The Master (TV series)
| The Master | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action-adventure |
| Created by | Michael Sloan |
| Written by | Tom Sawyer Michael Sloan Susan Woollen |
| Directed by |
Ray Austin Ray Aystub Michael Caffee Peter Crane Robert Clouse Sidney Hayers Gordon Hessler Bruce Kessler Alan Myerson |
| Starring |
Lee Van Cleef Timothy Van Patten Sho Kosugi |
| Theme music composer | Bill Conti |
| Composer(s) | Bill Conti Les Hooper |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Michael Sloan |
| Producer(s) | Joe Boston Nigel Watts |
| Running time | 44 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Michael Sloan Productions Viacom Productions |
| Distributor | CBS Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | January 20 – August 31, 1984 |
The Master is a ninja-themed action-adventure TV series created by Michael Sloan which aired on NBC. The show focuses on the adventures of John Peter McAllister, an aging ninja master (Lee Van Cleef), and his young pupil, Max Keller (Timothy Van Patten). Most episodes focus on the mismatched pair driving around in a custom van, helping people in need along the way, similar to its more well-known contemporary, The A-Team. The Master lasted 13 episodes before cancellation.
The entire series was released on VHS by TWE (Trans World Entertainment) in seven volumes entitled 'The Master Ninja', 'The Master Ninja 2', 'The Master Ninja 3' etc..., each containing 2 episodes in 1984 and 1985.
Notable cast and crew members include:
The Master follows the character of John Peter McAllister, an American veteran who stayed in Japan following World War II and became a ninja master. At the beginning of the series, McAllister, now an old man, leaves Japan for the United States in search of a daughter he did not know he had. This flight from his ninja life is seen as dishonorable by his fellow ninjas, including his former student, Okasa (Sho Kosugi), who attempts to assassinate him. Escaping with a minor wound, McAllister finds himself in the small town of Ellerston, where he believes his daughter resides. Along the way, he meets a drifter named Max Keller, who aids the ninja master in a bar fight, but is subsequently thrown through a window, a recurring event for the hot-headed Keller. Max desires to learn to fight like a ninja, but McAllister is reluctant to train him, feeling him to be too emotional. When Max gets involved in a dispute between Mr. Christensen (Clu Gulager), a ruthless developer, and the Trumbulls (Claude Akins, Demi Moore), a father and daughter who run an airport targeted by Christensen, McAllister decides to train him to survive.
The pair goes on to have many adventures traveling the country in search of McAllister's daughter, although the show is cancelled before she is ever found. Keller and McAllister often get sidetracked by oppressed people, and invariably McAllister uses his ninja skills to help save the day, hopefully teaching Max at the same time.
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Wikipedia