Cover Up is an American action-adventure television series that aired for one season on CBS from September 22, 1984, to April 6, 1985. Created by Glen A. Larson, the series starred Jennifer O'Neill, Jon-Erik Hexum, Antony Hamilton and Richard Anderson.
Plot
Following the death of her husband, fashion photographer Dani Reynolds discovers that he was actually an undercover CIA agent. When she learns he was murdered, she recruits Mac Harper, a former Special Forces soldier, to help her find the killers.
Dani accepts an offer from Henry Towler, her husband's boss, to take his place as an agent. She uses her photography work as a cover, accompanied by Mac as her model, and Henry dispatches the pair all over the world to assist American citizens in trouble or apprehend criminals. Once they reach a destination, they typically have to act on their own judgment and experience with little or no expectation of outside help.
After the death of actor Jon-Erik Hexum, who played Mac, the episode "Writer's Block" introduced Dani's new assistant, Jack Striker. Jack was a CIA agent who, like Mac, operated under the cover of a model.
At the end of "Writer's Block", the following message was displayed instead of the closing credits to explain that Hexum would no longer appear in the series:
"When a star dies, its light continues to shine across the universe for milleniums...John-Eric [sic] Hexum died in October of this year... but the lives he touched will continue to be brightened by his light... forever... and ever..."[1]
Cast
- Jennifer O'Neill as Dani Reynolds
- Jon-Erik Hexum as Mac Harper
- Antony Hamilton as Jack Striker
- Richard Anderson as Henry Towler
Production
Jon-Erik Hexum appeared in only eight episodes of the series, including the pilot. He was replaced by Antony Hamilton for the remainder of the season.[2] Jennifer O'Neill appeared in all of the episodes. Despite the change in the lead male character, the ratings held steady throughout the winter of 1984–85, though at a level too low to avoid being canceled after its first season.[3]
On-set accident
During a break between scenes on the set on Friday, October 12, 1984, Hexum became bored with the filming delays. He began playing Russian roulette with a fully functional .44 Magnum revolver whose cylinder was empty except for one chamber loaded with a blank cartridge. He jokingly spun the cylinder, put the gun to his temple, and pulled the trigger. The firing pin struck the blank, discharging it and generating enough force to fracture his skull. A bone fragment the size of a quarter was driven into Hexum's brain, causing massive hemorrhaging, and he was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. He was declared brain dead on October 18 and taken off life support that same day.[4]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 2 | "Pilot" | Peter Crane | Glen A. Larson | September 22, 1984 | TBA |
| 3 | "Death in Vogue" | Guy Magar | David H. Balkan | September 29, 1984 | TBA |
| 4 | "The Million Dollar Face" | Phil Bondelli | Glen A. Larson | October 6, 1984 | TBA |
| 5 | "Harper-Gate" | Arthur Allan Seidelman | Bob Shayne | October 13, 1984 | TBA |
| 6 | "Sudden Exposure" | Guy Magar | Lane Del | October 20, 1984 | TBA |
| 7 | "Nothing to Lose" | Richard A Colla | Doug Heyes Jr. | October 27, 1984 | TBA |
| 8 | "Golden Opportunity" | Sidney Hayers | Bob Shayne | November 3, 1984 | TBA |
|
Hexum's last episode[5] | |||||
| 9 | "Writer's Block" | Richard A. Colla | S : Low Shaw; T : David H. Balkan & Douglas Brooks West; S/T : Andrew Schneider & Sam Egan | November 24, 1984 | TBA |
|
Hamilton's first episode[6] | |||||
| 10 | "Murder in Malibu" | Sidney Hayers | S : David Swift; T : Anne Collins; | December 1, 1984 | TBA |
| 11 | "Midnight Highway" | Guy Magar | Doug Heyes Jr. | December 8, 1984 | 3-J11 |
| 12 | "A Subtle Seduction" | Walter Grauman | Douglas Brooks West | December 29, 1984 | 3-J12 |
| 13 | "Black Widow" | Sidney Hayers | Robert Hamilton | January 5, 1985 | TBA |
| 14 | "Murder Offshore" | Jeffrey Hayden | Joe Gannon | January 12, 1985 | TBA |
| 15 | "The Assassin" | Christopher Hibler | Story by : Donald Ross Teleplay by : Donald Ross & Doug Heyes, Jr. | January 26, 1985 | 3-J15 |
| 16 | "Rules to Die By" | Bernard McEveety | Robert Hamilton | February 2, 1985 | 3-J16 |
| 17 | "Healthy, Wealthy and Dead" | Bruce Kessler | Fredrick Rappaport | February 23, 1985 | 3-J17 |
| 18 | "The Ugliest American" | Don Weis | Story by : Stephen Kandel Teleplay by : Milt Rosen | March 2, 1985 | TBA |
| 19 | "Who's Trying to Kill Miss Globe?" | Mike Vejar | Story by : Donald Ross Teleplay by : Joe Gannon | March 9, 1985 | 3-J19 |
| 20 | "Adams' Ribs" | John D. Hancock | Robert Hamilton | March 23, 1985 | 3-J20 |
| 21 | "Jack of Spades" | Christopher Hibler | Stan Berkowitz | March 30, 1985 | TBA |
| 22 | "Passions" | Don Carlos Dunaway | Doug Heyes Jr. | April 6, 1985 | TBA |
References
- ^ "Cover Up 1x07 (Excerpt) Jon-Erik Hexum Memorial". 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. Retrieved Oct 22, 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ Davidson, Casey; Shaw, Jessica (1995-04-28). "Monitor: Pop Culture News". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2011-03-26. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
- ^ Snauffer, Douglas (2008). The Show Must Go On - How the Deaths of Lead Actors Have Affected Television Series. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 88–92. ISBN 978-0-7864-3295-0.
- ^ "Jon-Erik Hexum Fatal Joke". Entertainment Weekly. 1994-10-14. Archived from the original on 2014-07-27. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
- ^ TV.com. "Cover Up: Golden Opportunity". TV.com. Archived from the original on 2009-01-13. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
- ^ TV.com. "Cover Up: Writer's Block". TV.com. Archived from the original on 2009-01-13. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
External links
- Cover Up at IMDb
- Cover Up at epguides.com
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