The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was an American television series that ran on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968, for 105 episodes (see 1964 in television and 1968 in television). The first season was broadcast in black and white. [1] The series centered on a two-man troubleshooting team for a covert espionage organization: American Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn), and Russian Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum). Leo G. Carroll played Alexander Waverly, the British head of the organization. Lisa Rogers (Barbara Moore) joined the cast as a female regular in the fourth season.
James Bond creator Ian Fleming contributed to the show's creation. The book The James Bond Films reveals that Fleming's TV concept had two characters: Napoleon Solo and April Dancer (The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.). ("Mr. Solo" was originally the name of a crime boss in Fleming's Goldfinger.) Robert Towne and Harlan Ellison wrote scripts for the series, which was originally to have been titled Solo. Author Michael Avallone, who wrote the first original novel based upon the series (see below), is sometimes incorrectly cited as the creator of the series (such as in the January 1967 issue of The Saint Magazine). At one point, Fleming's name was to have been connected more directly with the series. The cover of the original prospectus for the series showed the title Ian Fleming's Solo. Solo was originally slated to be the "solo" star of the series, the only "Man". But a minor walk-on by a Russian agent named Illya Kuryakin caught fire with the fans, and the two were permanently paired. The two agents' witty byplay in the face of danger became the show's most endearing quality.
The series, though fictional, achieved such notability as to have artifacts (props, costumes and documents, and a video clip) from the show included in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library's exhibit on spies and counterspies. Similar exhibits can be found in the museums of the Central Intelligence Agency and other agencies and organizations involved with intelligence gathering.
Background
Solo and Kuryakin, well-trained in the martial arts, also had a range of useful spy equipment, including handheld satellite communicators to keep in contact with U.N.C.L.E. headquarters. A catchphrase often heard was "Open Channel D." when agents used their pocket radios (originally disguised as cigarette packs, later as a cigarette case, and in following seasons, as pens).
One prop, often referred to as "The Gun," drew so much attention that it actually spurred considerable fan mail, often so addressed. Internally designated the "U.N.C.L.E. Special", it featured a modular semi-automatic weapon, originally based on the Mauser Model 1934 Pocket Pistol, but soon replaced by the more-readily available Walther P38 pistol. As such, the gun could be converted into a longer-range carbine by attaching a long barrel, extendable shoulder stock, telescopic sight, and extended magazine. The magazine was actually a standard magazine with a dummy extension on it, but it inspired several manufacturers to begin making long magazines for various pistols. While many of these continue to be available 40 years later, ironically, there is no long magazine currently offered for the P-38.
Thrush had an equally impressive range of weaponry, much of it only in development before being destroyed by our heroes; their most notable item was the infrared sniperscope, enabling them to target gunfire in total darkness. A major design defect of the sniperscope (both in the TV series and in the real world) was that its image tube's power supply emitted a distinctive whining sound when operating. This device was built around a U. S. Army-surplus M1 carbine.
A few of the last episodes had an "U.N.C.L.E. car", which was developed from the Piranha, a concept car built to prove the usefulness of plastics in auto construction.
Props
The series was popular enough that a spin-off series, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., ran for one season, starring Stefanie Powers as agent "April Dancer" (a character name credited to Ian Fleming). There was some crossover between the two shows, and Leo G. Carroll played Waverly in both programs, becoming one of the first actors in American television to star as the same character in two separate series (a feat later repeated by Richard Anderson and Martin E. Brooks on The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman).
Each two-part episode of Man from U.N.C.L.E. was later re-edited into a series of theatrical films that were initially released in Europe, and then to American TV. In each case, additional footage was shot. Among the films in this series: To Trap a Spy (1964); The Spy with My Face (1965); One Spy Too Many (1966); One of Our Spies is Missing (1966); The Spy in the Green Hat (1966); The Karate Killers (1967); The Helicopter Spies (1968) (TV); How To Steal The World (1968). The U.N.C.L.E. fad also inspired a related series of books, the best of which, in most opinions, were written by David McDaniel. See below for a listing.
Other spin-offs included a Man from U.N.C.L.E. digest-sized story magazine, board games, action-figures, and toy pistols. The show also inspired the naming of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.
Several comic strips based on the series have been published. In the US, there was a Gold Key Comics comic book series (one based on the show, which ran for about a dozen issues. A two-part comics story, "The Birds of Prey Affair" was put out by Millennium Publications in 1993, which showcased the return of a smaller, much more streamlined version of Thrush, controlled by Dr. Egret, who had melded with the Ultimate Computer. The script was written by Mark Ellis and Terry Collins with artwork by Nick Choles, and transplanted the characters into the present day.
Two Man from U.N.C.L.E. strips were originated for the British market in the 1960s (some Gold Key material was also reprinted), the most notable for Lady Penelope comic, which launched in January 1966. This was replaced by a Girl from U.N.C.L.E. strip in January 1967. Man from U.N.C.L.E. also featured in the short-lived title Solo (published between February and September 1967) and some text stories appeared in TV Tornado.
Spin-offs
A reunion telefilm, The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E., subtitled The Fifteen Years Later Affair was broadcast on CBS April 5, 1983, with Vaughn and McCallum reprising their roles, and Patrick Macnee replacing Leo G. Carroll as the head of U.N.C.L.E. (A framed picture of Carroll appeared on his desk.) The movie included a tribute to Ian Fleming via a cameo appearance by an unidentified secret agent with the initials "J.B." The part was played by one-time James Bond George Lazenby who was shown driving Bond's trademark vehicle, an Aston Martin DB5. One character, identifying him, says that it is "just like On Her Majesty's Secret Service," which was, of course, Lazenby's Bond film.
The movie briefly filled in the missing years. T.H.R.U.S.H. had been put out of business, and the remaining leader was in prison (his escape begins the story). Illya had quit U.N.C.L.E. after a mission had gone sour and an innocent woman been killed, and now designed women's clothing at Vanya's in New York. Napoleon had been pushed out of U.N.C.L.E. and now sold computers, though he still carried his U.N.C.L.E. pen radio for sentimental reasons (which is how the organization is able to contact him after so many years).
Solo and Kuryakin were recalled to recapture and defeat T.H.R.U.S.H. once and for all, but the movie misfired on a key point: instead of truly reuniting the agents on the mission - and showcasing their witty interaction - the agents were separated and paired with younger agents. Like most similar reunion films, this production was considered a trial balloon for a possible new series, but none eventuated. Many U.N.C.L.E fans considered it so poorly done as not to be part of the series canon.
Reunion TV-movie
A DVD release by Anchor Bay allegedly set for 2006 was apparently scuttled because a dispute over the rights to the series erupted with Warner Brothers.[2] An April 18, 2007 report suggests that Warner Brothers has won the rights and will be releasing the DVDs at the end of 2007.[3] Time Life will release the entire series on DVD in a complete box set, after coming to an agreement with Warner Home Video. [4]
A region 2 DVD release of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. movies was released on September 8, 2003. The DVD contains five of the eight movies, missing the following: To Trap a Spy (1964), The Spy in the Green Hat (1966) and One of Our Spies is Missing (1966).
DVD releases
Napoleon Solo was originally to have been Canadian, but it was decided that a series on an American network needed an American lead character.
In the UK and U.S.A., a "Man from U.N.C.L.E." brand of trading cards was produced to tie-in with the series. Each purple, brown and white wax-paper wrapped package included one stick of chewing gum and four Man from U.N.C.L.E. cards about 6.3 cm by 9 cm. One side of each of the 64 cards featured a different black and white action photo from the series as well as the actor's "autograph" printed in reflex blue ink. The other side of the card could be used as one section of a giant black and white poster featuring Napoleon Solo, Illya Kuryakin and Mr. Waverly from the series. It took all 64 cards to complete and view the poster image. Because of this, children were keen to get the complete set and school swaps were common.
One of the original pen communicators now resides in the museum of the Central Intelligence Agency. Unfortunately, the museum is not accessible to the public. Replicas have been made over the years for other displays, and this is the second-most-identifiable prop from the series (closely following the U.N.C.L.E Special Pistol). A Bluetooth-equipped pen communicator has been prototyped (as of January 2007), which will work with a voice-controlled, Bluetooth-capable cellular telephone, but the speaker volume is too low to be practical.
While "Channel D" is used throughout the series by Solo, in the original pilot ("The Vulcan Affair"), Solo's boss tells him to use Channel D, with the implication that this is a temporary channel assignment for this one mission.
Waverley wore badge number 1, Solo wore number 11, and Kuryakin wore number 2.
The pistol used by Solo in the TV-movie ("The Fifteen Years Later Affair") was based on a Heckler & Koch pistol, and featured a wrist rest rather than the shoulder stock seen on the U.N.C.L.E. Special.
The Transformer Megatron was originally created by Takara Toys based on the Walther P38 version of the U.N.C.L.E. Special. As part of the New Microman: Micro Change toyline, this weapon came in a styrofoam insert covered in packaging to make it resemble a briefcase.
Post-hardcore band At the Drive-In named a song Napoleon Solo on their album In/Casino/Out.
The character of Dr. Kiely Flanagan in Jason Mordaunt's cult novel Welcome To Coolsville[5], uses the aliases Roberta Vaughan, Davidia McCall and Leona Carroll.
Future Star Trek stars William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy appeared together in a 1964 episode, "The Project Strigas Affair". Shatner played a heroic civilian recruited for an U.N.C.L.E. mission, and Nimoy played the villain's bumbling henchman.
Barbara Feldon, later to become Agent 99 on Get Smart, played an U.N.C.L.E. translator eager for field work in "The Never-Never Affair". Napoleon sent her on a "secret mission" that was, in fact, to pick up a humidor of Mr. Waverly's favorite tobacco. Naturally, Thrush agents thought the package was valuable, and Napoleon had to help her survive the delivery.
Forty years after the debut of this series, both of its main stars found themselves enjoying renewed popularity on television, Vaughn in the British caper series Hustle and McCallum in the American military crime investigation series NCIS.
In the role-playing game Cyberpunk 2020 the term "Solo" refers to soldiers, assassins, and gunmen-for-hire. Napoleon Solo is its point of origin.
In the first regular televised episode of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, which replaced The Man from U.N.C.L.E. on NBC-TV's Monday night schedule in January 1968, Leo G. Carroll (Mr. Waverly) appears in the dance party segment, holding an U.N.C.L.E. pen communicator and saying into it, "Open Channel D! Come in, Mr. Solo, I think I've found THRUSH headquarters!"
In the David McDaniel novels THRUSH was founded by Col. Sebastian Moran after the death of Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls.
In Sweden there is a hardcore/screamo-band named "Mannen från UNCLE", which is the Swedish title for the series.
Rocksteady/Reggae artists Ike Bennet & The Crystalites named a song "Illya Kuryakin" which can be found on Trojan Records Guns of Navarone/Ride Your Donkey Album.
Rocksteady/Reggae artists Lyn Taitt & The Jets named a song "Napoleon Solo" which can be found on their album Hold Me Tight on Trojan Records.
There was a Latin rock band from Argentina called Illya Kuryaki Y Los Valderramas.
Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) appears in a momentary cameo with George Raft near the end of the 1967 spy-spoof film Casino Royale. Trivia
Two dozen original novels were based upon Man from U.N.C.L.E. and published between 1965 and 1968 (for a time, the most of any American-produced television series except for Star Trek, though there have now been more original novels published based upon Alias). Freed from the limitations of network television, these novels were generally grittier and more violent than the televised episodes and were very successful.
Another volume, The Final Affair, also by David McDaniel, was completed but not published. Copies of the manuscript have circulated among fans for decades. Written after the series was cancelled, it was intended to provide a definitive conclusion to Solo and Illya's adventures. At one time there were plans to publish The Final Affair in a limited deluxe edition, but the project failed. Another book, The Catacombs and Dogma Affair, has been mentioned in some sources, but it isn't listed as one of the official U.N.C.L.E. novels (it's possible it might be one of the above volumes, retitled, or it may be the unpublished second U.N.C.L.E.novel by J. Hunter Holly, which has been circulated in mimeographed form among fans). Volumes 10-15 and 17 of the series were only published in the United States.
Two science-fiction novels - Genius Unlimited by John Rackham (a pseudonym used by Phillifent) and The Arsenal Out of Time by McDaniel - appear to be rewrites of "orphaned" U.N.C.L.E novel outlines or manuscripts.
The Rainbow Affair is notable for its thinly-disguised cameo appearances by The Saint, Miss Marple, John Steed, Emma Peel, Tommy Hambledon (at whose flat Solo and Ilya encounter Steed and Peel), Neddie Seagoon, Father Brown, a retired, elderly Sherlock Holmes, and Dr. Fu Manchu. The novel uses the same chapter title format that Leslie Charteris used in his Saint novels.
Whitman Books also published three hardcover novels aimed at young readers and based upon the series. The first two books break the naming convention "The .... Affair" used by all other U.N.C.L.E. fiction and episodes:
A children's storybook entitled The Coin of El Diablo Affair was also published.
The aforementioned digest magazine based upon Man from U.N.C.L.E. and often featured original novellas that were not published anywhere else. There were 24 issues running monthly from February 1966 till January 1968, inclusive.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (a.k.a. The Thousand Coffins Affair) - Michael Avallone
The Doomsday Affair - Harry Whittington
The Copenhagen Affair - John Oram
The Dagger Affair - David McDaniel
The Mad Scientist Affair - John T. Phillifent
The Vampire Affair - McDaniel
The Radioactive Camel Affair - Peter Leslie
The Monster Wheel Affair - McDaniel
The Diving Dames Affair - Leslie
The Assassination Affair - J. Hunter Holly
The Invisibility Affair - Buck Coulson and Gene DeWeese (writing as "Thomas Stratton")
The Mind Twisters Affair - "Stratton"
The Rainbow Affair - McDaniel
The Cross of Gold Affair - Ron Ellik and Fredric Langley (writing as "Fredric Davies")
The Utopia Affair - McDaniel
The Splintered Sunglasses Affair - Leslie
The Hollow Crown Affair - McDaniel
The Unfair Fare Affair - Leslie
The Power Cube Affair - Phillifent
The Corfu Affair - Phillifent
The Thinking Machine Affair - Joel Bernard
The Stone Cold Dead in the Market Affair - Oram
The Finger in the Sky Affair - Leslie.
The Affair of the Gunrunners' Gold - Keith Brandon
The Affair of the Gentle Saboteur - Brandon
The Calcutta Affair - George Elrick Parodies
The original television show (as well as the James Bond movie series) inspired a parody series, the 1965-1970 NBC/CBS sitcom Get Smart, which starred Don Adams.
Get Smart
The Glass Bottom Boat was a movie starring Doris Day, Rod Taylor, Arthur Godfrey, Paul Lynde, Dom DeLuise.
Doris' character is dating Rod's character and is mistaken for a spy. Lynde is the head of security for the secret project run by Taylor and at one point dresses up in drag. In a party scene, Lynde walks by the bar, sees Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) standing there holding a drink in full tuxedo while the U.N.C.L.E. theme is playing. Lynde does a double take and finds Solo has disappeared!
The Glass Bottom Boat
One episode of the 1960s comedy series Please Don't Eat The Daisies was entitled "Say Uncle." Aired Jan. 11, 1966. Official Synopsis: The twins see their dad go into a tailor shop and talk to Illya Kuryakin as he comes out. Because their spy manual says that "anyone can be a spy provided he eats the proper breakfast" they're sure that Dad is a secret agent. When Mom overhears Jim ordering dynamite on the phone, she starts to believe it too. With permission from U.N.C.L.E. Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin make cameo appearances.
Please Don't Eat the Daisies
The July 1965 issue of Mad Magazine featured a parody of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. called "The Man From A.U.N.T.I.E." which stood for Association of Unbelievably Nauseating Television and Idiotic Entertainment. Its two spies were called "Napoleon Polo" and "Illya Nutcrackin".
Ben Elton also called his 1990 comedy television series "The Man From Auntie," a reference not only to the Man from U.N.C.L.E. but also to the BBC's nickname "Auntie".
During one episode of G.I. Joe, a James Bond-style agent named Matthew Burke worked for the secret organisation known as A.U.N.T.I.E.
An episode of the British television series The Avengers was entitled "The Girl from A.U.N.T.I.E.". Despite the title, the episode had little connection to "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.".
A.U.N.T.I.E.
A Chuck Jones-era Tom and Jerry (MGM) short with Jerry on a mission to get some cheese.
Tom and Jerry cartoon "The Mouse from H.U.N.G.E.R."One episode of the 1980s adventure series The A-Team was entitled "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair" and featured Vaughn and McCallum. Vaughn was a member of The A-Team's cast at this point, playing General Stockwell, while McCallum appeared as an enemy agent. The episode was loaded with in-jokes referencing the series but otherwise there was no link to the original show. In the cliff-hanger ending Stockwell and Ivan have a gunfight in which Ivan's truck is wrecked. It is unclear at the end if Ivan is killed or escapes.
The A-Team: "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair"
As noted above, David McCallum went on to co-star in the television series NCIS starting in 2003. In the series, he plays medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard. A second season episode of the series, "The Meat Puzzle", makes direct reference to The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in a conversation between the characters Jethro Gibbs and Kate Todd:
Kate: "Gibbs, what did Ducky (McCallum) look like when he was younger?" Gibbs: "Illya Kuryakin."
In a first season episode, the team create an E-Fit of Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard -- a simulation of what Mallard might have looked like as a young man. When the E-Fit is briefly shown it is an image of actor McCallum as he appeared in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
NCIS
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