Mr. Terrific

7.1

1967•25m

Production

Mister Terrific is an American TV sitcom that aired on CBS Television from January 9, to May 8, 1967. It starred Stephen Strimpell in the title role, and lasted 17 episodes. The show was similar to NBC's Captain Nice, which followed Mister Terrific on Monday nights during its run. Riding the tide of the camp superhero craze of the 1960s, the show's premise involved gas station attendant Stanley Beamish, a mild-mannered scrawny youth who secretly worked to fight crime for a government organization, The Bureau of Secret Projects, in Washington. All he needed to do was take a "power pill" which gave him the strength of a thousand men and enabled him to fly, much like Superman, albeit by furious flapping while wearing the top half of a wingsuit. Unfortunately, he was the only person on whom the pills worked. It was established that, although the pill would give him great strength, he was still vulnerable to bullets. Furthermore, each power pill had a time limit of one hour, although he generally had two 10-minute booster pills available per episode. Much of the show's humor revolved around Stanley losing his superpowers before he completed his given assignment.

Seasons

17 Episodes • Premiered 1967

1. Matchless

Stanley is unaware that a hotly-pursued Power Paralysis device has been concealed in a book of matches placed in his coat pocket.

2. Mr. Big Curtsies Out

Stanley is assigned to locate and identify an elusive and mysterious crime boss known only as "Mr. Big."

3. I Can't Fly

A malfunctioning Air Force One could be easily repaired by Mr. Terrific, but Stanley's power pills have inexplicably stopped working.

4. My Partner the Jewel Thief

Stanley's suspicious behavior, as he tries to solve a jewel robbery, leads Hal to believe that his best friend has become a crook.

5. The Formula Is Stolen

The formula for the power pill is stolen. However, since the pill only works on Stanley, the thieves will also need to kidnap Stanley to brainwash him and then sell him to the highest bidder.

6. Stanley the Safecracker

The government sends Stanley on a mission where he must impersonate a safecracker who is identical to him. Stanley must fool the man's girlfriend plus somehow convince the gang he knows how to break into vaults.

7. Stanley the Fighter

Stanley goes undercover at a fighters' gymnasium to obtain evidence that the facility is actually a front for a counterfeiting ring.

8. Stanley the Jailbreaker

Stanley goes undercover as a prison inmate so that he can attempt to ferret out the location of a criminal's hidden loot.

9. Fly, Ballerina, Fly

A defecting Soviet ballerina needs Stanley's help to get away from her countrymen. Stanley needs help retrieving his lost booster pill.

10. Harley and the Killer

An escaped murderer vows to extract fatal revenge on his one-time prosecutor—Harley Trent.

11. Stanley and the Mountaineers

In hill country, Stanley must find an illegal still and stop a shotgun wedding.

12. Has Mr. Terrific Sold Out?

Stanley is asked to demonstrate his powers for several representatives of foreign nations. One of them is an impostor who wants to kidnap Mr. Terrific.

13. Stanley Goes to the Dentist

A dentist who's been using truth gas to get secrets from government agents changes tactics and places a tiny transmitter in Stanley's tooth.

14. Stanley the Track Star

Stanley laces up his sneaks, and turns on the terrific speed, when he's assigned to locate a kidnapped athlete.

15. Try This On for Spies

Our hero accidentally gives a genuine set of vital blueprints to an enemy agent and keeps the phonies for our side.

16. Stanley Joins the Circus

The search for a stolen code book sends Stanley undercover and under the big top. Ultimately he has to power up and battle several performers and a gorilla in order to accomplish his mission.