Comments on: Weekend Viewing: The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:18:28 +0000

In another search for ratings, the producers looked to the ever growing popularity of 'camp' which Batman had unleashed on the American public. Surely all the shows had jumped on this band wagon, so an instant success must be guaranteed. And sadly this is what happened to the Girl from UNCLE. When you tuned in to see Stefanie Powers being popped out of a giant toaster, you knew the series was doomed.

Unfortunately, the Man from UNCLE didn't fare much better. When you tuned in to see Illya Kuryakin riding a giant stink bomb over Las Vegas, you knew the series was doomed. It did manage to limp into one more season, but the damage had already been done.

It's a shame the producers didn't try to stay close to the theme of the original pilot. They might have had a good series on their hands

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:17:37 +0000

Not knocking the acting talents of Ms. Powers, I think the Girl from UNCLE series lost a lot in it's transition from the original pilot on it's parent show, the Man from UNCLE. In the original pilot, entitled "The Moonglow Affair", the character Miss Dancer was portrayed as far removed from the traditional agents on the Man from UNCLE. Instead of being a well-trained, expert, masculine spy she was a novice, young and genuinely female. So the premise was to team her up with her complete opposite and agent Mark Slate (played by actor Norman Fell) was much older, much wiser and actually close to retiring. Two vast different ends of the spectrum teamed up together to fight the forces of THRUSH.

Then along came the quest for those all important ratings. The whole series changed from that original pilot only to leave the character names in tact. Sure April Dancer was still young and female, but now she was teamed up with a young, hip, mod British partner. Forget about the opposing character interplay between the young and the old; that went out the window.

By: Myself

Myself — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:22:56 +0000

Girl From UNCLE was a cute show!

By: Scott M.

Scott M. — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:15:45 +0000

I think you may be confusing Anon with a person who is being helpfully critical of your posts. Anon is just being an asshat.

By: rockfish

rockfish — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 07:34:02 +0000

How do you think April Dancer would have done in a kick-off against Honey West? I dare say Francis and her ocelot are forever being shortchanged in this discussion… but perhaps the root of their beginnings doesn't not provide good fodder for equal comparisons. Not that i'm knocking Powers…

By: Jaime Weinman

Jaime Weinman — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:45:52 +0000

Oh, and this isn’t being sarcastic: if you have any suggestions for posts you’d like to see, or stuff you think you’d be happier commenting on, I’d be happy to hear it. And while I’m not a big fan of the whole “constructive” vs. “destructive” criticism distinction, I at least hope you’d be happier offering suggestions for what you’d like to see, rather than merely saying what you don’t like to see.

By: Jaime Weinman

Jaime Weinman — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:24:44 +0000

And here I thought I was being too critical lately, what with saying mean things about HBO and Marti Noxon and such, so thanks for making me feel better about myself. And thanks for commenting, because I would like more people to comment, negatively or otherwise.

I wasn’t really aware that finding and writing about failed or bad television shows implies that I’m uncritical of them. I’m not sure how you can read the above post and think that I was saying this was a good show. And I’m not sure why you are particularly angry that I would write something about a bad show from the past as opposed to a bad show from the present.

By: Anon

Anon — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 03:25:17 +0000

Oh look…another uncommented post by Jaime Weinman, the most uncritical television critic in the entire World. What crap are you flogging this time, Jaime? A failed spin-off?