|
One of the effects The X-Files might have had is that a lot of shows emerged in the following years that had sort of similar character or similar thematic background. Most of them (Poltergeist - The Legacy, PSI Factor, American Gothic or Dark Skies) cannot compete with their predecessor while some other shows (The Pretender, The Outer Limits) have a potential that could make themselves a classic and a show of their own. Strange Luck, though short-lived, is such a show.
This show really showed potential but was cancelled after all, like Space with and open ending - so I can't tell about future developments. It might have included some conspiracy plots as well as some explanations beyond metaphysics and religion. But Strange Luck worked mainly because of its comedic touch, because it showed reality in a somewhat different way and touched some social problems in an indirect manner just like The X-Files does it; indirect in a way as it doesn't jump into an issue, starting a let's-solve-this-problem show like Star Trek and Picket Fences do. But that is a methodical question which will be discussed in Approaching the Unexplained.
The appeal of Strange Luck is that it's a strange combination of comedic and other dramatic elements. The central figure, Chance Harper, has some
strange luck that leads him to situations and makes him solve certain problems that he finds on his way. He is a photographer, and like Pretender's Jarod he is lost, looking for his past and his family that he believed to be dead after a plane crash. Strange Luck's hero is a man that lives a very simple life. He is devoted to helping people, he is enabled to do so by his strange luck.
July 15th, 1998
|
|
