David Cassidy - Man Undercover. Again

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The readers of my blog know very well what I think about David Cassidy's career. He was a great underrated singer and I truly believe that one day he will be rediscovered and his music will be known all over the world (we all have our dreams). 

And that he was a very good actor, who never had a real breakthrough role, never really had a chance to show his real acting potential. He was looking for such a role after The Partridge Family, he wanted to make a film about John Paul Getty III, later a friend was writing a movie script for him and Kay Lenz. 

When in 1980 he lost all his money he took any role offered to him. Of course DC was a professional, skilled and very talented actor, and always treated any job seriously. He was great as Mirror Master, and his comedic talent shone not only on TPF, but also on the set of Malcolm In The Middle or 'The Spirit of '76', he was very convincing as a former rock star on Alfred Hitchcock Presents. And so charming and very moving on Fantasy Island as Jeremy Todd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLDmB6Lb9-Q&t=1221s

But he was the best as Officer Dan Shay. I know everything, what DC himself thought about it, that making this TV series destroyed him emotionally and physically, and I've read all reviews, and some very unpleasant appeared, and yes, the scripts were terribly written, everythng was made in a great hurry and sloppy..but I love David Cassidy-Man Undercover. I was so happy when Jane asked me a few years ago to take screenshots of some episodes for the website, and I was in ecstasy when Jay Gruska himself sent me the original recording of Hard Times Hard Crimes song..

https://www.davidcassidy.com/fansite/DiscographyPages/HardTimes_J%20Gruska-D%20Cassidy.mp3

So I know everything, but I can't help it, I love Man Undercover, and David Cassidy was just wonderful as Dan Shay. He said about his character, "I'm not playing him as super macho or very physical. I'm trying to make hm vulnerable. I'm not macho enough. I'm not very physical. I don't intend to carry an adventure show."

He did what he could - his best. It was not his fault that his character was in nearly every scene, that Dan Shay was a walking paragon. The smartest, the fastest, good and sensitive. It could have been an outstanding TV series. There were truly great fragments when Dan's work started to interfere with his personal life. When Dan took on too much of a role that he pretended to be. David Cassidy knew very well what living or working undercover meant..

The fast cancellation of the show was a huge disappointment for him. 9 years later, in 1987 he had another bitter pill to swallow because of Man Undercover. That year a new TV hit series started a five season run and launched Johnny Depp's career and national recognition as a teen idol. '21 Jump Street'. The series focused on a squad of youthful looking undercover police officers.

The first episode of David Cassidy - Man Undercover' was first aired 46 years ago, on November 2, 1978. And I'll be watching again. 

https://www.davidcassidy.com/fansite/TvFilmPages/DCManUndercoverEpisode1.html



 


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