History Series / HumanTarget

''Human Target'' is the story of Christopher Chance, a bodyguard and private detective for hire who impersonates his clients in order to draw out whoever is threatening them and 'eliminate' them. It has its roots as a Creator/DCComics [[ComicBook/HumanTarget comic book]] and has been adapted as a TV series twice: once in Summer of 1992 on Creator/{{ABC}}, and another that premiered in January 2010 on {{Creator/FOX}}.

The 2010 series was cancelled after two seasons. A DVD and Blu-Ray release of Season 1 is out. Season 2's release is in the work, because of supposed problems in clearing music rights prior to DVD and Blu-Ray production.

As of 2013, Warner Home Video has not said anything about an official release of Season 2 and it is not available on any streaming service.

* AlmostKiss: between [[spoiler: Chance and Ilsa.]]

* {{Backstory}}: "Christopher Chance"

* {{Catchphrase}}:

* ChekhovsGun: The water cooler in "Lockdown" among many others.

* CurbStompBattle: Chance's forte.

* GirlOfTheWeek

* GreatEscape: "Lockdown"

* NerdsAreSexy: Layla

* RuleOfCool: The show runs on it.

* ScaryBlackMan: Baptiste

* TeamMom: Winston.
* TeamPet: Carmine.

* WeHelpTheHelpless
** Everything else is just for fun.
* WhamEpisode: From the first season: "Christopher Chance." From the second season: "Communications Breakdown."

* FiveManBand: Chance is TheHero, Winston is TheLancer[=/=]TheSmartGuy, Guerrero is TheBigGuy, Ames is TheChick, and Ilsa is MissionControl[=/=]TeamMom.

* ActionGirl: Ames is suppose to be one but currently she's on a fast track into FauxActionGirl territory; perhaps justified in that she has a background as a thief. [[spoiler: Ilsa, on the other hand is, judging by the fight she puts up in "Communications Breakdown" most definitely an ActionGirl... though given that she lacks even the rough and tumble past of Ames, being an ActionGirl means a HeroicBSOD since she's forced to kill someone and most of the fight is less her fighting and more her basically being unwilling to be killed quietly.]]

As of 2013, Warner Home Video has not said anything about an official release of Season 2, although both seasons are legally available for viewing consumption via Amazon, iTunes and the DC Universe app.

''Human Target'' is the story of Christopher Chance, a bodyguard and private detective for hire who impersonates his clients in order to draw out whoever is threatening them and 'eliminate' them. It has its roots as a Creator/DCComics comic book, and has been adapted as a TV series twice: once in Summer of 1992 on Creator/{{ABC}}, and another that premiered in January 2010 on {{Creator/FOX}}.

* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Guerrero's method of choice. Though being Guerrero, he turns it UpToEleven with extreme doses of psychological terror via threats of outright torture. Threats which are -not- bluffs.

* {{Meganekko}}: Layla.

* CastCalculus:
** FreudianTrio: Chance (Ego), Winston (Superego), Guerrero (Id).
** FiveManBand:
*** TheHero: Chance\\
TheLancer[=/=]TheSmartGuy: Winston\\
TheBigGuy: Guerrero\\
TheChick: Ames\\
MissionControl[=/=]TeamMom: Ilsa
** GuestStarPartyMember: Emma Barnes, originally introduced in "Embassy" returns for "Baptiste", opening the doors for other one-shot characters to possibly return.
*** Layla from "Lockdown" is also present in the same episode.
* CatchPhrase: Guerrero likes to say 'dude' a lot.
** Subverted in the season finale, wherein he wakes up on the floor after being knocked out by Chance. Baptiste greets him, and he returns the greeting with "Hey, mate". Baptiste is British/Australian/South African.

* FanService: "How am I supposed to fit through that [vent]?" "Strip down. Oil up."
** I think, after the "underwear sun-bathing/distraction" scene in "Communications Breakdown", we can just say: Ames, and that'll about cover it.

* GenreThrowback: To the TV adventures series of the past like ''The Fall Guy'' or ''Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan''.

* HeelFaceTurn: Notably Guerrero, Ames, and Chance. The last definitely, the first sorta, and the second oddly. As Winston noted, Ames has started paying taxes since joining the team.
** Because, unlike Guerrero, she's willing to take a check. Nevertheless, being that she was a notable thief before joining the team, paying taxes was probably something she conveniently forgot to do.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[spoiler: Katherine Walters from the final episode of the first season.]]
** Subverted, however, with [[spoiler:Ilsa Pucci]] from "Communications Breakdown." She's in real danger and it looks like she actually might be killed when the trigger is pulled [[spoiler:but the bullet went into Hector Lopez instead]]. Though she didn't die, she was badly beaten and suffered a HeroicBSOD.

* WorkingWithTheEx: [spoiler: "Salvage & Reclamation" and "A Problem Like Maria".]] Both episodes feature Chance working with his ex-girlfriend [[spoiler: Maria Gallego.]]

* RememberTheNewGuy: Harry is an old friend of the gang who is kinda of hanger on, always asking to come along on missions, getting into wacky side adventures and messing things up but generally helping Chance do his job in the end. Oh and we've never heard of him until "Communications Breakdown" in the middle of the second season where he makes his first of two appearances in the entire series.

* RuleOfSymbolism: In "Baptiste", Chance and Baptiste's episode-long conversation takes place in front of a picture of Lucifer's fall from grace. It's interesting to note that Chance is sitting in front of Lucifer and Baptiste in front of the host of angels tossing Lucifer out.
* SawedOffShotgun: Used by Chance, Guerrero and Maria.

* ShooOutTheNewGuy: The appropriately-named Ilsa Pucci. She is introduced in the second-season, and serves as a foil and romantic interest to Chance. Fan response to her has been... mixed, to say the least.

** Happened again when Ames had to choose between two valves for a gas main. Unfortunately, Winston and Guerrero disagreed on which one to pick. [[spoiler:So she turned both off... and it worked]].
* WorkingWithTheEx: One episode where Chance has to work with his ex girlfriend.

* PleasePutSomeClothesOn: Lightheartedly [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Chance, who was the reason she got naked in the first place.

* RememberTheNewGuy: Harry is an old friend of the gang who is kinda of hanger on, always asking to come along on missions, getting into wacky side adventures and messing things up but generally helping Chance do his job in the end. Oh and we've never heard of him until "Communications Breakdown" in the middle of second season where he makes his first of two appearances in the entire series.

** And apparently working with Chance is just one way she does this. More than once she has mentioned trying to take down one other their targets before, though probably not the way they do.

** In a later episode, he's gives Ilsa and her sister time to talk in private over personal matters (though to be fair, he's also smitten with said sister). In the same episode, he also trusts Ilsa enough at this point to toss his earpiece to her before being captured. Considering his generally open disdain or indifference for her prior, this is a huge step in how he thinks of Ilsa. [[spoiler: Though some of it may be due to the events of "Communications Breakdown" as it's not out of the question to think that his opinion of Ilsa was improved by her being capable of killing Lopez on her own.]]
* PistolWhipping: Chance does this to [[spoiler:Guerrero]] in a flashback during in "Christopher Chance".

As of 2013, Warner Home Video has not said anything about an official release of Season 2, although both seasons are legally available for viewing consumption via Amazon and iTunes.

** Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley) again. He lies, steals, breaks in, hacks, and performs a library of other acts of questionable legality, but in the name of the greater good. He even shows he has a sense of loyalty and standards. When it comes to bad guys though, he can be surprisingly villainous down to threatening their families - threats the villains (those who know who he is) know he's willing to carry out.