Skip’s rating: The world tastes good because the candy man thinks it should.

Skip’s review: It started as visions. Faint memories of a show from my childhood. No name, no plot, but with short snippets of content rattling around in my brain. A very short man showing a child his secret candy collection. That same man playing drums using drumsticks that didn’t need actual drums to play.

That was all I had to go on. Fortunately for me, the short-lived television show The Wizard from 1986 continues to have an active following, and I was able to find the show based on the small amount of information I had. I’m glad I did.

The concept for this show is amazing. David Rappaport plays a man with dwarfism who is a genius toymaker (and yes, neither myself nor the original creators have missed the irony here). A small man with a giant heart, he only uses his brilliant mind for good, even when there are people who would seek to use him as an agent of evil.

Now, for the sake of this review I will be solely judging this show based on the pilot episode El Dorado, which is the one that I most remembered from my childhood. This episode had it all for a kid in the ’80s and ’90s. Awesome toys, including a car chase scene using a sweet R/C car. Lots of action, including a very Indiana Jones-esque jungle adventure. A “kids-only” invention room that feels like Willy Wonka came to the 80s. And lots and lots of candy.

Our episode opens with our typical cool guy agent Alex Jagger (Douglas Barr) learning he is getting a new assignment, which includes partnering up with fellow agent Darcy Stafford (Gates McFadden) whom he deems to be nothing but trouble given their history (which isn’t yet fully fleshed out). This new assignment will be to protect a genius inventor named Simon McKay (David Rappaport).

Alex finds his skills quickly put to the test, as he attempts to thwart what he believes to be the actions of a nefarious trespasser. Instead, Alex learns for the first time that Simon McKay is not all that he seems. Mystery, machinery, and sometimes even a little magic are all to be expected when Simon is around.

Most of this episode serves to introduce the audience to Simon, his workshop, and his friends. The episode does come to a climax with a short but daring journey to the jungle to recover the treasure of El Dorado (and to save a child’s life, which is the more important goal). We learn the balance between good and evil which is encountered when dealing with an intellect like Simon’s. and we learn to suspend our disbelief because nothing is impossible for The Wizard.

It must be noted at this point that this episode co-stars Gates McFadden (who plays the beloved Dr. Beverly Crusher in another ‘80s show you probably haven’t heard of). McFadden does not reprise her role for the remainder of the series, instead being replaced as Simon’s sidekick by Fran Ryan. You may remember Fran Ryan as Miss Grundy in Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again, the box office smash which I recently reviewed. She was always probably in at least one episode of any show you could have possibly watched in the ‘80s.

The Wizard only lasted a single season, despite pulling in solid numbers and a diehard fan base. Halfway through the first season, creators Michael Berk and Douglas Schwartz were informed that the show would not be picked up for a second season. Not giving in so easily, they began a feverish campaign to save the show. Remnants from this campaign, and ongoing efforts to see the show released commercially, all reside at The Wizard Fan Site, which is its own little internet time capsule. The site showcases long-abandoned petitions, decades old fan letters, and places for fans to discuss the show (including a MySpace group).

I will admit that I spent longer writing this review than I did browsing the fan site, but nevertheless it is a testament to the quality of the show, which seemed to have ended before it was really given a chance to shine. Unfortunately, David Rappaport took his own life in 1990, never having replicated the short burst of success and fan support he saw as Simon McKay. Footage of his final uncompleted role as Kivas Fajo in Star Trek: The Next Generation was included in the TNG Season 3 blu-ray, thus cementing his place in Star Trek lore, a fandom who celebrates even the smallest actors.