Some of the Best Episodes of ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E’ Starring the Late David McCallum
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was a television show in the 1960s, starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. The show followed secret agents Napoleon Solo (Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (McCallum), who work for U.N.C.L.E (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) against their foe Thrush, who represented “the bad guy” in many episodes. It was extremely popular due to the craze Americans had around spy fiction at the time and featured a lot of high-profile guest stars including Joan Collins, Boris Karloff, and Joan Crawford.
Remind In 1966, the series even won the Golden Globe for Best TV Show. Now, let’s go over some of the very best episodes of the series which contained 105 episodes. The first season was in black and white, while the remaining seasons appeared in color and aired on NBC. Let us know your favorites in the comments!
“The Candidate’s Wife Affair”
Everett Collection
Airing on 11/3/1966, this particular episode saw Solo and Illya protect the wife of a presidential candidate, Miranda Bryant, from a kidnapping plot. The twist is that she has already been kidnapped and replaced by a double. Turns out that Senator Bryant’s aide Fairbanks is behind the whole scene all along. It was one of the best because of all of the twists!
“The Foxes and Hounds Affair”
Everett Collection
After a magician creates a mind-reading device, it is a race between U.N.C.L.E. and Thrush agents to get the device after Thrush murders the magician. Horror icon Vincent Price guest-starred in this classic episode, which first aired on 10/7/1965.
“The Project Strigas Affair”
Everett Collection
Star Trek stars William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy guest-starred in this episode that premiered on 11/23/1964. In the episode, Solo and Illya devise a place to discredit a Balkan intelligence chief with the help of Shatner, who plays a bankrupt exterminator.
“The Galatea Affair”
20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection
This episode, which first premiered on 9/29/1966, is actually a spoof of “My Fair Lady.” It follows Illya and he teams with Mark Slate to uncover Baroness Bibi de Chasseur, a Thrush money courier. A double named Rosy Shlagenheimer impersonates her to make a switch but Baroness makes another switch. Joan Collins, McCallum’s former girlfriend, plays both roles.
“The Deadly Games Affair”
Everett Collection
U.N.C.L.E. agents and Thrush race once again to find a Nazi scientist who worked for Adolf Hitler in this 1964 episode. Turns out the scientist named Professor Amadeus has Hitler in suspended animation and needs someone who has the same blood type as Hitler to return him to life. When he discovers that Solo has the same blood type, it is a race to save humanity and Solo.
You can watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E. on Prime Video, Apple TV, or Vudu.
Sixties Super Spies
September 2022
Mission Impossible? Hardly! Check out all the great super spies of the sixties & more!
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