Mann & Machine
Encyclopedia
Mann & Machine is an American
science fiction
/police drama
series that aired for nine episodes on NBC
from April 5, 1992 to July 14, 1992.
and Robert De Laurentis, the series starred Yancy Butler
as Sgt. Eve Edison, a beautiful police officer
who is also a sophisticated gynoid
robot capable of learning and emotion. She is partnered with Det. Bobby Mann (David Andrews
), a human officer who holds disdain for robots. Rounding out the regular cast was S. Epatha Merkerson
as Capt. Claghorn, Mann and Edison's superior -- a role almost identical to that which Merkerson would later play on Wolf's Law & Order
series.
The series focused on Mann and Edison's criminal investigations in a Los Angeles
of the "near future" -- sometime around the beginning of the 21st century though the exact year is never stated. An ongoing subplot of the series focused on Eve's continuing education about what makes humans tick, and her ever-growing capacity for emotion, highlighted by the penultimate episode "Billion Dollar Baby" in which Eve is placed in charge of caring for an infant, activating unexpected maternal feelings.
Although Butler received good reviews for her performance in one of her first major roles, the series was criticized heavily, with many comparing it to a failed 1970s comedy series with a similar premise, Holmes & Yo-Yo
. The series was pulled from NBC's schedule after only four episodes. The remaining five were aired as summertime filler.
A year after the series was cancelled, Yancy Butler starred in another Dick Wolf creation, the action adventure series South Beach
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/police drama
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
series that aired for nine episodes on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from April 5, 1992 to July 14, 1992.
Synopsis
Created by Dick WolfDick Wolf
Richard Anthony "Dick" Wolf is an American producer, specializing in crime dramas such as Miami Vice and the Law & Order franchise. Throughout his career he has won several awards including an Emmy Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.-Early life:Wolf was born in New York City, the son...
and Robert De Laurentis, the series starred Yancy Butler
Yancy Butler
Yancy Victoria Butler is an American television and movie actress known for her roles as Natasha Binder in the 1993 John Woo film Hard Target and as Detective Sara Pezzini on the TNT supernatural drama Witchblade.-Early life:...
as Sgt. Eve Edison, a beautiful police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
who is also a sophisticated gynoid
Gynoid
A gynoid is anything which resembles or pertains to the female human form. It is also used in American English medical terminology as a shortening of the term Gynecoid ....
robot capable of learning and emotion. She is partnered with Det. Bobby Mann (David Andrews
David Andrews (actor)
David Andrews is an American actor, best known for his role as General Robert Brewster in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.Andrews was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
), a human officer who holds disdain for robots. Rounding out the regular cast was S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has won a Golden Globe, Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Obie Award and four NAACP Image Awards. She has also received two Tony Award nominations...
as Capt. Claghorn, Mann and Edison's superior -- a role almost identical to that which Merkerson would later play on Wolf's Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
series.
The series focused on Mann and Edison's criminal investigations in a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
of the "near future" -- sometime around the beginning of the 21st century though the exact year is never stated. An ongoing subplot of the series focused on Eve's continuing education about what makes humans tick, and her ever-growing capacity for emotion, highlighted by the penultimate episode "Billion Dollar Baby" in which Eve is placed in charge of caring for an infant, activating unexpected maternal feelings.
Although Butler received good reviews for her performance in one of her first major roles, the series was criticized heavily, with many comparing it to a failed 1970s comedy series with a similar premise, Holmes & Yo-Yo
Holmes & Yo-Yo
Holmes & Yo-Yo is an American comedy television series that aired on ABC for 13 episodes during the 1976-1977 season. The series follows Detective Holmes and his new android partner Yo-Yo, on their adventures and misadventures, as Holmes teaches Yo-Yo what it is like to be human, while trying to...
. The series was pulled from NBC's schedule after only four episodes. The remaining five were aired as summertime filler.
A year after the series was cancelled, Yancy Butler starred in another Dick Wolf creation, the action adventure series South Beach
South Beach (1993 TV series)
South Beach was an American action/adventure series that aired on NBC during the summer of 1993. The series was created by Dick Wolf and Robert DeLaurentis and starred Yancy Butler, who had been the lead actress a year earlier in another failed Wolf/DeLaurentis series, Mann & Machine.Set in South...
.
Episodes
| Ep # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Prototype" (pilot) | April 5, 1992 |
| 2 | "Dating Game" | April 12, 1992 |
| 3 | "No Pain, No Gain" | April 19, 1992 |
| 4 | "Water, Water Everywhere" | April 26, 1992 |
| 5 | "Torch Song" | June 9, 1992 |
| 6 | "Mann's Fate" | June 30, 1992 |
| 7 | "Truth or Consequences" | June 30, 1992 |
| 8 | "Billion Dollar Baby" | July 7, 1992 |
| 9 | "Cold, Cold Heart" | July 14, 1992 |