Line #6 Series/Stingray1985


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stingray_1985.jpg]]
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3	->''"The world runs on money. Everybody walks around with this invisible number in their heads. You hit the figure close enough, the penny drops, you own the man. In UsefulNotes/HongKong you can buy a murder for five bucks. In UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity a sloppy job runs you five hundred. A neat, clean, professional hit, upwards of ten grand. On skid row they'll kill you for your shoes. I take money out of the equation. My hands don't sweat, because I'm never at the pay window."''
4	-->--'''Ray'''
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6	A television series created by Creator/StephenJCannell that ran for two seasons from 1985 to 1987.
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8	Ray (played by Creator/NickMancuso) a man with a mysterious past would help a client with their problem. They would approach him by answering an ad that ran every Friday in the New York Times offering a "'65 black Stingray for Barter Only". Ray would not take money from his clients but demand a favor that he would eventually collect.
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10	No relation to the 1964 [[Series/{{Stingray 1964}} puppet show of the same name]] (about a special naval agency and evil [[FishPeople fish-men]]) created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson of ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'' fame (interestingly, the title was ''not'' changed when the series was screened on Creator/{{ITV}} in the UK - clearly no one could ever get the two confused!). Nor to the ''Corvette Summer'' clone from 1978. Nor to the creature that ended the life of Creator/SteveIrwin.
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12	Compare ''Series/VengeanceUnlimited'' and ''Series/{{Leverage}}''.
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14	!!Tropes:
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16	* ActionSeries: Typical of the era, with a wandering hero causing problem for the bad guys on each CityOfAdventure he visits per week.
17	* BaitAndSwitchCredits: The opening credits are awesome, with a cool theme by Post & Carpenter, but the one sin that could be chalked against them is that it paints the series as more mystical/sci-fi that it truly is.
18	* CoolCar: Ray's '65 Corvette.
19	* DarkAndTroubledPast[=/=]MysteriousPast: Although hints are dropped throughout the series, Ray's reasons for what he does, and what led him to it, are never explicitly revealed.
20	* DiabolicalMastermind: Creator/RobertVaughn's unnamed character in "Abnormal Psych."
21	* GoAmongMadPeople: The episode "Abnormal Psych" has Ray infiltrating a BedlamHouse on behalf of his client-of-the-week.
22	* HerosClassicCar: The series is named after it.
23	* MagicalNativeAmerican: "The Neniwa."
24	* ASimplePlan: The episode "Caper".
25	* TheUnreveal: While Ray has worked for the government in some capacity, he has taken steps to obscure his real identity. His current is always Ray; last name, but the name always belongs to someone else. Once it was a black special forces officer.
26	* VehicleBasedCharacterization: Ray drives a black 1965 Corvette Stingray that's sleek, fast, powerful, and stealthy, much like the covert detective work Ray performs.
27	* VigilanteMan: Ray only helps people who are good. He kills in self-defense or to help the innocent, but only as a last resort.
28	* WeHelpTheHelpless: The clients-of-the-week are people at the end of their rope and accosted by very powerful criminals who call the number of a specific ad in the paper's classifieds advertising a "'65 Corvette Stingray, for barter" and hire Ray.
29	* YouOweMe: Ray barters for his services, a favor for a favor. Often, he'd often call in favors from previous clients (that is, those from previous episodes) to assist in his current mission.

Context Series / Stingray1985