Product Details

• Actors: Patrick McGoohan, Richard Wattis, Lionel Murton, Peter Madden
• Directors: Don Chaffey
• Format: Box set, Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 18
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: A&E HOME VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: September 28, 2010
• Run Time: 3420 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B003JQZY8A
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,159 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

It was 1965 when American audiences first welcomed handsome secret agent John Drake (Patrick McGoohan of The Prisoner) into their homes as CBS ran the unique spy series known as Secret Agent. Wielding brains and a moral outlook instead of weapons, Drake traveled to the corners of the globe on the trail of international criminals, corrupt politicians, and stolen secrets.

Now, all 86 episodes from John Drake s entire crime-solving career are available together on DVD. Each episode of this exciting spy thriller is presented in the original broadcast order, from the original season that aired only in the U.K. as Danger Man to the 47 episodes of Secret Agent that were seen internationally, including the two color episodes that provided a vivid finale to the long-running suspense thriller.

Special Features

• Patrick McGoohan Biography/Filmography
• Complete Full-Length Original U.S. Opening Featuring Secret Agent Man Sung by Johnny Rivers
• Photo Galleries

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

135 of 141 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ubiquitous Mr Drake. June 19, 2010

By Armchair Pundit

Format:DVD

One year before The Avengers started avenging, and two years before Bond started claiming his extravagant living expenses, there was Danger Man.
All the usual ITC hallmarks are here, good actors, beautiful actresses and fast paced storylines.
This is the most real interpretation of spying on TV before Callan, Drake has some fancy gadgets, but nothing in the unbelievable Bond league.
Plus, the added bonus of McGoohan's smouldering personality.

Series one introduction:- "Every government has its secret service branch. America, CIA; France, Deuxième Bureau; England, MI5. NATO also has its own. A messy job? Well that's when they usually call on me or someone like me.
Oh yes, my name is Drake, John Drake".

Watch "View From the Villa" and see Portmeirion being used for the first time.
(The 30 minute series.)

Watch "Colony 3" and see where McGoohan started to formulate the idea of The Prisoner.
(The 50 minute series.)

The last two episodes made "Koroshi" and "Shinda Shima" were filmed in colour.
Drakes contact in,"Koroshi" called Potter reappears in The Prisoners,"The Girl who was Death" episode.
The actor who plays the bowler in the cricket match in the same episode was called John Drake I wonder if this was an example of Mr McGoohan's humour?

I can't help noticing the US theme music "Secret Agent Man" has aged worse then Edwin Astley's UK instrumental theme.

My favourite episode is the atypical episode "The Ubiquitous Mr Lovegrove", most bizarre, and refreshingly different. I think it must have influenced the writers of the Prisoner episodes "A, B & C" and "Living in Harmony"....
I am aware that this show is Danger Man and not The Prisoner, but it's hard not to notice the location's, actors and director (Don Chaffey) who would also be involved with The Prisoner.

All 39 of the thirty minute episodes are here along with all 47 of the fifty minute version.
Originally aired; 1960-62 (30 min eps.), 1964-66 (50 min eps.)

Life without this collection is just too full of danger....man! Read more ›

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite TV Show August 14, 2010

By JAK

Format:DVD

If I had to choose my all time favorite show, it would be this, as well as its 30 minute predecessor. It is a perfectly realized spy show and the stories have not dated. McGoohan had tremendous screen charisma and intelligence, neither of which can be faked. He made a few movies and was exceptional in those as well, but true superstardom eluded him for reasons I could never understand. If you're thinking about buying this series, I could not give it a stronger recommendation. McGoohan followed this show with his more famous "The Prisoner" which I also give 5 stars to, but I think Secret Agent is even better. You'll love it and watch it many times over.

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Parallel Lines Sometimes Meet - Best TV Spy Show Ever September 9, 2007

By Steel Maggie

Format:DVD

Danger Man is a compelling, interesting and complex spy show that consciously strives for realism at every possible level. Varied locals, dangerous opposition and a dynamic lead all combine to create a show where, as one of the episode titles claims, "Parallel Lines Sometimes Meet."

This comprehensive set contains all four seasons of the show Danger Man; the first season of half-hour shows and the second, third and fourth seasons of the hour-long shows. (The fourth season consists of only two episodes, both filmed in color)

The main character in the show is a man named Drake, John Drake. In the first season (half-hour episodes) he is an Irish American agent employed by NATO to tackle their `messy jobs.' In the later seasons (hour-long episodes) he has lost his slightly American accent and now works for the British Government in Special Branch, M9 specifically. Though John Drake's character remains intact through changes between the first and later seasons, there is obvious character development that takes place over the first to second season hiatus.

John Drake, as he appears in the first season of half-hour episodes, is a young, cool, efficient agent. He is bold, quick thinking and moves fast--he has to. The time constraints of the show limit any excess time or trouble. The shows are fairly uncomplicated, but for the most part quite interesting. Drake is very involved in the repercussions of his work and regularly confronts his superiors with the possible consequences of his orders. Drake has a much more personal voice in these episodes, as occasional voice-overs allow us to get inside his head and understand what he is seeing.... In this first series, Drake is perhaps a little heartless in his dealings and is always very, very impatient with others' incompetence or mistakes. There is no margin for error in his own work, he allows for no margin in the work of those he meets.

In the later series, the expanded hour-long episodes grant us more intricate episodes. Where the first season had speed and intensity on their side, these next seasons have depth, complexity and suspense. In these later seasons, Drake is more sympathetic and more fallible. He also seems to have reached a little more maturity when it comes to failings in his fellow agents. It has not, however, given him any more respect for his superiors--he still harasses them regularly, particularly in the later episodes.
One of Drakes most appealing and enigmatical traits is his strict moral code. He has what might be called a "knight in shining armor" complex, as Drake seems incapable of ignoring a plea for help. Another peculiar habit is his aversion to violence. When it comes to tight situations, Drake will first try to talk his way out, then try to sneak out and finally, if there is no other way, he will use (usually weaponless) force. Even though it is frequently demonstrated that he is an excellent shot, Drake actually carries a gun in only a few episodes and fires a weapon at someone in even fewer. He would rather disarm and hold his opponent at bay or use his sizable fists to render his opponent harmless.

His relationships with women also fall under the category of his unusual morality. Though he is obviously very attractive to most of the women who appear in the show, he either coldly rebuffs or dryly discourages their attempts in all but a few instances. His most intimate sign of favor is a courteous kiss on the cheek for a few greatly admired ladies. His respect for women as thinking, feeling people rather than objects of desire makes his interactions with them far more interesting than that of a "love `em and leave `em" style hero so common in the spy genre.

Interesting and dynamic, Danger Man is as real as TV spy shows get. The gadgets are believable, the action is complex and the stories are compelling. The show has aged well, with very few of the `campy' moments that typically plague other television shows of the period. Its moral, relentless hero and its realistic plotlines make Danger Man a must-see TV show for anyone interested in spies, politics or human nature. Read more ›

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, the complete Secret Agent/Danger Man February 26, 2007

By Christopher Manos

Format:DVD

Don't get the other megaset confused with this one - this is the real deal. Every episode of the series is on the DVD set, not just half! The quality is great and rather compact since they used the thin cases.

52 of 56 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Secret Agent (Man) They're Giving You a Number! October 2, 2010

By Daniel J. Tucker

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Growing up I always liked to watch Secret Agent (Man). We always added the word "Man" to the title because of the song "Secret Agent Man" (they're giving you a number and taking away your name).
What I like about the program, after years of reflecting on it, but didn't realize as a child, was the moral outlook of John Drake. He differed from James Bond. He was bold, brave, and acted on the situation, but he had morals. You could see that he was not the amoral, uncaring secret agent. He struggled to do the right thing. Many times he uses brain over the gun. He was a good role model to follow. Many times when his superiors said the person was not the primary concern of the mission but national security was, John Drake differed and made the person involved the primary concern. Nor was he seduced by a beautiful woman. He was romantic, but always kept clear of sexual liasons. He proved you could be a dynamic, caring, and loyal person without ending up in bed with the enemy.
I never saw "Danger Man" as a child, that I can remember, so this collection with the "Danger Man" part of John Drakes life is great. It is like getting new episodes.

Patrick McGoohan probably was the only one who could portray John Drake, given his moral upbringing and his strict contract signing conditions for this series. In McGoohan eyes, John Drake had to be a very moral man. He turned down the role of James Bond and similar characters because of the moral issues. Here he shows the morality of John Drake. McGoohan shows this aspect in the opening of the sequel to "Secret Agent", "The Prisoner." The opening of "The Prisoner" shows a secret agent quiting because of the moral ramifications of the job. His bosses don't understand this aspect and try to find out why he defected.... McGoohan wanted to be a moral role model in an amoral world of spying.

I would recommend this series for children because it portrays a definite right and a definite wrong in characters and moral situations. Read more ›