Started on 05/12/2000 Updated on: 04/12/2002

Tron was a 1982 Walt Disney film that was the first movie to make extensive use of computer generated images (CGI). It starred Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a programer that is drawn into the compter and teams up with Tron (played by Bruce Boxleitner) to battle the MCP (Master Control Program) and his commander, Sark (David Warner).

Automan was a T.V. show that came out in 1986 and was a little like Tron in reverse: Instead of the User going inside the computer to help the Progams, a Program came outside the computer to help the Users. It starred Chuck Wagner as Automan and Desi Arnez, Jr. as Walter Nebicher. Walter was the police computer specialist who loved fighting crime, but was always kept in the compter room by the police captain, Boyd. So Walter began experimenting with holograms. He created a video game character, based on lots of detectives and celebraties. He gave Automan --so named because he was the world's first "automatic man"-- so much power, that Automan became tangible. That means you could touch him and otherwise react with him, just like you could with a human.

Automan Openning. Automan is Narriator

AUTOMAN: This is the story of Walter Nebicher, doing what he likes best: Fighting crime in the streets. You see, Walter is a policeman. Unfortuanately, the cheif doesn't want Walter on the streets.

WALTER: "Captain...!"

CAPT. BOYD: " Get back to your cage, boy! NOW!"

AUTOMAN: So Walter must fight crime in his own way: in the computer room. That's where he's an expert. Fortunately for me, Walter's advanced knowledge of electronics led him to experiment with what is called a "hologram". That's a very fancy word for a three-dimentional picture that when perfected, can be made to look real. Sound real. As a matter of fact, given enough power, it can even be made to feel real. That's kind of what got me into this world. My name is "Automan".

AUTOMAN: "You must be Walter Nebicher."

WALTER: "How did you know that?"

AUTOMAN: "It's on the programing you fed into my system. I must say, Walter, your very good; very good, indeed. I look wonderful!"

WALTER: "If you do say so yourself."

AUTOMAN: "Well, you programed me to be honest. But tell me: Why did you call me 'Automan'?"

WALTER: "It means that you're the world's first truely 'automatic' man. You can do anything, because you're not real."

AUTOMAN: "But I am. I'm as real as you are. Just different. And thanks to you, perfect."

WALTER: "Nobody's 'perfect', Automan."

AUTOMAN: "That's not true, Walter. You've programmed me to observe other people and do whatever they can do as well as they can do it. Jimmy Conners, playing tennis; John Travolta, dancing. In fact, on a scale of 1 - 10, think of me as an 11!"

WALTER: "I've created a monster..."

AUTOMAN: No, what Walter really created was a wonderful force for good. Automan. That's me.

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