The Powers of Matthew Star

1982 - 1983

Jackal

17th September 1982

Episode 1

Five miles out of Crestridge, a UFO lands. When the landing is picked up by military radar, a call is placed to a General Tucker. Nearby, a man hands a woman a likeness of Walt/D'Hai on a disk and instructs her to find him and the boy. Matthew Star can't sleep. He admits to his guardian, Walt Shepherd (""Shep""), that he's tired of running. Walt agrees, but the alternative is death. Matt feels cheated that he never knew his father and can't have a normal life. Walt encourages him. They are in a new town, which is safe, for now. It's the first day of school. Mr. Shepherd finds himself in Principal Kenneth Heller's office. Before long, he realizes he is not only the Science teacher, but Home Economics, Track Coach and Football Team Trainer. Matt meets Pam in Drama Class and they are instantly attracted to each other. He also meets Bob, and Brian, who reacts to him threateningly. Meanwhile, Walt finds his class unenthusiastic about the wonderful world of Science. At lunch, Matt me

Accused

24th September 1982

Episode 2

April is singing (badly) at Backtrack Studios. The producers, including Joe Allen, roll their eyes. He's got a suitcase. A black man with a white suit enters a nightclub with a suitcase of his own. There's a meeting upstairs and we realize now that the black man looks exactly like Walt Shepherd. Three cops are waiting at a table expectantly, and head upstairs. As diamonds are exchanged for cash, the cops pounce. The lookalike shoots one of the cops and escapes through the nightclub. Walt comes home late after browsing at an RV center for three hours. When he sees Matthew using his telekinesis to return a book to a shelf, he challenges him to try it blindfolded, since his father had the ability to do it. The neighbor's dog distracts Matt's concentration and a broken window results. At Valley Hospital, two cops discuss their dead partner, Robert Carson, and vow revenge. Detective Crawford remembers seeing the killer at Crestridge High; a teacher. Crawford goes to the school to que

Daredevil

1st October 1982

Episode 3

Pam is in girl's shower. The camera closes in on the door, through which a monster enters. It turns off the lights and grabs her. Pam screams, then giggles. The director, Trent, yells cut and scolds Pam for not dying properly. The stuntman, Burt, calls for a break. They are filming ""Zombie Letterman."" Pete, a gopher on the set, sees Matt for the first time in four years. They used to live next door in Connecticut. He asks about his guardian; Matt cuts him off. Pete runs to get some tape, Matt joins him. The scene starts again. Meanwhile, Pete tells Matt that he wants to be a stuntman and that this is a good start. Matt invites Pete to stay at his house. During football practice, with Pete watching, from his motorbike, Matt throws a bad pass then gets tackled. Finally his pass is caught. Matt and Pam drive to his house. Pete follows on the motorbike, popping wheelies and clowning around. He dodges a truck, but nearly slams into a car. Luckily, Matt intervenes with telekinesi

Genius

8th October 1982

Episode 4

Matt and Pam are discussing his inability to get around to buying concert tickets. Jerry is trying to start lawn mower that runs on garbage. Monica explaining science project to Walt about Solar Prime paint and its ability to withstand hot and cold temperatures. Matt and Pam drop by to leave note for Walt. They hear Monica talking and while waiting, they sniff her paint. Matt can smell it; Pam can't. They leave. Monica's father is bragging on her, saying that people already interested in paint. The garbage-powered lawn mower is running out of control. Matt and Pam pass it and laugh as it goes by. It circles back around to the pair, but Matt is unable to stop it with telekinesis. A distressed Matt discussed the problem with Walt. Matt tries to open the over door, but is unable to. Walt reassures him that it is probably temporary and pulls a pizza out of the oven. Commenting that the pizza smells good, Matt remembers that he could smell the Solar Prime and that Pam couldn't. Walt a

Prediction

15th October 1982

Episode 5

Bob is drag-racing against some students from Oakridge High. Becky Vance is in his car, cheering him on. Pam and Matt are looking on from the sidelines. The race starts and it looks like Bob will win, but the other car cuts him off. Matt realizes Bob's car is headed for a pole, but manages to use his powers to divert the car into a hard stop away from the pole. Becky hits her head. Almost immediately, she has a vision of a shattering windshield. Matt sees her vision and becomes concerned. He offers to drive her home, which Pam is not happy about. In Matt's van, she has the vision again, of the shattering windshield and people shouting. Matt asks if she needs to see a doctor. She says she's fine. Becky gets home. Her father sees her rubbing her head and asks what's going on. She says that Matt drove her home and he hit the brakes hard. Mr. Vance tells her not see him anymore. Matt talks to Walt about seeing Becky's vision. Walt advises it may have not been the future, but

The Italian Caper

29th October 1982

Episode 6

In Italy, a supply truck in the midst of a convoy travels through rocky hills under armed guard. Terrorists watching from higher in the hills throw grenades and start firing. Another grenade causes something in a wooden crate to fall out of the back of the truck and roll off the edge of a cliff, followed by an avalanche of heaving rocks. The terrorists are not happy. Neither are the American soldiers. Walt is talking to General Tucker on the phone. Tucker needs help to retrieve an Anti-Gravity Device (AGD) from its rock burial. Walt refuses, since it's the middle of a semester. Better to wait until next school break. Meanwhile, Matthew opens window to feed Sam and blows cash off desk, which is for the school dance. Matthew is president of the School Dance Committee. He and Pam aren't seeing eye to eye on the choice of music. The school principal enters Walt's classroom the next day and announces that Matt is a finalist in the International Science Fair Contest, to be held in I

Winning

5th November 1982

Episode 7

It's football practice. Coach Curtis and Walt (the trainer) Shepherd are coaching the players. Tony Garcia, the star Quarterback, is accepting praise while tossing his ball after practice to Matt. Matt is unhappily collecting the balls and putting them back in the bag. He's also disgruntled about Tony hanging all over Pam. They walk off the field with Tony's arm around her. Getting fed up, Matt uses telekinesis to put the rest of the balls away. Walt catches him and scolds him. Matt has always wanted to play football and doesn't see why he can't now. Walt reminds him that sports injuries are worse for Matt, since he can't be x-rayed. Matt protests, saying he just wants to belong. Not only does he tell Walt that he can pass the ball, he proves it as Walt runs out to catch on. Walt is impressed. At the next practice, both Matt and Tony are throwing the ball. Bob's on the team, too. In science class, Walt is talking about prisms and asking easy questions of Tony that he can't an

Endurance a/k/a Survival

12th November 1982

Episode 8

A set of binoculars (not to mention a cougar) watch Walt, Matt, Coach Curtis, Pam, Lisa, Anne, Fletcher and Ted hike into the mountains to build a survival shack. (Anne's boyfriend had died from exposure). On the way up, Pam sprains her ankle. Walt mentions privately to Matt that Matt's father loved the mountains. That night, Lisa is complaining about just about everything. Fletcher won't accept help in setting up his tent. Ranger Campbell arrives and warns them to be a cautious. Two patients from West Valley Mental Hospital escaped into the mountains some time back and might be dangerous. Arguments start and Lisa runs off, then screams. The others pull her down from a rope snare. When they get back to camp, the camp has been destroyed, along with their radio. The group votes to stay. The next day, while gathering wood for the shack, the girls take a quick dip in a pond. Something or someone grabs Lisa's leg and frightens her. During dinner around the campfire, the cougar thre

The Triangle

19th November 1982

Episode 9

Ron Elliot, Pam's uncle, is flying a small plane over the Bermuda Triangle. Dictating a message on a handheld recorder for Pam, Ron tells her that he thinks the treasure is close, thanks to his on-board high tech metal detector. While discussing his coordinates with over the radio with the mainland, he realizes he is lost. The metal detector goes crazy, he loses radio contact and goes into a dive over one of the islands. Two strangers are watching as the plane hits the ground. Matt is looking at a necklace with a miniature version of the kashot when Walt enters the bedroom and admires it. Matt wants to give it as a birthday gift to Pam, which stuns Walt. It is a significant symbol of Quadris. He wants to hear the Matthew say his oath (Creed of Kings) which will some day be taken while holding the real kashot, but the prince would rather not. Furthermore, Matt insists he's not giving away the oath or his belief in it; just the necklace. Walt concedes and offers to help find wra

Mother

26th November 1982

Episode 10

Matt and Pam are at the carnival. Pam is having a hard time popping balloons with darts, but Matt doesn't have any better luck. Madam Paloma, a fortune teller, is watching them intently, as is a man picking up litter. Matt sees the gypsy and asks if Pam wants her fortune told. She says, no, it's probably just an old lady from Iowa. They hear a girl crying and go to help. The girl has been trying to win at the Wheel of Fortune, but the wheel keeps moving past the winner's spot, even though she wins. Matt and Pam promise to help her win. The man spins the wheel and, once again, it ""slips"" out of the winner's spot (thanks to a control he's working with his foot). A little telekinesis returns the wheel to the proper place and the delights girl wins a bear. The man is not so delighted. Madam Paloma has been watching the interaction with interest (as is man picking up litter). She comes forward and offers to tell their fortunes. Matt seems drawn to her, although he doesn't realize

Experiment

10th December 1982

Episode 11

Ms. Johnson's class is on a field trip to Marine Park and are listening to Dr. Simon Barnard, renowned marine scientist. During the speech, Matthew hears a strange cry for help in his mind. When he hears it again, he tells Pam he's going for a drink, but actually goes to investigate. He follows the psychic voice to a restricted pool. It's a dolphin named Susie, who begs him for help, telling him that she's in pain. A man shows up to chase Matthew off, implying that the area is restricted. Matt rejoins the group and asks Dr. Barnard and communication with dolphins and if training dolphins is strenuous. After much joking, Dr. Barnard promise to give Matt some book titles. Walt is preparing Naldic soup, his grandmother's recipe. Matt is edgy and tells Walt about his encounter. Matt wants to help Susie and is not going to ignore her pleas. Walt suggests they make a call to Animal Welfare. Matt concedes. Matt can't sleep; he's having receiving visions from Susie of someone in the p

Fugitives

17th December 1982

Episode 12

Matt takes Pam a plate of food. She's working as a candy striper for Dr. Lindsey at Memorial Hospital. Dr. Lindsey is frustrated at his thermomagnetic scanner and Pam thinks it would take a better image of Matt than a dummy. She promises it's just like a photograph. Matt brings the photos of his chest (shirt) home. Walt is grading tests until he spots the photos. They have thermomagnetic scanners back home and knows exactly what they do. He asks Matt why hospitals would spend thousands of dollars on these machines if all they do is take regular pictures. They now have an image of Matthew showing his two hearts and fifteen ribs. Matt feels bad and Walt says he'll take care of it. Dressed in a doctor's coat, Walt goes to the hospital and has Dr. Lindsey paged to the ER. With Dr. Lindsey gone, Walt sneaks in and deletes Matthew's data. Dr. Lindsey is aggravated and tries to find out who paged him, then returns to his room. Walt is forced to hide in an adjoining room and inadver

Matthew Star: D.O.A.

21st January 1983

Episode 13

A nice car drives over to the bad part of town. Two men get out, scrutinize a few homeless beggars, and pick one. They ask him if he's ever worked with a gun. He thinks they mean a job, when actually they plan to put him out of his misery. Matt stops in the middle of a basketball game with Nick upon seeing Kerri Saxon walking past. He's instantly smitten with her, but Nick tells him to give up. She's always with her two brothers and never has had a date. She might not even know she's a girl. Matt takes on a bet, but is interrupted before his cool opening line by his flashing communication ring. Walt and Matt are driving to a secret location. The communication rings are from the government. General Tucker was transferred to Greenland, and his replacement General Wymore has apparently been taking full advantage of the pair. They help him, he doesn't disclose their secret identities. They meet at a mission. Wymore is no-nonsense and brusque. He says he's heard Matt can walk th

The Racer's Edge

28th January 1983

Episode 14

Tony Garcia goes up to hotel clerk and says he is looking for Caroline Ashley. He goes up to her room, but is called into a neighboring room. Before he knows what is happening, he is shot with an animal tranquilizer. A different man grabs Mr. Garcia's ID and puts it in his own pocket. A reporter named Burnside is pestering Caroline while she works on her dirt bike. He wants an interview; she wants her mechanic. The man that shot the real Tony Garcia shows up and claims he is Tony Garcia, her new mechanic. Matt is playing darts with Terri. She's very bad, but he makes her better with telekinesis and says she's a natural. They are about to kiss when his communication ring from Wymore goes off. He leaves Terri, but tells her to keep practicing. As Walt and Matt wait for the General to arrive at an airplane hangar, Matt complains that his love life is being destroyed by Wymore. Wymore shows up in a trenchcoat ala Casablanca and informs them Sherman Ashley of the State Department

Dead Man's Hand

11th February 1983

Episode 15

At the Golden Harvest Casino, a blackjack game is being watch by surveillance camera by Mr. Veets. His assistant, Frank, enters, soon followed by room service. Mr. Veets asks Frank to give the man a tip. Frank pulls out a gun. Matt is glued to a Western TV show. At first, Walt balks and calls it garbage, but he gets sucked in, too. The communication rings go off. They meet General Wymore at a church. Mr. Veets, a big crime boss, owns casinos all over the country, but no one has been able to find records on his dealings. Whenever law enforcement officials get close, they win big at Veets' casino, then lose big, and then blackmailed into keeping quiet. Wymore wants those records. It's on to Vegas for Matt and Walt. Matt tries to get a job at the casino, but gets turned down. Veets and Frank are watching a horse race. Walt enters, calling himself Virgil Greer. He wants to work for Veets and demonstrates with an impressive card demonstration. He says he used to work for Neil Wol

Thirty-Six Hours

18th February 1983

Episode 16

Artemis space shuttle releases satellite into space and switches to the ALM automatic landing mode. Mission Control is happy. At Parkland Space Center, a fire truck is let onto the base and hooks up a fire hose to a building and turns on a gas cannister. Mission Control begins passing out. Two men run in, dressed like firemen, and pull a device out of the computer. They unhook the hose and drive away. When Dr. Autrey at Mission Control wakes up, he realizes that the shuttle will land in 36 hours and has no landing device. At home, Matthew is building a house of cards while watching the space shuttle deploy its cargo. Walt can't believe the primitiveness of it all. The communication rings flash and it's time to miss dinner again. Matt and Walt meet General Wymore at the movies; an alien movie in particular. The ALM system has been stolen and time is running out for the space shuttle. The shuttle can't land without it and there is no backup device. Their contact at Parkland will b

The Quadrian Caper

25th February 1983

Episode 17

Deke Griffin gets out of jail after twelve years. He sets into car of who he believes is old partner, Vince, but actually its Donna, Vince's daughter. Vince is dead. Donna wants Deke's help to rob a small bank. Deke wants instead to get ten million in diamonds. After an airplane flight, Matt and Walt end up at Gary Wymore's pet-filled home, nephew of the general. General Wymore says this case is of a personal nature and Walt says no. That wasn't part of their agreement. Gary walks in with a Saint Bernard dog (Charlemagne)and explains he needed quick money to keep the animal shelter open, and ""borrowed"" an expensive necklace from Ms. Brewer's safety deposit box, since he works at the bank. However, they changed the security system and Gary is no longer able to put the necklace back. Deke arrives at the fancy estate of Frank Lund and escorted inside. Deke wants his share of the Emburro Diamonds from the job which he just served twelve years for. Frank shrugs and sa

Brain Drain

Episode 18

Dr. Bentley Pierce is running the perimeter of the grounds of an estate, looking for a way out, when he trips and falls. Mr. Weston walks up and tells him he can't leave; he hasn't found his happy place yet. Weston tells his men to take Pierce back inside. Matt and Walt are playing guards. Matthew is winning by several household chores and $8,000,000. Walt is about to win when the communication rings flash. When he accuses Matt of bluffing and wants to see his cards, Matt transmutes them into blank cards when they are flipped over. They meet General Wymore at a gym. While Wymore huffs and puffs on a stationary bike, he shows them a picture of Dr. Pierce, a famous economist, who's missing from his home in Seattle. There are a number of geniuses missing and the general wants to put a stop to it, especially since the nefarious Omar Mustafa has arrived in Seattle, too. He also tells the Quadrians they have 58 minutes to make the plane. Weston is discussing the drugging of the geniu

The Great Waldo Shepard

11th March 1983

Episode 19

A plane lands and Matt, Walt, Terry Wilson and his son, Ryan, get off. They've spent the weekend vacationing in Moose Valley. As they go into a diner at the airport, two men are putting chloroform on a rag. They take out the man refueling the plane. Ryan is taking photos out on the airfield and sees the men stealing the plane and hollers for help. The three come running out, but the plane is already in the air. Terry admits that he left his briefcase inside, which had NATO defense plans inside. He must get it back. Matt and Walt develop the photos and see photos of hat emblems and shirts: Lucky Lindy Air Show and Redlands. At the Redlands, a plane lands in the hangar, and new paint and numbers are immediately applied. As Lou oversees this, his girlfriend, Nancy, walks up and confirms their dinner date. Lou goes back into the hangar and turns a key on a steel box on the wall. A secret door opens and he goes inside to talk to his partner, Latimer. The exchange for money will be

Road Rebels

25th March 1983

Episode 20

No overview available.

Swords and Quests

Episode 21

Fred Ward travels down dark stairs with a flashlight and is startled by a black cat. Chains rattle and a door opens. A black masked man in a black cape ""sails"" down. Fred wants to know what's going on. In a booming voice, the Sorcerer refuses to talk and whisks Fred away. At Kingston State University, Dr. Tucker, Bio-chem Professor, hands Steve the test he aced. Dr. Tucker's daughter, Mandy, enters. Steve and Mandy discuss the role playing game, Swords and Quests, which Tucker dismisses as a waste of time. Hugh Travis, Dr. Tucker's teaching assistant, enters. He doesn't know where Fred is. Steve says they'll have to replace Fred in the game and he knows just who to call. Matt has wires attached to his chest and an exasperated look on his face. Walt's giving him a medical checkup and wants him to transmute something. Matt changes a lamp into a popcorn popper, but not too impressively. Walt's trying to find out why Matt is low on energy and Matt insists it's from boredom. His

Starr Knight

15th April 1983

Episode 22

No overview available.

Top Cast

Peter Barton•Louis Gossett Jr.•Amy Steel

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

The Powers of Matthew Star is an American sci-fi television series that aired from September 17, 1982 through April 8, 1983, on NBC. It starred Peter Barton as the title character, alien prince Matthew ‘E’Hawke’ Star of the planet Quadris. Also starring were Amy Steel as Pam Elliot, Matthew’s girlfriend at Crestridge High, and Louis Gossett, Jr. as Matthew’s guardian Walt ‘D’hai’ Shepherd. In 2002, The Powers of Matthew Star was ranked #22 on the list of TV Guide's "50 Worst TV Shows of All Time".

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Full Cast

Peter Barton Image

Peter Barton

Matthew Star (E'Hawke)

Louis Gossett Jr. Image

Louis Gossett Jr.

Walter "Walt" Shepherd (D'Hai)

Amy Steel Image

Amy Steel

Pamela Elliot

James Karen Image

James Karen

Major Wymore

John Crawford Image

John Crawford

General Tucker

Full Crew

Harve Bennett Image

Harve Bennett

Producer

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