Get Smart Get Smart.gif

Title card from seasons 1 and 2

GenreComedyCreated by

Directed by

Starring

Theme music composer Irving Szathmary Country of origin United States No. of seasons 5 No. of episodes 138 (List of episodes) Production Executive producer(s)

Producer(s)

Camera setup single-camera Running time 22–25 minutes Production company(s)

BroadcastOriginal channel

  • NBC (1965–69)
  • CBS (1969–70)

Original run September 18, 1965 – May 15, 1970 Chronology Followed by The Nude Bomb (film)

Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry,[1] the show stars Don Adams (as Maxwell Smart, Agent 86), Barbara Feldon (as Agent 99), and Edward Platt (as Chief). Henry said they created the show by request of Daniel Melnick, who was a partner, along with Leonard Stern and David Susskind, of the show's production company, Talent Associates, to capitalize on "the two biggest things in the entertainment world today"—James Bond and Inspector Clouseau.[2] Brooks said: "It's an insane combination of James Bond and Mel Brooks comedy."[3]

The success of the show (which ran from September 18, 1965, to May 15, 1970) eventually spawned the follow-up films The Nude Bomb (a theatrical release not directly based on the show) and Get Smart, Again! (a made-for-TV sequel to the series), as well as a 1995 revival series and a 2008 film remake. In 2010, TV Guide ranked Get Smart's opening title sequence at No. 2 on its list of TV's Top 10 Credits Sequences, as selected by readers.[4]

During the show's run, it generated a number of popular catchphrases, including "Would you believe...", "Missed it by that much!", "Sorry about that, Chief", "The Old (such-and-such) Trick", "And ... loving it," and "I asked you not to tell me that.

Plot

The series centers on bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart, also known as Agent 86. His female partner is Agent 99,[6] whose real name is never revealed in the series. Agents 86 and 99 work for CONTROL, a secret U.S. government counter-intelligence agency based in Washington, D.C. The pair investigates and thwarts various threats to the world, though Smart's bumbling nature and demands to do things by-the-book invariably cause complications. However, Smart never fails to save the day. Looking on is the long-suffering head of CONTROL, who is addressed simply as "Chief."

The nemesis of CONTROL is KAOS, described as "an international organization of evil." KAOS was supposedly formed in Bucharest, Romania, in 1904.[7] Neither CONTROL nor KAOS is actually an acronym. Many actors appeared as KAOS agents, including Tom Bosley, John Byner, Victor French, Alice Ghostley, Ted Knight, Pat Paulsen, Tom Poston, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Middleton, Barry Newman, Julie Newmar, Vincent Price, William Schallert (who also had a recurring role as The Admiral, the first Chief of CONTROL), and Larry Storch. Conrad Siegfried, played by Bernie Kopell, is Smart's KAOS archenemy. King Moody (originally appearing as a generic KAOS killer) portrays the dim-witted but burly Shtarker, Siegfried's assistant.

The enemies, world-takeover plots and gadgets seen in Get Smart parody the James Bond movies. "Do what they did except just stretch it half an inch," Mel Brooks said of the methods of this TV series.[8] Devices such as a shoe phone, The Cone of Silence and inner apartment booby traps were a regular part of most episodes. (See also: Gadgets section)

Max and 99 marry in season four and have twins in season five. Agent 99 became the first woman on an American hit sitcom to keep her job after marriage and motherhood.[citation needed]

Production

The show was inspired by the success of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Talent Associates commissioned Mel Brooks and Buck Henry to write a script about a bungling James Bond-like hero. Brooks described the premise for the show they created in an October 1965 Time magazine article:

"I was sick of looking at all those nice sensible situation comedies. They were such distortions of life. If a maid ever took over my house like Hazel, I'd set her hair on fire. I wanted to do a crazy, unreal comic-strip kind of thing about something besides a family. No one had ever done a show about an idiot before. I decided to be the first."

Brooks and Henry proposed the show to ABC, where network officials called their show "un-American" and demanded a "lovable dog to give the show more heart" and scenes showing Maxwell Smart's mother. Brooks strongly objected to their latter suggestion:

"They wanted to put a print housecoat on the show. Max was to come home to his mother and explain everything. I hate mothers on shows. Max has no mother. He never had one." Although the cast and crew—especially Adams—contributed joke and gadget ideas, dialogue was rarely ad-libbed. An exception is the third season episode, "The Little Black Book." Don Rickles encouraged Adams to misbehave, and ad-libbed. The result was so successful that the single episode was turned into a two-part episode.

CONTROL

Don Adams, as Maxwell Smart, holding the famous shoe phone

CONTROL is a spy agency founded at the beginning of the 20th century by Harold Harmon Hargrade, a career officer in the United States Navy's N-2 (Intelligence) Branch. Hargrade served as the first Chief of CONTROL. "CONTROL" is not an acronym, but it is always shown in all capital letters as if it were.


"Maxwell Smart" redirects here. For the American record producer, see Maxwell Smart (record producer).

Maxwell Smart, code number Agent 86 (portrayed by Don Adams) is the central character. Despite being a top secret government agent, he is absurdly clumsy, very naive and has occasional lapses of attention. Due to his frequent verbal gaffes and physical miscues, most of the people Smart encounters believe he is grossly incompetent. Despite these faults, Smart is also resourceful, skilled in hand-to-hand combat, a proficient marksman, and incredibly lucky. These assets have led to him having a phenomenal record of success in times of crisis in which he has often averted disaster, often on a national or global scale. This performance record means his only punishment in CONTROL for his mistakes is that he is the only agent without three weeks annual vacation time. Smart uses multiple cover identities, but the one used most often is as a greeting card salesman/executive. Owing to multiple assassination attempts, he tells his landlord he is in the insurance business, and on one occasion, that he works for the "Bureau of Internal Revenue". Smart served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and is an ensign in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

In 1999 TV Guide ranked Maxwell Smart number 19 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list.[13] The character appears in every episode (though only briefly in "Ice Station Siegfried," as Don Adams was performing in Las Vegas for two weeks to settle gambling debts).

Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) is the tall, beautiful female agent whose appearance is useful in undercover operations. Generally, Agent 99 is more competent than Smart, but Smart saves her life in several episodes. "Snoopy Smart vs the Red Baron" is the introduction of 99's mother (Jane Dulo), who appears so thoroughly fooled by her daughter and Smart's cover stories that not even seeing them in combat while a prisoner of KAOS convinces her otherwise. However, at one point her mother indicates that 99's father was also a spy. Creator Buck Henry pointed out to actress Barbara Feldon on the DVD commentary for Season 3 that when he tried to add funny lines for Agent 99, "They didn't want you to be 'joke funny.' They wanted you to be glamorous and interesting."[15] In the episode "99 Loses CONTROL", 99 tells Victor that her name is "Susan Hilton". When Max asks why she never told him what her real name was, she replies, "You never asked," to which Max says he prefers 99. Then, at the end of the episode, she says it is not her real name. Her name is in fact intentionally never revealed, even at their own wedding in season four. She appears in all but seven episodes. She can typically be seen slouching, leaning, or sitting in scenes with Adams to hide the fact that she was slightly taller (5' 9" or 1.75 m) than Adams (5' 8½" or 1.74 m).

The Chief (Edward Platt) is the head of CONTROL. Although sarcastic and grouchy, the Chief is intelligent, serious, and sensible. He began his career at CONTROL as "Agent Q." (He joined the organization back when they assigned letters rather than numbers.) He is supportive of Agents 86 and 99, but he is frustrated with Smart for his frequent failures and foul-ups. As revealed in the season-one episode "The Day Smart Turned Chicken", his first name is Thaddeus, but it is rarely used. His cover identity (used primarily with 99's mom) is "Harold Clark". Another time, when KAOS arranges for the Chief to be recalled to active duty in the U.S. Navy (as a common seaman with Smart as his commanding officer), his official name is John Doe.

Hymie the Robot (Richard "Dick" Gautier) is a humanoid robot built by Dr. Ratton to serve KAOS (when questioned about the curious name, Dr. Ratton replied "that was my father's name!"), but in his first mission, Smart manages to turn him to the side of CONTROL. Hymie has numerous superhuman abilities, such as being physically stronger and faster than any human and being able to swallow poisons and register their name, type, and quantity, though his design does not include superhuman mental processing, most significantly characterized by an overly literal interpretation of commands. For example, when Smart tells Hymie to "get a hold of yourself", he grasps each arm with the other. Hymie also has emotions and is "programmed for neatness".

Agent 8 (Burt Mustin) is a retired CONTROL agent who appears in episode twenty three. He is revealed to be the Chief's best friend from his days at CONTROL.

Agent 13 (Dave Ketchum) is an agent who is usually stationed inside unlikely, or unlucky places, such as a cigarette machine, washing machines, lockers, trash cans, or fire hydrants. He tends to resent his assignments, such as when he is hiding in a bowling alley's ball returning station and has to duck lest the balls strike him on the head. Agent 13 is featured in several season-two episodes.

Agent 44 (Victor French) is Agent 13's predecessor and is also stationed in tight corners. Agent 44 sometimes falls into bouts of self-pity and complaining, and he would sometimes try to keep Max chatting for the company. Agent 44 appears in several episodes in the second half of the season one. In the final season, there is a new Agent 44, (played by Al Molinaro) in two episodes. (Prior to starting as 44, Victor French has a brief guest role in the season-one episode "Too Many Chiefs" as Smart's Mutual Insurance agent.)

Agent Larabee (Robert Karvelas) is the Chief's slow-witted assistant. In a season five episode, it is reported that if anything happens to Smart, Larabee will take his place. Robert Karvelas was Don Adams's cousin. Larabee also appears in The Nude Bomb.

Admiral Harold Harmon Hargrade or The Admiral (William Schallert) is the former chief. He founded CONTROL as a spy agency just after the turn of the 20th century. The admiral has a poor memory, believing the current U.S. President is still Herbert Hoover. As a 91-year-old, he has bad balance and often falls over.

Charlie Watkins/Agent 38 (Angelique Pettyjohn) is an undercover male agent and master of disguise. Agent 38 appears as a scantily clad glamorous woman in two season 2 episodes. He also appears once in season four as a different actress (Karen Authur). He can also switch to a feminine voice as part of the disguise.

Fang/Agent K-13 (played by Red) is a poorly trained CONTROL dog, who is seen during seasons one and two. He was a very successful CONTROL agent for quite a few years. He was trained by Max, which probably explains why he does not always follow directions properly. Their relationship began in Spy School, where they were members of the same graduating class. He sometimes uses the cover name Morris and his favorite toys are a turtleneck sweater, a rubber ducky and one of Max's slippers. Fang's career ends in the second season, as he is no longer showing energy in solving his cases. In honor of his outstanding service to CONTROL, the Chief retires Fang to a desk job, burying evidence. (He has a brief role in the 2008 film, being a pet-store dog that Max is in the habit of complaining to.) Fang was written out of the series in season two. He appears in six season-one episodes and two season-two episodes. He appears first in the pilot, "Mr. Big", and his last one was the season-two episode "Perils in a Pet Shop". Shots that involved Fang ended up running long and costing the production a lot of money in overtime and wasted time. After a few episodes of this, he was written out of the series. He was handled by Bill Weatherwax.

Carlson (Stacy Keach, Sr.) is CONTROL's gadget man during season two. While inspecting the gadgets, Max usually creates minor mayhem. Carlson follows several CONTROL scientists who fulfill the same function in season one. They are the similarly named Carleton (Frank DeVol), the egotistical Windish (Robert O. Cornthwaite), and Parker (Milton Selzer).

Dr. Steele (Ellen Weston) is a CONTROL scientist who makes three appearances in season three. Dr. Steele is an intelligent, extremely attractive woman whose cover is a chorus dancer at a high-class burlesque theater. The entrance to her laboratory is through a large courier box sidestage. Dr Steele often performs complex scientific procedures while wearing her revealing performance costumes. She is often seen explaining her findings while warming up for her next dance, and then suddenly departing for her performance. Dr. Steele is replaced with the similar Dr. Simon (Ann Elder), who appears in two episodes of season four, is mentioned once in season five.

Harry Hoo (Joey Forman) One of the most interesting of the guest characters, Hoo is a Hawaiian detective from Honolulu, who is depicted as a send-up of the fictional detective Charlie Chan. Hoo is not a member of CONTROL, but they work together on murder cases. Hoo's introduction usually creates confusion in the manner of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" routine. Hoo always analyzes a mystery by presenting "two possibilities", of which the latter (if not both) is absurd. Max likes to upstage Hoo by jumping in with "two possibilities" of his own, which are even crazier than Hoo's. Hoo responds with "Amazing!", spoken in a tone of disbelief rather than approval, but Max is oblivious to this. Initially, the character was a lampoon of Chan, but in a later episode Hoo appeared rather more brilliant and resourceful, with Max, though helpful as always, appearing more so as a contrast.

KAOS

The KAOS logo

KAOS is a (fictional) "international organization of evil" formed in Bucharest, Romania, in 1904; like "CONTROL", "KAOS" is not an acronym. In an episode of the series, after making a series of demands in a recording, the speaker mentions the demands are from "KAOS, a Delaware Corporation". When Smart asks the chief about this, he mentions they did it for tax reasons.

Mr. Big (Michael Dunn) is the presumed head of KAOS and a little person. He only appears in the black-and-white pilot episode, and is killed by his own doomsday death ray. A successor is chosen in another episode but is arrested by CONTROL. A few nameless KAOS chiefs appears in subsequent episodes.

Ludwig Von Siegfried,[17] Konrad Siegfried, Count Von Siegfried[18] or simply Siegfried (Bernie Kopell) is a recurring villain, and the Vice President in charge of Public Relations and Terror at KAOS[19] though his title does vary. Siegfried is Maxwell Smart's "opposite number" and nemesis, even though the two characters share similar traits and often speak fondly of one another—even in the midst of attempting to assassinate each other. Speaking English with an exaggerated German accent, the gray-haired, mustachioed, and dueling-scarred Siegfried's catchphrase is, "Zis is KAOS! Ve don't [some action] here!"

Shtarker (King Moody) is Siegfried's chief henchman. Shtarker is an overzealous lackey whose most notable trait is his abrupt personality change from sadistic villain to presumptuous child, interrupting conversations to helpfully elaborate, using silly vocal noises to imitate things such as engines or guns. This prompts Siegfried to utter his catch phrase, "Shtarker...Nein! Zis is KAOS! Ve don't [weakly imitates Shtarker's sound effect] here!" (In the DVD commentary for the first episode in which the character appears, in season two, Bernie Kopell notes that "shtark" is a real Yiddish word meaning a person of great strength.) Although he looks rather young for it, he claims to have been track champion of the Third Reich, and the second man out of El Alamein (right behind Siegfried).

The Claw (Leonard Strong) is a Julius No-type Asian villain representing the east-Asian branch of KAOS. In place of the Claw's left hand is a powerful magnetic prosthesis with immobile fingers and an occasional attachment, hence his name. Sometimes the Claw would accidentally nab something with it, creating confusion. He is unable to pronounce the letter L and mispronounces his name as "Craw", with Smart repeatedly referring to him as "The Craw", much to his annoyance. Like Siegfried, he has a huge, dimwitted assistant, named Bobo. (The Claw presumably inspired the villain Doctor Claw in the animated cartoon Inspector Gadget, whose title character was voiced by Don Adams.)

Natz[20] or Spinoza[21] (Ted de Corsia) is a villain who was arrested by Max at an unknown point and desires revenge for it. He attempts to exact his revenge using the KAOS robot Hymie, though Hymie ultimately defects to CONTROL. Later, Spinoza hatches a plan to destroy Hymie using a new robot named 'Groppo,' though this plan, too, ultimately fails.

Doctor Ratton (Jim Boles) is a scientist who defected to KAOS. He built the robot Hymie for KAOS, but his abuse of Hymie ultimately leads to Hymie defecting, who shoots the Doctor. Doctor Ratton survived the wound to construct the robot Groppo for Spinoza. However, to insure that Doctor Ratton does not return to the side of CONTROL and create more robots to counter KAOS, Spinoza uses Groppo to kill Ratton.

Simon the Likeable (Jack Gilford), who appears in "And Baby Makes 4" Parts 1 & 2 is a KAOS killer whose nice face mesmerizes everyone into liking him—except 99's mother (played by Jane Dulo), who knocks him out with a right cross, because Simon resembles her late, much-hated, and unlamented husband. (99's father never appears in any episode.)

Production notes

Gadgets

Telephones are concealed in over 50 objects, including a necktie, comb, watch, and a clock. A recurring gag is Max's shoe phone (an idea from Brooks). To use or answer it, he has to take off his shoe. There were a number of variations on the shoe phone. In "I Shot 86 Today" (Season four) his shoe phone is disguised as a golf shoe, complete with cleats, developed by the attractive armorer Dr. Simon. Smart's shoes sometimes contain other devices housed in the heels: an explosive pellet, a smoke bomb, compressed air capsules that propelled the wearer off the ground, and a suicide pill (which Max believes is for the enemy).

Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) had her concealed telephones as well. She had one in her makeup compact, and also one in her fingernail. To use this last device, she would pretend to bite her nail nervously, while actually talking on her "nail phone."

On February 17, 2002, the prop shoe phone was included in a display titled "Spies: Secrets from the CIA, KGB, and Hollywood", a collection of real and fictional spy gear that exhibited at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Flinders University in South Australia has researched medical applications for Shoe Phone technology after being inspired by the show.[22]

Gag phones also appear in other guises. In the episode "Too Many Chiefs" (Season one), Max tells Tanya, the KAOS informer which he is protecting, that if anyone breaks in to pick up the house phone, dial 1-1-7, and press the trigger on the handset, which converts it to a gun. The phone-gun is only used that once, but Max once carried a gun-phone, a revolver with a rotary dial built into the cylinder. In the episode "Satan Place", Max simultaneously holds conversations on seven different phones — the shoe, his tie, his belt, his wallet, a garter, a handkerchief and a pair of eyeglasses. Other unusual locations include a garden hose, a car cigarette lighter (hidden in the car phone), a bottle of perfume (Max complains of smelling like a woman), the steering wheel of his car, a painting of Agent 99, the headboard of his bed, a cheese sandwich, lab test tubes (Max grabs the wrong one and splashes himself), a Bunsen burner (Max puts out the flame anytime he pronounces a "p"), a plant in a planter beside the real working phone (operated by the dial of the working phone), and inside another full-sized working phone.

Other gadgets include a bullet-proof invisible wall in Max's apartment that lowers from the ceiling, into which Max and others often walk; a camera hidden in a bowl of soup (Cream of Kodachrome) that takes a picture (with a conspicuous flash) of the person eating the soup with each spoonful; a Mini Magnet on a belt, which turns out to be stronger than KAOS's Maxi Magnet; and a powerful miniature laser weapon in the button of a sports jacket (the "laser blazer").

Another of the show's recurring gags is the "Cone of Silence". Smart would pedantically insist on following CONTROL's security protocols; when in the chief's office he would insist on speaking under the Cone of Silence—two transparent plastic hemispheres which are electrically lowered on top of Max and Chief—which invariably malfunction, requiring the characters to shout loudly to even have a chance of being understood by each other. Bystanders in the room could often hear them better, and sometimes relay messages back and forth. The Cone of Silence was the idea of Buck Henry, though it was preceded in an episode of the syndicated television show Science Fiction Theatre titled "Barrier of Silence", written by Lou Huston, that first aired on September 3, 1955, ten years ahead of the NBC comedy.[23]

Cars

The car Smart is seen driving most frequently in the show for seasons 1–2 is a red 1965 Sunbeam Tiger two-seat roadster. 3-4 a VW Karmann Ghia and season 5 an Opel GT. Episode 1 he drove a Ferrari 250 GT PF Spider Cabriolet. Due to the various custom features of Max's car, like the machine gun and ejection seat, the Sunbeam Alpine, upon which the Tiger was based, was used by customizer Gene Winfield because the Alpine's 4-cylinder engine afforded more room under the hood than the V8 in the Tiger.[24][25] AMT, Winfield's employer, made a model kit of the Tiger, complete with hidden weapons. It is the only kit of the Tiger and has been reissued multiple times as a stock Tiger. The car used on camera cannot be located, but the personal car of Don Adams (also a 1965 Sunbeam Tiger) was restored in 2005 and still exists[26] and the Alpine/Tiger was also recreated, in 2002.[27]

In the black-and-white pilot episode only, Smart drives a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT PF Spider Cabriolet.[28]

In the opening credits only of seasons three and four, Smart drives a light blue Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, as Volkswagen became a sponsor of the show.[6]

In season four (1968–1969), Adams uses a yellow Citroën 2CV in the wedding episode "With Love and Twitches" (Episode 4.09), and a blue 1968 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 convertible with a tan interior and four seats (as required by the plot) in the episodes "A Tale of Two Tails" (4.07) and "The Laser Blazer" (4.10).

In season five (1969–1970), Buick became a show sponsor,[6] so the Tiger was replaced with a gold 1969 Opel GT, which appears in every episode.

In the short-lived 1995 TV series, Smart is trying to sell the Karmann Ghia through the classified ads.

In Get Smart, Again!, Smart is seen driving a red 1986 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce.

The Sunbeam Tiger, the Karmann Ghia, and the Opel GT make brief appearances in the 2008 film. Both are first seen in the CONTROL Museum, along with the original shoe phone, which Smart also briefly uses.

Spies at work

CONTROL and KAOS did not seem to be above everyday bureaucracy and business quirks. KAOS is a Delaware corporation for tax purposes. CONTROL's union is the Guild of Surviving Control Agents, and Max is their negotiator; when a captured KAOS agent tells him about their survivors' benefits, the Chief is within earshot, and Max promptly uses the information for his labor talks.

In one episode, where Max infiltrates a KAOS-run garden shop, Max refuses to arrest the manager until after 5 p.m., so he can collect a full day's pay. The Chief threatens to fire him, but Max is not afraid; according to CONTROL's seniority policy, "If I get fired from CONTROL, Larrabee moves up!" The Chief gives in and lets Max stay on the job, rather than risk having the (even more) inept Larrabee take Max's place.

In another episode, Siegfried and Max casually discuss the various flavors of cyanide pills they have been issued. It is raspberry that month at CONTROL, and Max offers Siegfried a taste. In the same episode, Max and Siegfried have a show and tell of various weapons they have; Max boasts of having a deadly non-regulation pistol from a Chicago mail order house. (The prop used is actually an 1893 Borchardt C-93 pistol.)

Cover names were common. In "The Man Called Smart, Part 1," a phone call is announced for an alias, and Max identifies himself as the person in question. Second and third calls come in, each with its own alias, the last of which is his own real name of Maxwell Smart, which he initially does not answer. Smart tells the skeptical gallery owner that those are his names as well, making it obvious to any spy that he is taking calls from fellow agents and informants. Smart then makes himself even more visible by tangling the handset cords of the three phones.

CONTROL has a policy of burning pertinent documents after cases are closed; the reasons were detailed in their Rules and Regulations book, but nobody can read them, since they burned the only copy.

In the interest of company morale, both CONTROL and KAOS have their own bowling teams. In one episode where Smart takes over as Chief, it is noted in a conversation between Smart and Larabee that CONTROL has a delicatessen.

Notable guest stars

Get Smart used several familiar character actors and celebrities, and some future stars, in guest roles, including:

Both Bill Dana and Jonathan Harris, with whom Adams appeared on The Bill Dana Show, also appeared, as did Adams' father, William Yarmy, brother, Dick Yarmy, and daughter, Caroline Adams.

The series featured several cameo appearances by famous actors and comedians, sometimes uncredited and often comedian friends of Adams. Johnny Carson appeared, credited as "special guest conductor," in "Aboard the Orient Express." Carson returned for an uncredited cameo as a royal footman in the third season episode "The King Lives?" Other performers to make cameo appearances included Steve Allen, Milton Berle, Ernest Borgnine, Wally Cox, Robert Culp (as a waiter in an episode sending up Culp's I Spy), Phyllis Diller, Buddy Hackett, Bob Hope, and Martin Landau.

Actress Rose Michtom (the real life aunt of the show's executive producer Leonard Stern) appeared in at least 44 episodes[29] – usually as a background extra with no speaking role. In the season 1 episode "Too Many Chiefs" when she is shown in a photograph, Max refers to her as "my Aunt Rose," but the Chief corrects Max by saying that it's actually KAOS agent Alexi Sebastian disguised as Max's Aunt Rose.[30] Fans refer to her as "Aunt Rose" in all of her dozens of appearances, even though her character is never actually named in most of them

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret international espionage and law-enforcement agency called U.N.C.L.E. Originally co-creator Sam Rolfe wanted to leave the meaning of U.N.C.L.E. ambiguous so it could refer to "Uncle Sam" or the United Nations.[1] Concerns by the MGM legal department about using "U.N." for commercial purposes resulted in the producers' clarification that U.N.C.L.E. was an acronym for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement.[2] Each episode had an "acknowledgement" to the U.N.C.L.E. on the end titles

Background

The series consisted of 105 episodes originally screened between 1964 and 1968. It was produced by Arena Productions using the studios of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The first season was broadcast in black-and-white.

Ian Fleming contributed to the concepts after being approached by the show's co-creator, Norman Felton.[3] The book The James Bond Films says Fleming proposed two characters, Napoleon Solo and April Dancer (The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.). The original name was Ian Fleming's Solo.[4] Robert Towne, Sherman Yellen, and Harlan Ellison wrote scripts for the series. Author Michael Avallone, who wrote the first original novelisation based upon the series (see below), is sometimes incorrectly cited as the show's creator.

Solo was to have been the focus, but a scene featuring a Georgian (Georgia-USSR) agent named Illya Kuryakin drew enthusiasm from the fans and the agents were paired.[5]

Premise

Solo and Kuryakin.

The series centered on a two-man troubleshooting team working for U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement): American Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn), and Georgian (Georgia-USSR) Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum). Leo G. Carroll played Alexander Waverly, the British head of the organization (Number One of Section One). Barbara Moore joined the cast as Lisa Rogers in the fourth season.

The series, though fictional, achieved such cultural prominence that props, costumes and documents, and a video clip are in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library's exhibit on spies and counterspies. Similar U.N.C.L.E. exhibits are in the museums of the Central Intelligence Agency and other US agencies and organizations gathering intelligence.

U.N.C.L.E.'s adversary was THRUSH (WASP in the pilot movie). The original series never divulged what THRUSH represented, but in several U.N.C.L.E. novels by David McDaniel, it is the Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity, described as founded by Col. Sebastian Moran after the death of Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls in the Sherlock Holmes story, "The Final Problem".

THRUSH's aim was to conquer the world. Napoleon Solo said, in "The Green Opal Affair", "THRUSH believes in the two-party system — the masters and the slaves," and in the pilot episode ("The Vulcan Affair"), THRUSH "kills people the way people kill flies — a reflex action — a flick of the wrist." So dangerous was THRUSH that governments — even those ideologically opposed, such as the United States and the USSR — had cooperated in formating and operating U.N.C.L.E. Similarly, when Solo and Kuryakin held opposing political views, the friction between them in the story was held to a minimum.

Though executive producer Norman Felton and Ian Fleming conceived Napoleon Solo, it was producer Sam Rolfe created the U.N.C.L.E. hierarchy. Unlike national organizations like the CIA and James Bond's MI6, U.N.C.L.E. was a global organization of agents from many countries and cultures. Illya Kuryakin was created by Rolfe as just such an agent, from the Soviet Union.

The creators decided an innocent character would be featured in each episode, giving the audience someone with whom to identify.[3] Despite many changes over four seasons, "innocence" remained a constant — from a suburban housewife in the pilot, "The Vulcan Affair" (film version: To Trap a Spy) to those kidnapped in the final episode, "The Seven Wonders of the World Affair".

The Organization

Main article: U.N.C.L.E.

The pilot

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Filmed in color from late November to early December 1963 with locations at a Lever Brothers soap factory in California, the show was originally Ian Fleming's Solo and later just Solo. However, in February 1964 a law firm representing James Bond movie producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli demanded an end to the use of Fleming’s name in connection with the series and an end to use of the name and character "Solo", "Napoleon Solo" and "Mr. Solo". At that time filming was under way for the Bond movie Goldfinger, in which Martin Benson was playing a supporting character named "Mr. Solo". The claim was the name "Solo" had been sold to them by Fleming, and Fleming could not again use it. Within five days Fleming had signed an affidavit that nothing in the Solo pilot infringed any of his Bond characters, but the threat of legal action resulted in a settlement in which the name Napoleon Solo could be kept but the title of the show had to change.

The role of the head of U.N.C.L.E. in the pilot was Mr. Allison, played by Will Kuluva, rather than Mr. Waverly played by Leo G. Carroll, and David McCallum's Illya Kuryakin only had a brief role. Revisions to some scenes were shot for television, including those needed to feature Leo G. Carroll. The pilot episode was re-edited to fit an hour, converted to black and white, and shown on television as "The Vulcan Affair".

NBC in New York was not happy with the pilot. An executive wanted to drop someone but could not remember his name, saying "K...K..." and Felton replied "Kuluva?" and the executive replied "'That's it.'" Felton did not argue as he wanted to replace Kuluva anyway. Felton told the executives he wanted to replace Kuluva with Leo G. Carroll. The executive asked who was the guy replaced by Leo G. Carroll? Felton responded "Will Kuluva" and the executive said he meant David McCallum — Kuryakin. He wanted to get rid of the Russian and thought Carroll too old to be Solo's sidekick. Felton said the contracts had been signed.

Additional color sequences with Luciana Paluzzi were shot in April 1964 and added to the pilot for MGM to release it outside the United States as a second feature titled To Trap a Spy.[6] It premiered in Hong Kong in November 1964. The extra scenes were reedited to tone down sexuality and used in the regular series, in the episode "The Four-Steps Affair".

Beyond extra scenes for the feature film, and revised scenes shot and edits made for the television episode, there are other differences among the three versions of the story. Before the show went into full production there was concern from the MGM that the name of THRUSH for the pilot's international criminal organization sounded too much like SMERSH, the international spy- killing organization in Fleming's Bond series. The studio suggested Raven, Shark, Squid, Vulture, Tarantula, Snipe, Sphinx, Dooom [sic], and Maggot (the last used in early scripts). Although no legal action took place, the name was dubbed as "WASP" in the feature version To Trap a Spy. The original pilot kept THRUSH (presumably as it was not intended to be released to the public in that version). Felton and Rolfe pushed for the reinstatement of THRUSH. It turned out that WASP could not be used as British television series Stingray was based on an organization called WASP — the World Aquanaut Security Patrol. By May 1964 THRUSH was retained for the television episode edit of the pilot. Despite this, WASP was used in the feature film in Japan in late 1964 and left in the U.S. release in 1966. Another change among the three versions of the pilot story was the cover name for the character of Elaine May Donaldson. In the original pilot it was Elaine Van Nessen; in the television version as well as the feature version it was Elaine Van Every. Illya Kuryakin's badge number is 17 in the pilot rather than 2 during the series. And Solo's hair, which after new footage was added changed back and forth from a slicked back style to the less severe style he wore throughout the series.

With the popularity of the show and the spy craze, To Trap a Spy and the second U.N.C.L.E. feature The Spy with My Face were released in the USA as an MGM double feature in early 1966.

Season 1

Vaughn and a young Kurt Russell in "The Finny Foot Affair".

The show's first season was in black and white. Rolfe created a kind of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland world, where mundane everyday life would intermittently intersect with the looking-glass fantasy of international espionage which lay just beyond. The U.N.C.L.E. universe was one where the weekly "innocent" would get caught up in a series of fantastic adventures, in a battle of good and evil. Rolfe also blended deadly suspense with a light touch, reminiscent of Hitchcock. In fact, U.N.C.L.E. owes just as much to Alfred Hitchcock as it does to Ian Fleming, the touchstone being North by Northwest, where an innocent man is mistaken for an agent of a top-secret organization, one of whose top members is played by Leo G. Carroll. This role led directly to Carroll being cast as Mr. Waverly in the show.[3]

U.N.C.L.E. headquarters in New York City was most frequently entered by a secret entrance in Del Floria's Tailor Shop. Another entrance was through The Masque Club. Mr. Waverly had his own secret entrance. Unlike the competing TV series I Spy however, the shows were overwhelmingly shot on the MGM back lot.[7] The same building with an imposing exterior staircase was used for episodes set throughout the Mediterranean and Latin America, and the same dirt road lined with eucalyptus trees on the back lot in Culver City stood in for virtually every continent of the globe. The episodes followed a naming convention where each title was in the form of "The ***** Affair", such as "The Vulcan Affair", "The Mad, Mad, Tea Party Affair", and "The Waverly Ring Affair". The only exception was "Alexander the Greater Affair," parts 1 & 2. The first season episode "The Green Opal Affair" establishes that U.N.C.L.E. itself uses the term "Affair" to refer to its different missions.

Rolfe endeavored to make the implausibility of it all seem not only feasible but entertaining. In the series, frogmen emerge from wells in Iowa, shootouts occur between U.N.C.L.E. and THRUSH agents in a crowded Manhattan movie theater, and top-secret organizations are hidden behind innocuous brownstone facades.

The series also began to dabble in science fictional plots, beginning with "The Double Affair" in which a THRUSH agent, made to look like Solo through plastic surgery, infiltrates a secret U.N.C.L.E. facility where an immensely powerful weapon called "Project Earthsave" is stored; according to the dialogue, the weapon was developed to protect against a potential alien threat to Earth. The Spy with My Face was the theatrical film version of this episode.

In its first season The Man from U.N.C.L.E. competed against The Red Skelton Show on CBS and Walter Brennan's short-lived The Tycoon on ABC. During this time producer Norman Felton told Alan Caillou and several of the series writers to make the show more tongue in cheek.[8]

Seasons 2–4

Switching to color, U.N.C.L.E. continued to enjoy huge popularity. Succeeding Rolfe, who left the show at the conclusion of the first season, new showrunner David Victor read articles that called the show a spoof and that is what it became. Over the next three seasons, five different show runners would supervise the U.N.C.L.E. franchise, and each one took the show in a direction that differed considerably from that of the first season. Furthermore, U.N.C.L.E. had spawned a swarm of imitators. In 1964, it was the only American spy show on U.S. TV; by 1966, there were nearly a dozen. In an attempt to emulate the success of ABC's mid-season hit, Batman, which had proven hugely popular on its debut in early 1966, U.N.C.L.E. moved swiftly towards self-parody and slapstick.[5]

This campiness was most in evidence during the third season, when the producers made a conscious decision to increase the level of humor, though season two had moved in this direction in episodes such as "The Yukon Affair" and "The Indian Affairs Affair".[5] With episodes like "The My Friend the Gorilla Affair" (which featured a scene in which Solo is shown dancing with a gorilla) the show tested the loyalties of its fans. This new direction resulted in a severe ratings drop, and nearly resulted in the show's cancellation. It was renewed for a fourth season and an attempt was made to go back to serious storytelling, but the ratings never recovered and U.N.C.L.E. was cancelled midway through the season.[5]

Episodes

Main article: List of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. episodes

Theme music

The theme music, written by Jerry Goldsmith, changed slightly each season.[9] Goldsmith provided only three original scores and was succeeded by Morton Stevens, who composed four scores for the series. After Stevens, Walter Scharf did six scores, and Lalo Schifrin did two. Gerald Fried was composer from season two through the beginning of season four. The final composers were Robert Drasnin (who also scored episodes of Mission: Impossible, as did Schifrin, Scharf, and Fried), Nelson Riddle, and Richard Shores.

The music reflected the show's changing seasons. Goldsmith, Stevens, and Scharf composed dramatic scores in the first season using brass, unusual time signatures and martial rhythms. Gerald Fried and Robert Drasnin opted for a lighter approach in the second, employing harpsichords and bongos. By the third season, the music, like the show, had become more camp, exemplified by an R&B organ and saxophone version of the theme. The fourth season's attempt at seriousness was duly echoed by Richard Shores' somber scores.

Guest stars and other actors

Apart from Solo, Kuryakin, and Waverly, very few characters appeared on the show with any regularity. As a result, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. featured a large number of high-profile guest performers during its three and a half year run.

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy appeared together in a 1964 episode, "The Project Strigas Affair", a full two years before Star Trek aired for the first time. Shatner played an heroic civilian recruited for an U.N.C.L.E. mission, and Nimoy played a rival of the villain's henchman. The villain was portrayed by Werner Klemperer.[10] James Doohan appeared in multiple episodes, each time as a different character.

Barbara Feldon played an U.N.C.L.E. translator eager for field work in "The Never-Never Affair," one year before becoming one of the stars of the very different spy series Get Smart. Robert Culp played the villain in 1964's "The Shark Affair." Leigh Chapman appeared in a recurring role as Napoleon Solo's secretary, Sarah, for several episodes in 1965.[11]

Woodrow Parfrey appeared five times as a guest performer, although he never received an opening-title credit. Usually cast as a scientist, he played the primary villain in only one episode, "The Cherry Blossom Affair." Another five-time guest star was Jill Ireland, who at the time was married to David McCallum. Ricardo Montalban appeared in two episodes as the primary villain. "The Five Daughters Affair" featured a cameo appearance by Joan Crawford. Janet Leigh and Jack Palance appeared in "The Concrete Overcoat Affair" and Sonny and Cher made an appearance in the third season episode "The Hot Number Affair".[10] Other notable guest stars included: Richard Anderson, Joan Blondell, Roger C. Carmel, Joan Collins, Walter Coy, Elsa Lanchester; Yvonne Craig, Kim Darby, Ivan Dixon, Anne Francis, Allen Jenkins, Richard Kiel, Angela Lansbury, Julie London, Leslie Nielsen, William Marshall, Eve McVeagh, Carroll O'Connor, Eleanor Parker, Slim Pickens, Vincent Price, Dorothy Provine, Cesar Romero, Kurt Russell, Guthrie Thomas, Nancy Sinatra, Terry-Thomas, Fritz Weaver, and Elen Willard (in her last acting appearance).[12]

Props

U.N.C.L.E.’s security badge; Napoleon Solo's business card; insignia of the evil Thrush organization, CIA Museum

Solo and Kuryakin, trained in martial arts, also had a range of useful spy equipment, including handheld satellite communicators to keep in contact with U.N.C.L.E. headquarters. A catchphrase often heard was "Open Channel D" when agents used their pocket radios; these were originally disguised as cigarette packs, later as cigarette cases, and still later as fountain pens.[13] One of the original pen communicators now resides in the museum of the Central Intelligence Agency.[14] The museum is not accessible to the public. Replicas have been made over the years for other displays, and this is the second-most-identifiable prop from the series (closely following the U.N.C.L.E. Special pistol).[13]

A few of the third-and fourth-season episodes featured an "U.N.C.L.E. car", which was a modified "Piranha Coupe", a plastic-bodied concept car based on the Chevrolet Corvair chassis, built in limited numbers by custom car designer Gene Winfield.[15]

Weaponry

One prop, designed by toy designer Reuben Klamer[16] often referred to as "The Gun", drew so much attention that it actually spurred considerable fan mail, often so addressed. Internally designated the "U.N.C.L.E. Special", it was a modular semi-automatic weapon. The basic pistol could be converted into a longer-range carbine by attaching a long barrel, extendable shoulder stock, Bushnell telescopic sight, and extended magazine. In this "carbine mode", the pistol could fire on full automatic. This capability brought authorities to the set to investigate reports that the studio was manufacturing machine guns illegally. They threatened to confiscate the prop guns. It took a tour of the prop room to convince them that these were actually "dummy" pistols incapable of firing live ammunition. The actual pistol used as the prop was the Mauser Model 1934 Pocket Pistol, but it was unreliable, jammed constantly, and was dwarfed by the carbine accessories. It was soon replaced by the larger and more reliable Walther P38.

The long magazine was actually a standard magazine with a dummy extension on it, but it inspired several manufacturers to begin making long magazines for various pistols. While many of these continue to be available 40 years later, long magazines were not available for the P-38 for some years.[clarification needed]

The P38 fired the standard 9 mm bullet, although sometimes it was loaded with a special dart tipped with a fast-acting tranquilizer when it was preferable to have a live prisoner. The drug lasted, according to Solo, about two hours.

THRUSH had a range of weaponry of their own, much of it only in the development stage before being destroyed by the heroes. A notable item was the infra-red sniperscope, enabling them to aim gunfire in total darkness. A major design defect of the sniperscope was that its image tube's power supply emitted a distinctive whining sound when operating, giving away the shooter's concealed position. It also required a heavy battery and cable arrangement to power the scope. The prop was built from a U.S. Army-surplus M1 carbine with a vertical foregrip and barrel compensator, and using real Army surplus infrared scopes. The infra-red special effect was achieved using a searchlight to illuminate the target. The fully equipped carbines were seen only once, in "The Iowa Scuba Affair". After that, a mock-up of the scope was used to make handling easier.

German small arms were well represented in the series. Not only were P38s frequently seen (both as the U.N.C.L.E. Special and in standard configuration), but also the Luger P-08 pistol. In the pilot episode "The Vulcan Affair", Illya Kuryakin is carrying a standard U.S. Army .45 pistol. The "Broomhandle" Mauser carbines and MP 40 machine pistols were favored by opponents, both THRUSH and non-THRUSH. U.N.C.L.E. also used the MP 40. Beginning in the third season, both U.N.C.L.E and THRUSH used rifles which were either the Spanish CETME or the Heckler & Koch G3, which was based on the CETME.

There were also an assortment of other weapons, ranging from sniper and military rifles to pistols of various caliber, plus swords, knives, bludgeons, staffs, chains, and the like.

Awards and nominations

Emmy Awards

  • 1965: Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment – Actors and Performers (Nominated) – David McCallum
  • 1965: Outstanding Program Achievements in Entertainment (Nominated) – Sam Rolfe
  • 1966: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series (Nominated) – David McCallum
  • 1966: Outstanding Dramatic Series (Nominated) – Norman Felton
  • 1966: Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama (Nominated) – Leo G. Carroll
  • 1966: Individual Achievements in Music – Composition (Nominated) – Jerry Goldsmith
  • 1967: Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama (Nominated) – Leo G. Carroll

Golden Globes Awards

  • 1965: Best TV Star – Male (Nominated) – Robert Vaughn
  • 1966: Best TV Star – Male (Nominated) – Robert Vaughn
  • 1966: Best TV Star – Male (Nominated) – David McCallum
  • 1966: Best TV Show (Won)
  • 1967: Best TV Show (Nominated)

Grammy Awards

  • 1966: Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show (Nominated)- Lalo Schifrin, Morton Stevens, Walter Scharf, Jerry Goldsmith

Logie Awards

  • 1966: Best Overseas Show (Won)[17]

Spin-offs

The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.

The series was popular enough to generate a spin-off series, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. The "girl" was first introduced during "The Moonglow Affair" (February 25, 1966) an episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and was then played by Mary Ann Mobley. The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. spin-off series ran for one season, starring Stefanie Powers as agent "April Dancer", a character name credited to Ian Fleming, and Noel Harrison as agent Mark Slate. There was some crossover between the two shows, and Leo G. Carroll played Mr. Waverly in both programs, becoming the second actor in American television to star as the same character in two separate series. (The first had been Frank Cady, who played general store owner Sam Drucker on Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, and The Beverly Hillbillies.)

Merchandise

Licensed merchandise included a Man from U.N.C.L.E. digest sized story magazine, board games, Gilbert action figures, Aurora plastic model kits, lunch boxes, and toy weapons.[18]

An example of this, the Louis Marx "Target Gun Set", a dart gun shooting game released in the form of a quasi-playset, is built around the setting of U.N.C.L.E. headquarters in New York City. Art on the cardboard stand displays both the U.N.C.L.E. and THRUSH logos, and a half-dozen soft plastic figures per "side" were provided, including Solo, Kuyrakin and Waverly. These were marked on the base with the character names and the MGM copyright statement "MGM MCMLXVI" (figures not based on specific characters sport only the Marx copyright and date). The game measures 57" long by 18" tall; the figures, at 6", represent one of the few attempts Marx made at supplementing its 6" figure line. The U.N.C.L.E. figures are cast in blue, but for a single (unnamed) figure in tan; THRUSH agents are cast in gray. Marx was also responsible for an arcade game, licensed under The Man from U.N.C.L.E.[19]

Feature films

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. rated so highly in America and the UK that MGM and the producers decided to film extra footage (often more adult to evoke Bond films) for two of the first season episodes and release them to theaters after they had aired on TV. The episodes with the extra footage that made it to theaters were the original pilot, "The Vulcan Affair," retitled To Trap a Spy and also from the first season, "The Double Affair" retitled as The Spy with My Face. Both had added sex and violence, new sub-plots and guest stars not in the original TV episodes. They were released in early 1966 as an U.N.C.L.E. double-feature program first run in neighborhood theaters, bypassing the customary downtown movie palaces which were still thriving in the mid-1960s and where new movies usually played for weeks and even months before coming to outlying screens.

A selling point to seeing these films on the big screen back then was that they were being shown in color, at a time when most people had only black and white TVs (and indeed the two first-season episodes that were expanded to feature length, while filmed in color, were only broadcast in black and white). The words IN COLOR featured prominently on the trailers, TV spots, and posters for the film releases. The episodes used to make U.N.C.L.E. films were not included in the packages of television episodes screened outside the United States.[20]

Subsequent two-part episodes, beginning with the second season premiere, "Alexander The Greater Affair," retitled One Spy Too Many for its theatrical release, were developed into one complete feature film with only occasional extra sexy and violent footage added to them, sometimes as just inserts. In the case of One Spy Too Many, a subplot featuring Yvonne Craig as an U.N.C.L.E. operative carrying on a flirtatious relationship with Solo was also added to the film; Craig does not appear in the television episodes.

The later films were not released in America, only overseas, but the first few did well in American theaters and remain one of the rare examples of a television show released in paid theatrical engagements. With the exception of the two-part episode "The Five Daughters Affair," shown as part of Granada Plus's run of the series, the episodes which became movies have never aired on British television.

The films in the series:

Comic books

Several comic strips based on the series were published. In the US, there was a Gold Key Comics comic book series (one based on the show), which ran for twenty-two issues. Entertainment Publishing released an eleven issue series of one- and two-part stories from January 1987 to September 1988 that updated U.N.C.L.E. to the Eighties, while largely ignoring the reunion TV-movie. A two-part comics story, "The Birds of Prey Affair," was put out by Millennium Publications in 1993, which showcased the return of a smaller, much more streamlined version of THRUSH, controlled by Dr. Egret, who had melded with the Ultimate Computer. The script was written by Mark Ellis and Terry Collins with artwork by Nick Choles, and transplanted the characters into the present day.

Two Man from U.N.C.L.E. strips were originated for the British market in the 1960s (some Gold Key material was also reprinted), the most notable for Lady Penelope comic, which launched in January 1966. This was replaced by a Girl from U.N.C.L.E. strip in January 1967. Man from U.N.C.L.E. also featured in the short-lived title Solo (published between February and September 1967) and some text stories appeared in TV Tornado.

Novels

The first Man from U.N.C.L.E. novel, by Michael Avallone. Pictured: Robert Vaughn.

Rare children's storybook based upon The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Left to right: David McCallum, Robert Vaughn and Leo G. Carroll.

Two dozen novels were based upon Man from U.N.C.L.E. and published between 1965 and 1968. Unhampered by television censors, the novels were generally grittier and more violent than the televised episodes. The series sold in the millions, and was the largest TV-novel tie-in franchise until surpassed by Dark Shadows and Star Trek.

  1. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (a.k.a. The Thousand Coffins Affair) by Michael Avallone. When villages in Africa and Scotland are wiped out by a plague of madness, Solo and Kuryakin dig up a graveyard and a monster named Golgotha.
  2. The Doomsday Affair by Harry Whittington. The agents must find the mystery man "Tixe Ylno" before he triggers war between the USA and the USSR.
  3. The Copenhagen Affair by John Oram. "UFOs" are buzzing Europe, and the U.N.C.L.E. agents crisscross Denmark to find the factory before THRUSH launches an armed fleet.
  4. The Dagger Affair by David McDaniel. DAGGER fanatics have an energy damper that can shut down electrical fields, atomic reactions, and human beings, and even THRUSH is panicked.
  5. The Mad Scientist Affair by John T. Phillifent. The agents stop biochemist "King Mike" from poisoning London, then discover his second plan is to contaminate the entire North Sea.
  6. The Vampire Affair by David McDaniel. Napoleon and Illya don’t believe in vampires and werewolves, but an U.N.C.L.E. agent has died, so they must investigate an ancient castle in Transylvanian Romania.
  7. The Radioactive Camel Affair by Peter Leslie. Solo joins a caravan and Kuryakin threads a war zone to reach a missile base deep in the Sudan hinterlands.
  8. The Monster Wheel Affair by David McDaniel. The agents canvass the globe and infiltrate a remote island to confirm an inexplicable space station belongs to - Egypt?
  9. The Diving Dames Affair by Peter Leslie. The deaths of two merry missionaries lead the agents to the plains of Brazil and a giant dam with no apparent purpose.
  10. The Assassination Affair by J. Hunter Holly. Surviving assassins' bullets and a "do-it-yourself murder room", the agents follow THRUSH to desolated Michigan farms and a scheme to starve the world.
  11. The Invisibility Affair by Thomas Stratton (Buck Coulson and Gene DeWeese). The agents track an invisible dirigible to a submarine in Lake Michigan - and a plot to hijack an entire country.
  12. The Mind Twisters Affair by Thomas Stratton. People in a college town are unaccountably catatonic, euphoric, and raging. The agents must ferret out who and how before the "experiment" goes nationwide.
  13. The Rainbow Affair by David McDaniel. The agents consult every classic fictional spy and detective in England to find the world's best bank robber before THRUSH can recruit - or kill - him.
  14. The Cross of Gold Affair by Fredric Davies (Ron Ellik and Fredric Langley). Clues hidden in crossword puzzles lead the agents, hippies, and frogmen to a Coney Island death-trap to stop the biggest heist in history.
  15. The Utopia Affair by David McDaniel. Solo must command U.N.C.L.E. North America while Waverly is on a forced six-week vacation, and an undercover Illya tries to protect Waverly from Thrush assassins.
  16. The Splintered Sunglasses Affair by Leslie
  17. The Hollow Crown Affair by David McDaniel. In the last published McDaniel, Thrushes Ward and Irene Baldwin from The Dagger Affair return in a battle against an U.N.C.L.E. lab chief who has defected to Thrush.
  18. The Unfair Fare Affair by Leslie
  19. The Power Cube Affair by John T. Phillifent
  20. The Corfu Affair by John T. Phillifent
  21. The Thinking Machine Affair by Joel Bernard
  22. The Stone Cold Dead in the Market Affair by John Oram
  23. The Finger in the Sky Affair by Peter Leslie
  24. The Final Affair by David McDaniel. Completed but never published, the manuscript is circulated by fans.

Volumes 10–15 and 17 of the series were only published in the United States.

The Rainbow Affair is notable for unnamed cameos by The Saint, Miss Marple, John Steed, Emma Peel, Willie Garvin, Tommy Hambledon, Neddie Seagoon, Father Brown, a retired Sherlock Holmes, and Dr. Fu Manchu.

Whitman Books published three hardcover novels aimed at young readers: The Affair of the Gunrunners' Gold and The Affair of the Gentle Saboteur by Brandon Keith, and The Calcutta Affair by George S. Elrick.

A children's storybook was written by Walter B. Gibson entitled The Coin of El Diablo Affair.

The digest-sized "Man from U.N.C.L.E. Magazine" featured original novellas continuing the adventures of Solo and Kuryakin. Published under the house name "Robert Hart Davis," they were written by such authors as John Jakes, Dennis Lynds, and Bill Pronzini. 24 issues, which also offered original crime and spy fiction short stories and novelettes, and occasional reprints under the title "Department of Lost Stories," ran monthly from February 1966 till January 1968.

Three science-fiction novels appear to be rewrites of "orphaned" U.N.C.L.E novel outlines or manuscripts: Genius Unlimited by John Rackham (a pseudonym of Phillifent), The Arsenal Out of Time by McDaniel, and Agent Of T.E.R.R.A. #1: The Flying Saucer Gambit by Jack Jardine (writing as Larry Maddock).

Reunion TV movie

Main article: The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E

A reunion telefilm, The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E subtitled The Fifteen Years Later Affair, was broadcast on CBS in America on April 5, 1983, with Vaughn and McCallum reprising their roles, and Patrick Macnee replacing Leo G. Carroll as the head of U.N.C.L.E. A framed picture of Carroll appeared on his desk. The movie included a tribute to Ian Fleming via a cameo appearance by an unidentified secret agent with the initials "J.B." The part was played by one-time James Bond George Lazenby who was shown driving Bond's trademark vehicle, an Aston Martin DB5. One character, identifying him, says that it is "just like On Her Majesty's Secret Service", which was Lazenby's only Bond film.

The movie, written by Michael Sloan and directed by Ray Austin, briefly filled in the missing years. THRUSH has been put out of business, and the remaining leader was in prison. (His escape begins the story.) Illya, who quit U.N.C.L.E. after a mission went sour and an innocent woman was killed, now designs women's clothing at Vanya's in New York. Napoleon was pushed out of U.N.C.L.E., and now is employed selling computers. He still carries his U.N.C.L.E. pen radio for sentimental reasons and this is how the organization is able to contact him after so many years.

Solo and Kuryakin are recalled to recapture the escapee and defeat THRUSH once and for all, but the movie misfired on a key point: instead of reuniting the agents on the mission and showcasing their witty interaction, the agents were separated and paired with younger agents. Like most similar reunion films, this production was considered a trial balloon for a possible new series.

Although some personnel from the original series were involved (like composer Gerald Fried and director of photography Fred Koenekamp), the movie was not produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer but by Michael Sloan Productions in association with Viacom Productions - Sloan, Vaughn, and McCallum are pictured in the Michael Sloan Productions logo at the end of the movie.

Film adaptation

Main article: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (film)

A film adaptation of the television series is in development and produced by Warner Bros. and MGM. Guy Ritchie is set to direct the film while Armie Hammer and Henry Cavill are starring the lead.[21] The filming is set to start in September 2013.[22] It was announced that the film is scheduled to be released in August 2015.

DVD releases

In November 2007, after coming to an agreement with Warner Home Video, Time-Life released a 41 DVD set (region 1) for direct order, with sales through stores scheduled for fall 2008.[23] An earlier release by Anchor Bay, allegedly set for 2006, was apparently scuttled because of a dispute over the rights to the series with Warner Brothers.[24][25]

On Oct. 21, 2008, the Time-Life set was released to retail outlets in Region 1 (North America) in a special all-seasons box set contained within a small briefcase. The complete-series set consists of 41 DVDs, including two discs of special features included exclusively with the box set. Included in the set was the Solo pilot episode, as well as one of the films, One Spy Too Many.

Paramount Pictures and CBS Home Entertainment released The Return Of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to DVD in Region 1 on March 3, 2009.[26][27]

On August 23, 2011, Warner Archive Collection released The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 8-Movie Collection on DVD via their "manufacture on demand" service.[28]

On November 4, 2014, Warner Home Video will re-release the complete series set on DVD in Region 1 in a new repackaged version.[29]

In Region 2, Warner Bros. released the complete series set on DVD in the UK[30] They also released a separate movie collection on September 8, 2003.[31] The DVD contains five of the eight movies, missing the following: To Trap a Spy (1964), The Spy in the Green Hat (1966) and One of Our Spies is Missing (1966).

On March 26, 2012, Fabulous Films released "The Return Of The Man From U.N.C.L.E." on Region 2 DVD.[32]

U.N.C.L.E. in popular culture

References to the show in popular culture began during its original broadcast when it was parodied in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show, fittingly titled "The Man from My Uncle", References in other television shows have continued over the years, including a 2011 episode of Mad Men, "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword". It has also been referenced in other television shows including Get Smart, Angry Beavers, and Laugh-In. An episode of Tom & Jerry from the Chuck Jones era entitled "The Mouse from H.U.N.G.E.R." paid homage to the show, with Jerry as a secret agent tasked with the mission of retrieving a sizeable stash of cheese from the villainous Tom Thrush (portrayed by Tom).

In an episode of the sitcom Please Don't Eat the Daisies titled "Say UNCLE", the young twins are fans of The Man From U.N.C.L.E, and become convinced that their father Jim is a secret agent. In one scene, they watch Jim emerge from a tailor shop similar to Del Florio's. Another man entering the shop asks Jim for a match, and Jim gives him his matchbook. The boys are astonished, because the other man is David McCallum, identified in the ending credits as Illya Kuryakin; they believe their father has just passed a secret message to the "real-life" Illya Kuryakin. The scene ends with the U.N.C.L.E scene transition: the action freezes and goes out of focus.[33]

In 1986 David McCallum reunited with then The A-Team series regular Robert Vaughn in an episode of the show entitled "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair" in an homage to The Man from U.N.C.L.E., complete with "chapter titles", the word "affair" in the title, the phrase "Open Channel D", and similar scene transitions.[34]

It was also referenced in Glad commercials in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which starred the "Man from GLAD", a trench coat wearing agent who flew around in his combination boat/helicopter demonstrating Glad products to suburban housewives and saving the day.

Musical examples include Elvis Costello's 1980 album Get Happy!!, and an Argentinian Funk duo who took the name Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas honoring the fictitious spy. Alma Cogan paid a similar tribute to the Russian agent in her single "Love Ya Illya," released in 1966 under the pseudonym "Angela and the Fans". In the 1980s, Cleaners From Venus penned "Ilya Kuryakin Looked at Me"; the song was later covered by The Jennifers. The English 2 Tone band The Specials made an instrumental song called "Napoleon Solo". It was also the name of a Danish 2 Tone band. Space–surf band Man or Astro-man? covered the theme song for their 1994 EP Astro Launch. The British trip-hop group U.N.K.L.E. derive their name from the show.

Marvel Comic's creator Stan Lee stated in the introduction notes of "Son of Origins" that the Marvel Universe spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. was inspired by the Man From U.N.C.L.E. television program.

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the Promenade directory lists "Del Floria's Tailor Shop" as a location.

Since 2003 McCallum has starred in the CBS television series NCIS as Dr Donald "Ducky" Mallard, the Medical Examiner and one of the key characters. In an inside joke, NCIS agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs is asked, "What did Ducky look like when he was younger?" Gibbs responds, "Illya Kuryakin". The photo supposedly of a younger Ducky is actually a promotional photo from McCallum's Man from U.N.C.L.E. days.

"The Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E." was a Man From U.N.C.L.E. parody in 1960s Archie Comics. The comic portrayed Archie and the gang as a group of high-tech spies, as part of world-defence organization P.O.P. (an acronym for Protect our Planet). Their chief enemy was a counter-group known as C.R.U.S.H. (a spoof on T.H.R.U.S.H., but whose acronym was never explained). Although Reggie, Veronica and Moose were initially cast as C.R.U.S.H. agents, they later became members of P.O.P. All the characters also had undefined acronyms for names (A.R.C.H.I.E., B.E.T.T.Y., etc.).

The TV show My Favorite Martian also used CRUSH as the name of the evil spy organization, spoofing THRUSH in two episodes. In the season two episode "006 3/4" Tim finds a distress note from Agent 006 of Top Secret, who is being tracked by CRUSH. Top Secret asks Tim to assist Agent 004, to save 006. In the season three episode "Butterball" Uncle Martin must rescue Tim who is kidnapped by Butterball.

The video game Team Fortress 2 has an achievement referencing the show, named "The Man From P.U.N.C.T.U.R.E.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWJl0_d7WaU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZkpwwRtfbo