Not Quite Human (film series)

Lore & Background

The series begins with Not Quite Human (1987), in which scientific inventor Dr. Jonas Carson creates an android teenager named Chip. Chip goes to school with Dr. Carson's daughter Becky to interact with other people, successfully experiencing day-to-day human life. A former employer of Dr. Carson discovers Chip's true nature and attempts to abduct him for military reprogramming, but the family works together to keep Chip as an adopted member of their family. In Not Quite Human 2 (1989), Chip graduates high school and attends college, where he downloads software intended to make his facial expressions more natural but which contains malicious code that will destroy his internal systems. He meets an android named Roberta, whose creator does not allow her free will; Chip helps her gain independence, and the pair become a couple while evading her creators and searching for a charging station before her memory is erased. Still Not Quite Human (1992) finds Dr. Carson and Chip at a robotics convention, where Dr. Carson is abducted and replaced with an android. Chip reprograms the android, renames it Bonus, and works with local law enforcement to rescue his father from wealthy competitive investors who also have a military war-android prototype.

Reader's Guide

The Not Quite Human film series represents The Walt Disney Company's attempt to produce science-fiction comedies for contemporary audiences, following the model of earlier successes like Flubber. The films were met with mixed reception, with critics noting their inferior quality compared to Disney's other science-fiction comedies. However, one critic praised the exploration of human experiences through the lens of science fiction. The series' significance lies in its portrayal of a humanoid robot as a valued family member, navigating the awkward and difficult activities of human life, from high school to college and beyond. The films also touch on themes of free will, as seen in Roberta's liberation from her creator's control, and the ethical dilemmas of using android technology for military purposes. Despite mixed reviews, the series has maintained a presence in popular culture as a family-friendly take on artificial intelligence and belonging.

Did You Know?

• The series consists of three films: Not Quite Human (1987), Not Quite Human 2 (1989), and Still Not Quite Human (1992).
• In Not Quite Human 2, Chip downloads software intended to make his facial expressions more natural, but it contains malicious code that will destroy his internal systems.
• In Still Not Quite Human, Dr. Jonas Carson is abducted and replaced with an android, which Chip reprograms and renames Bonus.
• One critic praised the series for its exploration of human experiences through the lens of science fiction.

The Story of Chip Carson

Dr. Jonas Carson builds an android indistinguishable from a human teenage boy, then adopts the creation as his son, naming him Chip and giving him a younger sister in Becky. The family moves to a small town where Chip is enrolled in high school, and Carson fills a vacancy as the school's science teacher so he can observe his son's social interactions up close. Chip's rigidly literal behavior clashes with authority figures like Coach Duckworth but wins him friends among peers who interpret his quirks as rebellion, while also catching the eye of classmate Erin. The family's peace is threatened when Gordon Vogel, a defense contractor and Carson's former employer, dispatches J.J. Derks to locate them. Vogel asserts ownership of Chip, claiming he funded the project, and plans to reprogram the android for military use. Carson's safeguard—a self-destruct mechanism activated by unauthorized reprogramming—escalates the conflict into a junkyard showdown. Chip tricks Vogel into a wooden crate, then rescues Jonas and Becky from a car-crushing machine, short-circuiting in the process. Believed dead, Chip stirs on the workbench and asks, 'Am I a real human now?' Jonas beams: 'You're as human as they get!'

The Ensemble Cast

The film assembles a notably diverse cast to bring the Carson household and its orbit to life. Jay Underwood takes on the central role of Chip, the android son whose literal-mindedness drives much of the comedy. Alan Thicke portrays Dr. Jonas Carson, the well-meaning inventor who becomes a protective father figure, while Robyn Lively plays Becky, the younger sister who bonds with her unusual brother. The antagonistic side is led by Joseph Bologna as Gordon Vogel, the defense contractor whose greed sets the plot in motion, and Robert Harper as J.J. Derks, the former colleague Vogel enlists to track down Carson. The high school world is populated by Kristy Swanson as Erin Jeffries, the classmate who takes an interest in Chip, alongside Lili Haydn as Jenny Beckerman, Brandon Douglas as Scott Barnes, Carey Scott as Paul Fairgate, Brian Cole as Jake Blocker, and Sasha Mitchell as Bryan Skelly. Supporting adult roles include Judy Starr as Dr. Sondra Stahl and Greg Monaghan as Coach Duckworth, the strict coach whose rules Chip inadvertently challenges. The ensemble gives the story a warm, small-town feel that grounds its science fiction premise in everyday relationships.

Production & Series Context

Released in 1987, Not Quite Human is an American science fiction comedy television film directed by Steven Hilliard Stern. The story adapts the Not Quite Human book series written by Seth McEvoy, translating the printed adventures of an android teenager into a cinematic format. The production was shot on location in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona, lending the film a sun-drenched, suburban backdrop that suits its family-comedy tone. As the first installment in a three-film series, it was followed by Not Quite Human II in 1989 and Still Not Quite Human in 1992, each extending the adventures of Chip and the Carson family. The trilogy's format—television movies released at roughly two-to-three-year intervals—placed the franchise squarely in the wave of made-for-TV family entertainment that dominated American broadcast schedules during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Stern's direction and the Arizona locations together established the visual and tonal template that the two sequels would carry forward, making the original not just a standalone story but the foundational entry in a brief but recognizable franchise.

Critical Reception & Legacy

Critical response to the Not Quite Human trilogy was modest at best. Creature Feature awarded the first film two out of five stars, dismissing it as 'undistinguished fodder'—a phrase that captures the general critical perception of the series as pleasant but unremarkable television fare. Entertainment Weekly took a slightly more nuanced view, assigning the three films collectively a 'C' grade and describing them as 'shticky' and 'mild.' Yet even in their measured assessment, the publication acknowledged that while the trilogy did not reach the heights of Disney comedy classics like The Absent-Minded Professor, it still 'sure beat most summer reruns.' This positioning—above the lowest tier of broadcast filler but below the canon of beloved family films—reflects the reality of many made-for-TV comedies of the era: functional, inoffensive entertainment designed for a specific audience rather than critical acclaim. For viewers who grew up with the series during its 1987-to-1992 run, the films occupy a warmer place in memory than their scores suggest, serving as a lighthearted sci-fi family saga that found its audience in living rooms rather than theaters.