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''' |
5 | |
6 | A television series created by Creator/StephenJCannell that ran for two seasons from 1985 to 1987. |
7 | |
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. |
11 | |
12 | Compare ''Series/VengeanceUnlimited'' and ''Series/{{Leverage}}''. |
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14 | !!Tropes: |
15 | |
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. |
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