“Someday, I will come to you for a favor. And whatever it is, you must do it“
Almost twenty years since the short life of Robert Loggia as T.H.E. Cat, three years since the introduction of the shadowy flight known as Knight Rider, NBC introduced viewers to another mystery man who lives in a world of danger and adventure with Stingray, which premiered as a two-hour movie on Sunday, July 14, 1985.
With a little extra mix of Miami Vice, Stingray was created by Stephen J. Cannell, who had three hit shows at the time on two different networks: The A-Team and Riptide for NBC, and Hardcastle & McCormick.
Described as “a Lone Ranger in a black sportscar”, Stingray starred Canadian actor Nick Mancuso as the titular character known only as Ray, a former covert operative who travels from town to town helping people right their wrongs. Not working for money, Ray seeks a different kind of payment for his clients: a favor, in which they help him help someone else in the near future.
Debuting two months before the fall premiere of CBS’ The Equalizer with Edward Woodward, the two-hour Stingray pilot movie was a success, and it was picked up for series as a midseason replacement in March of 1986.
Though it only lasted two seasons, Stingray became one of the precursors to ABC’s Vengeance Unlimited (1998-99) with Michael Madsen as the enigmatic Mr. Chapel, a man who helps others being victimized. His fee? One million dollars – or a favor.
You can watch this urban Lone Ranger named Stingray on Amazon Prime as well as other streaming services such as Peacock, Tubi, and Plex.