Fortune Hunter (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Fortune Hunter was a weekly series show on Fox Network in 1994
, starring Mark Frankel
as the super-spy
Carlton Dial.
In the US, Fortune Hunter aired on Fox from 4 Sep 1994 to 2 Oct 1994. Of the 13 episodes produced, only five were presented to the North American audience. The decision to schedule the series immediately after football
on Sundays was a factor in the dismissal of Sandy Grushow, president of Fox Entertainment
, by chairman Rupert Murdoch
.
The show has aired in its entirety in other countries. It was well liked and generally received high ratings.
). Dial is an ex-government agent whose high-risk assignments take him to exotic locales and into extreme danger
, all in the name of recovering some of the world's most sought-after items – classified information, complex weapons systems, and the occasional endangered species
, which have fallen into the wrong hands – for a handsome fee
.
Dial is now working as a master agent for the Intercept Corporation, a high-tech global recovery organization based in San Francisco. Dial and his partner, the affable Harry Flack (John Robert Hoffman
) execute incredibly complex plans to retrieve these valuable items, depending on split-second timing and an astounding array of sophisticated electronic gadget
ry.
Dial is portrayed as a suave
, charm
ing and self-assured spy, similar in style, dressing and witty remarks to James Bond
, who uses his quick wit
and sense of humor to get him out of many precarious situations. Dial performs his high-risk assignments with deadly seriousness. Determined to keep his perfect success record intact, he depends upon split-second timing and an astounding array of sophisticated electronic gadgetry – not to mention his partner, Harry. Dial wears a special contact lens
with a built-in camera
and an electronic earpiece, so Harry can see and hear everything that Dial does. This also allows Harry to speak with Dial, relaying information to the agent immediately, from the safety of the home office.
As Dial travels the globe, Harry shares dangerous missions with Dial while linked to him by computer. He is in charge of the technological end, seeing and hearing everything Dial sees and hears, and providing the information not readily available to the average person. But much is left to Harry's imagination as the details of Dial's private life remain – well, private.
The humor in their pairing is that each man believes that he is the one in charge. Dial is the agent with "the perfect recovery record," the one who is always in danger, while Flack, the technological wizard, sees himself as "the brains," and lives vicariously through his partner, which often can get Dial into trouble.
1994 in television
The year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
, starring Mark Frankel
Mark Frankel
Mark Frankel was an English actor.- Life and career :Frankel was born to David Lionel Frankel and Grace Frankel on the 13th of June 1962 and was raised in London. Beginning his acting career at 10, Frankel performed on stage until age 16, when he broke from the theater...
as the super-spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
Carlton Dial.
In the US, Fortune Hunter aired on Fox from 4 Sep 1994 to 2 Oct 1994. Of the 13 episodes produced, only five were presented to the North American audience. The decision to schedule the series immediately after football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
on Sundays was a factor in the dismissal of Sandy Grushow, president of Fox Entertainment
Fox Entertainment Group
The Fox Entertainment Group is an American entertainment industry company that owns film studios and terrestrial, cable, and direct broadcast satellite television properties...
, by chairman Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
.
The show has aired in its entirety in other countries. It was well liked and generally received high ratings.
Plot
The series was a high paced, action and adventure based show that followed the exploits of Carlton Dial (Mark FrankelMark Frankel
Mark Frankel was an English actor.- Life and career :Frankel was born to David Lionel Frankel and Grace Frankel on the 13th of June 1962 and was raised in London. Beginning his acting career at 10, Frankel performed on stage until age 16, when he broke from the theater...
). Dial is an ex-government agent whose high-risk assignments take him to exotic locales and into extreme danger
Risk
Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss . The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists . Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks"...
, all in the name of recovering some of the world's most sought-after items – classified information, complex weapons systems, and the occasional endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, which have fallen into the wrong hands – for a handsome fee
Fee
A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for services. Fees usually allow for overhead, wages, costs, and markup.Traditionally, professionals in Great Britain received a fee in contradistinction to a payment, salary, or wage, and would often use guineas rather than pounds as units of account...
.
Dial is now working as a master agent for the Intercept Corporation, a high-tech global recovery organization based in San Francisco. Dial and his partner, the affable Harry Flack (John Robert Hoffman
John Robert Hoffman
John Robert Hoffman is an American actor/screenwriter. In addition to acting in films, television, and theatre, he wrote screenplays for films such as Indianapolis, Queen of the Jews, aka Queen Bess, and The Last of Sheila...
) execute incredibly complex plans to retrieve these valuable items, depending on split-second timing and an astounding array of sophisticated electronic gadget
Gadget
A gadget is a small technological object that has a particular function, but is often thought of as a novelty. Gadgets are invariably considered to be more unusually or cleverly designed than normal technological objects at the time of their invention...
ry.
Dial is portrayed as a suave
Suave
Suave is a brand name based in Chicago, IL used by the Unilever company in the United States, Argentina, Mexico and Canada. Targeting discount stores, the brand represents more than 100 products including shampoo, lotions, soaps and deodorant....
, charm
Charisma
The term charisma has two senses: 1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, 2) a divinely conferred power or talent. For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2...
ing and self-assured spy, similar in style, dressing and witty remarks to James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
, who uses his quick wit
Wit
Wit is a form of intellectual humour, and a wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. Forms of wit include the quip and repartee.-Forms of wit:...
and sense of humor to get him out of many precarious situations. Dial performs his high-risk assignments with deadly seriousness. Determined to keep his perfect success record intact, he depends upon split-second timing and an astounding array of sophisticated electronic gadgetry – not to mention his partner, Harry. Dial wears a special contact lens
Contact lens
A contact lens, or simply contact, is a lens placed on the eye. They are considered medical devices and can be worn to correct vision, for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons. In 2004, it was estimated that 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide, including 28 to 38 million in the United...
with a built-in camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
and an electronic earpiece, so Harry can see and hear everything that Dial does. This also allows Harry to speak with Dial, relaying information to the agent immediately, from the safety of the home office.
As Dial travels the globe, Harry shares dangerous missions with Dial while linked to him by computer. He is in charge of the technological end, seeing and hearing everything Dial sees and hears, and providing the information not readily available to the average person. But much is left to Harry's imagination as the details of Dial's private life remain – well, private.
The humor in their pairing is that each man believes that he is the one in charge. Dial is the agent with "the perfect recovery record," the one who is always in danger, while Flack, the technological wizard, sees himself as "the brains," and lives vicariously through his partner, which often can get Dial into trouble.
Episode list
- 1- 1 101 4 Sep 94 The Frostfire Intercept (pilot)
- 1- 2 102 11 Sep 94 The Aquarius Intercept
- 1- 3 103 18 Sep 94 Triple Cross (a.k.a. The Corkscrew Intercept)
- 1- 4 104 25 Sep 94 Hot Ice (a.k.a. The Winter Star Intercept)
- 1- 5 105 2 Oct 94 Red Alert
- 1- 6 106 UNAIRED Countdown
- 1- 7 107 UNAIRED The Alpha Team
- 1- 8 108 UNAIRED The Cursed Dagger
- 1- 9 109 UNAIRED The Deadliest Game
- 1-10 110 UNAIRED Stowaway
- 1-11 111 UNAIRED Sea Trial
- 1-12 112 UNAIRED Body Count
- 1-13 113 UNAIRED Millennium