Probe (1988)

Debuting March 7, 1988. ABC, 8/7pm Central

Probe was a one-hour drama that combined elements of science fiction, mystery, and detective genres, airing on ABC in early 1988. A late mid-season replacement, ABC thought they would change gears from the sitcoms previously offered in the timeslot (Sledge Hammer!, The Charmings, Growing Pains) and offer something completely new against what was becoming NBC’s “Must See TV” Thursday nights.

Created by Michael Wagner and science fiction author Isaac Asimov, the show follows the adventures of Austin James (Parker Stevenson), a genius-level scientist and inventor, and his secretary/assistant, Mickey Castle (Ashley Crow), as they solve high-tech crimes and unusual mysteries. Austin James had founded think tank Serendip, but had no interest in managing its day-to-day operations, preferring to spend his time experimenting in his warehouse. Austin was asocial, awkward and uncomfortable in social situations, but still was sometimes called in by local police to investigate homicides and unusual cases. Enter Mickey, in many ways the opposite of Austin, relying on her instincts instead of logic, who is assigned to be Austin’s assistant and sort of reel him in and keep him tethered to reality.

Though initially intimidated by James’ genius and eccentricities, Mickey comes to enjoy working for him. Although he had fired every secretary before her, he is captivated by Mickey’s ability to make unique observations. Mickey was the duo’s heart paired with Austin’s intellect. Other prominent characters included Howard Millhouse (Jon Cypher), the long-suffering director of Serendip, and Graham McKinley (Clive Revill), another scientist at Serendip. Millhouse manages the company founded by Austin and tries to get him more involved, while McKinley is less able to think “out-of-the-box” like Austin.

The show premiered with a two-hour pilot episode which introduced the main characters and the premise of the series …. In the pilot, Austin and Mickey investigate both the death of a woman whose body is colder than the surrounding environment and a series of murders caused by a rogue, self-replicating AI EDP — that’s artificially intelligent electronic data processor — called Crossover. The Crossover AI embodied a key theme of the show, which was the impact of technological progress on society. It turned out that Crossover had been created to eliminate waste in city government and make things more streamlined, but it took government efficiency to a new level when it decided that city workers themselves were wasteful. Assigned to cut costs, it takes this quite literally when it begins killing city workers to save money on the budget. This plot takes on a whole new meaning in 2025…The pilot plot seemed to be recycled for The X-Files episode “Ghost in the Machine”.

In “Untouched by Human Hands”, Austin is called in when a reactor built by Serendip malfunctions, and a staff member inside is dead. The body is inaccessible because of the high levels of radiation flooding the chamber. In “Black Cats Don’t Walk Under Ladders (Do They?)”, Mickey lures Austin to a talk show to act as a scientific consultant as host Marty Corrigan tries to discredit a self-proclaimed witch, Sabrina. However, the witch’s curse apparently comes true after Marty drinks one of her potions.

In “Metamorphic Anthropoidic Prototype Over You”, Austin investigates a claim that an orangutan is as intelligent as its sponsor claims. However, an animal activist breaks into Austin’s warehouse and is found murdered, with the ape being the only suspect. Can an animal commit murder? “Now You See It…” has two businessmen die in computer-controlled elevators created by Serendip, putting Austin’s future with the company in danger.

“Plan 10 from Outer Space” sees Mickey lure Austin into visiting the desert home of science fiction author Truman Smith III, who claims that an electrical creature is using his life as the basis for his “fiction”. In “Quit-It”, Austin and Mickey come to the aid of a young girl who claims everyone in her neighborhood has been replaced by impostors. Is subliminal messaging real?

The writing on episodes was clever, and included what seemed to be throwaway lines, but these would often make very interesting references for those paying attention, such as his quip “when do you let the midget out”, referring to the Mechanical Turk from 1770. Unfortunately, the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike resulted in the show literally running out of scripts during production. It was replaced with Max Headroom, another short-lived doomed high-concept series with a lot of potential. The Probe premiere had actually performed decently, coming in second with a 14.2 rating and a 23 share. Probe’s rating problems began three days later when the first regular episode aired on Thursday night at 8/7 Central. Uh-oh. Going up against the ratings juggernaut that was The Cosby Show was indeed hazardous to the health of many an ABC and CBS show.

Probe only aired a total of eight episodes (counting the pilot movie as two parts) and was rerun weekday mornings on ABC. It later ran on the Sci-Fi Channel as part of its S.C.I.F.I. World daytime schedule. Despite its short run, Probe has gained a cult following and is remembered for its unique blend of science fiction, mystery, and humor. A podcast is streaming from Forgotten TV that considers the series. Unfortunately, the show has never received a home video or modern streaming release, however recordings can be found on YouTube.

The show’s premise of a genius detective solving crimes with the help of a more grounded partner has been seen in later series such as Monk and The Mentalist, and even new interpretations of that original detective savant, Sherlock Holmes. Probe is discussed in the great Science Fiction Television Series, 1959 through 1989 book by Mark Phillips and Frank Garcia.