''The Powers of Matthew Star'' is an American

sci-fi Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

that aired on

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 ...

on Friday evenings from September 17, 1982 until April 8, 1983. It starred Peter Barton as the title character, the alien prince Matthew "E'Hawke" Star of the planet Quadris, who used his powers to fight crime. Also starring were

Amy Steel Amy Steel Pulitzer (born Alice Amy Steel; May 3, 1960) is an American film and television actress. She made her acting debut in the comedy film ''Fat Chance'' (1981) directed by Manuel Summers. She then gained recognition for her role as aspir ...

as Pam Elliot, Matthew’s girlfriend at Crestridge High; and

Louis Gossett Jr. Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (born May 27, 1936) is an American actor. Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, He had his stage debut at the age of 17, in a school production of '' You Can't Take It with You.'' Shortly after he successfully ...

as Walt "D'Hai" Shepherd, Matthew’s guardian. In 2002, ''The Powers of Matthew Star'' was ranked #22 on the list of ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

s "50 Worst TV Shows of All Time". On June 7, 2020, the program began airing in syndication on Sunday mornings at 6:00 am as part of

MeTV MeTV, an acronym for Memorable Entertainment Television, is an American broadcast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Marketed as "The Definitive Destination for Classic TV", the network airs a variety of classic television program ...

's Super SciFi Saturday Night block.

Series history

The show was created by

Steven E. de Souza Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

, and developed by Daniel Wilson,

Harve Bennett Harve Bennett (born Harve Bennett Fischman; August 17, 1930 – February 25, 2015) was an American television producer, television and film producer and screenwriter. Early years Bennett was born to a American Jews, Jewish family in Chicago, Ill ...

, Robert Earll, and Allan Balter. Wilson, Bennett and

Bruce Lansbury William Bruce Mageean Lansbury (12 January 1930 – 13 February 2017) was a British-born Irish-American television producer, television writer and screenwriter. His career spanned over 30 years, from the 1960s to the 1990s, and included wor ...

were the executive producers. ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' actors worked behind the scenes in a few episodes:

Leonard Nimoy Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, then ...

directed the episode "Triangle", and

Walter Koenig Walter Marvin Koenig (; born September 14, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began acting professionally in the mid 1960s and quickly rose to prominence for his supporting role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in ''Star Trek: The Original S ...

wrote the episode "Mother". The series was originally called ''The Powers of David Star''. With this title and a somewhat altered premise, the original

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

was to deal with teenager David Star, who lived with the school janitor, Max ( Gerald S. O'Loughlin). Max had a secret he was not sharing with David, who had no idea that he and Max were from another planet. As his powers began to surface, David started to understand who he was. Hot on their trail was the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

. The original pilot was aired as the last episode of the series. ''

s 1981 Fall Preview issue's network schedule grid lists the original series title as ''The Powers of Daniel Star''. The program, originally slated to debut in 1981 with the new title and storyline, was delayed when Peter Barton fell backward onto

pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...

and was badly burned, while co-star Louis Gossett Jr., tied to a chair, had fallen on top of Barton but managed to rescue him. After months in the hospital, Barton was released, and the show resumed shooting. The series was cancelled after one season.

Plot

Introduction

D'Hai/Walt Shepherd's (

) dialogue over the opening theme tells the tale of E'Hawke/Matthew Star ( Peter Barton):

First half of series

The first half of the series' run dealt with Matthew Star attending Crestridge High School and trying to survive his teenage years while dodging assassins, all under the watchful eye of his guardian, Walt Shepherd, who stayed nearby as a science teacher at the school. Those in their lives who had no idea about the truth were Matthew's girlfriend Pam Elliot (

), his friend Bob Alexander (Chip Frye), and the merry principal, Mr. Heller (Michael Fairman). General Tucker ( John Crawford), a

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

officer specializing in extraterrestrial investigations, had tracked the two of them across the country as they evaded alien agents intent on exterminating them. From time to time, he enlisted their specialized aid in solving monumental problems. The first dozen episodes dealt with the daily troubles of high school students, although in the episode "The Triangle," a chance trip to the

Bermuda Triangle The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is an urban legend focused on a loosely defined region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterio ...

resulted in the discovery of Quadrian messengers, who told the pair that the king had been executed. E'Hawke/Matthew was crowned the new king in a torch-lit cave. In the episode "Mother," a strange carnival gypsy is revealed to be Matthew's mother, Nadra, who had been traveling the galaxy and hiding from assassins. This reunion was bittersweet; due to Nadra's health problems, she was forced to leave Crestridge for an undisclosed location at a higher elevation. Finally, in the "Fugitives" episode, Walt, trying to elude a nosy doctor, comes into contact with a substance in the hospital that causes him to have a deadly allergic reaction. At the same time, Matthew is being booked into jail and needs Walt to bail him out. At the last minute, Matthew manages to save Walt as he has done many times throughout the series. Matthew's powers during this season were mainly telekinetic, being able to move objects with the power of his mind. This power was illustrated in the opening credits as moving a book back into a slot on a bookshelf. In episodes, he used telekinesis to manipulate a football, and raise rocks that had buried an experimental Air Force flying unit and then its simulation. The opening title suggests that members of his family had other powers that probably expanded after achieving physical maturity (and with practice).

Second half of series

The series took a sudden turn from a dramatic adventure series to a by-the-book adventure series, with Walt and Matthew having to deal with government assignments. Major Wymore (

James Karen James Karen (born Jacob Karnofsky; November 28, 1923 – October 23, 2018) was an American character actor of Broadway, film and television. Karen is known for his roles in '' Poltergeist'', ''The China Syndrome'', '' Wall Street'', ''The Retu ...

) replaced General Tucker ( John Crawford) and met with the Quadrians in all sorts of strange locations, where he briefed them on the missions. Gone were Pam and Bob and references to the high school. Matthew was being portrayed as older, and not much was said about their true mission, which was returning to Quadris to take back their world from the enemy. Matthew had previously used the nickname "Shep" for his guardian, but with the sudden format change, Matthew started calling him Walt. In the gap between episodes 12 and 13, Matthew apparently developed or perfected additional powers, including separating his intelligence into an "astral," a simulation of his current appearance that could walk through walls (as in astral projection). Another power was transmutation of objects.

Enemies of Quadris

The name of the Marauder species that attacked Quadris is unrevealed. They seem human, but tend to explode when they hit water. These 'human replicants' may just be service drones working for a real enemy, an image of which may have been seen in the first pilot (when "Matthew" was "David"). Why the Marauders would invade Quadris but not Earth is not known. However, it may have to do with powers the Quadrians possess. They do seem to have incredible strength, and the Marauder in the second pilot, played by

Judson Scott Judson Earney Scott (born July 15, 1952) is an American stage, film and television actor. He has appeared in a number of science fiction productions, especially within the '' Star Trek'' franchise, as well as '' V'' and three episodes of ''The X- ...

, mentioned someone named 'Olan', who gave them chemicals to feel pleasure; the character 'Olan' is never revealed.

Main cast

* Peter Barton – Matthew Star/E'Hawke *

– Walt Shepherd/D'Hai *

– Pamela Elliot * Chip Frye – Bob Alexander *

Michael Fairman Michael Fairman (born February 25, 1934) is an American actor and writer. Career He is best known for his various roles during his long career, which started when he was 31 years old. This includes the role of Nick Szabo on the daytime drama, ...

– Principal Heller * John Crawford – General Tucker *

– Major Wymore

Production credits

* Created by Steven E. De Souza * Executive Producers: Daniel Wilson, Harve Bennett, and Bruce Lansbury * Developed by Robert Earll and Allan Balter

Episode list

US TV ratings

Home media

In 2018, Visual Entertainment Inc. (VEI) released the complete series on DVD. In June 2020, the series began airing in reruns on

References

External links

*
Clip of series intro
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powers Of Matthew Star, The NBC original programming 1982 American television series debuts 1983 American television series endings 1980s American high school television series 1980s American science fiction television series English-language television shows Television series about teenagers Television series by CBS Studios Television shows set in New York City Television series created by Steven E. de Souza Television series about alien visitations Works about princes United States Air Force in fiction Television series about the United States Air Force