The History of Automan - It's Like Tron But Different? And On TV 

Auto man. I thought I was the only nut who remembered this. Loved watching it along with Street Hawk, Knight Rider, Airwolf, Manimal and The Highwayman.

The way the car turned sharply at 90° angles causing the hapless passenger to faceplant against the interior door windows....ah sweet memories :-)

I loved this show. Yes, I'm old. Particularly love the gag where he and the car don't obey inertia, but any passengers do, so when he takes a 90 degree turn they get their face smashed against the glass.

I remember seeing this as a child in the early 80's and really loving it. I waited a long time to see some more episodes, now I know why I didn't get any. Over the years I have met a total of one other person who has seen Automan. It was awesome!

Automan's presence on TV was so fleeting when I was a small boy, in later years I wasn't sure if it had ever really existed at all, or if I was just imagining something that in my head seemed like the best concept ever for a show.

Holy crap. Totally forgot about this, but definitely used to play "Automan" on the kindergarten playground.

Ah, Cursor - a pixel with an eye for the ladies if ever there was one.

I used to think Automan and Manimal were just dreams of my youth and figments of my imagination. Thank you internet.....and more importantly The Incredible Toy Galaxy!!!!

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Wagner at a Nashville Shakespeare Festival production of Julius Caesar two years ago while chaperoning a high school field trip. The director of the company arranged for me to have a special meet and greet following the show. He was so gracious and kind and was surprised to see I actually had an Acamas Automan action figure on card for him to sign. He just kept on saying how rare an item it was and all the other actors wanted to check it out. Of course, my students made fun of me afterward because they said I was going all fanboy on him. Good times! I have pics if you’d like to see them. He was still in his Ghost of Caesar costume when we met 👍😊

I thought I'd imagined this series. Been trying to find it for years. It blew me away as a kid and I will now be looking to watch it all again.

I remember being SO disappointed when the show didn't come back the next season. :( And for like two decades, it felt like I was the only person who had ever heard of or seen the show. None of my friends at school had any idea what I was talking about.

Dan feels like a new host every time he pulls up on set. No beard, long hair like Bob 2.0 from Reboot, then like COVID had him with 5 o'clock apocalypse shadow. CAN WE GET FIGURES OF DAN?!?

Being a kid in the early 80s exposed one to so much. One of my faves, Misfits of Science, definitely needs a reboot or big screen adaptation! 😉 Honestly though, I did love that show. The Autocar was coolest!

I loved this show as a kid. My biggest memory of the show is Automan dancing in a club and twirling his jacket over his head 😁

I love Automan: the colour of the leaves, the chill in the air, warmer clothes and the promise of winter.

I swear in relative terms...this show is one of the coolest ever. I made sure I tuned in every night as a kid, and I picked up an auto man briefcase set in the dollar store . I was bewildered when it no longer came on TV. I 100% picked up on the Tron vibes because I had seen the movie back then.

I remember seeing one episode of this when I was 5. It always stuck with me because it was the first time I ever saw a person, a man, an Automan wearing a turtleneck.

Toy Galaxy brings us back to a time when things were simple.

Whenever my brother or I took a corner as sharp as we could in the car we called it an Automan. If you have seen the show, you know why.

For years I remembered this cool show with a glowing driver who would drive so fast that traffic barely noticed him. Lol a few years back I realized it was Automan. It can't hold up to my kid memories, but it's still cool to look back on.

Awww man, This was such a huge part of my childhood TV memories alongside Streethawk, Airwolf Manimal,Man from atlantis and Salvage one (I think that was correct) .Thanks for showing this forgotten gem a little love.

Loved this show as a kid but not calling it the "Auto-mobile" is one of the worst oversights of that decade.

I remember having my cassette recorder ready when the second episode aired and telling my brother to be quiet so I could record the theme song.

I could not remember the name of this show from my childhood, until you came along with this video. Thank you.

Ah the golden formula that *never fails* One is a X, the other is a Y together they fight crime! It's perfect.

Props for timing the topic commercials with the RU-vid ads. Made them less annoying.

I remember when this first aired. Had to suspend a lot of disbelief when Walter summoned Auto from a cash register, but i powered through

Thank you for revisiting literally every single thing from my childhood!!!

Fun fact: Automan eventually became the school bus driver on The Simpsons.

I want to see “Automan 2” starring Dan Larsen 😂. That was funny guys.

"Computer-generated policemen that isn't always PC"

I had totally forgotten about this show. Thanks for a walk down memory lane.

Excellent memories with this one, I dreamed of having a cursor like Automan's IRL.

Glen, we hardly knew you. You brought me so many of the best moments in my life. Thank-you.

I had the Automan figure, loved it. Never realized the toyline was mainly British.

Next to the Raiders vs Redskins and the KITT vs Goliath, Automan was the most talked about thing on television that year...at least among us first grade boys.

My favorite show of the eighties. I managed to buy the DVDs after years of waiting. Thanks for talking about it.

How did I never hear of this? The name of episode 2: “Staying Alive While Running a High Flashdance Fever.”

This gives me hope that someday we’ll see an episode about “Manimal” 😄

Thanks! We had fun making the show!!!

I went to a car show as a kid and saw DAJ and the car! I think Wagner was there but it was a long time ago and I was looking at all my favorite childhood cars. I loved that show!

I loved this show. Wish it had more time on TV.

That's actually really creative & ingenious to be honest & truthful with you. Glen A. Larson was truly a prodigy & genius. I'd never seen this ever or at least I think I haven't.

Great video. Automan was one of my favorite shows. I learned quite a bit about the show.

Dan you’ve outdone yourself with this one man! I loved this show as a child. I only got to see it in syndication once after it originally aired. I wish they had gone a bit further with it.

The vibe of this channel is very cool - its a polished, professional "talk soup" of anything collectible and awesome. The quality here is a high bar - keep it up gents!

What type of phone did AUTO-MAN use? An AUTO-MOBILE.

I love Toy Galaxy!! So many episodes are like a time machine, taking me back to my childhood. I literally learn something every single time. Keep up the great work!!

we need a REBOOT of Automan into day's time line ..

This is crazy. I appreciate the fact that I’m not the only one who loved and watched this show.

I remember having an action figure of Automan growing up

I remember watching Automan as a teen back in the 80's..Great Memories!!

This is still a favorite show of mine 😋 my favorite episode is where Laura Brannigan guest star 🥰...yes kids, I’m old 🤷🏽‍♂️ Sadly like most of my childhood I never saw the toys...even as an adult I haven’t seen any in conventions or other Great video Mr Larson, Producer Greg MP 👍🏽✌🏽 and I’m in if you’re doing Automan II 😃...is Producer Greg gonna play Cursor? 🤨

Even at just 12-13 episodes, Automan holds a very special place in my heart. Back in 1985 they showed it on Kuwaiti tv and my sister & I loved it. We recorded some of the episodes on VHS tapes and took it with us when my family moved back to India in 1987. I bought the dvd a couple of years ago but it is only now that I am watching it again. Simpler times and fun times.

I did have one of those Automan action figures. I couldn’t do much with him as he was a lot bigger than most of my other action figures. In the end I used him as a wrestler with my WWF action figures. Sadly he had to retire from the ring after suffering a career-ending injury - his leg fell off.

I wish I'd picked up that action figure. I remember seeing it on sale in Asda as a kid. It was a great show.

In a roundabout way, you could say that Automan was also set in the same universe as Tron just because part of the production had a hand in both.

I saw this in first run...and then nothing for decades! Thank goodness for early 00s nostalgia DVD releases!

I have been trying to remember this show my entire life. I remember watching a couple episodes when I was a kid but could never find out what it was or if it was just my imagination. Thank you so much for this video!

Loved this show, it didn't last long but always remembered the episode that guest stared Laura Branigan

How did I miss this show? Then again, not many people remember Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.

Saturday afternoons on BBC1, 1984. Ah man, the memories. Wicked show.

Hilarious, referring to Harlan, who hated Gene Roddenberry, made one episode, and consulted on one movie, a a "Star Trek Writer".

I have Automan on DVD.And it was always 1 of My All Time Favorite 80's Shows.

with "Cursor" as himself

I was never able to watch this when I was kid, my grandmother had control ot the TV channels in the house and Automan clashed with Coronation St. I maybe saw one episode and being a Tron fanboy it was awesome.

Loved his alias- “Otto Mann”. 😂

I remember this show. I was blown away by this. At the time, I wanted to change my name to Automan. I remember having a serious conversation with my mom about changing my name. WOW! 35 years age. Thanks

Automan was just too ahead of its time. It would've faired better in the 90's. I was saddened as a kid to hear of it's demise.

Holy crap, now there's a blast from the past, loved cursor & the 90 deg cornering of the car, classic, keep making there videos, especially for people who really know what that means, ' be kind rewind'.

Remember they showed this in Britain on a Saturday night.

I totally forgot about this show. I remember loving it. The vehicles stick out the most, especially how the car made high speed 90 degree turns.

- I remember loving this show. 😎

Thanks for the trip down memory lane into the golden age of 80s T.V. series. 😎

I woundered what the hell happened to Automan. " on a scale of 1-10 , I'm, an 11 "!!

I had *never* heard of this show until watching your video. It looks like one of those quirky lost 80's gems; like "The Greatest American Hero."

There is in interview with Wagner, who was asked if the show has gone longer than it had, what direction he thought it might of took, he said Dezi wanted to explore the spiritual and inter dimensional aspects of the character & the growing technological impact of computers (early concepts of cybercrime & A.I?) on the human race. Both he & Dezi wanted to the show to be more than just a crime fighting series with a philosophically uplifting message for the viewers. Would of been a interesting show had it been allowed to develop.

Automan was one my most favorite tv series of the time... i was literally frustrated for its lasted so short !!!!!

I remember being sad when I realized this show wasnt coming back. I think I was about 9

I loved this series. I watched every episode that was played. I'm looking everywhere for the DVDs. I cannot see why it cannot be rebooted these days. Imagine all of the adventures that he could have, if he had all of the Internet to navigate through. I can imagine many crimes, from all over the place being solved by him and Walter travelling through the cyber-highway at the speed of light. If there is to be a reboot, the light-hearted humour must still be a part of it. The world is too dark of a place if the entertainment is dark as well. It really needs to keep things light, and Cursor is hilarious too.

I spent many hours as a kid trying to decide which one was cooler, automan’s car or kitt

Thanks for the cool retrospective guys. Here in Australia, they used to air 'Automan' and then 'Manimal' back to back in the evenings - as a 7 year old kid in 1984, it was pure magic. Especially as they were botrh right after 'Knight Rider' :-D

Still remember the bad guys “ if he can do it, we can do it.” They couldn’t do it as their car crashed.

Great job Dan and Greg! Loved this show as a kid. Now I just need a History of Street Hawk

One of the best shows ever. 2nd only to The Greatest American Hero

remember being in my early teens and was soooo disappointed when this disappeared from British TV

Just now Realizing that was Desi Arnez Jr on the Show

9 year old me, was all into this!! i remember this show , oh man this takes me back.

*_4:36_*_ "While others _*_surf the net"_*_ in 1983?_ 😮

I love this show as a kid in the 80’s, I’m from the Philippines btw. This brings me back to my childhood.

My closed captioning keeps referring to “Automan” as “Ottoman” which would have been a completely different show...

I was lucky enough to meet Chuck Wagner when he visited the UK a few years back. A very friendly chap.

2 gig capacity? He's got nothing on Johnny Mnemonic - who's got 8.

I haven't even really thought of this show since I saw a couple episodes when it originally aired but for some reason the music immediately jumped into my head when I saw this video.

RU-vid algorithm is quickly becoming one of my best'est friends

I last saw this show when I was 5 years old. I don't remember many details about it, but I do remember my five year old self loved it.

I feel a strange kinship with this show.. perhaps we are related in some way...

So cool. I remember my classmate Giovani, we talked about Automan a lot in school.

Dang... Automan and The Greatest American Hero.. my favorites

Man I love Toy Galaxy, I thought I was the only person alive who remembered Automan! :D