Publication Information
- Title : RoboCop (The Series)
- Genre : Action/Adventure, cyberpunk, Mystery
- Created by : Stephen Downing
- Starring : Richard Eden
- Ending theme : Future to This Life by Joe Walsh & Lita Ford
- Country of origin : Canada
- No. of episodes : 21 episodes and 1 Pilot
- Producer(s) : Jay Firestone
- Running time : 44 minutes
- Original channel : CTV (Canada), syndicated (United States)
- Original release : March 18 – November 26, 1994
The series takes place between the original film and RoboCop 2. The RoboCop character has several non-lethal alternatives to killing criminals, which ensures that certain villains can be recurring. The OCP Chairman and his corporation are treated as simply naïve and ignorant, in contrast to their malicious and immoral behavior from the second film onward.
Background
While RoboCop was initially an American property, Orion Pictures received a $500,000 cash infusion for TV licensing rights to Canada's Skyvision Entertainment. This allowed access to co-production treaties and possible partnerships with other countries. The series was filmed in Toronto and Mississauga, Ontario and originally planned for a January 1994 debut, several months after the unsuccessful release of RoboCop 3.
Skyvision was also in negotiation with Peter Weller, the original RoboCop, but this did not come to fruition. Twenty-two episodes were made, but the series was not renewed for a second season. Expense played a significant part in this; according to Skyvision VP Kevin Gillis, episodes would be produced at $1.2 million to $1.5 million each.
The pilot episode runs two hours. It was adapted from a discarded RoboCop 2 script, Corporate Wars, by the writers of the original RoboCop, Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. Villains on the series include Dr. Cray Z. Mallardo, OCP executive Chip Chayken, William Ray Morgan aka Pudface, Vlad Molotov.
The series gave writers more of an opportunity to develop the central characters and to extend the human interest aspect through the introduction of Gadget; the station mascot and the adopted, insightful daughter of station Sergeant Parks. Gadget, along with the presence of Jimmy Murphy did much to shift the focus from the adult to the youth target audience.
The writers also introduced an element of virtual romance in the character Diana, formerly a secretary to crooked Vice-President Chip Chayken, who is unwillingly turned in to the 'mind' of Metronet and OCP's city-running super-computer, NeuroBrain. Many of the characters' names were altered from their movie counterparts due to rights issues.
Episodes
0 (Pilot) - The Future of Law Enforcement
- Prime Suspect
- Trouble in Delta City
- Officer Missing - (Absence of Police)
- What Money Can't Buy
- Ghosts of War
- Zone Five
- Provision 22
- Faces of Eve
- When Justice Fails
- The Human Factor
- Inside Crime
- Robocop vs Commander Cash
- Illusions
- Tin Man
- Sisters in Crime
- Heartbreakers
- Mother's Day
- Nano
- Corporate Raiders
- Midnight Minus One
- Public Enemies
Main
- Richard Eden as Officer Alex Murphy / Robocop
- Yvette Nipar as Officer / Detective Lisa Madigan
- Blu Mankuma as Sgt. Stanley Parks
- David Gardner as OCP Chairman
- Sarah Campbell as Gadget
- Ed Sahely as Charlie Lippencott
- Dan Duran as Bo Harlan
- Erica Ehm as Rocky Crenshaw
- Patrick McKenna as Umberto Ortega
- Jennifer Griffin as Nancy Murphy
- Peter Costigan as James Daniel
- Jordan Hughes as young Jimmy Murphy
- Martin Milner as Russell Murphy
- Nonnie Griffin as Dorothy Murphy
- James Kidnie as William Ray "Pudface" Morgan.
- Cliff De Young as Dr. Cray Z. Mollardo
- John Rubinstein as Chip Chayken
- Wayne Robson as "Shorty"
- Donald Burda as Leo
- Hrant Alianak as Vlad
- Daniel Kash as Reggie Braga
A soundtrack entitled A Future to This Life: Robocop - The Series Soundtrack was released 24 January 1995, on both CD and cassette by Pyramid Records. Aside from the show's theme writers, Joe Walsh & Lita Ford, it features classic rock songs from groups like The Band, The Flamingos, Iron Butterfly, and KC & the Sunshine Band.
- Robocop - The Series Soundtrack
- Soundtrack album by : various artists
- Released : 24 January 1995
- Genre : Punk rock
- Label : Rhino Entertainment / Wea
- Track List:
- A Future to This Life (feat. Lita Ford) - Joe Walsh - (3:34)
- Guilty of the Crime - Joe Walsh, Miller Hopkins - (3:24)
- Fire & Brimstone - Joe Walsh - (4:47)
- Chutes and Ladders - Dave Edmunds - (4:06)
- Flannel Jacket - EJ Waters - (3:53)
- We Gotta Get You A Woman - Todd Rundgren - (3:09)
- I Only Have Eyes for You - The Flamingo - (3:23)
- Stuff Ya Gotta Watch - The Band - (2:50)
- In A Gadda Da Vida - Iron Butterfly - (2:55)
- Shake Your Booty - KC and The Sunshine Band - (3:04)
- Overture Robocop - Delta City Orchestra - (1:49)
- Robocop (1987)
- Robocop 2 (1990)
- Robocop 3 (1993)
- Robocop 2014
- Robocop Series (1994)
- RoboCop : Alpha Commando (1998)
- RoboCop : Prime Directives (2001)
