15 Failed Comic Book TV Shows That Only Lasted One Episode
11. Dr. Strange (1978)
Benedict Cumberbatch's big-screen take on the Sorcerer Supreme will be here shortly, but, little do some fans know, the character of the oddball doctor was already played on the small screen, in a 1978 made-for-TV movie, by Peter Hooten.
Like The Incredible Hulk, CBS had hoped to launch Dr. Strange as a full-time series. In the fall of 1978, a two-hour TV movie/pilot was produced, written and directed by Philip DeGuere. The film is a marked improvement over Spider-Man Strikes Back, another low-budget turkey from Marvel. Though, that isn't saying much.
If Marvel cinematic movies have a distinct house style, so do these 1970s television productions: Charisma-impaired leads, wooden acting, clunky writing, and special effects that can at best be called charmingly naive. However, regardless of the final result, it's still remarkable that back in 1978 someone at CBS decided, We should make a live action Doctor Strange movie. Something that no one else has tried to do for the next thirty plus years. Let's just hope that this time around, Dr. Stephen Strange is a little more interesting.