Reader Response to
Mr. Terrific and Captain Nice

Mr.Terrific must be a fondly remembered show
because we get lots of mail on it. Here is a sampling.

Here are the Lyrics to the theme song:
A scientist both wise and bold
Set out to cure the common cold
Instead he found a power pill
Which he said most certainly will
Change a lamb into a lion
Like an eagle he'll be flyin
Solid steel will be like putty
It'll work on anybody.

Then it was found this power pill
Made the strongest men quite ill
So the secret search began
To find the one and only man
Who can take this power pill specific
And turn into the most prolific, teriffic, Mr. Teriffic!

What they found made them squeemish
For only Stanley Beamish
A weak and droopy dafodil
Can take this potent power pill
That sent him soaring through the skies
Fighting foes and fighting spies.
When he took the pill specific,
He became the most prolific, Hydrolific,
MR. TERRIFIC!!!

For the record, the recitation of these immortal words was performed by the late, great cartoon voicemaster, Paul Frees.

- Michael Scholl

I was so surprised (and extremely delighted!) to find your comments about Mr. Terrific on the web. I could never find anyone who remembered this show and was beginning to think I imagined it. I, too, thought it was Wally Cox who played Mr. Terrific. (What the heck did I know? I was a kid.)

Do you have any more info on where the episodes-cum-tv movies can be seen, i.e. which networks and in what cities? How about collectors who might have episodes on videotape? It was searching the web for the latter that caused me to find your site.

Thanks for the wonderful site.

Jim Wolf

I saw the Mr. Terrific movie compilation called "The Power Pill" playing late at night in Los Angeles a few years ago. Four shows were strung together, starting with the first episode. If anyone has episodes for sale let us know, we'll pass along the info.

Dear TVparty,

I've met very few people who remember "Captain Nice," and none who count it as one of their all time favorites, as I do. I thought it completely superior to "Mr. Terrific," although I was a fan of both. I knew it wasn't on long, but now I find out it was only on for 8 months! I had a big crush on Ann Prentiss, who I assumed was Paula Prentiss' sister ("He And She" was another of my favorites), as they had very similar voices and looked a lot alike. Here's something I thought really ruled, and was one of the things that made the show so cool: You never saw Carter Nash's father's face as far as I can remember. He was always sitting in a chair reading a newspaper that covered his face, and you could see smoke rising from behind the paper. His voice was heard, he answered whoever talked to him, but never took down the paper. It was pretty surreal.

Now that I find out it was created by Buck Henry, I see how his style of humor ran throughout it, and why I liked it so much.

I've found a lot to like about TV Party, especially the sections on summer replacement shows, and I'll write again soon on my fond memories of that genre.

- Rob Giffen

Hey, billy,
Do you know how captain nice/carter nash got his super hero name? The initial chemical explosion conveniently ripped Carter's business suit down to cutoff pants over long johns (that his overbearing mother made him wear) and his suit coat was reduced to a swatch of cloth hanging down his back. A witness to his first adventure pointed out and asked him about hs monogrammed 'C.N.' belt buckle.

Carter made up the name Captain Nice off the top of his head (and almost immediately regretted doing so). His mom made his dorky costume and made him wear it before letting him go on his next mission. best wishes,

- d.j.