One year after dazzling DVD fans with the release of Get Smart: The Complete Series (see review here), Time Life has done it again with another '60s spy series with similar elements of adventure, humor and style: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. At a time when U.S. aggression has made it very unpopular around the world, U.N.C.L.E. resonates, as its characters aren't trying to make the world safe for just American interests, but rather for those of the world. (The "U.N." in the title is no mistake.) The main characters are an American and a Russian - backgrounds that should have made for bitter enemies during the Cold War of 1964 (when the show premiered), but instead made for great working partners and friendship. The message then, as now, is that if these men can work together, anyone can, and everyone has interests that are greater than those of nationalism.
The United Network Command for Law & Enforcement is the organization that employs Napolean Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Ilya Kuryakin (David McCallum), 
and sends them to all corners of the globe in matters of espionage and intrigue. Vaughn and McCallum bring a lot to the series, and they were among the first on television to have cult followings. Watching these episodes, it's easy to see why. Both men have a charm and a sophisication that's evident. But their characters aren't flawless: Solo gets tripped up on occasion by emotional attachments, and Kuryakin is sometimes overconfident.
and sends them to all corners of the globe in matters of espionage and intrigue. Vaughn and McCallum bring a lot to the series, and they were among the first on television to have cult followings. Watching these episodes, it's easy to see why. Both men have a charm and a sophisication that's evident. But their characters aren't flawless: Solo gets tripped up on occasion by emotional attachments, and Kuryakin is sometimes overconfident. Much has been made of the fact that the show's best episodes were in the first and second seasons, and that the third season descended into camp. While it is true that the third season has weaker moments and made more attempts at humor, it is fun in its own way. The fourth, shortened season does its best to return the show to its roots. Whatever shortfalls it may have had, U.N.C.L.E. can sit proudly among its '60s spy counterparts: The Avengers, Secret Agent/Danger Man, I Spy, Get Smart and The Prisoner.
Time Life's set contains just about everything a fan of the show could ask for: clean, crisp transfers, hours and hours of bonus materials, and a cool - if not very convenient - package that puts all four season sets inside a briefcase. With complete series sets of U.N.C.L.E. and Get Smart under its belt, Time Life is going to have to work extra hard to impress fans with their offering for 2008. (Perhaps the long-missing-on-DVD Batman, with Adam West, could fit the bill; getting it out of rights hell alone would be a heroic feat.)The Man From U.N.C.L.E.- The Complete Series is highly recommended.
More info: The Fans From U.N.C.L.E.
