2000-2001
Seeing as how H.G. Wells' "Invisible Man" was a bit of an ass, it was nice for the cable-series update to make its transparent hero somewhat of a ne'er-do-well. In the first of the 23 episodes here, Darien (Vincent Ventresca) is a thief. Post-arrest, he avoids jail by agreeing to a government experiment, not knowing he'll be turned invisible.
As much as he'd like to go back to normal, his condition has side effects " like driving him insane " and the feds have control of an antidote that temporarily keeps the madness in check. So, he's stuck playing a see-through James Bond for them.
Each episode is different enough that the premise never gets boring, plus the show continually dips its toes in the realms of action, mystery, sci-fi and comedy, all within 50-minute chunks. The underrated Ventresca proves a deft talent in the role, and his powers are rendered by effects better than most cable efforts.
One second-season episode appears in the extras, whetting appetites for that eventual release. Plus, creator Matt Greenberg contributes a revealing and moving talk about the show's development. Now you see it "¦
"Rod Lott
