The Persuaders!

Whoever came up with the idea of teaming Roger Moore and Tony Curtis to star in this series should be congratulated,add the exotic locations and wonderful story lines and you have a show that is truely brilliant. The Persuaders was a hit show in Europe and Australia but for some unknown reason never successful in the U.S.A,which limited its run.Roger Moore is perfectly cast as Lord Brett Sinclair ,as is Tony Curtis as the Brooklyn born Danny Wilde ,seeking adventure and fun in the hotspots of the Italian and French Rivieras.What a shame the Americans had such bad taste in the '70's and never gave this show a chance.When you consider some t.v. series that had a long run in the U.S.A. that were not up to the quality of the Persuaders it makes one wonder about the taste of television viewers.

Lord Brett Sinclair(Roger Moore) and Daniel Wilde(Tony Curtis) fighting crime all over the U.K. and Europe in the name of justice, with two flashy cars and a pair of eyes for the ladies. In a way, it was a good notion that the Producers decided to pull the plug on this series after just 24 episodes, because it adds to the uniqueness and rarity of it all. In another sense they had no choice but to quit whilst they were ahead, well in the U.K. and Europe anyway, because it was the American market that finally decided it's fate-shame really, but how do you come up against an already established cult like 'Mission Impossible' at it's peak.

'The Persuaders!' is prime-time escapism thanks to the combination of two glittering actors both at the top of their respective fields at the time. But what a strange combination, but the whole thing worked. Every series has it's own stand-out and exceptional episodes and this series was no different. The highly recommended ones come in the form of: 'Overture'(the pilot), 'Angie...Angie', 'The Gold Napoleon', 'Someone Like Me', 'Greensleeves', 'Someone Waiting', 'The Morning After' and 'The Long Goodbye'. We also have other due notable episodes like 'Take Seven' in which we see Tony Curtis deliver one of the best comedic performances of the whole series, set in a barber's shop. Finally who could forget the bronx warrior doing his fancy fight scene stunts in 'The Old, The New and The Deadly'. So, there we have some gems amongst gems in a gem of a series, with a great mixture of action and comedy. Enjoy...

Never before have I seen on-screen chemistry like that between Roger Moore and Tony Curtis in The Persuaders. Both actors fill their roles perfectly and more besides, whoever teamed up these guys needs credit also.

Whether they're winning improbable fight scenes, surviving hair-raising car chases, or making sense of unusual situations (e.g Sinclair finding out how he has suddenly acquired a wife, Wilde being accidentally immersed into a Soviet spy ring, or Sinclair again finding that he has been cloned!) Moore and Curtis always appear to be having a riot of a time, perhaps in some measure a result of the large quantities of champagne the cast got through on the set.

Roger Moore deploys his usual charm and dry wit, whilst the manic Curtis excels with his deadpan humour and perfect timing. The contrast between the two main characters matches that between the two actors, but its more a case of salt and vinegar than cheese and chalk, Moore and Curtis are perfect together, and together they are perfect for the show. Slightly camp 1970s comedy/action - perfect for Roger to make his indelible mark on the James Bond series, and a welcome change for Tony from his less light-hearted roles.

Brilliant series, shame it only lasted a couple of years!

This is a TV show in which the opening credit sequence was even better than the actual programme. To begin with, John Barry's theme music is still one of the best ever written for a TV show - a few years ago I heard it for the first time in nearly 20 years, and I absolutely stopped in my tracks, it was so evocative. Then the montage, which begins by using images to tell the respective stories of the two main characters - Lord Brett Sinclair with his inherited wealth, his City career, an English sporting gentleman, a Formula One racing driver (long zoom shot of racing cars straight from the Golden Age of Grands Prix); Danny Wilde starting in poverty on the Lower East side in New York, but soon becoming an oil magnate (newspaper shot of a ... *gasp* ... nine MILLION dollar oil deal!). Then the next sequence shows the two of them having a great time in various exotic European locations ... champagne bubbles, jewellery put round exquisite necks, gorgeous cars, water-skiing, power boat racing, beautiful women in bikinis, and a roulette wheel. Everything you need to know about the programme, including the strong friendship between the leads, is to be found in this magnificent one-minute sequence.

The modus operandus of the show was to contrast humorous and witty dialogue with tense situations. Anyway, this was never a show for worrying about what the plot was this week - it was a show for basking in the wonderful locations, the beautiful cars, the witty lines and the sexual banter. (Needless to say, both the main characters were depicted as irresistible to women).

Plots direct from Roger Moore's previous series The Saint, plus James Bond exotic locations and a huge Hollywood star in Tony Curtis, makes this an often overlooked gem. And just like Star Trek, the best episode guest stars Joan Collins!

Lord Brett Sinclair and Danny Wilde are drawn together by Judge Fulton to use there wasted talents and use them for the fight against crime. Top notch action and comedy the Persuaders were the oddest of couples that got on very well. Lord Brett Sinclair and aristocratic, suave and stylish with clothes to match was the true English Gent. Danny Wilde a millionaire with wit and a very large wallet. Cars, Girls, Guns and one liners was the best combination of this powerful suspense series hat ran for only 2 years, it is a real shame. No one has ever come close to the partnership of Moore and Curtis. Sinclairs lucky number was 7 and he drove an Austin Martin, a pre-James Bond role which made him an international success. Everyone with a thing for action and suspense must watch this.