The pilot does have a peculiar edit.....

[greenguy]

I was waiting to see if anyone picked up on this, but no one has yet so I'll comment on it. For those of you lucky to have an original copy of the ABC broadcast, and the new DVD set, check it out and compare both scenes.

We see Ralph in front of a full length mirror when he first appears in the costume. In one shot, he turns to the side as the camera starts panning from the head down. As the camera pans down, he places his left hand on his stomach as he sucks it in. The camera continues in a downward trek as he let's his left hand drop once again to his side. Finally the shot ends as the camera reaches the floor and his feet. That's the way the shot originally appeared in the pilot. Now, in the version of the pilot currently used as a master, we see the camera pan down, he reaches up and sucks in his stomach, the camera gets right about in the area just barely below the kneecaps and all of a sudden it cuts to the floor, at his feet. The camera starts panning up, his left hand reaches for his stomach, and then suddenly it cuts to the next shot.

I have no idea why the full length pan down wasn't used. The few seconds panning up from the floor found on the DVD version of the pilot appears to be running in reverse. Notice the way the cape is moving, and the un-natural way his hand jerks up.

[jasonrobertyates]

Yeah I noticed the odd cut to. I think I have that same cut on my old copies (that I left behind in Cali' when I moved). I just thought it was bad edit. I didnt realize there was un-interupted pan. Or tilt.

[greenguy]

I haven't went and double checked, but I'm pretty sure it appears the same way in the version that Showcase Action ran of the pilot. So that would mean it's one of those funky changes that took place when they reworked the episodes, and struck those new prints for syndication in the late 90's.