Contraespionaje

'Secret Agent' was the series that preceded Patrick McGoohan's 'The Prisoner'. Having seen 'Secret Agent' for the first time makes you understand 'The Prisoner' much more. The agent that resigned in 'The Prisoner' is probably John Drake of 'Secret Agent'. It was a brilliant espionage TV series with many ideas that were later seen in the 'James Bond' movies and 'Mission Impossible'. It was brilliantly written and played and although most of the episodes are in black and white, it doesn't make much difference as long as it is so fascinating and reliable. It really stands the test of time. Every episode is different than the other but they all involve spy games. The quality of the series exceeds anything we see today. So Patrick, why did you resign?

This show never laughs at itself (setting it apart from most of the James Bond and follow-on genre shows). Instead, it projects the inimitable Patrick McGoohan as a consistently efficacious hero: fast-thinking, innovative, ultra-capable, tenaciously-focused on the mission, yet when achieving the mission is not enough, he's able to think outside the box, to re-define his goals and achieve success in a wider context.

For a little boy starving to see a hero on television, "Danger Man" (and the subsequent "Secret Agent Man") was just what I needed. A hundred times over the years, facing my own moments of challenge, I remembered how John Drake had handled things. Nevermind the detail of his job being a "secret agent," the essential of this show is: a man of quintessential skill and reason who uses his mind to take him over, under, around or through all obstacles -- and *that* is what you take away from every episode.

It's food for the soul.

I agree 100% with the previous comments. A nice departure for this series was that the hero wasn't forever slobbering over women - in fact Drake remained impervious to their charms - a sort of 1960s Sherlock Holmes - without an Irene Adler!. Only 2 episodes were made in colour, and these were to form part of the 1967 series, but after the two episodes were filmed PMcG wanted to drop the series and make 'The Prisoner' which is another story. It is probably because they are in black and white that domestic UK TV has not rebroadcast these stories, but the UK satellite channel Granada Plus has the rights to the ITC catalogue, which made Danger Man, but they seem reluctant to repeat B/W adventure series, though they do repeat B/W comedy shows like the earlier series of 'On The Buses' and 'Nearest and Dearest' etc. Perhaps if enough people contacted them they might think again?.

At least one videotape is available commercially of Danger Man, I have seen it recently in a store in London, as there are 4 episodes on one tape I assume that these are from the 1960 series, when the stories ran for 30 minutes. In the early days of Channel 4 (1982) they rebroadcast all 39 episodes of the original series twice a week.

Secret Agent Man

Known in the States as Secret Agent Man, Danger Man – with just a few misfire episodes, is for me, the best television in history. Better at what it does than what Seinfeld did for its genre, better even, than the BBC's The Office. 'The Best.' The stonking, pound-for-pound champion of television. Better still, than its successor, The Prisoner.

Despite what has dated, what is stunning about Danger Man is what has not. In a sense, it's sickeningly depressing, because the plot concerns are eerily of the moment. Right wing takeovers, identity theft, internment camps, Geneva and Rome endings for unlucky agents … and a majority of episodes concerning the Middle East, which- either through huge coincidence or prescience, relate to Iraq, Israel and Lebanon! There is even a slightly anti-Israeli cautionary tale – how likely is that, today or any day? (No turncoat is John Drake; there is a touching episode or three when Drake doesn't cut any slack to those who have sold out their country, whatever their sad stories.)

Despite rumors, Patrick McGoohan was apparently never in British Intelligence. A little boxing, stage acting and chicken farming, yes; spying, no. McGoohan certainly fits the perception of the professional spy: Incredibly handsome, tall, and tough – but separate that image - also, humane, free of racial prejudiced and pro-women. Drake uses brain and brawn- he throws a good right hander, for example, though his pathetically slow running, is thankfully, kept to a minimum. (For a real laugh, dig Sean Connery running in You Only Live Twice. These spy cats ain't sprinters.)

As has been noted countless times, it's rather remarkable, that the program's standard of writing –in an average episode, as high as a good film - was maintained, week in, week out. Rare duff episodes aside, Danger Man is that rare show with consistently great and novel writing. Many episodes demand repeated viewing.

The Danger man formula included fine photography. There are exotic exteriors – McGoohan who incidentally, co-wrote several of the better episodes, let his camera people fly around the world and film whatever they liked. The interiors were filmed - I believe at Shepperton and with a few conspicuous exceptions, (some 'beaches' set in the Caribbean are dire) the interiors are HIGHLY convincing. Thus, the exterior shots of the Alps are followed by cuts to Switzerland- at- Shepperton, if you will; just marvelous; though the lighting of course, never matched.

In most episodes, Drake meets his masters for assignments in a variety of London locales. Brilliant. Are our own security services this smart? The wonderful harpsichord tune, an inevitable shot of a jet plane landing God knows where and we know: 'Here comes Drake, the brainy detective to once again, prevail with his wits – with a little help from dem fists!'

The foresight is creepy. McGoohan, who must be a peacenik, seems, from almost 40 years ago, to warn us across the chasm of time, of the dangers of a society under constant surveillance, plagued by right-wing lunatics, both harassed and sold out. A society with an uncertain future. Using his masterful Shakespearian voice (he was voted tops on the stage in 60') a fairly good range and some specialties – drunks are particularly good; McGoohan and company are very formulaic per 1960's norm – but what a wonderful brew they've concocted.

The guest stars are, almost without exception, excellent and diverse. So good that when a well-known British character actor is doing the world's worst Scottish accent; somehow, the plot flows on. The terrible attempts at a burr are in fact, an unadvertised, campy bonus. Surprises abound from a talented cast of stars – in many cases, easily eclipsing the performances of name actors from the big screen.

In the final analysis, it is Drake, Pat McGoohan and the writers, himself included, which make this the best show in the short history of TV. Patriot and lover of Britain to the end, handy man with gadgets, hater of guns and promiscuous sex, these are part of the appeal. But it is the palpable sense of doubled standards worrying Drake that is the real star shower: 'How bad is the East,' and, 'Does the murder' (yes, murder) 'that our side gets up to … is it justified in a war on, among other things, terror and is the price sustainable?'

The best episode is a pure fantasy rather than a espionage or political thriller. It is a tale of identity theft involving perfect plastic surgery – impossible in 1964, yet today's news. That episode, 'Slay It With Flowers,' with its dazzling guest stars – foremost, young Rachel Herbert with a stellar turn as the innkeeper's daughter, is probably the best that television will ever be A plot torn from today's headlines … fine acting, palpable danger, and above all John Drake's creed that people who don't deserve to get hurt, do.

But not if he can help it. And help he does.

Dangerman is here!

** If you can find the last two episodes in color, you're in for a treat. While most reviewers find them stilted, (McGoohan lost interest after filming the episodes and immediately ended the series) I beg to differ. The color is great and one scene, set amongst Kabuki 'dolls' one of which is a very real, murderous human, is one of the finest things I've ever seen attempted.

in my opinion the greatest ever spy series on TV. the original half hour series were amazing and you got a start, middle and end, John Drake always delivers. fast forward 3/4 years and Mr. Drake is back in 1 hour episodes and looking at these you will find an a to z of character actors involved in some fantastic stories. Drake is a loner who will not let himself get involved with anyone romantically due to the nature of his job, in fact he is the ultimate gentleman spy and he has to get close to people to solve the case. look at the episode with Bernard Bresslaw drake really does to get to like him and vice versa the pay off leaves Bernard a very sad man. all in all a fantastic slice of British TV and history, forget Bond, Drake is the man