Criminally underrated, The Highwayman TV show ran for just ten episodes (including the pilot) between 1987 and 1988. This rad TV series centres around a group of lawmen known as the Highwaymen: a select assortment of individuals who are tasked with solving some of the most bizarre mysteries around. Its mixture of sci-fi and modern Western elements makes it one of the most unique shows of its time. Perhaps it’s time for a much-needed reboot, one that could see The Highwayman truck return in a new TV show.
Why The Highwayman TV Show Was Cancelled After Just One Season
While we’re used to modern TV standards, it was a very different industry back in the 1980s. It wasn’t rare to see shows with 20 episodes or more per season. The Highwayman, like most shows, began its life as a made-for-TV pilot: the pilot movie starred Sam J. Jones and aired in September 1987.
After its release, the movie was divided into two parts for the show and retitled “Terror on the Blacktop.” Due to the pilot’s success, the show began airing in March 1988 with the episode “Road Lord.”
Surprisingly, the TV show didn’t meet the desired ratings. This meant that the series didn’t get picked up for a second season, and to make things worse, The Highwayman was cancelled in the middle of its first season. Some other production concerns include how expensive every episode was to produce, and the fact that Sam Jones was already typecast as Flash Gordon didn’t help with the show’s popularity either.
The Highwayman’s Futuristic Truck Is Still One of TV’s Coolest Vehicles
Sure, Sam Jones might have been one of the most familiar faces that audiences found when they watched The Highwayman for the first time. However, the star of the show was most certainly not Flash Gordon himself: it was the awesome futuristic truck that the Highwaymen drove.
This impressive juggernaut was equipped with a variety of cool gadgets that allowed it to catch any criminal and evade the common police force should the need arise. Among the many things that the truck could do was deploy a helicopter from its cabin, which makes this show stand out as a combination of Knight Rider and Airwolf.
Built by Jon Ward Motor Sports, the truck began its life as a 1980 Kenworth cab-over. The conversion cost around $287,000, which would explain why the studio had budget concerns with this show.
Will The Highwayman Ever Get a Reboot?
The possibilities for a reboot of The Highwayman TV show seem slim at best. The show was a product of its time, and interest in shows based on futuristic vehicles has dwindled over the years.
That said, considering the original show had some strong Mad Max vibes, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we ended up getting some kind of revival for this show. Perhaps a new show would be too much to ask, but The Highwayman‘s entertainment potential is undeniable.
Now that the 1980s are back in vogue, it would be the perfect time for a reboot. Maybe bring back Sam Jones in some capacity to establish continuity with the original series. If Top Gun got a revival, we might be closer to a reboot of The Highwayman TV show than we thought. Let’s just hope that the truck remains as awesome as it was in the 1980s.
Should The Highwayman truck return in a new TV show reboot?
There was a reboot. I was there when Glen Larson was talking with the 100 or so artist @ 15 years ago. I did not see the funded project final video but those that I talked that did see the clip thought it was a slam dunk to fund the project. Also Jarrod Saunders Sam Jones was alive and I saw him at Glen Larson funeral a few years later.
The article mentions Sam Jones returning. The character perhaps but Jones commit suicide shortly after this was cancelled. His last gi was in a vacuum ad. Australian accents were very in after Dundee and MadMax.
What? Sam Jones is very much alive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_J._Jones
I helped Jon Ward bring this truck back to West. TEXAS from Oregon and helped hi
m work on it for over a year
Then he moved back to California and the truck sat in my backyard for about 8 mouths
Never understood why this Serie was ended after 1 season or being rebooted earlier
yes and ask elon musk for a nice truck
Still love this show. sadly short lived would love to watch the reboot. Sam Jones as highway man looks cool in the series.