The Checklist: RoboCop (S1 Ep6) “What Money Can’t Buy”
Some of the more surprising Blu-ray news in recent memory was that the short lived RoboCop: The Series was going to be receiving a Blu-ray release on May 10, 2022.
There were two things I knew about RoboCop: The Series… one, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper appeared on the show and two, the consensus from anyone I knew that had seen the show was that it wasn’t as good as the original movie… but that can be said about any RoboCop project that followed the epic 1987 film.
I decided it was time for me to experience the show for myself so I picked an episode at random and put it to The Checklist test…
- Synopsis: It is RoboCop vs. Organ Harvesters and a young boy’s life hangs in the balance!
#1. Did the show have a quality opening?
One thing was going to make or break this opening for me… did it feature the music composed by the great Basil Poledouris? The answer, Basil’s work was in fact incorporated into the opening theme and they even used some footage from the original movie too. 1/1
#2. Was there a Media Break?
This episode actually kicked off with a Media Break, gone were Casey Wong and Jesse Perkins, and in their place Bo Harlan and Rocky Crenshaw. The big story concerned a young boy named Josh Avery clinging to life, awaiting a lung transplant at a local Detroit medical facility. There was a sound bite from the OCP Chairman, who vowed to use his power and influence to help Josh Avery, because as the Chairman’s right hand man Aubrey Fox put it “OCP cares”. 2/2
#3. Did the show feature some quality action?
The first taste of action in this episode involved the lungs that had been procured for Josh Avery being stolen by two ne’er do wells who flee the hospital and are then pursued by our hero, RoboCop! Some car chase action (including driving in reverse P-Diddy style) and some bullets flying ensue and I was impressed, knowing full well they didn’t have the budget of the movies or the ability to have the extreme violence of the movies either. 3/3
#4. Were there any notable guest stars?
One of the two aforementioned ne’er do wells was played by Ann Turkel… her name didn’t ring a bell, but when I saw her face I recognized her from her multiple appearances on the classic series Knight Rider. Turkel’s Louise is romantically linked to her boss, Ardo Detriti.
Detriti was played by a truly notable guest star (especially around these parts)… Gregory Scott Cummins of Stone Cold, Cliffhanger, Blood Games and Action U.S.A. fame. Detriti wanted the lungs to sell to a dying drug kingpin for no less than 5 million dollars! 4/4
#5. Did Richard Eden make for a quality RoboCop?
I know this may not be entirely fair especially since I only saw one episode, but to me RoboCop was the weakest aspect of it. For me it was the voice, it was off putting… perhaps after a few episodes I’ll grow accustomed to it and Eden’s RoboCop overall, but for now I can’t declare Eden a quality RoboCop. 4/5
- Final Score = 4/5 (80%) I have certainly seen worse than RoboCop: The Series, but after my first taste of the show it did not make the news that it was getting a Blu-ray release any less of a head scratcher, especially when I could probably rattle off at least 20 other titles I’d personally like to see on Blu-ray before RoboCop: The Series. I have no intention of adding the series to my collection (especially with that $60 price tag), I will gladly watch more episodes on Tubi, especially so I can figure out who the hologram woman is and see more Commander Cash cartoons.
