Customer Reviews

The Persuaders!: The Complete Series

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The 1971 series "The Persuaders" is nothing short of a television equivalent to a truck load of precious gems. With an, at that time in British television uheard of, huge waddle of cash thrown at the production of this series (around 100K pounds per episode), they had the means to make "The Persuaders" big. And they did. The signature theme music by John Barry and the colourful introduction of the characters that comes with it. The lavishness of the sets and on-location shootings, the signature Bahama Yellow Aston Martin DBS and the red Dino Ferrari, the scotch.

They managed to create a world, a believable world, in which British peer Lord Brett Sinclair, in the comely shape of Roger Moore, and American diamond-in-the-rough oil millionaire Danny Wilde, played to perfection by Tony Curtis, would solve cases that the courts could not, or would not, handle all while keeping up a busy globetrotting playboy lifestyle with fast cars, fast women, gambling, and plenty of fine cognac. It is a safe and entertaining world to get immersed into with proper fistfights, loads of drink, and beautiful women. Much like James Bond as it were.

But the biggest boon, by far, is the humour, much of the which derives from the observations of differences between the British and the Americans as seen in the relationship between, as well as the laddish and playful wit of, the two main protagonists.

"The Persuaders" may seem old and tired and a bit ridiculous to modern eyes, like indeed any old TV series might, but I dont think it is. The stories are well written, well acted, and well directed. It is an innocent and interesting world in which Sinclair and Wilde work their magic, and I think, a world we all would like to be in (in some way or other).

It's a shame that Sir Lew Grade, co-creator of the series, was so keen on breaking into the American market (where the series fared badly), that he cancelled the series after only one season although it was doing very well in the rest of the world. Although I guess that only makes it that much more precious, doesn't it?

In a word: definitely one for the lads (lads here meaning men and women). Highest possible recommendation.

The full set available in the UK and on amazon.co.uk was also released in 2006, but it is not this A&E basic compilation. It has two extra DVDs, including a great "The Persuaders Revisited" documentary, that visits Tony Curtis in 2006 in his present home in Las Vegas and Sir Roger Moore in his home in Monte Carlo. Between the two of them, I think Moore has got the better idea for a residence... :-))

Anyhow, at about the same price as this U.S. version is, plus having the PAL system's better colors and extra line resolution, getting the series from the UK site is a better option. Make sure that the DVD player is PAL capable (most of them are) and that it is region-free. Otherwise, you can just use a separate DVD player that you will always use for Region 2 (PAL) DVDs, this should not be a big issue.

This is yet another series we inherited from the British back in the early 70s. Here it ran all in 1 season while there it took 2 (as usual). Tony Curtis a self made rich kid from a poor family in Brooklyn, Roger Moore the typical British aristocrat. Together they team up to tackle cases the law won't or couldn't touch around the globe. Both sets were originally released by A&E separately (I got them both from Marketplace Sellers for a tad less than the price for this combo deal,) and if the photograph is true, all your are getting is the 2 separate sets for a combined reduced price. It's not like the previously (some more recent than others) released Megasets of Nero Wolfe, Space 1999, Prisoner, Danger Man/Secret Agent (both original and now the new coming combo of that) or Upstairs Downstairs/Thomas & Sarah set, so my advice get the best deal you can. If this turns out to be an actual complete megaset rather than just a nice deal for the 2 separate sets in 1 piece of cellophane, I will modify my review. As a program, it's a rare find, as a "deal", watch all 3 listings carefully, VERY CAREFULLY. UPDATE: If you really want the full series in 1 set, you can get it from the UK store in a special edition "9 disc set". Kicker is you will also have to buy a multi region player. Fortunately several Amazon sellers here in the USA store for great prices (I have 1 en route as I type this).:-)

What a great trip down memory lane! The series is exactly as I remember it and more. Great humour and the two leads are perfect foils for each other. Although there is a lot of action, the series is thankfully devoid of the gratuitous violence and depraved gore that seems to grace our TV screens today. Just a pity that there is a lack of subtitles for the hearing impaired as my husband relies on these to enjoy the shows. Once again exceptional service from Amazon.com. The items arrived promptly through standard international shipping and were in perfect order.

I loved this series when I was young, and aftre watching it again brought many good memories.You will Love it if you were there then.

The Persuaders! was a 70's nugget produced in England. The best part of this series was the interplay between it's two stars Tony Curtis and Roger Moore. They seem to be having a great time trying to constantly out-do each other while trying to solve cases the legal authorities originally couldn't. Moore plays Lord Bret Sinclair,born and bred a British aristocrat, while Curtis plays Danny Wilde,a self-made millionaire from the slums of Brooklyn. Exotic locales and women are part of the fun in this tongue-in cheek adventure series. The cultural differences between the two are never more apparent than when they're camping out on Bret's estate in one episode. While Danny sleeps with only a blanket for protection, Bret has a deluxe tent complete with mini-bar and freezer. The only problem I have with the set is it only contains 24 episodes, due to the fact it wasn't poular in the U.S. and production was stopped after just one season. A must for Moore fans to see what he did to bide his time between The Saint and James Bond.

The all series with Roger Moore and Tony Curtis I watched, when I was young.Some time ago.
Now I watch one of the movie mowie before I go to sleep.It give me peace of mind and my dreams are nice. Recomended for age over 45.

DVD's are great 1970 period acting with Roger Moore and Tony Curtis. Sometimes a little corny but they bring back great memories and the stories are fun. Light entertainment rarely found on TV anymore.

Finally I found it, I was a big fan of The Persuaders, yet can't find them anywhere. Amazon was of great help.