Customer Reviews

Man from UNCLE Season 4

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Fans of the "Man from U.N.C.L.E." will appreciate the final TV season number 4 (as they did the first season number 1) somewhat more than seasons 2 and 3 for the simple reason that the first and final TV seasons did not make an overly abundant use of humor. Sadly, this return to the "roots" of the series came too late to save it from being terminated.

Boris Ingster was out as the producer and Anthony Spinner (THE INVADERS) was in. The show tried to return to the humor and relative seriousness of season 1. It didn't totally succeed. While more serious than the disasterous third season, the show was also considerably darker than any of the previous years. Terrific guest stars: Jack Lord, Darren MacGavin, Christopher Jones. My favorite is "The Deadly Quest Affair" -- Solo is hunted by an old enemy through a maze of condemned buildings while trying to find Illya before he is subjected to deadly gas. "The J for Judas Affair" featured Broderick Crawford and Chad Everett. The finale episodes was a two-parter, "The Seven Wonders of the World Affair". Part two aired on January 15, 1968 and the show slipped into history.

I liked season 4, not so campy, I remember watching this show but time slots movement killed it. It's James Bond in America! Still Love Mcallium in NCIS. This seller was awesome one of the best I ever dealt with. Also bought season 3 from him - wish I had bought 1 & 2 also... GREAT guy - highly recommend this seller - new package, prompt delivery, great product, good communication - 5 starz no doubt!

The espionage adventure The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (1964-68) suffered a decline in popularity during its third season (1966-67), when the stories became more fanciful, often playing up the comedy angle. Although a new producer was hired, and the tone of the series became more serious in season four (1967-68), ratings did not improve to NBC's satisfaction, and the series was cancelled while still in production, with only 14 episodes being completed. This decision was very unfortunate for U.N.C.L.E. fans, as the stories in season four do reflect something of a return to the harder edge the series had in its earlier days.

The basic components of the program remain the same, as agents Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) operating out of U.N.C.L.E. headquarters in New York, and under the command of Mr. Waverly (Leo G. Carroll), are sent on assignments all over the world, battling the evil forces of THRUSH. The appeal of Solo and Kuryakin was the key element in the popularity of the series. Season four still contains some silliness, but no matter how absurd, the two operatives never treated the situation as a complete joke.

This season U.N.C.L.E. headquarters receives a makeover, and lovely Barbara Moore appears in a reoccurring role as Lisa Rogers, Mr. Waverly's secretary. As always the series features top quality guest stars, including Jack Lord, Alfred Ryder, Darren McGavin, Joe Sirola, Broderick Crawford, Chad Everett, Madeline Rhue, Lloyd Bochner, Anna Capri, Bradford Dillman, Leslie Parrish, Lola Albright, Michael Rennie, Carol Lynley, Judy Carne, Barry Sullivan, William Marshall, Marilyn Mason, Leslie Nielsen, John Dehner, and Diana Van Der List.

Among the notable episodes are The Survival School Affair, where Illya is on a remote island where U.N.C.L.E. has a school for training operatives, and must identify a traitor. The Deep Six Affair is set in London, where an U.N.C.L.E. agent who plans to get married, becomes a pawn in a THRUSH plot to steal secret plans. In the two part The Prince of Darkness Affair, U.N.C.L.E. enlists the services of a fugitive criminal mastermind to help stop a madman who has at his disposal a deadly heat ray. The series concludes on a high note, with The Seven Wonders Of The World Affair. The second two part adventure of the abbreviated season is quite violent and grim, as U.N.C.L.E. is on the trail of a number of missing scientists, involved in a plot masterminded by THRUSH, to control mankind using a special gas.

One area that may not be as strong as previous seasons is the music department. The soundtrack is still very cool, but there doesn't seem to be as wide a variety, and certain themes are used repeatedly. It's not a big thing, and is mostly noticeable when several episodes are watched in a row.

The 14 episodes are spread on six discs. Bonus materials include "MGM's Secret Operations", a 27 minute feature focusing on the MGM lot, where U.N.C.L.E. was filmed, and the cutting edge techniques employed in the making of the program. There are some fairly recent interview clips with stars McCallum and Vaughn, (who still look great for gentlemen in their 70's), and members of the production staff. As was the case for the previous U.N.C.L.E. seasons, TIME/LIFE does an absolutely first class job with the restoration of the episodes, which are also subtitled. A booklet with liner notes by Jon Burlingame, recaps the highlights of the fourth season, and covers some of the backstory regarding the show's demise.

Serious fans will want to get the The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete Series set on DVD. The 41 disc set is simply fabulous, and often goes on sale at Amazon. For those interested only in sampling the series however, the fourth season might be a good way to do so, as there are some strong stories, lots of action, and many well-known guest stars.