It has to be said, the programme controller for "4 Later", the UK's Channel 4 late night and early morning strand, knows how to pick winning Cult shows. We've had "Spy Game", "Prey", "Crusade", "Babylon 5", "Codename Eternity" and "Brimstone" in the ungodly hours for which this overnight strand must "Mind the Store". All of them worthy of a primetime slot, but in this multichannel age, that task will fall to satellite broadcasters rather than one of the massive terrestrial outlets.

"Vengeance Unlimited" is the jewel in the crown of "4 Later". Michael Madsen (Mr Blond in "Reservoir Dogs") is Mister Chapel (the original name of the series while it was in development). He has no first name. He has no back-story, although he does like chocolate, has the phone number 555-0132, and is good with kids. And you'll never know who he is or where he came from. But if your life has been shattered by tragedy, maybe you just don't care about such things. Perhaps the police didn't give you the protection you needed, maybe the courts couldn't help you out in avenging a wrongdoing. Guaranteed that no-one would listen to your plight. You've lost everything, and with it all, hope. That's when Chapel steps from the shadows, normally in his black 1969 Dodge Charger, and into your life with an offer.

The man who murdered your wife and walked out of court laughing will go to jail; the embezzler who took your life savings will be made bankrupt; the nasty policeman who framed you will wake up a wanted man. Whatever they did to you, he will do to them; whatever sin drove them to their crime will be the sin that drives them to their knees. The price? One favour. Payable on demand at any future date in service of the next victim whose life is broken in half. Too good to be true? Well, there's a catch. Never say no. Mister Chapel doesn't like people who break their promises.

Which is why Mr. Chapel likes KC Griffin (Kathleen York), a paralegal in the District Attorney's office. She is a former victim who gives Chapel inside information on the guilty who have gone free, or the innocent who've been wrongly accused. In spite of her fascination and fondness for this man, she's determined to keep him from going too far over the edge.

"Vengeance Unlimited" was co-created by John McNamara and David Simkins. John McNamara was executive producer, David Simkins co-executive producer and James Frawley a co-executive producer and director.

THE LEADING ROLES

Michael Madsen (Mister Chapel)
Best-known as the cop-torturing wiseguy Mr. Blond in Quentin Tarantino's critically acclaimed film "Reservoir Dogs," versatile movie actor Michael Madsen makes a highly-anticipated television debut in "Vengeance Unlimited". Madsen, who fans might also recognize from his role as Susan Sarandon's sympathetic boyfriend in "Thelma & Louise", has acquired numerous other film credits. Some of his roles are as diverse as the movies in which he appears, ranging from family oriented films like "Free Willy" and its sequel "Free Willy 2: The Adventure", as well as the Western epic "Wyatt Earp", and the fantasy baseball flick "The Natural". Other films include "Species I & II", "The Maker", "Donnie Brasco", Mulholland Falls", "The Fly", "Man With A Gun", "The Winner", "The Getaway", "The Doors", "The End Of Innocence", "Fatal Instinct", and "Racing With The Moon".

Kathleen York (K C Griffin)
A multi-talented performer, Kathleen York's film credits include "Dead Man Can't Dance", "Cries Of Silence", "Dream Lover", "Wild Hearts", "I Love You To Death", "Flashback", "Cold Feet", "Checking Out" and "Winner Takes All". On television, she had a recurring role on the series "Murder One", and guest starred on "The Practice". York also appeared in the telefilms "Nightjohn", "Lies and Lullabies", "Gregory K.", "Thompson's Last Run", "Not My Kid", "This Child Is Mine" and "Chase", as well as the miniseries "A Season in Purgatory" and "Naomi And Wynonna: Love Can Build A Bridge". Other television credits include "Tales From The Crypt", "Northern Lights", "Iceberg" and "The Player". A seasoned Broadway actress, York's theatre credits include "Gemini", "The Real Queen Of Hearts Ain't Even Pretty", "Home", "Bury The Dead", "The Glass Menagerie", "The Effects Of Gamma Rays", "Acme Improv" and "90 Days Without A Man".

THE EPISODES

1. "CRUEL AND UNUSUAL"
Guest stars Ray Wise, Gregg Henry, Allen Cutler, Daniel Roebuck, Michael Whaley, David Brisbin , Tom Billett, Krystal Benn, La Reine Chabut, Scott A. Smith, James Wong, Charles C. Stevenson, Jr, David Taavao, Marcy Goldman, Gina McClain and Louisa Abernathy. Written by John McNamara and David Simkins. Directed by James Frawley.

Chapel sets his sights on a wealthy drug smuggler who was acquitted for the murder of his secretary.

2. "VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE" (Note - this was originally episode 4)
Guest stars Christian Clemenson, Keith Szarabajka, Greg Grunberg , Jennifer Bransford , Suanne Spoke, Gunther Jensen, Scott Rabinowitz, Brett Wagner, Darin Cooper and Jonathan Sweet. Written by Charles D Holland. Directed by James Frawley.

Mr. Chapel targets an FBI profiler who allows an innocent man to be jailed for a series of murders. Chapel and K C enlist an FBI agent to work from the inside to bring the profiler down. Note: In this episode it is revealed that Chapel has no fingerprints!

3. "EDEN"
Guest stars Tony Denison, Rex Linn, Cordelia Richards, Stephen Tobolowsky, Tom Wood, Brad Greenquist, Philippe Bergeron, Kevin Fry, Al Israel and Christopher Jaymes. Written by John McNamara. Directed by James Frawley.

Chapel and K C head to the small town of Eden to unseat a corrupt sheriff and his cohorts. The sheriff plants illegal substances in cars or boats, arresting their owners and impounding the vehicles. He then sells them at state auctions for profit. Chapel and K C pose as federal agents to bring the sheriff to justice.

4. "BITTER END" (Note - this was originally episode 3)
Guest stars Tobin Bell, Clare Carey, Niklaus Lange, Dayton Callie, Nigel Thatch, Louis Herthum, Richard Gross, Frank Ertl, Bobby Garabedian and Paul Jenkins. Written by David Simkins. Directed by Lou Antonio.

Chapel protects a woman being stalked by a man she helped send to jail six years previously. Chapel is put in an unfamiliar position when the criminal becomes aware of Chapel's scheme and turns the tables.

5. "JUSTICE" (Note: This was originally episode 6)
Guest stars Cliff Potts, Brion James, Scott Patterson, Mark Kiely, Michael Harney, Katy Boyer, Rex Ryan, Keith Sellon-Wright, Louis Herthum, Vanita Harbour, Rick Pasqualone and Tim McLaughlin. Written by Wendy Battles. Directed by Bill Norton.

Chapel targets a weapons dealer when, facing criminal charges, the dealer has the wife of a key witness kidnapped. Chapel uses his sources inside a prison to mess with the criminal's mind while also trying to identify a cop gone bad. Note - Chapel reveals he was once married.

6. "AMBITION" (Note: This was originally episode 7)
Guest stars Dina Merrill, Todd Allen, Michael C. Mahon, Dakin Matthews, Frankie Thorn, John Aprea, Cary Hirayuki-Tagawa, Charmaine Degrate and Eric Flecks. Written by John McNamara (story by Gary Rieck). Directed by James Frawley.

Chapel seeks vengeance after a power hungry political family murders a friend of K C 's.

7. "SECURITY" (Note: previously titled "Security Denied", and originally episode 8)
Guest stars Miguel Sandoval, Kamala Dawson, Francesco Quinn, Bruce McCarty and Tim Thomerson. Written by Tom Chehak. Directed by Mel Damski.

Chapel helps out a South American refugee in her quest to find the American-funded killers of her family. Chapel poses as a State Department agent to flush out those responsible. Note: Chapel reveals he has a million dollars hidden in a basement hotel room.

8. "DISHONOURABLE DISCHARGE"
Guest stars Dayton Callie, Wanda De Jesus, Lauren Tom, Travis Fine, Silas Weir Mitchell, Alexia Robinson, Amanda Carlin, Mushond Lee, Jeffrey Pierce and Hamilton Mitchell. Written by Valerie & Vivian Mayhew. Directed by Bobby Roth.

Chapel seeks to bring to justice against a rapist from a crime many years earlier, after the statute of limitations expires.

9. "NOIR" (Note - this was originally Episode 2)
Guest stars Richard Beymer, Kristen Cloke, Christian Leffler, Christopher Gorham, Scott Patterson, Suzanne Ford, Jerry Houck, Larry Williams and Donald Willis. Written by Valerie & Vivian Mayhew. Directed by John Patterson.

Mr. Chapel poses as a hired bodyguard to expose a murderous widow and her current lover, the deceased's brother. The story follows the classic film noir storyline originally sketched out by films such as "Double Indemnity".

10. "VENDETTA"
Guest stars Amanda Pays, Markus Flanagan, Lisa Thornhill, Tom La Grua, Scott Allan Campbell, Lisa Langolis and Cordelia Richards. Written by Charles D. Holland. Directed by Adam Nimoy.

A spiteful Inland Revenue (IRS) Agent destroys an ex-girlfriend's life after she breaks off a relationship with him. Chapel comes to her aid, posing as a brat of a millionaire.

11. "CONFIDENCE"
Guest stars Steven Schub, Mel Jackson, Kimberly Huie, Alan Blumenfeld, Claudette Sutherland, Jeff Austin, Patricia Gaul, Lewis Van Bergen, Michael Zorich and Clint Culp. Written by Kim Newton. Directed by Alan J. Levi.

Chapel and K C pose as confidence tricksters in order to lure a real confidence man into revealing the location of his ill-gotten gains.

12. "JUDGMENT"
Guest stars Harris Yulin, Cotter Smith, Robert Miano, Tom Dugan, Frankie Jay Allison, Fred Sanders, Al Israel, Stephen Scalon, Skip O'Brien and Richard Gilbert-Hill. Written by John McNamara and David Simkins. Directed by James Frawley.

Chapel teams with a retired hitman to bring to justice a corrupt federal judge. Note: Chapel reveals he has a lifetime of free lodgings donated by the Paladin Hotel chain.

13. "CLIQUE"
Guest stars Jarrad Paul, Rick Peters, Elizabeth Barondes , Brian Gaskill , Christopher John Fields, Gina Gallego, Albie Selznick, Paul Bartrell, Margie Glick and Lindsay Beamish. Written by Kim Newton and Wendy Battles. Directed by Bobby Roth.

Chapel poses as Arnie, a dim-witted schizophrenic in order to expose a trio of former college classmates for a brutal ten-year-old murder.

14. "CRITICAL"
Guest stars Rafer Weigel, Senta Moses, Ryan Bollman, Heather Dawn, Garth Wilton, Tom Bellin, Nurit Kappel, Richard Jamison, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Hartley Silver, Bart McCarthy, Nancy Little, Dale Kasman, David Rainey, Marshall Bell and Frank Newton. Written by Valerie and Vivian Mayhew. Directed by James Frawley.

Chapel makes efforts to expose a rich young man who got away with murdering his father. Meanwhile, Chapel's empire is in danger when a female teenage computer wizard sees through his ruses and threatens to expose him.

15. "LEGALESE"
Guest stars James Avery, Michael B. Silver, Leslie Hope, Raphael Sbarge, Markus Redmond, Karen Austin , Ken Jenkins, Jennifer Hetrick, Clyde Kusatsu, David Bickford, Dan Rutherford and Lindsay Taylor. Written by Charles D. Holland. Directed by Bill Norton.

Chapel attacks a devious trial lawyer who covers up evidence when a fertiliser has lethal side effects on children. Using a chainsaw and a side of beef, Chapel convinces the lawyer's associate to confess crucial information. Later Chapel buries the attorney up to his head, an act that means the attorney will be late for court.

16. "FRIENDS" (Note: this was originally episode 5)
Guest stars Robert Carradine, Jere Burns, James Pickens, Jr., Sage Parker, Jerry Mathers, Twink Caplan, James Newman, Charles Emmett, Ray Laska, Natsua, Robert Moni, Akiko Taguchi, Raymond Ma , Ken Takemoto and Harry Perry. Written by Kim Newton. Directed by Perry Lang.

An influential computer engineer incurs Chapel's wrath when he betrays an old college friend, who later kills himself, to further his own empire-building. Chapel uses the engineer's foibles against him to create the perception that the engineer has gone mad, which causes a tremendous drop in stock prices in the empire!