List: Additions to the Two "Gemini Man" Episodes Made to Create the Movie "Riding With Death"

Compiled by Larry Hastings

A hopefully-comprehensive list of the additional footage and voice-overs added to two episodes of the 1976 television series "Gemini Man" to create the movie shown in episode 814- Riding With Death.
 The movie shown for episode 814- Riding With Death, was actually two episodes of the 1976 NBC television series "Gemini Man" edited together. The two episodes are:
• Season 1 Episode 1: "Smithereens", originally aired Sept. 23, 1976.
• Season 1 Episode 7: "Buffalo Bill Rides Again", originally aired in November of 1976.
The edits were an attempt to make the two unrelated episodes seem like a single continuous movie, and included flashbacks for backstory exposition and voiceovers added to each episode mentioning events from the other. But there were other important differences between the two episodes. They were filmed months apart; during the interval actor William Sylvester (Leonard Driscoll) had grown a moustache, and actress Katherine Crawford (Abby Lawrence) had left the show. Here's a summary of the changes:
• During "Smithereens":
◦ Insertions of backstory scenes from the series pilot
◦ Mentions of Buffalo Bill working in the racing circuit in Ontario in the future
◦ Mentions of the elusive Robert Demby
◦ Suggestion that Sam Casey is about to take a month's vacation
• During "Buffalo Bill Rides Again":
◦ Mentions that Sam Casey has been on vacation
◦ Mention that Leonard Driscoll had grown a moustache during Sam's vacation
◦ Added footage of Abby Lawrence
◦ A mention of Doctor Hale
What follows is a list of all the additional footage, edits, visual effects, and voice overs added. All times listed are based on the Digital Archive Project DVD release, which I compared to the five-part "Smithereens" currently available on Youtube. Edits listed for "Buffalo Bill Rides Again" are guesses as the episode is not currently available for viewing.

0:06:31 - 0:10:04
Inserted footage:
• Universal logo
• Opening credits
• Establishing shot of "Intersect" building
• Stock footage of computers and computer props (rumored to reuse footage from "Colossus: The Forbin Project"!)
• Man types at computer keyboard
• Man's hand presses TRANSMIT button
• Computer-recited synopsis of backstory ("Operation Royce Explorer")
• "Computer Screen" added to footage of Sam Casey flipping down visor
• Footage of Sam Casey riding down forested road

0:11:43 - 0:12:28
Inserted footage:
• Establishing shot of "Intersect" building
• Man types at computer keyboard
• Stock footage of computers and computer props
• Man's hand presses TRANSMIT button
• "Computer screen" effect added to random stock footage
• "Computer" narration about oil ("With the increasing erratic behavior [...]")
• Two-shot of Sam Casey and Abby Lawrence (taken from 0:15:18)

0:14:21 - 0:14:21
Added voiceover:
• Leonard Driscoll: "It's your present assignment."

0:17:45 - 0:17:49
Slowdown of footage of Abby Lawrence driving jeep

0:29:57 - 0:30:58
• Slowdown / flashback effect added footage of "Sam Casey" driving semi
• Narration by "Sam Casey" ("I wonder what kept Abby... she's some gal. [...]")
• Inserted footage from "The Gemini Man" series pilot, shown with heavy red tint
• Slowdown / flashback effect added footage of "Sam Casey" driving semi

0:31:25 - 0:32:12
• Overhead shot of semi on highway
• Slowdown / flashback effect added footage of "Sam Casey" driving semi
• Inserted footage from "The Gemini Man" series pilot, shown with heavy red tint
• Narration by "Sam Casey" ("Now that I think about it [...]")
• Slowdown / flashback effect added footage of "Sam Casey" driving semi

041:54 - 0:42:07
Added voiceover, with slight rearrangement of footage to pad it out:
• Buffalo Bill: "If I pull you through this, how about gettin' out of this racket with me?"
• Sam Casey: "And do what?"
• Buffalo Bill: "Race cars up in Ontario! This is my last run in this rig!"
• Sam Casey: "This is liable to be my last run too, if you don't stop the gab!"

045:56 - 0:46:01
Added voiceover, with slight rearrangement of footage to pad it out:
• Buffalo Bill: "If you get up 'round Ontario, look me up!"
• Sam Casey: "Will do."

0:52:46 - 0:52:59
Added voiceover over additional footage--as the original episode had already ended at this point with a freeze-frame of Leonard Driscoll and Abby Lawrence:
• Leonard Driscoll: "If you don't show yourself, I'll put you back on the Demby case!"
• Sam Casey: "Oh no. I need a month's vacation."
• Leonard Driscoll: "You got it."
• Sam Casey: "Thanks."
(Note how Leonard Driscoll's mouth doesn't actually match up to "You got it.")

0:53:41 - 0:53:50
Changed voiceover:
• Leonard Driscoll: "Go ahead, Sam."
• Sam Casey: "Leonard! I hear you've grown quite a moustache while I was on vacation!"
• Leonard Driscoll: "Nevermind that, where are you?"

0:55:01 - 0:55:02
Added voiceover:
• Leonard Driscoll: "Sam Casey's been away."

0:58:35 - 0:58:52
Inserted / edited footage:
• Abby Lawrence walks to computer console
• Man's hand presses TRANSMIT button
• Abby Lawrence looks concerned
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Establishing shot of "Amateur Nite" sign
Buffalo Bill emerges from backstage
• Abby Lawrence looks concerned

0:59:43 - 1:01:10
Inserted / edited footage:
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Buffalo Bill leaves stage, Sam looks discouraged
Buffalo Bill starts bar fight
• Abby Lawrence stares at something offscreen
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Buffalo Bill swings at ruffian
Ruffian throws Buffalo Bill over bar table
Sam helps Buffalo Bill up, tries to talk him out of fight
• Abby Lawrence stares at something offscreen
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Sam calms down Buffalo Bill
Sam walks over to ruffian
• Added voiceover: Abby Lawrence: "Be careful, Sam, be careful!"
• Abby Lawrence looks concerned
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Bar fight restarts
• Abby Lawrence looks concerned
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Bar fight continues
• Added voiceover: Abby Lawrence: "Sam, use the DNA stabilizer!"
• Abby Lawrence looks concerned
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Sam turns invisible
Obviously lame bar fight continues
• Abby Lawrence looks concerned
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Sam interferes in bar fight while invisible
• Abby Lawrence nods her head, with added voiceover: "That's the way to do it, Sam!"
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Buffalo Bill gets the upper hand in the fight
(Notice that Abby's voiceover doesn't match her mouth when she says "That's the way to do it, Sam!".)

1:17:16 - 1:17:42
Inserted / edited footage:
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Buffalo Bill and Sam Casey suit up for the race
• Abby Lawrence looks concerned
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Sam goes invisible, sneaks out of trailer

1:19:11 - 1:19:27
Inserted / edited footage:
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Pit crew piles onto car, looking in through its windows
• Slow-motion shot of Abby Lawrence, just after she nodded her head
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Buffalo Bill is pulled from car
Sam becomes visible behind wheel of car
• Added voiceover from Abby Lawrence: "Go get 'em, Sam! Give it the old college try!"
• Slow-motion shot of Abby Lawrence, just after she nodded her head
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Sam begins to drive away

1:26:19 - 1:26:40
Added voiceover:
• Leonard Driscoll: "Off to the slammer... to join Doctor Hale."
Inserted / edited footage:
• Abby Lawrence flips a switch
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Buffalo Bill sings "You Saved My Life"
• Slow-motion footage of Abby Lawrence laughing
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage:
Sam Casey listens to "You Saved My Life"

1:26:53 - 1:26:59
Inserted / edited footage:
• "Computer screen" added around episode footage: Sam Casey listens to "You Saved My Life"
• Slow-motion footage of Abby Lawrence laughing

1:27:26 - 1:28:53
New cumulative end titles

If you have updates to this list email a@b.org where "a" = "larry" and "b" = "hastings".

.