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Michael Giltz: DVDs: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
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This Story to DiggDVDs: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Posted November 28, 2007 | 04:15 PM (EST)
Read More: Akira Kurosawa, Doris Day , Dvds, Futurama , James Bond , Movies, The
Man From U.N.C.L.E. , The Simpsons , TV Shows , Breaking Entertainment News
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete Series boxed set ($249.99; Warner Bros.) is a pricey but
otherwise exemplary presentation of an iconic TV series.(For now, it's only available at
www.manfromuncledvd.com but will eventually be sold in stores.) Don't call this TV spy show a
rip-off of James Bond. After all, Ian Fleming was briefly involved in creating it and evencontributed the name of the main character, Napoleon Solo (played to the hilt by Robert Vaughn).You get all 105 episodes from the four season run, interviews with Vaughn and co-star DavidMcCallum, home movies McCallum shot behind the scenes, interviews with more than a dozenother central players, set designs, gadgets, the original un-aired pilot and much more. Anyone whogrew up with the show will be beside themselves with glee.
And what a bizarre journey the show took. It was an immediate smash hit that successfully jumpedon the James Bond bandwagon, debuting on September 22, 1964, exactly three months before thethird Bond film Goldfinger opened in the US. (And give U.N.C.L.E. some credit: Goldfinger was
the Bond film that established the formula for Bond that we know today, so the show wasn'tlagging behind.
But despite its immediate impact (merchandising, fan
frenzy, etc.) the show was beaten by McHale's Navy
(which only ranked #29 itself) and was immediately
moved. For one brief season it aired Friday at 10 p.m.
and was ranked #13. Clearly, it was a hit among
adults since kids were mostly asleep by then. But by
the third year, the show had dumbed itself down. Like The Adventures of Superman a decade
earlier, U.N.C.L.E. soon decided it was a kiddie show and the plots grew more and more
cartoonish. (Seeing Get Smart ranked at #12 in 1967 probably didn't help matters.) A spin-off - The
Girl From U.N.C.L.E. -- made matters worse. By the final year, they had reverted to a more serioustone (relatively speaking of course - the show was still filled with gadgets and beautiful women whoswooned whenever Vaughn looked their way). But it was too little, too late.
The admirable liner notes detail all of this without apology. Watching the show go off the rails with
success and then right itself creatively is fascinating. And the show itself is great fun most of theway and intriguing for what it reveals: at the height of the Cold War, Americans gladly embraced ashow in which the US and Russia (and other countries) banded together to fight evil-doers. Fans of
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-the-man-from-u_b_74539.html [4/5/2009 8:27:54 PM]
Michelle Obama's Clothing
Has Sean Hannity All Out OfSorts
Cenk Uygur: Have WeReached the Tipping Pointon Guns?
RICHARD POPLAWSKI,Pittsburgh Gunman, Kills 3Police Officers
Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld: DoesIran Harbor Osama binLaden?
SNL: Madonna And
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$40,000
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Vie For Mortgage...the series will revel in most of the four seasons, with guest stars ranging from Joan Crawford to
William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy appearing together a few years before Star Trek. (I would like
to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose assistance this
review would not be possible.)
Also out this week: Toshiro Mifune begins his historic collaboration with Akira Kurosawa with
Drunken Angel ($39.95; Criterion); I got more hate mail than you can imagine for saying the TV
show Futurama paled next to The Simpsons so I won't compare the two but just say that fans of
the futuristic comedy will be thrilled that the first of four straight-to-DVD movies Futurama:Bender's Big Score! ($29.99; Fox) is here and comes loaded with extras and not one of theminvolves me rating one series over the other; Andy Samberg proves he is worthy of primetime withhis genial charm in Hot Rod ($29.99; Paramount) even if the movie he does it in is a slight
comedy, to say the least; Doris Day - the biggest movie star of her day, not to mention a hugerecording artist and successful TV star - is long overdue for an honorary Oscar, but until then fans
will have to settle for the fifth and final season of The Doris Day Show ($39.98; MPI) wth new
commentary tracks by Day on select episodes and her final TV special Doris Day Today ($19.98;
MPI); Paprika ($26.99; Sony), yet another genre-pushing animated delight from Satoshi Kon; Kal
Penn is good on the TV show House but he's outshone in The Namesake by the excellent actors --
Irfan Khan and Tabu -- who play his parents; Spice World ($14.94; Columbia), out just in time for
their reunion concerts and Bratz ($28.98; Lions Gate), which makes an ideal double bill for your
next slumber party; the indefatigable Land Before Time series continues with the straight-to-dvd
movie The Wisdom of Friends and the guest voices of Cuba Goodng Jr. and Sandra Oh; the
understandably over-praised but still promising modest comedy Waitress ($29.99; Fox) by the late
actress and director Adrienne Shelly; three iconic ABC sitcoms all get their third season released on
DVD, with Happy Days ($38.99; Paramount) losing whatever remaining grip it had on reality,
Laverne & Shirley ($38.99; Paramount) cartoonish from the start and Mork & Mindy ($38.99;
Paramount) recovering somewhat from the show's bizarre decision to completely revamp a massivehit in its second season; The Batman: The Complete Fourth Season ($19.98; Warner Bros.)
introduces Robin even as it stays in the shadow of the terrific animated series from the Nineties;the child music prodigy heart-tugger Vitus ($29.95; Sony) which would make a hankie-heavy
double bill with the current flick August Rush; and finally, the pro wrestling Thunderdome match
that is Royal Rumble: The Complete Anthology ($59.95; WWE), which contains the complete firstfive Royal Rumbles and if you know what that is, you definitely want this set.
So tell me, we can all debate our favorite Bond film (down to your favorites of each Bond actor).
But what's your favorite Bond-inspired movie, tv show or book? Dean Martin's jokey Matt Helm?
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.? The young adult novels starring Alex Rider? I might just go with the
Matt Damon Bourne movies. Not only is the trilogy very good in its own right but it pushed the
real Bond series into getting back to a modicum of gritty reality. Thanks Jason Bourne!
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-the-man-from-u_b_74539.html [4/5/2009 8:27:54 PM]Comments 21 Pending Comments 0
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QueenCeleste See Profile I'm a Fan of QueenCeleste permalink
As a child I loved The Man From U.N.C.L.E., that and The Avengers. I couldn't stay up very late so I'm
sure I missed many episodes. What a crush I had on Robert Vaughn!
By the way, any chance of The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd ever being released on dvd? I'd read
something about copyright issues with the music featured in the episodes. How I loved that show, andthe brilliant Blair Brown.
anastasiabeaverhousen See Profile I'm a Fan of anastasiabeaverhousen permalink
I LOVED this show as a kid. Elia Kuriakin was so cute!! I'll wait till it hits the clearance table, though -$249???? Wow.
jacknab See Profile I'm a Fan of jacknab permalink
That's great about Man from U.N.C.L.E. but I am still waiting for 77 Sunset Strip to come out on DVD.
taylorndncar See Profile I'm a Fan of taylorndncar permalink
i will always remember Vaughn as THE MAN FROM UNCLE. i watch THE MAGNIFICANT SEVENwhen i can and BRIDGE OVER REMAGEN because of Vaughn.
the THEME FROM MAN FROM UNCLE was also pretty good. i was in high school back in those days
and my friends would gather together and watch the series.
Aramingo See Profile I'm a Fan of Aramingo permalink
Open channel D:
Not a word about Thrush? An orgainzation half-way between SPECTRE and KAOS deserves at least a
mention. Perhaps your pro-UNCLE bias has gotten in the way of fair reviewing.
Close channel D
Rand See Profile I'm a Fan of Rand permalink
It's the line-up of guests on TMFU that REALLY made the show! Former major stars, soon-to-be
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-the-man-from-u_b_74539.html [4/5/2009 8:27:54 PM]
Comments are closed for this entrystars...
3fingerbrown See Profile I'm a Fan of 3fingerbrown permalink
Hey, Michael: Thanks for another entertaining dispatch from DVDland.
I've got a question about how these DVD releases get done, and I'll use one of the shows youmentioned as an example. "The Doris Day Show," as I recall from distant childhood, was a run-of-the-mill little sitcom that got bymostly on the charm of its star. It was never the most popular show on TV, nor was it ever declared an"artistic success" by critics. And it never, to my knowledge, went into syndication, to be rediscovered inreruns by future generations of video buffs.The question is, Why would any profit-driven media company devote the time and resources necessaryto methodically bring out all five seasons of the show in deluxe packages, complete with extras? Who'sthe audience for "The Doris Day Show" in 2008?I could understand if it were "Sgt. Bilko" or "Car 54" or "The Odd Couple"--these were high-qualitysitcoms loved by audiences and critics, and they ran for many years in reruns, thus building up a multi-
generational audience that might be interested in the DVD.
But "The Doris Day Show"? All five seasons? I mean, it's not as though there's a big Doris Day revivalsweeping the nation--she hasn't worked in years. What gives?
Libsrule See Profile I'm a Fan of Libsrule permalink
I noticed the same thing about TMFU. I was only 16 and even I could see it turning into Batman. But Iloved the first two seasons the best. I was living in Japan it's last season so I never saw it.
Nonetheless I loved it. Watched it religiously.As for KurosawaDAMN!
I was first exposed to some of his films on PBS back in the early 70's when we got 7 stations and
PBS(or whatever it was called back then.)
I first saw the original 7 Samurai which was all done in subtitles. I don't remember the other movie's
name I do remember one of them was stunning. It had to do with an older Samurai who showed up atthe "castle" of a Shogun and said he was masterless and penniless and asked to be able to commitsuicide with honor at the castle. This took place during the period after the great Samurai wars and agreat many Samurai had lost their masters and wandered the country looking for work.
When none could be found they would then ask to be able to commit ritual suicide at the castle. The
Lord would then give them money to go away because it made it look like he could not help them if helet them do it.
BUT this particular Lord would let them and had them do it in front of all of his men. Most did it, some
chickened out and were shamed.
Then came a young Samurai and the Lord decided to have him commit suicide, BUT the kicker was the
young man had sold his swords and carried bamboo blades instead.
When the Lord found out he gleefully made the young man kill himself with the bamboo blades.The older man was telling this story and it finally dawns upon the lord who is in front of him and you
can guess the rest. GOD IT WAS GREAT. Beautifully done and...sorry I'm going a little crazy here.
Ikiru, Yojimbo and bunches of others.Then I saw RAN and was bowled over.
Semaj51 See Profile I'm a Fan of Semaj51 permalink
A great show. They were, I believed, the first show to have the "secret" entrances to headquarters.
Anybody need their laundry done?
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
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This Story to DiggDVDs: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Posted November 28, 2007 | 04:15 PM (EST)
Read More: Akira Kurosawa, Doris Day , Dvds, Futurama , James Bond , Movies, The
Man From U.N.C.L.E. , The Simpsons , TV Shows , Breaking Entertainment News
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete Series boxed set ($249.99; Warner Bros.) is a pricey but
otherwise exemplary presentation of an iconic TV series.(For now, it's only available at
www.manfromuncledvd.com but will eventually be sold in stores.) Don't call this TV spy show a
rip-off of James Bond. After all, Ian Fleming was briefly involved in creating it and evencontributed the name of the main character, Napoleon Solo (played to the hilt by Robert Vaughn).You get all 105 episodes from the four season run, interviews with Vaughn and co-star DavidMcCallum, home movies McCallum shot behind the scenes, interviews with more than a dozenother central players, set designs, gadgets, the original un-aired pilot and much more. Anyone whogrew up with the show will be beside themselves with glee.
And what a bizarre journey the show took. It was an immediate smash hit that successfully jumpedon the James Bond bandwagon, debuting on September 22, 1964, exactly three months before thethird Bond film Goldfinger opened in the US. (And give U.N.C.L.E. some credit: Goldfinger was
the Bond film that established the formula for Bond that we know today, so the show wasn'tlagging behind.
But despite its immediate impact (merchandising, fan
frenzy, etc.) the show was beaten by McHale's Navy
(which only ranked #29 itself) and was immediately
moved. For one brief season it aired Friday at 10 p.m.
and was ranked #13. Clearly, it was a hit among
adults since kids were mostly asleep by then. But by
the third year, the show had dumbed itself down. Like The Adventures of Superman a decade
earlier, U.N.C.L.E. soon decided it was a kiddie show and the plots grew more and more
cartoonish. (Seeing Get Smart ranked at #12 in 1967 probably didn't help matters.) A spin-off - The
Girl From U.N.C.L.E. -- made matters worse. By the final year, they had reverted to a more serioustone (relatively speaking of course - the show was still filled with gadgets and beautiful women whoswooned whenever Vaughn looked their way). But it was too little, too late.
The admirable liner notes detail all of this without apology. Watching the show go off the rails with
success and then right itself creatively is fascinating. And the show itself is great fun most of theway and intriguing for what it reveals: at the height of the Cold War, Americans gladly embraced ashow in which the US and Russia (and other countries) banded together to fight evil-doers. Fans of
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-the-man-from-u_b_74539.html [4/5/2009 8:27:54 PM]
Michelle Obama's Clothing
Has Sean Hannity All Out OfSorts
Cenk Uygur: Have WeReached the Tipping Pointon Guns?
RICHARD POPLAWSKI,Pittsburgh Gunman, Kills 3Police Officers
Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld: DoesIran Harbor Osama binLaden?
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Goody Buried In
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Vie For Mortgage...the series will revel in most of the four seasons, with guest stars ranging from Joan Crawford to
William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy appearing together a few years before Star Trek. (I would like
to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose assistance this
review would not be possible.)
Also out this week: Toshiro Mifune begins his historic collaboration with Akira Kurosawa with
Drunken Angel ($39.95; Criterion); I got more hate mail than you can imagine for saying the TV
show Futurama paled next to The Simpsons so I won't compare the two but just say that fans of
the futuristic comedy will be thrilled that the first of four straight-to-DVD movies Futurama:Bender's Big Score! ($29.99; Fox) is here and comes loaded with extras and not one of theminvolves me rating one series over the other; Andy Samberg proves he is worthy of primetime withhis genial charm in Hot Rod ($29.99; Paramount) even if the movie he does it in is a slight
comedy, to say the least; Doris Day - the biggest movie star of her day, not to mention a hugerecording artist and successful TV star - is long overdue for an honorary Oscar, but until then fans
will have to settle for the fifth and final season of The Doris Day Show ($39.98; MPI) wth new
commentary tracks by Day on select episodes and her final TV special Doris Day Today ($19.98;
MPI); Paprika ($26.99; Sony), yet another genre-pushing animated delight from Satoshi Kon; Kal
Penn is good on the TV show House but he's outshone in The Namesake by the excellent actors --
Irfan Khan and Tabu -- who play his parents; Spice World ($14.94; Columbia), out just in time for
their reunion concerts and Bratz ($28.98; Lions Gate), which makes an ideal double bill for your
next slumber party; the indefatigable Land Before Time series continues with the straight-to-dvd
movie The Wisdom of Friends and the guest voices of Cuba Goodng Jr. and Sandra Oh; the
understandably over-praised but still promising modest comedy Waitress ($29.99; Fox) by the late
actress and director Adrienne Shelly; three iconic ABC sitcoms all get their third season released on
DVD, with Happy Days ($38.99; Paramount) losing whatever remaining grip it had on reality,
Laverne & Shirley ($38.99; Paramount) cartoonish from the start and Mork & Mindy ($38.99;
Paramount) recovering somewhat from the show's bizarre decision to completely revamp a massivehit in its second season; The Batman: The Complete Fourth Season ($19.98; Warner Bros.)
introduces Robin even as it stays in the shadow of the terrific animated series from the Nineties;the child music prodigy heart-tugger Vitus ($29.95; Sony) which would make a hankie-heavy
double bill with the current flick August Rush; and finally, the pro wrestling Thunderdome match
that is Royal Rumble: The Complete Anthology ($59.95; WWE), which contains the complete firstfive Royal Rumbles and if you know what that is, you definitely want this set.
So tell me, we can all debate our favorite Bond film (down to your favorites of each Bond actor).
But what's your favorite Bond-inspired movie, tv show or book? Dean Martin's jokey Matt Helm?
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.? The young adult novels starring Alex Rider? I might just go with the
Matt Damon Bourne movies. Not only is the trilogy very good in its own right but it pushed the
real Bond series into getting back to a modicum of gritty reality. Thanks Jason Bourne!
Comments for this post are now closed
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
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View Comments: Newest
First Expand All
QueenCeleste See Profile I'm a Fan of QueenCeleste permalink
As a child I loved The Man From U.N.C.L.E., that and The Avengers. I couldn't stay up very late so I'm
sure I missed many episodes. What a crush I had on Robert Vaughn!
By the way, any chance of The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd ever being released on dvd? I'd read
something about copyright issues with the music featured in the episodes. How I loved that show, andthe brilliant Blair Brown.
anastasiabeaverhousen See Profile I'm a Fan of anastasiabeaverhousen permalink
I LOVED this show as a kid. Elia Kuriakin was so cute!! I'll wait till it hits the clearance table, though -$249???? Wow.
jacknab See Profile I'm a Fan of jacknab permalink
That's great about Man from U.N.C.L.E. but I am still waiting for 77 Sunset Strip to come out on DVD.
taylorndncar See Profile I'm a Fan of taylorndncar permalink
i will always remember Vaughn as THE MAN FROM UNCLE. i watch THE MAGNIFICANT SEVENwhen i can and BRIDGE OVER REMAGEN because of Vaughn.
the THEME FROM MAN FROM UNCLE was also pretty good. i was in high school back in those days
and my friends would gather together and watch the series.
Aramingo See Profile I'm a Fan of Aramingo permalink
Open channel D:
Not a word about Thrush? An orgainzation half-way between SPECTRE and KAOS deserves at least a
mention. Perhaps your pro-UNCLE bias has gotten in the way of fair reviewing.
Close channel D
Rand See Profile I'm a Fan of Rand permalink
It's the line-up of guests on TMFU that REALLY made the show! Former major stars, soon-to-be
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-the-man-from-u_b_74539.html [4/5/2009 8:27:54 PM]
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3fingerbrown See Profile I'm a Fan of 3fingerbrown permalink
Hey, Michael: Thanks for another entertaining dispatch from DVDland.
I've got a question about how these DVD releases get done, and I'll use one of the shows youmentioned as an example. "The Doris Day Show," as I recall from distant childhood, was a run-of-the-mill little sitcom that got bymostly on the charm of its star. It was never the most popular show on TV, nor was it ever declared an"artistic success" by critics. And it never, to my knowledge, went into syndication, to be rediscovered inreruns by future generations of video buffs.The question is, Why would any profit-driven media company devote the time and resources necessaryto methodically bring out all five seasons of the show in deluxe packages, complete with extras? Who'sthe audience for "The Doris Day Show" in 2008?I could understand if it were "Sgt. Bilko" or "Car 54" or "The Odd Couple"--these were high-qualitysitcoms loved by audiences and critics, and they ran for many years in reruns, thus building up a multi-
generational audience that might be interested in the DVD.
But "The Doris Day Show"? All five seasons? I mean, it's not as though there's a big Doris Day revivalsweeping the nation--she hasn't worked in years. What gives?
Libsrule See Profile I'm a Fan of Libsrule permalink
I noticed the same thing about TMFU. I was only 16 and even I could see it turning into Batman. But Iloved the first two seasons the best. I was living in Japan it's last season so I never saw it.
Nonetheless I loved it. Watched it religiously.As for KurosawaDAMN!
I was first exposed to some of his films on PBS back in the early 70's when we got 7 stations and
PBS(or whatever it was called back then.)
I first saw the original 7 Samurai which was all done in subtitles. I don't remember the other movie's
name I do remember one of them was stunning. It had to do with an older Samurai who showed up atthe "castle" of a Shogun and said he was masterless and penniless and asked to be able to commitsuicide with honor at the castle. This took place during the period after the great Samurai wars and agreat many Samurai had lost their masters and wandered the country looking for work.
When none could be found they would then ask to be able to commit ritual suicide at the castle. The
Lord would then give them money to go away because it made it look like he could not help them if helet them do it.
BUT this particular Lord would let them and had them do it in front of all of his men. Most did it, some
chickened out and were shamed.
Then came a young Samurai and the Lord decided to have him commit suicide, BUT the kicker was the
young man had sold his swords and carried bamboo blades instead.
When the Lord found out he gleefully made the young man kill himself with the bamboo blades.The older man was telling this story and it finally dawns upon the lord who is in front of him and you
can guess the rest. GOD IT WAS GREAT. Beautifully done and...sorry I'm going a little crazy here.
Ikiru, Yojimbo and bunches of others.Then I saw RAN and was bowled over.
Semaj51 See Profile I'm a Fan of Semaj51 permalink
A great show. They were, I believed, the first show to have the "secret" entrances to headquarters.
Anybody need their laundry done?
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Michael Giltz: DVDs: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/dvds-the-man-from-u_b_74539.html [4/5/2009 8:27:54 PM]
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