Customer Reviews

The Protectors - Season One

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After the cancellation of THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. and appearences in some successful films (most notably the McQueen epic BULLET), Gerry & Sylvia Anderson inticed Robert Vaughn to return to the small screen in a 30 minute action-adventure series. As Harry Rule he runs a small security service that takes on special cases. Carried in syndication in the U.S. in the early 1970's, it was a pretty decent show that was to capture in 30 minutes the excitement of shows twice as long. A difficult relationship between Vaughn and the Andersons brought this show to a close after only 2 seasons. Sadly both Nyree Dawn Porter and Tony Anholt have passed away in the intervening years. Vaughn can currently be seen in the British series HUSTLE.

Being a fan of Robert Vaughn from his Man From UNCLE days, I purchased this set on a whim at Tower Records over three months ago (why does Amazon say it will not be available until November?) and was pleasantly surprised. These half-hour episodes are cleverly written and entertaining. The European locales also add an extra bit of flair to these shows. The acting is good--especially Space 1999 alumnus Tony Anholt. When will the Second season be released?

This is one of a series of British television programs that shared the same pool of scriptwriters and directors. This series includes The Avengers, The Saint, Secret Agent Man, and The Persuaders. If you liked any of these you will like The Protectors.

The Protectors is a high-class detective agency that gets involved in international crime and espionage operations. Very much like The Avengers, the woman of the group, Nyree Dawn Porter, is very intelligent, resourceful, and attractive. She was the first choice for replacing Mrs. Peel when Dianna Rigg left The Avengers.

Gerry Anderson's "The Protectors" probably debuted a few years too late -- one of those sweeping shows of international intrigue, it has a 60s vibe that by the 1970s didn't get the full production it deserved. Robert Vaughn, himself an icon of the previous decade, stars as Harry Rule, ostensibly the American leader of a group of European guardian angels in the vein of Leslie Charteris' "The Saint." What makes "The Protectors" particularly interesting is its half-hour format, mandating that stories be wrapped up in far less time than an adventure series usually has. The results are mixed, though generally good and occasionally compelling. Certainly "Seinfeld" 25 years later showed it was possible to tell a compelling albeit humorous story in less than 30 minutes, and in the same way, most episodes of this series manage to cut out the filler that pads too many hour-long programs.

While Vaughn's career would take a turn into frequent onscreen villainy, here he remains the smooth, intelligent hero, with less panache than his memorable Napoleon Solo but frequently given more opportunity to stretch his considerable acting talent. Tony Anholt's almost impossibly handsome sidekick, Paul Buchet, and the lovely Nyree Dawn Porter, perhaps the last thinking-man's babe, never show up Vaughn in a cast that is as good looking as it is talent. Location scenes, though, seem a little subdued, as the series was shot on 16 mm with the muted cinematography that became more common once the 60s was over. That aspect of the production is probably is least appealing, offset to some degree by a catchy theme song that became a lasting hit for the Tom-Jones-ish crooner Tony Christie.

I forgot about this series. I saw on public channel in reruns.
I didn't remember until I saw it on Spy Series Dvd Collection.
This show is cool! Shows are 30 minutes. They move fast and
furious. They are exciting, well written, Cool and fun! I love
this series. I recommend anyone who love cool spy mystery shows.
Robert Vaughn was the man from uncle but here he's man from cool!

Not everything can have lots of depth. This show certainly is fast paced and entertaining and yet we don't really get to know much about the people in it.
This show which ran in 1972 holds up well as a spy show although we don't know who the protectors work for. They are against drug smugglers though and that's enough to tell you that they are the good guys. This show aims to give you a thrill ride often and it delivers and it reminded me of todays action movies in which character is put in the back seat to the overall action. Robert Vaughn of course adds his acting prowless to this and that helps as he is the leader of the group. His chain smoking countess assistant? , is as good with a gun and her fists as any man too. So if you are in the mood for some face paced spy or crime fighter shows then you'll be ok on that level. This is no Callan though which is a realistic spy show but a james bond done in 30 minutes type of exploit. So on that level it deserves 4 stars for being well made and entertaining. but as others pointed out if you put this on the drama scale it would probably be 2 stars because we just don't get any feeling for the characters often , or why things are happening. They needed a hour to expand this show and it would have been a really good bondian spy show. But if you want fast paced slick entertainment without much depth of character like the flick "shoot em up" without the cgi and other effects then you could do worse. If you want drama then go someplace else.

A 30-minute detective/adventure show? It might seem lame, but it actually works.

The Protectors are an international detective agency specializing in unusual cases: everything from stolen art, finding missing persons, or providing bodyguard services to high-profile clientele. The three main 'leaders' of the organization are Harry Rule (Robert Vaughn), the Contessa Caroline di Contini (Nyree Dawn Porter) and Paul Buchet (Tony Anholt).

From a creative and technical standpoint, the direction is exceptional for its time. Excellent camera angles, top-notch editing, unique visuals and exciting music to enhance the action sequences. Many of the shows are shot on location, specifically Europe. We get to see London, Paris, Rome and Berlin as it was during the 1970s. And it's all 'for real' imagery.

During the 1970s (and before), women protagonists in television were presented as 'secondary' characters and shrinking violets. The Protectors contradicted that sterotype. The Contessa di Contini is portrayed as intellectually resourceful, financially independent and consummately adept at personal combat. She is an expert with an épée, a shotgun, a handgun, and -- if the need arises -- she can disable an opponent with physical force.

The stories are very good. For instance, one episode features the Contessa and Harry enduring a fake car accident ("Thinkback"). The villains of the piece are intent on 'tricking' the Protectors into revealing the location of a person testifying against a Mafia-like organization. They use drugs, illusions and false-doctors to extract the witness' location from the Protectors. But the Protectors are resilient. The Contessa and Harry realize the deception. They save the day. During the save-the-day sequence, the Contessa rolls under a sliding door and utilizes a movie prop-sword to halt the adversaries. So cool.

Wonderful entertainment.

The Protectors is a show that can be viewed on many levels. 30-minutes of compressed drama and action and international intrigue. The most important part is that the Contessa is way ahead of her time. She is akin to Mrs. Gale and Modesty Blaise (see my other reviews).

The world is filled with strong women.

Generally speaking, if you enjoy British spy shows like "The Saint" and "The Avengers", you will probably enjoy this series. However, the 30 minute format of the series precludes any significant character or plot development, and ultimately results in a less than satisfying result. There are a few stories which extend to two episodes, but they are so few that they do not make up for the limited development of the other episodes in the series.

I'd suggest sticking with the one hour format shows.

This wins honors for doing as much with a 30-minute segment as any retro chic secret agent thriller can. But while fast action, variegated plots and European settings are all to its credit, its improbability and inability to develop depth of any kind relegates it to something recommended primarily for aficionados of Man from UNCLE or of Robert Vaughn. Others seeking spy or crime thrillers might look to other items I have reviewed, either American or British.

The Protectors ending song belongs to Tony Christie's Avenues and Alleyways (1973).