# Identify this poorly-remembered movie or TV show about a robot detective **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [May 8, 2023, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742 "2023-05-08T10:53:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/1 "2023-05-08T10:53:59Z")
Live action, 1980s or thereabouts, I think from the USA, I think with a detective or mystery-solving theme; one of the main characters was a realistic humanoid robot (but not Inspector Gadget). One of his abilities was to take a photograph by pressing his nose - the photo (a polaroid snap) would rise up out from his shirt pocket. Can’t remember if it was a movie or a series. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/2 "2023-05-08T10:58:16Z")
Any chance > **[Holmes and Yoyo (TV Series 1976–1977) - IMDb](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0074005/)** > > Holmes and Yoyo: Created by Lee Hewitt, Jack Sher. With John Schuck, Richard B. Shull, Bruce Kirby, Andrea Howard. The cases of a hard luck police detective and his android partner. It reminded me of Hymie from Get Smart. * * * * * * I did some quick digging, the camera gag was a running joke and the show was connected in production to Get Smart. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/3 "2023-05-08T11:03:36Z")
That’s the one! Thanks ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/4 "2023-05-08T13:36:26Z")
Wow, John Schuck. He was everywhere on TV when I was a kid. And he’s still working a bit. Here’s pic from a 2022 film: > **[Santa Bootcamp (2022)](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt21650446/mediaviewer/rm736050177)** > > Santa Bootcamp ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/5 "2023-05-08T19:06:31Z")
Not to be confused with the more infamous [_Future Cop_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Cop_(TV_series)). > **[Future Cop (TV series) | Plagiarism lawsuit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Cop_(TV_series)#Plagiarism_lawsuit)** > > Writers Harlan Ellison and Ben Bova filed a lawsuit against Paramount Television, ex-Paramount exec Terry Keegan, and ABC-TV, alleging that Future Cop was plagiarized from their own pitch for a TV series, which was based on their 1970 short story "Brillo." The lawsuit was settled in 1980, awarding Ellison and Bova $182,500 in compensatory damages and $154,500 in punitive damages. The story's title was allegedly a pun, as a robot policeman could be referred to as "steel fuzz", like Brillo soa ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/6 "2023-05-08T19:53:25Z")
How about the one with Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E? > **["Friends" The One with Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E. (TV Episode 2000) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756482/)** > > The One with Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E.: Directed by Kevin Bright. With Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc. Chandler forgets to write down a message for Joey when the time of his audition for the lead in a TV show is changed. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/7 "2023-05-08T20:02:26Z")
Ha, the series was shown in Spain too, all I remembered was the time he ran into a glass door and a streeeeeaaam of polaroids shot out of his pocket! I would never have remembered the name, that is the only scene that stuck. And I can’t find it on You Tube… ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/8 "2023-05-08T20:04:10Z")
I’ve got to throw in a pretty good one, [Almost Human](https://imdb.com/title/tt2654580/), starting Karl Urban and Michael Ealy. Huge production costs and only OK viewership, it was canceled after one season. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/9 "2023-05-08T22:59:31Z")
I was thinking of Mann and Machine (1992), a Dick Wolf show starring Yancy Butler (Witchblade), David Andrews, and S. Epatha Merkeson (Law & Order). ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/10 "2023-05-09T00:25:10Z")
What was the show where it was basically A-Team but one of the members was inexplicably a robot that looked like one of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 robots? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/11 "2023-05-09T00:26:12Z")
Doom Patrol or Misfits of Science? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/12 "2023-05-09T03:55:08Z")
Whenever I hear about John Shuck I can’t help but think of this “star-studded” TV series from the past. I tried watching an episode but just couldn’t take it seriously. (Read the full cast list and you’ll see what I mean.) > **[Greatest Heroes of the Bible (TV Series 1978–1979) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077018/)** > > Greatest Heroes of the Bible: Created by James L. Conway, Charles E. Sellier Jr.. With Brad Crandall, Victor Jory, Peter Mark Richman, Will Kuluva. Anthology of famous events of the Old Testament. Robert Vaughn as “King Darius” was as creepy as he was playing the murderer on _ **Columbo** _. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/13 "2023-05-09T04:48:16Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > What was the show where it was basically A-Team but one of the members was inexplicably a robot that looked like one of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 robots Riptide. [![](https://editorial01.shutterstock.com/preview-440/1609800a/26d7e318/Shutterstock_1609800a.jpg) ](https://editorial01.shutterstock.com/preview-440/1609800a/26d7e318/Shutterstock_1609800a.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/14 "2023-05-09T09:03:18Z")
Bingo, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/15 "2023-05-09T17:47:10Z")
Knockoff Magnum PI plus knockoff Lewis Skolnick got _three_ seasons!? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/16 "2023-05-09T20:14:44Z")
It was the era of _Jake And The Fatman_ and _Hardcastle And McCormick_ in the wake of _Simon and Simon_. People lapped that stuff up. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/17 "2023-05-09T20:18:04Z")
And _Man from Atlantis_ I loved that show as a kid and I was devastated when it ended. On reflection though, getting kids to believe in, and then probably emulate, a character who can breathe underwater mayyyybe wasn’t the best thing… ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2023, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/18 "2023-05-09T20:22:54Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > And _Man from Atlantis_ I loved that show as a kid and I was devastated when it ended. Fondly remembered in China as one of the first western TV shows to be shown there. ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/19 "2023-05-10T02:56:54Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Fondly remembered in China as one of the first western TV shows to be shown there. Makes me feel even more bad for China ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742/20 "2023-05-10T15:54:48Z")
I loved Simon and Simon, and I remember watching Riptide too. I had completely forgotten about that show. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-poorly-remembered-movie-or-tv-show-about-a-robot-detective/983742.md?page=2)