- Title: Transporter: The Series – Trojan Horsepower
- wiki: link
Casting Chris Vance as a stand-in for Jason Statham, Transporter: The Series follows the further adventures of Frank Martin in his role of a former British SAS operative and trained driver who sells his services to those in need of his special skill-set to have something, or someone, transported safely. In “Trojan Horsepower” Frank’s mechanic Dieter Hausmann (Charly Hübner) enlists Frank’s help for a friend (Moon Dailly) in need of transporting the only existing prototype of world-changing engine which men will kill to never see unveiled at the Paris Motor Show.
Breaking two of his rules just by agreeing to the job (the show sets up the rules and basic concept for those who don’t remember the movies… but are still watching?), Frank attempts to get the engine and his passenger from Nice to Paris without getting killed. As a late-night cable alternative the show isn’t bad in the same kind of scruffy B-movie style of the Luc Besson movies. The physical and driving stunts are fairly impressive in this episode and Vance makes for a passable Frank Martin. Although I am concerned that the concept of the movies seem to limit the variety of episodes the show can deliver.
Premiering recently on TNT in back-to-back two-episode blocks, the French-Canadian series is edited a bit for broadcast (most noticeably in covering the nudity of the female guest-star). The show was renewed for a second 12 episode season meaning there could be quite a few more missions for this version of Frank Martin to deliver.