''Against All Odds'' is an

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

reality series hosted by

Lindsay Wagner Lindsay Jean Wagner (born June 22, 1949) is an American film and television actress, model, author, singer, and acting coach. Wagner is best known for her leading role in the American science-fiction television series ''The Bionic Woman'' (1976 ...

and

Everett McGill Everett McGill (born Charles Everett McGill III, October 21, 1945) is an American actor, who rose to prominence for his portrayal of a caveman in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981). He went on to have prominent roles in the films ''Dune'' (1984), ''Silve ...

. Using interviews, video footage and re-creations, the series showcased people and animals who overcame enormous odds to survive in life-threatening situations or rescued others at great risk to their own lives. The series premiered in April 1992 and broadcast four episodes (the first two back-to-back), but was not picked up as a permanent part of the NBC schedule. The series was produced at a time when American television networks were increasing their reality programming, but is noted for the universal negative reviews that it received. In 2016 a pilot of the UK version of ''Against All Odds'' was made and starred Manchester model Roxanne Mitchell.

Cast and characters

*Lindsay Wagner…Host *Everett McGill…Host

Critical reception

While many newspapers simply noted the premiere of the series as part of the flood of reality series appearing on network programming (for example

David Zurawik David Lee Zurawik (born October 26, 1949) is an American journalist, author, and professor. He has been the TV and media critic at ''The Baltimore Sun'' since 1989 and is an assistant professor of communications and media studies at Goucher Colleg ...

of ''The Baltimore Sun''), most other columnists gave the show very negative reviews. Jonathan Storm of ''The Inquirer'' said "Hosting this sorry "reality" show, Lindsay Wagner and Everett McGill struggle against all odds to maintain their self-respect. She must have severe financial problems." Rick Kogan of the ''Chicago Tribune'' noted that "If this is NBC's idea of a viable competitor to CBS' ''60 Minutes,'' it's final proof that the network's executives have gone completely off their rockers." Tom Shales of ''The Washington Post'' said "Increasingly, the "NB" in NBC has come to stand for No-Brainer. Tomorrow the network outstoops itself with the premiere of ''Against All Odds,'' a trashoid tattler about people who narrowly or not so narrowly escaped death or injury. The series itself qualifies as an accident waiting to stop happening, especially since it airs opposite ''60 Minutes.''"

References

{{reflist 1990s American reality television series