Fortune Hunter is an American action-adventure drama series that aired on Fox in the United States from September 4 to October 2, 1994, starring Mark Frankel as spy Carlton Dial.
Of the 13 episodes produced, only five were broadcast in the US, though the series aired in its entirety in other countries. The decision to have the series air immediately after Fox NFL Sunday was a factor in the dismissal of Sandy Grushow, president of Fox Entertainment, by chairman Rupert Murdoch.
The series follows the adventures of Carlton Dial (Mark Frankel), an ex-government agent who now works for the Intercept Corporation, a high-tech global recovery organization based in San Francisco, with his tech-savvy partner, Harry Flack (John Robert Hoffman). Dial's assignments take him to exotic locales and into danger to recover sought-after itemsâÂÂsuch as classified information, complex weapons systems, and endangered species, which have fallen into the wrong handsâÂÂfor a fee. He takes his assignments seriously, as he is determined to keep his perfect success record intact. On these assignments, he utilizes technology such as a special contact lens that he wears, which features a built-in camera and electronic earpiece. It allows Harry, who is linked to him by computer, to see and hear everything he does and communicate with him from the Corporation's home office and relay information.
Fortune Hunter was created by Steve Aspis and filmed in Orlando, Florida by BBK Productions, executive produced by Carlton Cuse and Frank Lupo.
Tony Scott of Variety compared Dial to James Bond, and wrote, "Drugged drinks, an evil villain, poker in evening clothes, dinner-jacketed fights, explosions, electronic machinery and familiar plotting add up to a spyorama lampoonâÂÂit's strictly second-bill action, off-the-rack dialogue, unimaginative direction and casual acting." Scott D. Pierce of the Deseret News wrote, "The pilot drags and it's too hokey, but the extremely handsome Frankel has star potential."