Human Target (2010 TV series)
An ex-assassin becomes a human shield for his clients.
Human Target is an American spy action television series that aired on Fox from January 2010 to May 2011. Based loosely on the DC Comics character created by Len Wein and Carmine Infantino, it is the second television adaptation of the property, following a 1992 ABC series. The show was developed by Jonathan E. Steinberg and stars Mark Valley as Christopher Chance, an ex-assassin turned private security contractor.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Action
- Comedy-drama
- Spy thriller
- Developer
- Jonathan E. Steinberg
- Based on
- Christopher Chance
- Len Wein
- Carmine Infantino
- Starring
- Mark Valley
- Chi McBride
- Jackie Earle Haley
- Indira Varma
- Janet Montgomery
- Theme music
- Bear McCreary (season 1); Tim Jones (season 2)
- Opening theme
- "Theme from Human Target"
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Cast and characters
Mark Valley portrays Christopher Chance, an ex-assassin formerly employed by a figure known as "The Old Man." Chance became a security specialist and private contractor after breaking from the organization, taking the name from the previous Christopher Chance (played by Lee Majors). His real name is unknown; officially he is listed as "John Doe." Abandoned as a child, he was recruited and trained by the Old Man to become one of the world's greatest assassins, but he fled rather than succeed the Old Man as leader. Chi McBride plays Detective Laverne Winston, a former San Francisco police inspector who becomes Chance's business partner after leaving the force following the Katherine Walters mission. Jackie Earle Haley portrays Guerrero, another ex-assassin from the Old Man's organization who went rogue alongside Chance. Guerrero appears weak and nerdy but is a highly intelligent, vicious killer; he is deeply loyal to his friends and is a family man with a child. He assists the team with underworld contacts, computer hacking, and interrogation. Indira Varma joined the second season as Ilsa Pucci, a recently widowed billionaire who becomes Chance's benefactor. Janet Montgomery also joined the second season as Ames, a thief with chameleon-like abilities whom Winston, familiar with her from his police days, hires to help her get her life on track.
Production
Fox announced in 2009 that Human Target would premiere mid-season. Filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia. The series was renewed for a second season in May 2010, with Matt Miller taking over as showrunner from Jon E. Steinberg, who remained an executive producer. Warner Bros. had contacted Miller to review the first season and offer suggestions for changes. The show was canceled on May 10, 2011. In the original concept, Guerrero was intended to appear only in the pilot, with a different character assisting Chance and Winston each episode, but producers liked Jackie Earle Haley's performance and made him a regular. Composer Bear McCreary scored the first season, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music. He wrote about 30 minutes of orchestral music weekly for 11 weeks, performed by an average of 60 musicians; the season finale score used 94 musicians, the largest live orchestra ever assembled for a television series. McCreary was not asked back for the second season due to budget constraints, and Tim Jones, composer for Chuck, took over.
Broadcast
The series premiered on CTV in Canada on January 15, 2010, and on Fox in the United States on January 17, 2010. The first three episodes aired in different time slots: Sunday at 8:00 pm ET, Wednesday at 9:00 pm ET, and Tuesday at 9:00 pm ET, before settling into Wednesdays at 8:00 pm ET for the rest of the first season. The first-season finale aired April 11, 2010 in Canada and April 14, 2010 in the U.S. The second season was originally scheduled for September 24, 2010 but was delayed to October 1, 2010, airing Fridays at 8:00 pm ET; however, Fox aired a rerun instead and moved the show to Wednesdays at 8:00 pm ET, premiering November 17, 2010. Back-to-back episodes aired on January 5 and January 14, 2011. Two episodes scheduled for January 2011 were preempted in the U.S. by coverage of the Tucson memorial service but aired in Canada; they were rescheduled for January 14, 2011 on Fox. The episode scheduled for January 26 aired on January 31 at 8:00 pm ET. The final two episodes aired on February 2 and February 9, 2011, in a new time slot of Wednesdays at 9:00 pm ET. Fox canceled the series on May 10, 2011. In Australia, it premiered on GO! on August 18, 2010; in New Zealand on TV2 a week later; and in the UK on Syfy on April 14, 2010, with the second season premiering on Syfy on May 26, 2011.
Reception
The series premiere received generally favorable reviews, scoring 69 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 26 reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 62% approval rating with an average rating of 6.8 out of 10 from 29 reviews; the critics consensus calls it "frequently preposterous" but notes a "solid mix of comedy and thrills." The New York Post compared the protagonist to "Jack Bauer with excellent grooming." Robert Bianco of USA Today praised the "confined-spaces fight on the train" as a "miniature marvel." Cynthia Fuchs gave the show a 3 out of 10, calling it predictable and the characters uninteresting. The second-season premiere scored 71 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 13 reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an 88% approval rating with an average rating of 7.2 out of 10 from 24 reviews; the consensus states that "action-packed sequences and the addition of two central female characters give Human Target's second season a necessary boost." Brian Lowry of Variety criticized the second-season changes, believing the network forced an overhaul to appeal to women, but noted that "the stuntwork remains impressive." Some reviewers lamented the change in theme music; Ian Cullen said "the change of music in the opening title sequence just plain sucked." The series premiere attracted 10.12 million U.S. viewers, dropping to 7.24 million for the season finale; the first season averaged 8.26 million viewers, ranking 48th. In Canada, the premiere was watched by 1.26 million people, ranking 21st that week.
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