Captain Nice (NBC 1967, William Daniels, Alice Ghostley)

Created by Buck Henry, who helped spawn Get Smart and Saturday Night Live, Captain Nice was an attempt to follow the campy superheroic lead of TV’s Batman. This show starred William Daniels as Carter Nash, a mild-mannered police chemist who lived in Big Town, USA.

But Nash was no ordinary police chemist (not that most of us would know what an ordinary police chemist was like anyway). This shrinking violet had developed a serum he called Super Juice, a glowing liquid that would transform the unassuming scientist into a superpowered man for exactly one hour per day.

It was actually Nash’s mother who forced her son into using his talents for crime fighting. She even sewed him a flamboyant costume so he could strut around Big Town like the proud superhero he was. But sorry, Mrs. Nash, Captain Nice was too shy to strut. In fact, his politeness often got him into trouble, since most villains found him a pushover. But eventually, the Captain’s kind ways would win them over, and he would triumph in the end.

Despite his unfashionable outfit, the Captain also had a lady admirer, the sweet Sgt. Candy Kane. It looked like, for once, the nice guy wouldn’t finish last, but alas, the meanies at NBC cancelled Captain Nice after less than a year.

production details
NBC / 15×25 minute episodes / Broadcast 9 January – 28 August 1967

Creator and Producer: Buck Henry

cast
William Daniels as Carter Nash/Captain Nice
Alice Ghostley as Carter’s Mother
Ann Prentiss as Sgt. Candy Kane
Liam Dunn as Mayor Finney
Bill Zuckert as Chief Segal
Byron Foulger as Mr. Nash