This is a limited miniseries because it lasted one season only and had no more than eight 45 minutes episodes (net of commercials). It was evident from the very first episode that budget was not a constraint. The lead man hobnobs to African, Asian and European countries from one episode to the next whilst being based out of New York. The hero, Teddy Rist, played by James Purefoy is a character that is reportedly, by inferences in each episode, a playboy and one who was not handed his fortune on a silver platter. He is portrayed as a troubled man following the death of his son, the nature of which is kept from the audience, and painful divorce soon after. Rist develops a need, an urge, perhaps even a passion for helping the less fortunate who are victims of various evils of man. These victims are thrust in his life always by accident of course and he uses his circumstances (international industrial business tycoon) to help out. That, in a nutshell is the premise for each episode. There is no cliff-hanger at the end of each episode, just some simple continuity.
The lead man's character has charisma and charm, a job that seems to come easy for James Purefoy, and that is a good start; then the stories do not rely on gadgets or super powers or sci-fi of any kind that will please those who like heroes to be grounded people. The three main characters are English, Haitian and American which mix makes for a broader view of things and of the world, not a typical Hollywood production. I liked the action punctuated series because we get to visit the world and because the hero gets the you know what beat out of him from time to time; that drives the point that he's not the smartest or strongest guy around, just a good hearted man with a degree of self confidence and stubborn determination.
Consider the eight episodes as short sequel movies and you have yourself a hit; ratings bear this out. I did not figure out why the series only lasted one season but I guess the production cost could be one part of it; the other could be that it does not lend itself to much product placement or its commercial value does not fit the American market. Had this been an HBO co-production, I'll bet it would still be on the air. One more thing, I was happy to see Neve Campbell again; I had not seen her for a while and noted that she's going to be featured in 2011-2012 movies that should revive her career based on the information I read about those movies.
The lead man's character has charisma and charm, a job that seems to come easy for James Purefoy, and that is a good start; then the stories do not rely on gadgets or super powers or sci-fi of any kind that will please those who like heroes to be grounded people. The three main characters are English, Haitian and American which mix makes for a broader view of things and of the world, not a typical Hollywood production. I liked the action punctuated series because we get to visit the world and because the hero gets the you know what beat out of him from time to time; that drives the point that he's not the smartest or strongest guy around, just a good hearted man with a degree of self confidence and stubborn determination.
Consider the eight episodes as short sequel movies and you have yourself a hit; ratings bear this out. I did not figure out why the series only lasted one season but I guess the production cost could be one part of it; the other could be that it does not lend itself to much product placement or its commercial value does not fit the American market. Had this been an HBO co-production, I'll bet it would still be on the air. One more thing, I was happy to see Neve Campbell again; I had not seen her for a while and noted that she's going to be featured in 2011-2012 movies that should revive her career based on the information I read about those movies.