[Movie] Supertrain Megathread

This is the 30th anniversary of the airing of Supertrain. What's that? You've never heard of Supertrain?

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Supertrain is an American television drama/adventure series that ran on NBC from February 7 to May 5, 1979. Nine episodes were made, including a 2-hour pilot episode.

The series took place on the "Supertrain", an imagined nuclear-powered bullet train that was equipped with amenities more appropriate to a cruise ship than a train, such as swimming pools and shopping centers. It was so big it had to run on very broad gauge track (not two sets of tracks as depicted in some advertising). The train took 36 hours to go from New York City to Los Angeles. Much like its contemporary The Love Boat, the plots concerned the passengers' social lives, usually with multiple intertwining storylines, and most of the cast was composed of guest stars. The production was elaborate, with huge sets and a high-tech model train for outside shots.

At the time, Supertrain was the most expensive series ever aired in the United States. The production was beset by problems, including a model train that crashed, and while it was heavily advertised during the 1978-1979 season, it suffered from bad reviews and low viewership; despite attempts to salvage the show by reworking the cast, it never took off and left the air after only three months. NBC was never able to make up the production losses (it produced the show itself, at first with help from Dark Shadows producer Dan Curtis), and combined with the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics the next season (which cost NBC millions in ad revenue), it nearly bankrupted the network. For these reasons, Supertrain is usually cited as one of the greatest television flops.

The Love Boat set on a nuclear train? How could that possibly fail? Let's take a look at the opening credits.

YouTube Video

Someone's posted the entire first episode on Youtube in 10 parts. One of the best parts is at 3:30.

YouTube Video

Here's a fansite that lists everything you want to know and more about Supertrain, including a broken link to a furry website. Begin your petition for NBC to bring back Supertrain here.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Clearly the key to Supertrain's failure was the lack of Ernest Borgnine. Gay Groucho Marx lookalikes can't carry a show alone, and Airwolf proved that only Mr. Borgnine is qualified to operate nuclear-powered vehicles.



There's nowhere I can't reach.

The lack of love for Supertrain saddens me.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'd be much more willing to discuss Airwolf, though.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Colonel Skills

I'd be much more willing to discuss Airwolf, though.

Then we can talk about H.M. Wynant, who was in both Supertrain and Airwolf.

You're just jealous because Canada will never have a Supertrain. Who would want to go to Toronto and Vancouver in the span of 2 days?

I was speaking idiomatically.

Jokes on you. No one wants to go to Toronto anyway.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Isn't there some sort of requirement for Canadians to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame at least once in their lives, like some sort of Canuck Mecca?

FELIPE NO