I Spy - Season 3 (1967) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the last season of I Spy. It featured a lot of upcoming actors (Gene Hackman, Richard Kiel), and some that were well known (Will Geer, Andrew Duggan, Jim Backus). Locations were in Greece, Morocco, and mostly Mexico and USA. Still, another great season, with some excellent scripts and a few good ones from Robert Culp. A great series. Cool, comedic rapport between Culp and Cosby. Loved the series and looking forward to watching it again, after 40 years. See my reviews for Seasons 1 and 2.
Here's the synopsis of each episode for Season 3:
Let's Kill Karlovassi -- Kelly and Scotty balk at their new assignment -- to assassinate a Greek man who turns out to be a Soviet agent playing a dangerous game of double-cross. Filmed in Greece.
The Beautiful Children -- Kelly and Scotty run into more trouble than they'd bargained for when they try to help an agent who rescues kidnapped Greek children from a Communist country. Filmed in Casablanca and Greece.
Laya -- Scotty is ordered to cultivate an African woman to learn about armament shipments to her country, while her boss demands that she manipulate Scotty.
The Medarra Block -- In Marrakesh, Kelly and Scotty acquire an ancient cube bearing inscriptions that contain the secret plans for a revolt against the government. Filmed in Morocco.
Philotimo -- A young Bulgarian music prodigy convinces Kelly and Scotty to help him defect -- then accuses them of kidnapping him. Filmed in Greece.
The Honourable Assassins -- Kelly and Scotty agree to help an Arab woman get her father, who has been marked for death, to Marrakesh to retrieve a fortune. Filmed in Morocco.
Now You See Her, Now You Don't -- The murder of a fellow agent Kelly recruited puts Robinson and Scott on the trail of a British mathematician who is being held for ransom by Greek gangsters. Filmed in Greece.
Red Sash of Courage -- Kelly and Scotty are assigned to locate an enemy base on the Greek-Yugoslav border that is interfering with American flights -- a mission complicated by a Greek who thinks Kelly has sullied his daughter's honour. Filmed in Greece.
The Seventh Captain -- Kelly and Scotty have to find out what connection exists between a Greek colleague and the mysterious disappearance of six other agents. Filmed in Greece.
Apollo -- Scott goes undercover at NASA to discover a saboteur, and the woman hired to pose as his ex-wife is kidnapped. Filmed in USA.
Oedipus at Colonnus -- Kelly and Scotty encounter an aging Arab spiritual leader who is, apparently, assassinated while attending an important meeting. Filmed in Morocco.
The Lotus Eater -- Scotty must find out why Kelly has dropped out of the spy business and sought refuge on a Greek isle. Filmed in Greece.
An American Empress -- While trying to return a ring to a Chinese woman they met in San Francisco, Kelly and Scotty discover that she is the Empress of China (France Nuyen) -- and an unwitting pawn of the Red Chinese.
Home to Judgment -- Running for their lives from ruthless killers, Scotty and a wounded Kelly seek refuge on a farm belonging to the latter's aunt and uncle. Filmed in USA. Stars Will Geer from The Walton's. Written by Robert Culp.
Anyplace I Hang Myself Is Home --A psychiatrist has Kelly and Scotty reminiscing about their experiences as spies-in-training to find out why Scotty has this sudden urge to kill himself. Filmed in USA.
Tag, You're It -- A Soviet agent who has infiltrated The Department's training facility begins killing off trainees -- and putting the blame on Kelly and Scotty. Filmed in USA.
A Few Miles West of Nowhere -- Kelly and Scotty investigate the murder of a government employee in a small town whose inhabitants are hostile towards a proposed atomic power plant. Filmed in USA. Stars Richard Kiel (Mr. Jaws) and Andrew Duggan.
This Guy Smith -- The search for a guy called Smith results in Kelly becoming the chief suspect in the apparent murder of a young woman. Filmed in USA.
Turnabout for Traitors -- Kelly teams up with a thief to prove himself innocent of espionage charges levelled against him by a British agent. Filmed in Mexico.
Happy Birthday Everybody -- Kelly and Scotty must protect a retired agent (Jim Backus) and his family from Frank Hunter (Gene Hackman), a demolitions expert and escaped mental patient seeking revenge against the agent. Filmed in Mexico.
Shana -- Kelly and Scotty must prevent a woman (Gloria Foster) from trading top secret rocket fuel to the Communists in exchange for her brother. Filmed in Mexico.
The Name of the Game -- While checking security arrangements for the visit of a VIP, Kelly and Scotty become the prey in a deadly game of hide-and-seek with a fanatical general. Filmed in Mexico. Stars Lloyd Nolan.
Suitable for Framing -- Little do Kelly and Scotty know that the senator they're assigned to bodyguard in Mexico is actually a look-alike working for the enemy.
The Spy Business -- Kelly and Scotty are trying to keep a defector alive, while evidence suggests that Kelly's old friend, an Army Intelligence agent, is working with the enemy. Filmed in Mexico.
Carmelita Is One of Us -- A Mexican agent is killed and Kelly and Scotty inherit his baby daughter, who has now become the killers' new target.
Pinwheel --Kelly and Scotty are teamed up with a flighty female agent on an assignment to acquire details of the Soviets' espionage network in Africa. Filmed in Mexico.
If I have one gripe, it's the plastic casing. The DVDs are so tightly packed within it's easy to crack a disc, which I did after viewing the first 3 episodes on disc 1. So, be careful when removing the discs and opening the case.

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Robert Culp and Bill Cosby star as international espionage agents Kelly Robinson and Alexander Scott on highly dangerous missions in this ever-popular, award-winning series. Culp poses as a world-class playboy/tennis player, and Cosby goes undercover as his trainer. Together they travel the world, trading quips and fighting high-level crime with cool bravado and extraordinary savoir-faire. Combining humor with action/intrigue, "I Spy" was the first adventure TV series to be shot in exotic international locales, establishing a new standard for television dramas.

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I Spy - Season 1 (1965) Review

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(More customer reviews)"I Spy" the television series was a secret agent adventure that aired from 1965 to 1968. It teamed Robert Culp as international tennis player Kelly Robinson, and Bill Cosby as his trainer Alexander Scott. In reality, both were agents for the Pentagon and, while incognito as `tennis bums', they busied themselves tracking villains and spies.
The series broke new ground as the first American television drama to feature an African-American actor (Cosby) in a lead role. Cosby's Scotty played a straight-laced Rhodes scholar fluent in several languages, although he was really the brains behind the duo. Culp was the athlete and playboy who lived by the seat-of-his-pants.
I remember the show particularly for its exotic international locations a la James Bond, which was another first in American television. The joking banter and chemistry between Culp and Cosby was another highlight of the series, often in counterpoint to some serious subjects.
Season One included these 28 episodes:
1. So Long Patrick Henry -- Elroy Brown (Ivan Dixon) is an embittered American athlete who defects to China. Kelly and Scotty are assigned to bring him back, only to uncover a Red Chinese plot to expand their influence in Africa through Brown. (The first of seven consecutive episodes filmed in Hong Kong).
2. A Cup of Kindness -- Kelly must kill an old friend who is accused of being a double agent, and who has stolen some important scientific equipment. However, the man pleads innocent and asks Kelly to help him prove it.
3. Carry Me Back to Old Tsing-Tao -- Kelly and Scotty tangle with the greedy sons-in-law of an elderly Chinese merchant who claims he wants to pay a million dollars in back taxes so that he can go home to Formosa.
4. Chrysanthemum -- Naval Intelligence recruits Kelly and Scotty to retrieve stolen defence plans, with the help of a bumbling Frenchman.
5. Dragon's Teeth -- Kelly meets an old friend's fiancé in Hong Kong, only to watch the man suddenly drop dead -- the victim of a secret society called the Blue Dragon.
6. The Loser -- Kelly and Scotty intercept a heroin shipment, but the drug dealers want their product back, and kidnap Scotty for an exchange.
7. Danny Was A Million Laughs -- Kelly and Scotty are assigned to protect an obnoxious American gangster (Martin Landau) about to be extradited to the United States, and who is marked for death by his underworld associates.
8. A Time of the Knife -- Kelly is framed for murder as he tries to figure out what happened to a friend who was killed for information on a remote missile guidance system. (The first of six consecutive episodes filmed in Japan).
9. No Exchange on Damaged Merchandise -- Kelly and Scotty find their search for an enemy agent, to be used in an exchange for a captured American pilot, complicated by the pilot's wife.
10. Tatia -- Kelly falls in love with a beautiful photographer (Tatia Loring),
whom Scott believes is involved in the murders of four agents.
11. Weight of the World -- Kelly and Scotty must acquire a sample of a deadly new plague being developed by the Red Chinese and discover plans to test it in Japan.
12. Three Hours on a Sunday -- Kelly has three hours to acquire 50,000 dollars, the price he must pay a master criminal (Sheldon Leonard) for a roll of microfilm -- and Scotty's life.
13. Tigers in Heaven -- Kelly and Scotty are ordered to destroy the Tigers of Heaven, a neo-fascist group that has targeted the head of an old and distinguished Japanese family.
14. Affair in T'sien Cha -- The investigation into the disappearance of a train and its secret cargo lead Kelly and Scotty to an ancient walled city and a pretty American schoolteacher (Vera Miles). (Back in Hong Kong).
15. The Tiger -- Kelly Robinson must spring a trap set by the Vietcong for a guerrilla leader named The Tiger, using the latter's daughter, an American agent, as bait. (Filmed in Vietnam -- one of the very first, if not the first, TV series shot there).
16. The Barter -- On assignment to help a Soviet philosopher defect to the U.S., Scotty impersonates a foreign ambassador while Kelly tries to rescue a kidnapped girl. (Back in Japan for next three episodes).
17. Always Say Good Bye -- Kelly and Scotty must keep a womanising diplomat out of trouble while he's in Japan for official negotiations.
18. Court of the Lion -- On the trail of stolen diamonds and radioactive isotopes, Kelly and Scotty find a Japanese village terrorized by gangsters led by a man who calls himself a Zulu king.
19. Turkish Delight -- Scotty poses as an agronomist to locate three other scientists kidnapped by a Turkish spy (Victor Buono) who intends to sell their knowledge to the highest bidder. (Bet you thought Turkey; nada, Mexico for the next ten episodes, amigos).
20. Bet Me a Dollar -- After Kelly bets Scotty that he can disappear for a week without being found, Scotty learns that his partner has been infected with the anthrax virus and will die in 24 hours.
21. Return to Glory -- Kelly and Scotty must make contact with the reclusive exiled leader of a Latin American country who may be planning a revolution that would return him to power.
22. The Conquest of Maude Murdock -- Kelly and Scotty are ordered to "kidnap" a high-ranking U.S. official (Jeanette Nolan) who is visiting Mexico in order to test her security arrangements, only to discover that they're being used by a traitor who plans to kill the official.
23. A Day Called 4 Jaguar -- Kelly and Scotty set out to find a blue-eyed giant who rescued Kelly's girlfriend from a car wreck, only to discover that he's a missing Soviet colonel. Stars Rory Calhoun and George Montgomery.
24. Crusade to Limbo -- Kelly poses as a critic of his own country's foreign policy in order to infiltrate a revolutionary group in Mexico.
25. My Mother, The Spy -- Kelly and Scotty are sent to Mexico to recover a runaway American spy (Sally Kellerman), only to discover that she has given birth and refuses to go back. Also stars Alejandro Rey and Theo Marcuse -- major character actors in the 60s.
26. There was a Little Girl -- Kelly and Scotty must babysit the vacationing daughter of an American VIP -- an assignment complicated by a pre-Colombian mask containing a deadly secret.
27. It's All Done with Mirrors -- A Soviet scientist (Carroll O'Connor aka Archie Bunker) kidnaps Kelly and brainwashes him into believing that Scotty is a traitor and must be killed
28. One Thousand Fine -- Kelly helps a friend find a cache of gold, a mission complicated by the presence of the friend's fiancé -- Kelly's old girlfriend.
Great show. Highly recommended.

Click Here to see more reviews about: I Spy - Season 1 (1965)

Robert Culp and Bill Cosby star as international espionage agents Kelly Robinson and Alexander Scott on highly dangerous missions in this ever-popular, award-winning series. Culp poses as a world-class playboy/tennis player, and Cosby goes undercover as his trainer. Together they travel the world, trading quips and fighting high-level crime with cool bravado and extraordinary savoir-faire. Combining humor with action/intrigue, "I Spy" was the first adventure TV series to be shot in exotic international locales, establishing a new standard for television dramas.

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I Spy - Season 2 (1966) Review

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(More customer reviews)Alright, Season Two of "I Spy"! Agents Scott (Bill Cosby) and Robinson (Robert Culp) are at it again as undercover agents for the US government while hitting the international tennis circuit.
As with the first season, the show was filmed in a variety of international locations. Season two was filmed almost exclusively in Burma, Spain, Italy and US, often relying on NBC News bureaus to get much of the show's footage.
However, it did not depend merely on exotic locations. It also looked at the personal side of espionage. Unlike so many shows of this genre in the 1960s, "I Spy" dealt with agents dying cruel deaths, burning out on the spy game, and even doubting the nature of orders from superiors.
The series was nominated for several awards by the American Cinema Editors, USA (Eddie Award), the National Academy of Arts & Sciences (Emmy Awards), the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes). In fact, Bill Cosby would win at least three consecutive Emmys as the Best Male Actor in a dramatic television series.
The 28 episodes in Season Two include:
1. So Coldly Sweet -- Kelly and Scotty are ordered to determine the authenticity of a lovely Soviet agent who claims she wants to defect. (Filmed in Palm Springs, USA). Stars "Hills Street Blues" Sgt, the late Michael Conrad.
2. Lori -- In order to safeguard an expert on underground nuclear explosions, Scotty must investigate an old friend (Nancy Wilson), and recruits the man's sister to help him. (Filmed in Las Vegas, USA) Stars "It Takes A Thief" actor, Malachi Throne.
3. Sofia -- Kelly and Scotty go to Rome to meet the latter's foster daughter, and try to recover a valuable ring stolen by her ne'er-do-well fiance. (Next 3 consecutive episodes filmed in Italy).4. Vendetta -- A vengeful Italian don blames Kelly Robinson for the death of one of his sons, and has the agent kidnapped
5. A Gift from Alexander -- Kelly reluctantly seduces a beautiful Soviet major in order to acquire a valuable manuscript sought by a trio of Russian exiles. Stars Anna Karina and Michael Constantine.
6. Trail by Treehouse -- Scotty thinks Kelly is dead, and becomes emotionally involved with the woman and boy posing as his wife (Cicely Tyson) and son on a mission. (Filmed in the US for next three episodes).
7. Sparrow hawk -- Kelly and Scotty are assigned as bodyguards to a spoiled young Arab king (Walter Koenig aka Mr. Chekov) who wants to experience the highlife in Las Vegas. Also recurring actor Michael Constantine.
8. Will the Real Good Guys Please Stand Up -- Moscow sends two agents to Palm Springs to pose as Kelly and Scotty, who are supposed to be guarding a foreign scientist and his beautiful daughter.
9. Bridge of Spies -- A watch belonging to Kelly's father figures into a scheme by a Soviet assassin to kill American agents in Venice. (Back to Italy for four episodes).
10. One of Our Bombs is Missing -- Kelly and Scotty are ordered to locate a USAF plane carrying a hydrogen bomb that went down somewhere in Italy.
11. To Florence with Love - Part 1 -- Kelly and Scotty are assigned to accompany an American Sunday school teacher (Joey Heatherton) who is delivering a priceless DaVinci painting to a museum in Florence.
12. To Florence with Love - Part 2 -- Kelly and Scotty must break into a Florence museum to replace a forgery of a DaVinci painting with the real thing -- or is it the other way around?
13. Lisa -- A Greek girl (Linda Marsh) coming to America as a mail-order bride is used by the Soviets to expose an infiltrator in their organization. (Filmed in US).
14. Little Boy Lost -- A scientist's son steals a key component of an internal guidance system and Kelly and Scotty must find the boy (Ronny Howard aka Richie Cunningham, Opie) before the enemy does.
15. Father Abraham -- A scheme to let a young scientist fall into enemy hands so that he can spill false information is interfered with by the man's father, an Army general. (Next four episodes filmed in Italy).
16. Rome Take Away Three -- When an Italian bureau chief commits suicide because he's being blackmailed, Kelly and Scotty are assigned the task of destroying the blackmailer.
17. Tonia -- Scotty and an American girl (Leslie Uggams) who is part of an anti-American faction in Rome are encouraged to cultivate a relationship by their respective sides.
18. Child Out of Time -- Former Nazis who presided over a death camp during the war and who faked their deaths fear retribution from a child who survived the camp and knows their true identities.
19. The Trouble with Temple -- Scotty is captured and interrogated by an American expatriate actor (Jack Cassidy) who's selling NATO maneuver secrets to the Soviets, while Kelly becomes involved with the actor's girlfriend (Carol Wayne). (Filmed in Spain).
20. The War Lord -- Kelly and Scotty deliver the ransom demanded by a Chinese warlord who has kidnapped a female British photojournalist. (Filmed in Burma).
21. A Room with a Rack -- Kelly seems to have lost his courage after being tortured by the enemy, and while on vacation in Spain he meets his tormentor again. (Next eight episodes filmed in Spain).
22. Mainly on the Plains -- Kelly and Scotty compete with the Soviets to recruit an eccentric Spanish professor (Boris Karloff) who has developed a theory crucial to missile defense.
23. Get Thee to a Nunnery -- Kelly and Scotty compete with a sly British agent (Peter Lawford) in their search for a man (Vincent Gardenia) who knows the whereabouts of $14 million in hidden Nazi art treasures.
24. Blackout -- When Kelly wakes up with a dead Russian ballerina in his bed, he and Scotty must reconstruct the past few hours to find out who killed her, and why.
25. Magic Mirror -- Kelly Robinson falls in love with a beautiful agent, only to discover that she has become the mistress of a ruthless dictator (Ricardo Montalban) who is scheming with the enemy to place ballistic missiles in his country. This one was written by Robert Culp.
26. Night Train to Madrid -- Kelly and Scotty must protect an obnoxious American comic (Don Rickles) on a tour of Europe and who is the target of a Soviet agent.
27. Casanova from Canarsie -- Kelly and Scotty intervene when a beautiful enemy agent tries to seduce a lowly government file clerk (Wally Cox).
28. Cops and Robbers -- Scotty's mother (Beah Richards) and sister are held hostage by an old friend (Jim Brown) who offers to exchange their lives for valuable microfilm. (Filmed in US).
Great show. Good laughs. Super scripts, some of which Culp wrote and directed, which was a rarity back then. Love the `pop art' style introduction. Infectious music. Highly recommended. Tennis, anyone?

Click Here to see more reviews about: I Spy - Season 2 (1966)

Robert Culp and Bill Cosby star as international espionage agents Kelly Robinson and Alexander Scott on highly dangerous missions in this ever-popular, award-winning series. Culp poses as a world-class playboy/tennis player, and Cosby goes undercover as his trainer. Together they travel the world, trading quips and fighting high-level crime with cool bravado and extraordinary savoir-faire. Combining humor with action/intrigue, "I Spy" was the first adventure TV series to be shot in exotic international locales, establishing a new standard for television dramas.

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