The Renegades
Encyclopedia
The Renegades was a short-lived ABC TV show from 1982 about a gang that is given the option of going to jail for their crimes or becoming a special police undercover unit. The star of The Renegades, and leader of the gang, was The Bandit played by Patrick Swayze
. The gang's police handler is Captain Scanlon played by Kurtwood Smith
. Kurtwood Smith went on to play the father in the That '70s Show
.
, Hollywood looked to take the youth gang concept and market it to TV. In 1981, Swayze did a TV show, Return of the Rebels, about an aging motorcycle gang who get together to help a friend who owns a popular campground that is being threatened by a band of arrogant groupies. However the show didn't catch on and was quickly canceled.
Brother team Lawrence and Charles Gordon tried to market Swayze's rebel look, combine the gang concept with a police angle and came up with The Renegades. It too didn't do well and due to weak rating ABC pulled the show. The cancellation didn't hurt the people behind the camera. Director Roger Spottiswoode
, screenwriter Steven E. de Souza
, and producers Lawrence and Charles Gordon went on to make 48 Hrs.
. The Gordon brothers and Mr. de Souza went on to create the Die Hard
franchise. Lawerence served as President of 20th Century Fox
from 1984 to 1986. The brothers then formed Largo Entertainment, which was backed by the Japanese company JVC
. This was revolutionary as it was the first time a Japanese company had seriously invested in a film enterprise.
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
. The gang's police handler is Captain Scanlon played by Kurtwood Smith
Kurtwood Smith
Kurtwood Larson Smith is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Clarence Boddicker in RoboCop and stern parental characters , and for his appearances in the genre of science fiction...
. Kurtwood Smith went on to play the father in the That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
.
Backstory
In this drama, undercover investigators are recruited from the streets to prevent arms smugglers from getting their weapons to street gangs.Characters
- Bandit played by Patrick SwayzePatrick SwayzePatrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
- Captain Scanlon played by Kurtwood SmithKurtwood SmithKurtwood Larson Smith is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Clarence Boddicker in RoboCop and stern parental characters , and for his appearances in the genre of science fiction...
- Dancer played by Robert ThalerRobert ThalerRobert Thaler is an actor who appeared on the daytime TV soap Santa Barbara as Michael 'Pearl' Bradford from 1985 to 1988.Thaler also made guest appearances on various television series in the 1980s.-External Links:...
- Eagle played by Randy BrooksRandy BrooksRandolph Frederick "Randy" Brooks is an American television and film actor known for his role as a L.A.P.D. Detective Holdaway in the 1992 hit cult film Reservoir Dogs...
- Tracy played by Tracy ScogginsTracy ScogginsTracy Dawn Scoggins is an American actress known for her roles as Cat Grant in the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Monica Colby in the 1980s prime time soap opera Dynasty, and its spin-off series The Colbys...
- J.T played by Paul Mones
- Dragon played by Brian TochiBrian TochiBrian Keith Tochihara , better known as Brian Tochi, is a U.S. actor, screen-writer, movie director and producer. He was widely recognized as the most popular East Asian child actor working in U.S. television during the late 1960s through much of the 1970s having appeared in various T.V. series and...
- Gaucho played by Fausto Bara
- Lieutenant Joe Marciano played by James LuisiJames LuisiJames A. Luisi was an American professional basketball player and actor. Luisi is perhaps best known for his role as Lt. Doug Chapman during Seasons 3 through 6 of the television series The Rockford Files.-Career:...
Episodes
- Episode 1 - Back to School
- Episode 2 - The Demon Dragsters
- Episode 3 - The Big Time
- Episode 4 - On the Pad
- Episode 5 - Film at Eleven
- Episode 6 - Target: Marciano
Broadcast history
After the success of the movie The WarriorsThe Warriors
The Warriors is a 1979 American cult action/thriller film directed by Walter Hill and based on Sol Yurick's 1965 novel of the same name. Like the novel, the film borrows elements from the Anabasis by Xenophon.-Plot:...
, Hollywood looked to take the youth gang concept and market it to TV. In 1981, Swayze did a TV show, Return of the Rebels, about an aging motorcycle gang who get together to help a friend who owns a popular campground that is being threatened by a band of arrogant groupies. However the show didn't catch on and was quickly canceled.
Brother team Lawrence and Charles Gordon tried to market Swayze's rebel look, combine the gang concept with a police angle and came up with The Renegades. It too didn't do well and due to weak rating ABC pulled the show. The cancellation didn't hurt the people behind the camera. Director Roger Spottiswoode
Roger Spottiswoode
Roger Spottiswoode is a Canadian-born film director and writer, who began his career as an editor in the 1970s. He was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He has directed a number of notable films and television productions, including Under Fire and the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies starring...
, screenwriter Steven E. de Souza
Steven E. de Souza
Steven E. de Souza is an American producer, director and screenwriter. He is among a handful of screenwriters whose films have earned over two billion dollars at the worldwide box office.-Life and career:...
, and producers Lawrence and Charles Gordon went on to make 48 Hrs.
48 Hrs.
48 Hrs. is a 1982 American action comedy film directed by Walter Hill, starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy as a cop and convict, respectively, who team up to catch a cop-killer. The title refers to the amount of time they have to solve the crime. This was Eddie Murphy's film debut , and Joel...
. The Gordon brothers and Mr. de Souza went on to create the Die Hard
Die Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...
franchise. Lawerence served as President of 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
from 1984 to 1986. The brothers then formed Largo Entertainment, which was backed by the Japanese company JVC
JVC
, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
. This was revolutionary as it was the first time a Japanese company had seriously invested in a film enterprise.