HIGH TECH (original) (raw)

So far, it is evident that Saban Entertainment has the Midas touch, thanks to two of the most successful children’s programs in recent years-“X-Men,” produced in January 1993, and the almighty “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” launched nine months later.

This fall, the company is hoping to strike gold again as it introduces a “Power Rangers” companion series titled “V.R. Troopers.”

“Troopers” (tentatively scheduled to air at 5:30 p.m. on WFLD-Ch. 32) is an unmistakable big-brother to “Power Rangers,” but with a grittier, more turbulent edge in its meshing of American and Japanese film elements in a live-action adventure. And it is skewed to an older audience, the 3 to 16 group.

Instead of teen heroes, the show features young adults called V.R. Troopers who “morph” into heroes who wear the same zippy outfits as the Power Rangers and who are expert in the martial arts.

But the difference lies in the show’s high-tech, computer-driven format. For those who are computer literate: “V.R. Troopers” will tickle your modem.

“This is the first television series that will take viewers into a world of virtual reality (V.R.), where anything can happen,” says executive producer Shuki Levy.

Levy believes the same virtual reality hype that exists in arcades and children’s entertainment centers will successfully make the transition to TV, with “V.R. Troopers” setting the trend.

Visually, virtual reality is a computer-generated world that gives viewers the feeling they are participating in the environment.

The three leads-Ryan (Brad Hawkins), J.B. (Michael Calvin Bacon) and Kaitlin (Sarah Brown)-are brought together by Professor Hart, a holographic character who invented an apparatus that allows passage between the Actual World and a cyberworld known as Virtual Reality.

It is in this technological nowhere that many of the battle lines are drawn between villain Grimlord, the master of Virtual Reality, and the Troopers.

Grimlords’ robotic henchmen, called Skugs, are joined by two tin villains named Tankotron-a creature with cannons on either side of its head-and Decimator, a robot whose looks are reminiscent of a 1952 DeSoto grille. Sound like another mega-marketing opportunity? You got it.

“The toys are going to be made and distributed by Kenner and the first products should be on the shelves in November with the major product launch in January and February of 1995,” says Elie Dekel, Saban’s vice president of marketing. “I hope we have the same type of reaction that stimulated the shortage on Power Rangers, and at the same time I hope we are able to meet the demand.”

The villains in “V.R. Troopers” make the Power Rangers’ Rita Repulsa seem organic, and the action-packed sequences are reminiscent of some scenes from “Terminator II.” The audience target range of 3 to 16 is unrealistic, but it’s likely the older kids will be wowed by the special effects.

– Those who follow HBO’s monthly fact-based dramas titled “Lifestories: Families in Crisis,” know the series deals with real-life issues affecting actual people and that it includes an on-camera appearance by the individual who validate’s the story at the show’s conclusion. August’s premiere episode, “P.O.W.E.R.: The Eddie Matos Story” (9 p.m. Tuesday), dramatizes the experiences of Eddie Matos (Alexis Cruz), an inner city youth who falls prey to the glitz and glamor of big-time drug dealing.

Shot in the neck by a vengeful youth, the real Eddie is paralyzed from the neck down and breathes with the help of a respirator.

Although HBO’s intent in these dramas is impact, this particular plot glorifies Matos’ life before the shooting for far too long and thus serves as a manual on how to deal drugs effectively. There is graphic violence and very harsh language. This story makes “NYPD Blue” look like “Gilligan’s Island.”

Best Bets:

– “The Ewok Adventure: Caravan of Courage”-noon Monday, The Disney Channel.

– “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” Part 3 of 3-7 p.m. Friday, WFLD-Ch.32.

– “Pen Pals”-10:15 a.m. Tuesday, HBO.

Originally Published: August 3, 1994 at 1:00 AM CDT