo-ManExo-ManMain
Open search
Exo-Man
Community hub
Exo-Man
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Exo-Man
Exo-Man
Exo-Man
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Exo-Man
Genre
Screenplay byHenri Simoun
Lionel E. Siegel
Story byMartin Caidin
Henri Simoun
Directed byRichard Irving
StarringDavid Ackroyd
Anne Schedeen
A Martinez
José Ferrer
Theme music composerDana Kaproff
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerRichard Irving
ProducerLionel E. Siegel[1]
CinematographyEnzo A. Martinelli
EditorHoward Leeds
Running time95 minutes
Production companyUniversal Television
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJune 18, 1977 (1977-06-18)

Exo-Man is a 1977 made-for-TV superhero film directed by Richard Irving. The film's screenplay was written by Henri Simoun and Lionel E. Siegel from a story by Martin Caidin and Henri Simoun. It stars David Ackroyd, Anne Schedeen, A Martinez, and José Ferrer.[1][2][3][4]

According to Unsold TV Pilots written by Lee Goldberg the film was intended as a pilot for a continuing series. Goldberg claims the film was not accepted for series production due to lack of merchandising potential, despite relatively successful viewing numbers.[5]

Plot

[edit]

A professor, who has been paralyzed in an attack by mob hit men, builds an armored suit that enables him to walk and fight crime.

Cast

[edit]

Reception

[edit]

The show has gained a negative criticism since it aired from Io9 and Topless Robot.[3] The latter writes, "A series that was bold in its vision of screwing Stan Lee out of a check, Exo Man is an Iron Man clone of the highest order."[2]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Exo-Man

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Exo-Man is a American made-for-television directed by Richard Irving, serving as an unsold pilot for a potential series. The story centers on Dr. Nicholas Conrad, a physics played by , who becomes paralyzed after a mob attack and subsequently invents an advanced suit that restores his mobility and grants him to fight crime. Written by Henri Simoun and Lionel E. Siegel from an original story by , the screenplay draws on elements similar to contemporary tales, blending action-adventure with themes of technological empowerment and personal vengeance. The film features a supporting cast including as Conrad's love interest and in a key role, and it aired on on June 18, 1977, as part of the network's Movie of the Week lineup. Produced by Lionel E. , Exo-Man explores the protagonist's transformation from victim to through his self-built "exo-suit," a powered armor that enhances physical abilities and incorporates experimental from his research. Despite its innovative premise for the era—predating more famous exoskeleton-based heroes in popular media—the pilot did not lead to a full series, though it has garnered a among fans of 1970s sci-fi television.

Production

Development

The original concept for Exo-Man was developed by writer-producer Lionel E. Siegel and screenwriter Henri Simoun (a for Rodman), who drew inspiration from the success of bionic-themed television series like , on which Siegel had previously worked as a producer. The , credited to Simoun and Siegel, was adapted from an original story by —author of the novel that inspired —and Simoun, emphasizing a narrative of technological empowerment through a custom-built . In 1976, the project was pitched to as a potential pilot for a series in the network's 1977-1978 lineup, aligning with the era's growing interest in science fiction and enhanced-human stories on television. took on production, with Richard Irving serving as both and director, while contributed as a key producer overseeing the adaptation into a made-for-TV format. The development process focused on framing the as a paralyzed who invents the suit, reflecting the creative intent to blend personal rehabilitation with action in a self-contained pilot episode. Budget limitations shaped the project's scope, prioritizing practical effects and a straightforward narrative. This economical approach ultimately positioned Exo-Man as an unsuccessful series pilot, airing as a standalone special on June 18, 1977, rather than launching a full program.

Filming and Design

Principal photography for Exo-Man took place primarily at Universal Studios in , with additional in County. The suit, central to the film's action sequences, was constructed by Universal's prop department; the design resembled a deep-sea and was influenced by considerations for potential. This design presented significant challenges in mobility, as the suit's bulkiness restricted natural motion. Director Richard Irving opted for practical effects throughout production, prioritizing on-set constructions and mechanical props over more expensive special effects to adhere to the limited budget of a made-for-television pilot.

Cast

Lead Performers

David Ackroyd starred as Dr. Nicholas Conrad, the brilliant physicist who, after being paralyzed in a mob attack, invents an exoskeleton suit to seek revenge and regain mobility. This role marked an early leading performance for Ackroyd, following his supporting appearance in the 1978 miniseries The Dark Secret of Harvest Home, and showcased his portrayal of a vengeful yet determined scientist in the made-for-TV pilot. José Ferrer portrayed Kermit Haas, the ruthless mob boss orchestrating the events that lead to Conrad's injury. Ferrer, the first Hispanic actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), drew on his extensive dramatic background to embody a menacing authority figure, adding gravitas to the antagonist's commanding presence. Anne Schedeen played Emily Frost, Conrad's supportive colleague and romantic interest, who aids him amid the threats from Haas's organization. This appearance highlighted Schedeen's emerging talent in an early career role, preceding her recurring parts in Knots Landing (1979–1987) and her iconic lead as Kate Tanner in ALF (1986–1990). The casting emphasized Ackroyd's youthful intensity to capture Conrad's intellectual drive and physical recovery arc, while Ferrer's established prestige provided authoritative villainy to heighten the stakes.

Supporting Performers

portrayed Arthur Travis, serving as Dr. Nicholas Conrad's mentor and providing comic relief through his folksy portrayal of a scientist, a role that capitalized on Morgan's established fame from the television series . Jack Colvin played Dr. Garrick, the corrupt doctor who aided the villain Kermit Haas, with the casting carrying ironic weight given Colvin's concurrent role as the relentless reporter Jack McGee opposite in The Incredible Hulk. appeared as Raphael Torres, Haas's henchman who delivered action-oriented support in key confrontations, enhancing the film's tension through physical pursuits and combat sequences. Other notable supporting performers included Richard Narita as Jim Yamaguchi, a lab assistant involved in pivotal technical scenes, and Susan Myers in a brief role as a that advanced the plot's investigative elements. The ensemble of supporting actors collectively built tension during mob-related scenes and offered contrast to the leads' isolation, underscoring the protagonist's solitary journey.

Synopsis

Plot Summary

Dr. Nicholas Conrad, a physics professor specializing in and power sources, becomes the target of Chicago mob boss Kermit Haas after witnessing and foiling a committed by Haas's nephew, making him the key eyewitness in the case. During a brutal ordered by Haas, Conrad is savagely beaten by mob enforcers, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a . His assistant is later killed in a intended for him. Isolated and bitter, Conrad withdraws from his professional life and distances himself from his colleague and girlfriend, Emily , while secretly repurposing his research in his home lab to construct an suit powered by a compact cell he develops. Inspired by a medieval suit of armor, he assembles the device using scavenged materials, conducting initial activation tests that restore his mobility and grant him . Donning the suit as "Exo-Man," Conrad embarks on a vigilante campaign against Haas's , starting with of low-level thugs involved in his attack through a series of intense, suit-enhanced confrontations that test his resolve and the device's limits. The escalating encounters culminate in a final showdown at the mob's stronghold, where Conrad infiltrates to secure incriminating evidence against Haas. In the resolution, Conrad anonymously delivers the documents to a government agent, leading to Haas's and the dismantling of his .

Exoskeleton Technology

The featured in Exo-Man consists of key components designed to restore mobility to its paralyzed inventor, Dr. Nicholas Conrad, including rechargeable batteries for power, servo-motors to facilitate limb movement, sensors to maintain balance, and reinforced to provide structural protection. These elements enable the to function as a wearable mechanical frame that interfaces directly with the user's body. Fictional enhancements portrayed in the film grant the wearer , such as the ability to smash through walls, along with a primitive design that allows slow and clunky movement. The suit's emphasizes augmentation beyond mere rehabilitation, transforming Conrad into capable of overpowering armed adversaries. Additionally, a detailed activation sequence is shown, involving manual calibration and secure fitting to ensure operational integrity before deployment. The technology draws inspiration from 1970s exoskeleton prototypes, notably the Hardiman project developed by from 1965 to 1971, which aimed to amplify human strength through hydraulic and powered systems but was simplified and adapted for television drama. This real-world effort represented an early attempt at practical powered s, influencing the film's depiction of assistive for overcoming physical limitations. However, Exo-Man predates more advanced concepts by emphasizing restoration of walking ability in science fiction, marking it as a pioneering example in the genre. Despite its capabilities, the exhibits notable limitations, including its semi-portable power source—hauled via a small —that restricts mobility and underscores its primitive, clunky nature compared to later fictional designs. In the story, the symbolizes the triumph of human ingenuity over , empowering Conrad's quest for against the criminals who paralyzed him.

Release and Reception

Broadcast and Ratings

Exo-Man premiered on on June 18, 1977, as the featured presentation in the network's Saturday Night at the Movies , occupying a two-hour prime-time slot from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET. The broadcast occurred during the summer television hiatus, when networks typically aired movies and specials in place of regular series programming; on that evening, 's Exo-Man competed against reruns on ABC (including episodes of and ) and (featuring repeats of sitcoms like and ). The film garnered a Nielsen household rating of 13.9 with a 33% share of the audience, translating to approximately 20 million viewers based on the era's estimated 71.2 million households and an average of about two viewers per tuned-in set. This performance placed it in the mid-tier for Saturday night programming, earning praise as a solid result for an unsold pilot but insufficient to spark demand for a full series amid NBC's crowded sci-fi lineup. Promotional efforts by highlighted the film's action elements through network trailers, aligning it with the studio's ongoing slate of properties like .

Critical Response

Upon its 1977 premiere, Exo-Man received limited contemporary critical attention, with reviewers noting its ambitious premise amid production constraints typical of made-for-TV films. While specific period critiques from major outlets like Variety are not widely archived, user recollections and early analyses highlight a mixed response, praising the practical design for its innovative use of visible mechanics but faulting the pacing for delaying the suit's reveal until late in the runtime. In modern retrospectives, the film is often viewed as a curiosity in superhero origins, earning an average user rating of 5.1 out of 10 on based on over 200 votes, where commentators appreciate its cheesiness and David Ackroyd's earnest portrayal of the paralyzed turned vigilante. On , with insufficient reviews for an official score, audience feedback similarly emphasizes the low-budget charm, though many decry the unmemorable characters and "incredibly cheap" effects. Reviewers frequently single out Ackroyd's performance for its emotional depth, portraying a relatable driven by personal tragedy, alongside strong supporting turns from as the mob boss and Harry Morgan in a key role. Common praises center on the concept as an early, forward-thinking depiction of in sci-fi, predating more polished iterations in later media and drawing from Martin Caidin's bionic themes. Criticisms, however, focus on the dated —described as minimal and clunky—and a formulaic plot that echoes tropes without innovation, resulting in sluggish action sequences where the suit is underutilized. The film garnered no major awards or nominations upon release, though it has been retrospectively acknowledged in discussions of sci-fi television history for pioneering narratives in broadcast media. Overall, the consensus positions Exo-Man as an entertaining B-movie artifact—fun for its earnest ambition and nostalgic appeal but hindered by budgetary limitations that prevent it from being groundbreaking.

Legacy

Cultural Impact

Following its initial broadcast, Exo-Man remained unavailable on official home media for decades, contributing to its obscurity despite strong initial viewership ratings of 13.9 household/33 share. Fan demand in the 2000s prompted unofficial DVD releases from specialty retailers catering to rare television content, such as Mod Cinema's edition of the 1977 pilot. By 2025, the film had gained wider accessibility through free streaming on platforms like YouTube, where full uploads have circulated since at least 2011, allowing new audiences to discover the unsold pilot. The production has cultivated a among enthusiasts of obscure television and media, particularly in online forums and communities dedicated to 1970s pilots. Discussions often highlight its status as an unproduced series, with fans appreciating its blend of vigilante justice and early sci-fi elements, as evidenced by nostalgic queries and shared memories on sites like Television Obscurities. This niche interest underscores the film's role in television history as an early exploration of powered exoskeletons, predating many similar concepts in broadcast media and serving as a foundational depiction of for physical rehabilitation. Exo-Man has been referenced in scholarly works on unsold television pilots, notably in Lee Goldberg's Unsold Television Pilots: 1955-1989, which details its development as a potential series and the network decisions that led to its shelving. The film's portrayal of a paralyzed using an exosuit for mobility and has also appeared in analyses of representation in 1970s media, illustrating early uses of to address physical impairment. In recent years, amid real-world advancements in devices for medical and military applications, the pilot has resurfaced in conversations about the evolution of such in , bridging its vintage premise with contemporary innovations.

Comparisons and Influence

Exo-Man echoes the bionic enhancement themes of , sharing creative personnel such as writer , whose 1972 novel served as the basis for the earlier series, though it shifts the focus from cybernetic implants to a fully mechanical suit. This predecessor emphasized government-funded reconstruction of a severely injured , whereas Exo-Man portrays a civilian inventor adapting his research for personal empowerment after . The narrative arc of overcoming through aligns with the 1970s fascination with human augmentation, but Exo-Man uniquely centers on a non-military seeking justice. Within the broader 1970s television landscape, Exo-Man fits alongside shows like and The Incredible Hulk, which popularized grounded, crime-fighting heroes amid the era's wave of made-for-TV pilots blending sci-fi with moral dilemmas. Its disability-to-hero transformation distinguishes it from more fantastical entries, highlighting themes of resilience and technological self-reliance that resonated in post-Vietnam cultural narratives. Exo-Man prefigures the inventor-in-armor revenge trope later popularized in the 2008 film Iron Man, where a brilliant protagonist constructs a powered suit to combat threats after personal injury, though Exo-Man's clunky exoskeleton contrasts with the later portrayal's agility and high-tech flair. It also shares conceptual parallels with the 1994 series M.A.N.T.I.S., featuring a wheelchair-bound scientist who deploys an exoskeleton for vigilantism, recycling the core idea of mechanical augmentation enabling heroism. Retrospective analyses frequently liken Exo-Man to a rudimentary version of , critiquing its suit as a "slow and clunky" precursor that lacks the sophistication of armor designs. These comparisons underscore its role in early explorations of powered armor in live-action media, influencing perceptions of exoskeletons as tools for both mobility and combat. On a broader scale, Exo-Man contributed to early public discourse on exoskeletons in , recognized in academic literature as potentially the first depiction of such a device aimed at restoring normal walking ability to the paralyzed. This portrayal helped spark interest in wearable robotics for rehabilitation, predating real-world advancements in the field.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076008/
  2. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/exo_man
  3. https://www.facebook.com/killercosmonaut/posts/airing-june-18-1977-on-nbc-exo-man-was-a-made-for-tv-superhero-pilot-film-from-t/1349170783674718/
  4. https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/exo-man
  5. https://www.deviantart.com/acthebodyguard/art/AC-REVIEWS-Exo-Man-1971-992936137
  6. https://www.tvobscurities.com/2010/04/q-and-a-exo-man/
  7. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076008/locations/
  8. https://skeletonpower.wordpress.com/2015/04/04/powered-exoskeletons-in-cinema-exo-man-1977/
  9. https://comic-watch.com/movies/movie-of-the-week-exo-man-1977
  10. https://bandsaboutmovies.com/2019/04/25/exo-man-1977/
  11. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12515-jose-ferrer
  12. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0770399/
  13. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076008/fullcredits/
  14. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/exo_man/cast-and-crew
  15. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076008/plotsummary/
  16. https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/16/4627702/a-look-back-at-ge-robotic-exoskeleton-program
  17. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313948545_Robotic_Devices_to_Enhance_Human_Movement_Performance
  18. https://www.ultimate70s.com/seventies_history/19770618/television
  19. https://ustvdb.com/demos/households/
  20. https://time.com/archive/6881540/chaos-in-television/
  21. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076008/reviews/
  22. https://sci-fi-5.libsyn.com/exo-man-june-18-1977
  23. https://www.modcinema.com/categories/3-made-for-tv/1471-exo-man-tv-1977-dvd
  24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGb0y7pm52g
  25. https://www.amazon.com/Unsold-Television-Pilots-Lee-Goldberg/dp/151159067X
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.