TV - Ten Beginnings - Name That Show Quiz

Answer: Hart to Hart

The opening narration was delivered by Lionel Stander, who played the role of Max, the versatile servant of Jonathan and Jennifer Hart. Over the opening scene of key characters and situations, Stander, in his trademark raspy voice proudly announces:
"This is my boss, Jonathan Hart. A self made millionaire. He's quite a guy. This is Mrs. H., she's gorgeous. She's one lady who really knows how to take care of herself. By the way, my name is Max. I take care of both of them, which ain't easy, because when they met ... it was murder".

"Hart to Hart" ran for five seasons, from 1979 until 1984, on the ABC Television Network. The stories followed Jonathan Hart (Robert Wagner) and his lovely wife, Jennifer (Stefanie Powers). a wealthy couple who traveled the world as amateur detectives, solving mysteries, often under the watchful eye of their devoted servant, Max (Stander).
"Hart to Hart" aired a total of 105 episodes

Answer: The Green Hornet

The narration was delivered by announcer William Dozier, as the opening theme song, "Flight of the Bumblebee" was being played by legendary jazz trumpeter, Al Hirt. Dozier announced:
"Another challenge for the Green Hornet, his aide Kato, and their rolling arsenal, the "Black Beauty". On police records a wanted criminal, Green Hornet is really Britt Reid, owner publisher of the "Daily Sentinel", his dual identity known only to his secretary and the District Attorney. An now to protect the rights and lives of decent citizens, rides ... The Green Hornet".

"The Green Hornet" aired 26 episodes in 1966, the only season for the series.
The mysterious crime fighters were played by Van Williams (as Britt Reid/The Green Hornet) and martial arts expert and champion Bruce Lee, as his aide, Kato.

Answer: Relic Hunter

The opening narration is delivered to a class of student by Tia Carrere, in the character of university professor Sydney Fox. Professor Fox greets her students with, "Welcome to Ancient Studies. I am not much of a stickler for attendance. From time to time, I'm called away from the classroom myself".

The 1999 action series, "Relic Hunter" aired for three seasons. Assisting Professor Fox was her assistant, mild mannered Nigel Bailey, played by Christian Anholt. When not in the classroom, Sydney, who also happened to be an expert in the martial arts, would find herself searching the globe for new, lost, or stolen ancient artifacts, returning them to their rightful places and owners. Sydney Fox's character was loosely fashioned after video game and movie action figure, Lara Croft.

Answer: Baywatch

One of the most popular series on television was "Baywatch", starring David Hasslehoff as senior lifeguard boss Mitch Buchanan, and Pamela Anderson as buxom lifeguard in the red swimsuit, C.J. Parker. The series followed the exploits of a group of ocean lifeguards as they patrolled the beaches of Los Angeles County (California).

The opening theme song, "I'll Be Ready" was performed by Jimi Jamison.
The opening theme song started (over over a series of pictures of beach activities",

"Some people stand in the darkness
Afraid to step into the light.
Some people need to help somebody
When the edge of surrenders in sight.
Don't you worry, it's gonna be all right,
Cause I'm always ready, I won't let you out of my sight".

"Baywatch" (1989) aired for only one season on Network Television (NBC) before it was canceled, but became a syndication blockbuster over the next 10 seasons, airing original episodes. At the very height of its syndication run, "Baywatch" was one of the most viewed shows in the world, with syndication episodes being broadcast in 148 countries.
As of the end of the 2008 television season, "Baywatch" held the dubious distinction of being the longest running television series (11 seasons) not to win a Television Emmy Award.

Answer: Star Trek

In what has to be considered on of the most recognizable narrations in television history, episodes of the series were preceded by the firm, authoritative voice of William Shatner, in the character of his alter-ego, starship commander, Capt. James Tiberius Kirk, proclaimed:

"Space: The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship "Enterprise". It's five year mission, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before".

With Shatner also starred Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, the First Officer of the starship and Kirk's second in command, and DeForest Kelley, as the ship's Doctor, Leonard "Bones" McCoy.
While the original series ran for only three seasons (1966-1969) on network television, the popularity of the series spun several additional series: "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987), "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993), "Star Trek Voyager" (1995), and "Enterprise" (2001) and ten full length motion pictures: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979), "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" (1982), "Star Trek: The Search for Spock" (1984), "Star Trek: The Voyage Home" (1986), Star Trek: The Final Frontier" (1989), "Star Trek: Undiscovered Country" (1991), "Star Trek: Generations" (1994), "Star Trek: First Contact" (1996), "Star Trek: Insurrection" (1998), and "Star Trek: Nemesis" (2002).

Answer: The Fall Guy

The narration was made by series star, Lee Majors, in the character of the likable Colt Seavers, a Hollywood movie stuntman who while in between acting jobs, tracked down bail jumpers.

"This is the story of one of America's great unsung heroes. I mean you've seen him, but you never knew who he was. You've cheered for him and cried for him, and women have wanted to die for him. But did he ever get any credit or the girl? No! He's what we call the 'stuntman', and the reason I'm talking so fondly about him is ... well ... because it's me, Colt Seavers. Anyway, picture work isn't wall to wall employment, so maybe you wonder how a guy keeps his head together? Well, one way is to wait by the phone ... and wait, and wait. The other is to take an occasional job with the court system of the United States of America, where a man is considered innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately sometimes a lot of these people get out of jail on what we call 'bail', and they run like hell! ... and that's where I come in. I sometimes pick up rent money trying to find them and bring them back to justice ... and that reminds me of a very interesting case...". Seavers would then explain the details surrounding that nights episode.

"The Fall Guy" aired 113 episodes over five television seasons, from 1981 until 1986 Joining Seavers in both of his careers were his counsin, and rookie stuntman in training, Howie Munson cousin(Douglas Barr) and his beautiful assistant, fellow stunt performer Jody Banks (Heather Thomas). This action adventure series was known for the comedic flare in the episodes.

Answer: Sky King

The proclamation made by the announcer at the beginning of each episode was, "From the clear blue of the Western sky comes ... "Sky King". The series ran for four seasons, starting on April 5, 1952. The series centered around an Arizona Rancher and pilot, Schuyler "Sky" King, a character played by Kirby Grant. King covered the distance of his massive Flying Cross Ranch using his airplane, called 'Songbird'. King also found the time to rescue lost soles as well as capture a few bad guys, all with the help of his plane. Sky King could be considered an updated version of the cowboy in the West, but instead of a horse, he had the "Songbird". Joining King on his ranch and in many of his adventures were his teenage niece, Penny (Gloria Winters) and his nephew, Clipper (Ron Haggerty). While assisting their "Uncle Sky", both teens occasionally managed to find themselves in trouble, and themselves having to be rescued by ... "Sky King".

During the first seasons of the series, Grant flew his own personal airplane, a Cessna T-50 twin engine Bobcat Bamboo Bomber. During the later years of the series, a new "Songbird" was introduced, a Cessna 310B.

The series aired 72 original episodes, and later became one of the more popular television series to broadcast syndication reruns for the next ten years.

Answer: Ripcord

The voice heard at the beginning of each episode was that of series co-star Larry Pennell, in the character of skydiver Ted McKeever. The full narration:

"This is the most danger-packed show on television. Every jump, every aerial maneuver is real, photographed just as it happened, without tricks or illusion. All that stands between a jumper and death ... is his 'Ripcord'"

In the series, Ted McKeever and Jim Buckley (Ken Curtis) owned and operated a skydiving service called Ripcord. The duo were able to gain access [into otherwise difficult locations by skydiving into that location. Their experiences ranged from the rescue of stranded hikers to the chasing and apprehending of law breakers, hiding in secluded or otherwise accessible areas.
"Ripcord" aired 76 episodes during its two season (1961-1963) run.

Both actors survived the series, and went on to various degrees successes on other television series.
Larry Pennell was featured in 10 episodes from 1965-1969, on the hit 1962 comedy series, "The Beverly Hillbillies", playing the sometimes beau of Elly May Clampett, handsome movie star Dash Riprock. Elly often referred to him by his pre-Hollywood name, Homer Noodleman, from Peoria, Illinois.
Ken Curtis went on to co-star with James Arness in the classic television version of the Western series, "Gunsmoke". Curtis played Matt Dillon's deputy, Festus Haggen from 1964 until 1975.

Answer: Sliders

This science fiction series aired on the FOX Television Network for five seasons (1995-2000). In the series, a graduate physics student, Quinn Mallory (Jerry O'Connell), while working on an anti-gravity machine discovers (quite by accident) a portal that leads to a parallel universe. Mallory, his professor Maximilian Arturo (John Rhys-Davies), his work associate and romantic interest Wade Welles (Sabrina Lloyd) and a soul singer, Rembrandt "Crying Man" Jones (Cleavant Derricks), who just happened to be driving by Mallory's house when the portal activated, entered into another dimension, a parallel world, moving or "sliding" from one situation to another. Unfortunately, what the learned group did not know was how to get back to their own world.

There were actually three versions of the opening narration heard throughout the run of the series. The first version, narrated by Jerry O'Connell went:
"What if you could find a new worlds right here on Earth, where anything is possible? Same planet, different dimension. I found the gateway".

The second version, also narrated by O'Connell was, "What if you could travel to parallel worlds. The same year, the same Earth, only different dimensions. A world where Russians rule America or where your dreams of being s superstar came true, or where San Francisco was a maximum security prison. My friends and I found the gateway. Now the problem is ... finding a way back home.

O'Connell narrated the third version during seasons 3 and 4, with co-star Cleavant Derricks reading the narration during season 5.
"What if you found a portal to a parallel universe. What if you could slide into 1000 different worlds? Where it's the same year and you're the same person, but everything else is different. And what if you can't find your way home?"

Answer: 1972

For five television seasons (1983-1989), "The A-Team" secretly worked to help those in need of their "special" services and skills. The series starred George Peppard as Col. John "Hannibal" Smith, the charismatic leader of the team. Peppard was joined by Dirk Benedict, the smooth talking con man Templeton "Faceman" Peck, who had a knack for obtaining whatever the team needed, Dwight Schultz as the teams slightly irregular pilot, H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock, and the ferocious looking Mr. T. as B.A. Baracus, the teams mechanical genius, driver, and meanest looking member of the crew, who really had a soft heart. Any viewer who saw and heard the opening narration immediately knew and understood what the show was about.

The opening narration was spoken by narrator John Ashley, one of the shows Producers, who informed viewers:
"In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court. for a crime they did not commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as 'soldiers of fortune'. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire ... The A-Team".

For the first season, the opening voice-over narration started with, "Ten years ago" instead of "In 1972". As the series continued into additional seasons, it was critical that the date of the prison escape be maintained ensure the continuity of the story line. The "In 1972" narration ran from season two until season four, and the narration was eliminated for the fifth and final season.