Line #28 Series/ShadowChasers


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5	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shadowchasers.jpg]]
6	[[caption-width-right:350:Jonathan [=MacKensie=] and Edgar "Benny" Benedek]]
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8	A sci-fi/fantasy/horror/mystery series that aired on [[Creator/AmericanBroadcastingCompany ABC]] in 1985–86.
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10	Jonathan [=MacKensie=] (Trevor Eve) is a British anthropology professor at the Georgetown Institute of Science and Technology in UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC. Jonathan has a bright academic future ahead; unfortunately, he finds himself getting blackmailed by his department head, Dr. Julianna Moorhouse (Nina Foch), into investigating paranormal occurrences. Along the way, he meets tabloid newshound Edgar "Benny" Benedek (Creator/DennisDugan) and they get involved into weird cases involving hauntings, possessions, curses, vampires, werewolves, a hospital "death angel", aliens and even time travelers. And a dragon.
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12	Easily the least successful series ever thought up by major TV Creator [[Series/{{V1983}} Kenneth]] [[Series/AlienNation Johnson]], ''Shadow Chasers'' didn't even get a full broadcast of its thirteen-episode first (and only) season. Fairly understandable, since it was going against powerhouses of the moment like ''Series/TheCosbyShow'' and ''Series/MagnumPI'' Still, it is interesting if only because its formula of a straight-laced academic skeptic paired with a fast-talking, worldly believer investigating paranormal activities predated ''Series/TheXFiles'' by a decade. The show also had a proper wrap-up last episode, something somewhat unusual for series at the time.
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14	Do not confuse this with the fanfic ''Fanfic/ShadowchasersSeries'', which is a [=YuGiOH!=] fic series.
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16	!!Tropes:
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18	* AgentMulder: Should this series have been a success, this trope would have been called The Benedek.
19	* AgentScully: Ditto for this trope. How does The [=MacKensie=] sound?
20	%%* BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord
21	* BritishStuffiness: Straight-laced professor? British, of course!
22	%%* BuriedAlive
23	%%* CorruptCorporateExecutive
24	%%* DealWithTheDevil
25	%%* FairyTale
26	* FantasyKitchenSink: For such a short series, they surely touched a lot of fantasy and parapsychology staples.
27	%%* GhostlyGoals
28	* IWantMyJetPack: By 2016 Parapsychology is a formal science and you can take training on {{Psychic Power}}s.
29	* InSeriesNickname: Benedek's nickname is Benny.
30	%%* IntrepidReporter
31	%%* MadScientist
32	%%* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane
33	%%* NakedFirstImpression
34	%%* OurMonstersAreDifferent
35	%%* OutOfBodyExperience
36	%%* PsychicPower
37	* ScoobyDooHoax: The series followed this formula during the first episodes, and then [[RealAfterAll a little detail without rational explanation]]. It went weirder and weirder as the series progressed.
38	%%* ShortRunners
39	* ShoutOut: TimeTravel can only work on living organic matter, so [[Franchise/{{Terminator}} clothes don't survive the travel]]
40	* SkepticNoLonger: [=MacKensie=] eventually embraces Parapsychology.
41	%%* TeacherStudentRomance
42	* TheEighties: The hair. Oh, the hair.
43	* TimeTravel: To SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong

Context Series / ShadowChasers