Back in 1964, I watched these episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.–they were in black & white (remember that?)–featuring the suave Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and the ironic Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) who traveled to exotic locales and defended the world from Bad Guys. I also liked Leo G. Carroll (remember Topper) as Alexander Waverly, their boss. My favorite guest stars were William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montelban, and Ken Murray. I found this set of 29 episodes for $16.99 at BJ’s Warehouse, certainly a Bargain of the Week! What are your memories of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.?
George, my only memories of “The Man From U.N.C.L.E” are some comics, published by Dell I think. I have never watched the series though I have seen Robert Vaughn in a few movies including “The Magnificent Seven.” He seems to have acted in quite a few television series.
Prashant, Robert Vaughan showed up in a lot of movies and TV shows of the Sixties and Seventies. But I think he’ll always be known for his role as Napoleon Solo.
Just watched the (literally) utterly forgettable movie version – would much rather watch the first couple of season of the original show, most of which i originally only watched dubbed into Italian – the time has come to get the DVDs I think (though they are going to cost a hell of a lot more on my side of the pond – but thanks for the tip all the same George 🙂 )
Sergio, I’m sure more seasons of THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. on DVD are planned. And, after a few months, the prices of these sets usually fall.
I don’t remember the plots, I just remember all of us girls had huge crushes on David McCallum. We thought his wife was crazy to leave him for Charles Bronson!
Deb, I had forgotten all about that! Yes, my sisters all had crushes on David McCallum as the Russian U.N.C.L.E. agent.
I remember watching it but it’s been 50 years so I don’t remember any of the story lines.
Given the choice, I’d probably take TOPPER over UNCLE.
Jeff, I would choose both TOPPER and THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. My problem is finding time to watch all this stuff!
I liked the first season a lot. Kind of lost interest after that.
Bill, the later seasons of THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. turned silly but the first one has a gritty edge. I’m hoping for THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E. to show up on DVD, too!
It was my favorite TV show, by far, when I was a kid. I saw all the episodes over and over, read all the books and the digest magazines and the comic books. It was a dark day for me when it was cancelled. But watching reruns again in the 80s, I realized that yeah, a lot of the episodes from the notorious third season were not very good. Then when it started running on MeTV last year I watched most of the first season and still loved it, although I think it’s finally starting to get a little creaky in its old age (sort of like me). Still wish I could have written one of the paperbacks or the digest novellas.
James, I’m sure there’s an active fan base for THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. who would love to read a novelization if you wrote it. I’m not sure who owns the publishing rights any more.
I kept hearing about it and not seeing it when I was young…my first direct experience of the show was the reunion tv film they did ca. 1981, mildly diverting and the most memorable bit for me the assist Solo gets at one point from George Lazenby’s unnamed but clearly implied similarly aged Bond.
I’ve managed to see some episodes over the last decade or so, but have a real knack for missing the one I’m most interested to catching, the one that Harlan Ellison wrote that incensed Judith Merril so much, with the character Jody Moore meant to be a bit of a lampoon of Merril. I like Sharon Farrell and her work, so suspect I’d like her as “Jacqueline Midcult” (not the friendliest borrowing from Dwight Macdonald that Ellison might’ve indulged in for mocking Jackie Susann, if he was–wouldn’t she be J. Masscult?). Might blow the $1.99 everyone charges to see this episode online, if it doesn’t pop up on one of the little nostalgia networks soon. This was one of the less-reviled 3rd-seaon episodes.
Liked the third version of the theme the best, the less ponderous jazz version. Rather sad how uneven all the ’60s spy series tended to be, particularly the US ones. TOPPER the film much to be preferred to TOPPER the series, I’d suggest…but the sequel films run out of steam faster than the sequel novels (also) do.
Todd, I think the first season of THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. was closest to its original vision. Later seasons got more silly. I’ll have to go back and watch that Harlan Ellison episode!