t.r.i.v.i.a. from u.n.c.l.e. (4CE reprint, Feb 2010)

S.T.U.F.F. from U.N.C.L.E.

One of my favorite TV shows from the 60s was "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." Significantly, the two stars are still acting 46 years after its debut in 1964: David McCallum as Ducky on “NCIS” and Robert Vaughn on the British show “Hustle.” Here are some de-classified nuggets from the MFU dossier.

"The Ian Fleming Affair"....MFU was the first TV show to capitalize on the 007 craze, but what's little known is that James Bond creator Ian Fleming actually had a hand in its early development. Producer Norman Felton was inspired by both the Bond books and Fleming's travel book "Thrilling Cities." When he heard Fleming was visiting New York City, he flew out to take a meeting. Fleming had a bad heart and on his doctor-prescribed walks around Manhattan, he regaled Felton with tales of his life, his family, his books, anything but a new TV show. Eventually, Fleming produced a wad of Western Union telegram blanks, covered with scribbled ideas, including the name "Napoleon Solo", as well as "April Dancer," intended as UNCLE's Miss Moneypenny, but used two years later for the spinoff GFU series. Better than her original name "Cookie Fortune", no?

The series was to be called "Ian Fleming's Solo", but back in England, the Bond people pitched a fit, especially since "Solo" was the name of a minor villain in the soon-to-be released movie "Goldfinger." The out-of-court settlement allowed the character's name to remain, but not as the series title. (The recently released DVD box set does include the pilot episode, with the title "Solo.") In return, NBC's publicity was to make no mention of Fleming's involvement. He died August 12, 1964, five weeks before MFU hit the air.


"The Wrong K-Man Affair"....In that pilot, the head of UNCLE is Mr. Allison, played by actor Will Kuluva. It's mostly Napoleon Solo's story, with David McCallum's Illya Kuryakin appearing in just a few scenes. The network bosses approved the show, but producer Felton was told that guy with the K-name had to go. He assumed they meant Kuluva, who was replaced by Leo G. Carroll as Mr. Waverly, basically recycling his role of "The Professor" from Hitchcock's "North By Northwest." It later came out that they had meant ditch Kuryakin, since they felt viewers could never relate to a "good" Russian. An exec reportedly told Felton it was the best mistake they ever made.


"The Beam Me Up Scotty Affair"....One first season episode is famous for pairing William Shatner and Leonard Nemoy two years before "Star Trek." In the "Strigas Affair", Shatner plays a small-time pest exterminator recruited by UNCLE to help discredit an Eastern European ambassador played by Werner Klemperer, pre-Colonel Klink. Leonard Nemoy was his ambitious though blockheaded deputy. James "Scotty" Doohan also appeared in a first season show as a merchant marine officer.

And the choice of Robert Vaughn as Solo was a result of his staring role on "The Lieutenant", a series about life on a Marine Corps base. It was produced by, you guessed it, Gene Roddenberry. Had UNCLE not come along, would Vaughn have seen service on the Starship Enterprise? I sort of see him as a prissy doctor, along the lines of Robert Picardo on "Star Trek: Voyager."


"The C.A.R.S. from U.N.C.L.E. Affair"....We remember muscle cars and pony cars as the hot rides of the Sixties, but for grown-ups, there was nothing cooler than a powerful, full-size convertible. Thus, in the first season, the agents drove big Chevys and Pontiacs, and in the pilot, a Lincoln Continental. During the second season, it was Mopar: Polaras and Furys, an Imperial for Mr. Waverly, and Belvederes for taxi-cabs. Things lightened up in the third season: they drove a Dodge Charger for a while, the original one with the extreme fastback. Then came the legendary UNCLE-mobile.

Marbon Chemical, a division of Borg-Warner, built the one-shot CRV, a car to showcase its thermo-plastic Cycolac. AMT turned it into a model kit, re-named it the Piranha, and hired customizer Gene Winfield to built several more full-size versions. For UNCLE, he added gull-wing doors and lengthened the rear end to accommodate enough spy weapons to make an Aston-Martin jealous. Trouble was, the UNCLE car was always breaking down and was difficult getting in and out of. With a glass bubble roof (actually the gull-wing doors), no windows and no AC, it got unbearably hot inside in no time. Then there was the problem of "secret" agents driving around in what was essentially an instant auto show. It was used in just a handful of episodes, and once on GFU; a real "no-go showboat."

"The Affair of the Affairs Affair"....Giving each episode a similar title (it was originally to be "File") had a long history: the original "Dragnet" had "The Big ...", "Perry Mason" was "The Case of the ...", "Burke's Law" had "Who Killed ..." Interestingly, the agents actually referred to their missions as "affairs", although the code-name never matched the actual episode title. Thus "The Four Steps Affair" was called during the episode the "Rubiyat Affair", "The Double Affair" was referred to in the show as the "August Affair", etc. Perhaps the direct inspiration was the long-running radio drama "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar." From 1949 to 1962, virtually all of the 811 weekly installments were called "The thus-and-so Matter", although episode #20 was "The Fishing Boat Affair."


"The Please Don't Shoot the Daisies Affair" ....A TV crossover is when characters from one series appear on another, but would you believe both Napoleon and Illya on the family-friendly sitcom "Please Don't Eat the Daisies"? The episode was titled "Say Uncle," and began with the boys playing UNCLE agents, then becoming convinced their Pop was a spy after seeing him with you-know-who. Pretty silly, but those were the days. UNCLE was thanked for its cooperation in the credits, just like on the real MFU show. Then there was the time David McCallum hosted "Hullabaloo" in character as Illya. “Hi, I’m not a real person…”

MFU was cancelled in January 1968, midway though its 4th season. The Boston NBC affiliate didn’t even air the last few episodes; we had to watch the snowy reception of a Providence, R.I. station. But by its passing, MFU gave life to two other classics: it was replaced on Monday nights by “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In”, which revolutionized comedy on the Tube. In fact, the very next week, during the party scene, when Dick says "My mother married my step-father's brother by a previous marriage...you might call me the man from uncle," a waiter turns around: its Leo G. Carroll, who pulls out his pen communicator: "Mr. Kuryakin, get over here fast...I think I've found THRUSH headquarters at last."

And MFU was beaten in the ratings by “Gunsmoke,” slated for cancellation but given a reprieve by CBS president William Paley, who loved the show. It ran for another 8 seasons! Till next time, open Channel D, overseas relay….and rock on!