Total Recall 2070 pursues the same themes that the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie had: the manipulation of memory, the creation of false memories, and the impact of intelligent androids on humans. Like the movie version, this TV series is based on Philip K. Dick’s short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” and by Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. This 1999 series first appeared on Canadian TV and then on SHOWTIME. Detective David Hume (played by Keanu Reeves clone Michael Easton) and his android partner, Ian Farve (Karl Pruner) investigate murders and conspiracies involving androids and memory manipulation. All 22 episodes are included in this box set of DVDs. If you’re a fan of the original movie, Mars, and Philip K. Dick you’ll enjoy this quirky series.
Episode/ First airdate/ Plot
1. “Machine Dreams” (part 1) January 5, 1999 David Hume and his new partner Ian Farve must track down a gang of androids. To be continued…
2. “Machine Dreams” (part 2) January 12, 1999 The detectives’ hunt for the androids takes them to Mars.
3. “Self-Inflicted” February 2, 1999 CPB investigates a potential biohazard situation.
4. “Infiltration” February 16, 1999 Hume and Farve investigate the murder of an Uber-Braun employee.
5. “Allure” February 9, 1999 Hume investigates a puzzling suicide.
6. “Nothing Like the Real Thing” January 19, 1999 A motiveless murder leads Hume to investigate black-market memory implants.
7. “Rough Whimper of Insanity” February 23, 1999 Farve starts behaving erratically.
8. “First Wave” March 2, 1999 The CPB computer network goes haywire.
9. “Baby Lottery” March 9, 1999 A baby is taken from his parents because of a genetic disposition towards crime.
10. “Brain Fever” March 16, 1999 The head of the Mars Miners Union is shot by a member who then attempts to kill himself.
11. “Begotten Not Made” March 23, 1999 Dr. Latham is starting to cooperate, when a lawyer from Rekall shows up demands his release.
12. “Brightness Falls” March 30, 1999 Farve and Moralez investigate the death of a cult leader.
13. “Burning Desire” April 6, 1999 CPB investigates the death of a man who was fried in his sublimator.
14. “Astral Projections” April 13, 1999 Hume and Farve investigate a cargo transport that went down in the freezing “New Territories”.
15. “Paranoid” April 20, 1999 Farve and Hume investigate the murder of the head of the Nexus dating service.
16. “Restitution” April 27, 1999 Brant is kidnapped on his way to a Mars safe house.
17. “Bones Beneath My Skin” May 4, 1999 Farve and Hume investigate the destruction of an android at a chemical company.
18. “Assessment” May 11, 1999 Farve and Hume are ambushed and captured by a rogue section of the assessor’s office.
19. “Eye Witness” May 18, 1999 Olivia finds a friend’s rich husband standing over a bloody corpse.
20. “Personal Effects” May 25, 1999 Olan decides to keep a vial found on a corpse in a crashed shuttle out of her report.
21. “Virtual Justice” June 1, 1999 After witnessing a fellow cop kill a cornered prison escapee, Hume looks into the dead man’s case.
22. “Meet My Maker” June 8, 1999 Farve takes Hume to meet the alpha-android’s creator.
I knew nothing about this!
Patti, the TOTAL RECALL TV series showed up on some local stations with cuts in the nudity and language, but the stories are compelling.
What Patti said. I don’t even remember this being on here, though it is possible (probable) we didn’t have Showtime when it ran.
I much prefer the Dick to the movie anyway.
Jeff, TOTAL RECALL 2070 has the look and feel of the Canadian version of LA FEMME NAKITA. The series was shot in Toronto.
George, I didn’t know about this either. Incidentally, TOTAL RECALL is one of Schwarzenegger’s very few films that I haven’t watched more than once and as I remember then, I didn’t understand the film.
Prashant, the movie version of TOTAL RECALL confused a lot of viewers. I never figured out how Mars got an atmosphere in a minute or two!
I’ve never seen the uncensored version, but did catch it in US broadcast syndication. It was certainly less stupid than the film, not that that is much of a trick. (I haven’t seen the entirety of the remade film, despite the even better-looking cast.)
Todd, TOTAL RECALL 2070 is worth a look.
Oh, I watched it, George. But not every episode, and as I mention, I saw the bowdlerized US broadcast version.
ONCE A THIEF was probably my favorite among the Canadian series of its era in first-run syndication in the US, though I had a sneaking fondness for the X-FILES clone PSI FACTOR as well…
Todd, I enjoyed PSI FACTOR, too. I’ll have to check to see if it’s on DVD or Blu-ray.
Fascinating – really liked the original movie adaptation which was probably much cleverer and metatextual than it had any right to be – nevrr seen the TV version – thanks. Sounds a bit more Asimov than Philip K. Dick though 🙂
Sergio, I was entertained by TOTAL RECALL 2070. My expectations were low, but the series surprised me.
Always liked Da Vinci’s Inquest. A Canadian show which ran for quite awhile. Never saw this.
Steve, I watched DA VINCI’S INQUEST from 1998-2006. Canadian TV can be surprisingly good.
Particularly uncensored.
I must say, I’m looking forward to the rest of Mars week.
Dear George Kelly
My name is Chris Clubb , and I was very hooked from the beginning , I started watching the show on CBS channel 2 , in CA , the show was on very late at night .
It might have came on around 1:00 or 2:00 , on Sunday mornings , I loved it so much , it was as great a the original film , I also own both , the original film , with
Arnie and the remake , but I wish someone would do a better job by , restoring the film , and the negatives from the TV show , formats into a , widescreen
version , and have tons of very cool , brand new features , commentary would do very well , there is one unmentioned credits , or unknown actors , Christine
Leman , was the wife of our hero , I was a big fan of her as a teenager , I would watch her on POTERGIEST : THE LEGACY the TV series , and also Christine was on Nathan Fillion’s very first TV show which was called : DRVIEN , I am hopping you would email me some time soon , I am now 50 years old , and I would love to
share my history with you , have a very nice day Chris Clubb
Chris, you can share your thoughts right here. TOTAL RECALL fans are always welcome!