The Man from UNCLE Review Affair

I'm a fan of spy movies and spy shows, and when looking for something I might sit down with and review, episode by episode, I had a number of vintage choices. Mission: Impossible, of course, has a long history (two shows and the movies). The Avengers would have been nice since I'm more or less replacing the Doctor Who reviews, but I'd have to track down the pre- and post-Emma Peel episodes (many of the former, lost to the ages). My ultimate choice is The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (now and forever spelled UNCLE because typing the periods is a P.A.I.N. in the A.S.S. My reasons are three-fold: First, I've never seen more than a few frames of it, only the 2015 movie. Second, it has an expanded world, so I might then track down The Girl from UNCLE, the Return reunion show, and the aforementioned film. And third, a friend gave me the series boxed set (in a neat little spy briefcase) and I've been sitting on it ever since, in case I might do this.

So I'm getting into this without much foreknowledge, only the basic premise. Here's how I intend to lay out the reviews:

THE AFFAIR: A quick synopsis so fans can, at a quick glance, know which episode we're talking about.

THE INNOCENT: As part of its formula, the show involved a normal person from outside the spy world as a special guest star who would be used by UNCLE as part of the mission. This prefigures Mission: Impossible's "civilian spy network", though said innocents weren't ever called back into action (as far as I know). The idea, according to head writer Sam Rolfe, was to give the series an "Alice in Wonderland" vibe, where the spy world was behind the wall and fans could be called into action at any time. I'll give these characters/actors a little spotlight in this section.

REVIEW: The meat of the article.

HEARD ON CHANNEL D: Memorable quotes, since I hear the show is pretty quippy.

BONDED: Links to 007 and perhaps other spies of the Cold War, seeing as The Man from UNCLE is very obviously a Bond rip-off, or spoof, or parody. We'll mention key actors and concepts that repeat across the genre, and let you know what spy franchises are doing at time of broadcast.

REWATCHABILITY: As usual, a rating between High and Low, with an eye towards RE-watching the show rather than seeing it for the first time.

So I hope you'll follow along, starting next week, and if you have a different spy preference, let me know! There are seven days in a week, and I might have other holes to fill!