Too Many Uncles...

I do like a good laugh.

Sometimes I like a good comedy. I don’t mind a good chuckle now and then. But The Man from Uncle isn’t supposed to be a comedy.

Several shows take its sweet time getting the digital treatment and the spy espionage merry-go-round of adventures The Man From Uncle makes its way to the shelves in a form of a top secret briefcase. Or, if you're a cheapskate like me, you can check them out of the Fond du Lac Public Library.

It’s one of those nostalgic running series that hits the soft spot for those who remember the old shows of a troubleshooting team of two agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin devising different ways of stopping the overly ambitious plotting of a counter intelligence on a weekly basis. It was a clever show on a low budget but with fantastic ideas.

First and foremost, the series has enjoyed a burst of popularity that gained a noted audience during the sixties during the time when spies were sparking the imagination of many viewers. If they couldn’t get enough of the movies that was taking advantage of spy intrigue, they could always get their weekly dose of it from a TV series. Sometimes it can get too much.

It starts out well. The first season is a remarkable collection of stories and ideas that were very strong. The scripting was excellent with a good knack for characters. There was the simple idea of the innocent person getting caught in the middle of the battlefield between two mighty organizations always at each other’s throats. Solo is a sort of tutoring guide through the chaos that explodes in the episodes. Did I mention the stories were beautifully done? Yes, I did.

The first season remains a jewel in ingenuity. If the series had been stopped after the after the first season, it might have been considered a near perfect classic reflecting on the sensibilities of spy intrigue.

However, it kept going and going.

Unlike the Energizer Bunny, the series ran out of steam long before it could end.

The first season was shot entirely in black and white. These were my favorite episodes for the reasons already mentioned. Mostly importantly it felt as if the crew working on the shows gave a hoot. You can see it in the writing, directing and everything else. There’s a magnificence of television in here.

Along came second season and the third. More of the silliness begin to spread through the shows like too much sugar in a cup of coffee. It became too sweet. Far too good-natured. And the slant of campiness became the show’s running gag. It might be considered fun by some people who like to drum up the humor. For me, it doesn’t sit right with me. Especially when it comes to something like an espionage. Humor shouldn’t have a place in it. There’s even a bit with Solo dancing with a bear in one of the third season shows. That was pretty god-awful.

Should I get a sense of humor? I could. But a series like Man from Uncle isn’t the right spot for it. Sadly, the series grow more campy instead of driving away from it.

The same thing happened to the great television classic The Wild, Wild West which always has a place in my heart too. I have a fondness for it too. It starts out with a beautiful first season which is interestingly also in black and white. There have been great stories. Fresh, thoughtful, well-written. But it all gets weathered down by the amazing silliness that pokes into the stories.

Why is that?

It could be that the campy gimmick has proven popular doing this time of the sixties where there grows a free spirit, and the good times are here as people look for humor and comedy as a way of forgetting the Kennedy assassination. This might be part of the reason. But there is a greater openness of thought and humor that seems to be the driving point of the sixties.

Not even the original Star Trek series could get away from the campiness that settles into some of its stories like “The Trouble with Tribbles” and “I, Mudd.” Thankfully, Star Trek didn’t overdo the silliness. You might find both leads of the space opera having made appearances in the Uncle series.

Are there some pretty good stuff in the Man from Uncle series? Sure there is. You might find there are a couple of scripts by noted writer Harlan Ellison and Robert Towne in the second and third season. I haven’t gotten to seeing Ellison’s stories yet for the series, but wonder how well he tried to maintain a serious front while writing during its campy highlights.

There is some pretty good movie efforts such as “One Spy Too Many” which is worth a look as they try to return it to the seriousness that the show initially started with. There is a nice scene with the human chess board and a very cat and mouse like chase throughout.

However, if I want comedy, I'll go see a Woody Allen movie. At least some of his earlier ones.

There are always great performances by Robert Vaughan who plays Solo and his great theatrical voice is like a force of wonder. You couldn’t help be unsure if this guy is a good or bad. Maybe he’s just in the gray area? Way his voice sounds. It’s a very unusual voice. And David McCallum is always great to see as he brings a wealth of youthful enthusiasm for the show. Not bad considering that his part was just a walk-on, not a full fledged role.

The success of seeing the series depends on the actual viewer. Some may like the giddy and foolishness of the later shows. Some might not. I don’t. I prefer the strong stories giving a sense of danger. Not the madcap humor that thrives simply to entertain. It’s like popping a balloon and thinking it’s funny. But it doesn’t work with a series like The Man from Uncle that should have dialed down its humorous side.

In the end, humor is what killed the series.