The U.N.C.L.E.novels by David McDaniel are great fun. He was a real pop culture/horror/comics fan, and his U.N.C.L.E. books are filled with tons of cool, sly references and in-jokes... and the plots are really good, too. His best is probably "The Vampire Affair," although I really enjoyed all of his contributions. He wrote an officially unpublished wrap-up for the series, "The Final Affair," that was supposedly printed up privately. I'd love to find a copy.
The others in the series are a real mixed bag. Some are okay, others don't appear to have been written by anyone who's actually watched the show... sort of like those old Gold Key STAR TREK comics.
Terry here. I consider myself a Man From U.N.C.L.E. fan, even though the third season sucked. I've probably seen every episode (except for a few of the third season ones) at least twice.
Somehow I've missed the original "MAN" over the years, in a similar way to never getting to watch "I Spy" or "Secret Agent Man." What's the best season for quintessential MAN-action?
I consider the first, B&W season, to be the best, while others prefer Season 2. Pretty much everyone agrees that the third year was a disaster, though. The network wanted to compete with the Adam West BATMAN show, so U.N.CL.E., which had always been tongue-in-cheek and fun, was retooled into a pure camp travesty.
The truncated fourth season reverted back to more serious stories, but the tonal shift was so abrupt, that the series was canceled mid-year.
IMHO the best McDaniel novel was "The Rainbow Affair" featuring cameos from everyone from Steed & Peel to Fu Manchu to a retired consulting detective whose arch-enemy founded the organization that eventually would become the Technological Hierarchy...
Stop by Atomic Kommie Comics & say "hi"! http://atocom.blogspot.com
Of COURSE there are Man From U.N.C.L.E. fans out here! You just didn't start your communique with "Open Channel D"! ;)
I missed the first run and it wasn't until I was in high school that a local station started airing reruns late, late at night. However, I remember being at a campground store when a was a pre-teen and seeing this really cool model they were selling (already assembled by someone else, probably in the campground owner's family) of these two guys with awesome guns scaling a wall. Then I stumbled across the Man from U.N.C.L.E. card game at a neighbor's garage sale and bought it purely for the graphics.
Then I stumbled across The Rainbow Affair in a used bookstore! This was before the aforementioned reruns. I was hooked. I tracked down more books, stayed up way too late to watch the reruns when the started airing, followed Vaughn and McCallum in everything I could.
I recently borrowed a friend's first season DVD set and got to watch the perfect storm of Vaughn, McCallum, Shatner, Nimoy and Verner Klemperer that is The Project Strigas Affair.
I recall watching the shows (probably in reruns) when I was in elementary school in the late '60s/early '70s. I have no memory of them but I know I liked them. I was a big James Bond/spy fan, so no doubt UNCLE was a way to feed the habit. As someone else mentioned, I too had the Man from UNCLE spy gun, as well as these gray plastic UNCLE figurines (about 6"-8" high!) of the two lead characters. I think a commercial-free movie channel ran a marathon of episodes some time in the past year or so ago. I think I TiVo'd a couple episodes but couldn't get into them.... Some time you just can't go home again! But maybe I need to give them another chance.
Randy R said... "I think a commercial-free movie channel ran a marathon of episodes some time in the past year or so ago." Turner Classic Movies ran all the U.N.C.L.E. film compilations (without commercials and in chronological order, yet) the week the complete series box set was released to stores!
Some Borders Books locations are "reformatting" and dropping everything backlist including books, cds, and dvds, and selling off overstock at a 50% discount. I make mention of this because yesterday I picked up an unopened 41-dvd complete U.N.C.L.E. set (in briefcase) at a "reformatting" Borders for only $99 (plus tax)! Happy Hunting!
17 comments:
I liked the show when I was a kid and then watched some episodes about a year ago and was surprised that it had lost a lot of the "coolness."
Vaguely remember seeing some episodes (during the original run). I did have the Man From U.N.C.L.E. toy spy gun, though.
Chris, I've seen a number of the paperbacks at a used book shop near me, in so-so condition for about $5 each.
Are they worth a perusal?
It depends on the writer, Martin.
The U.N.C.L.E.novels by David McDaniel are great fun. He was a real pop culture/horror/comics fan, and his U.N.C.L.E. books are filled with tons of cool, sly references and in-jokes... and the plots are really good, too. His best is probably "The Vampire Affair," although I really enjoyed all of his contributions. He wrote an officially unpublished wrap-up for the series, "The Final Affair," that was supposedly printed up privately. I'd love to find a copy.
The others in the series are a real mixed bag. Some are okay, others don't appear to have been written by anyone who's actually watched the show... sort of like those old Gold Key STAR TREK comics.
Hey!
I've got a copy of McDaniels' The Final Affair in manuscript form. I've got a package of stuff to mail to you, so I'll make a copy and add it in.
I saw a few episodes in rerun years ago but just never had time to get involved with it. I think I might have liked it if I'd watched more
Terry here. I consider myself a Man From U.N.C.L.E. fan, even though the third season sucked. I've probably seen every episode (except for a few of the third season ones) at least twice.
Somehow I've missed the original "MAN" over the years, in a similar way to never getting to watch "I Spy" or "Secret Agent Man." What's the best season for quintessential MAN-action?
Chad;
I consider the first, B&W season, to be the best, while others prefer Season 2. Pretty much everyone agrees that the third year was a disaster, though. The network wanted to compete with the Adam West BATMAN show, so U.N.CL.E., which had always been tongue-in-cheek and fun, was retooled into a pure camp travesty.
The truncated fourth season reverted back to more serious stories, but the tonal shift was so abrupt, that the series was canceled mid-year.
IMHO the best McDaniel novel was "The Rainbow Affair" featuring cameos from everyone from Steed & Peel to Fu Manchu to a retired consulting detective whose arch-enemy founded the organization that eventually would become the Technological Hierarchy...
Stop by Atomic Kommie Comics & say "hi"!
http://atocom.blogspot.com
"The Rainbow Affair" is one I'm missing, whih is annoying, since I have doubles of most of the oters. Hopefully, one of these days...
Boss,
Of COURSE there are Man From U.N.C.L.E. fans out here! You just didn't start your communique with "Open Channel D"! ;)
I missed the first run and it wasn't until I was in high school that a local station started airing reruns late, late at night. However, I remember being at a campground store when a was a pre-teen and seeing this really cool model they were selling (already assembled by someone else, probably in the campground owner's family) of these two guys with awesome guns scaling a wall. Then I stumbled across the Man from U.N.C.L.E. card game at a neighbor's garage sale and bought it purely for the graphics.
Then I stumbled across The Rainbow Affair in a used bookstore! This was before the aforementioned reruns. I was hooked. I tracked down more books, stayed up way too late to watch the reruns when the started airing, followed Vaughn and McCallum in everything I could.
I recently borrowed a friend's first season DVD set and got to watch the perfect storm of Vaughn, McCallum, Shatner, Nimoy and Verner Klemperer that is The Project Strigas Affair.
Geek heaven!
PDS
I recall watching the shows (probably in reruns) when I was in elementary school in the late '60s/early '70s. I have no memory of them but I know I liked them. I was a big James Bond/spy fan, so no doubt UNCLE was a way to feed the habit. As someone else mentioned, I too had the Man from UNCLE spy gun, as well as these gray plastic UNCLE figurines (about 6"-8" high!) of the two lead characters. I think a commercial-free movie channel ran a marathon of episodes some time in the past year or so ago. I think I TiVo'd a couple episodes but couldn't get into them.... Some time you just can't go home again! But maybe I need to give them another chance.
Those gray plastic figures are standing on my desk right now. :)
Looks like I really need to track down a copy of "The Rainbow Affair."
I just bought a copy of "The Rainbow Affair."
Now, I just need a paying gig, so I can pick up the Complete Series DVDs....
Randy R said...
"I think a commercial-free movie channel ran a marathon of episodes some time in the past year or so ago."
Turner Classic Movies ran all the U.N.C.L.E. film compilations (without commercials and in chronological order, yet) the week the complete series box set was released to stores!
Where can I find a copy of the "Final Affair" on the web?
Mike
mbreggar@gmail.com
Some Borders Books locations are "reformatting" and dropping everything backlist including books, cds, and dvds, and selling off overstock at a 50% discount.
I make mention of this because yesterday I picked up an unopened 41-dvd complete U.N.C.L.E. set (in briefcase) at a "reformatting" Borders for only $99 (plus tax)!
Happy Hunting!
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