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I recently purchased the complete series of Man In A Suitcase on dvd, and it's amazing how many episodes I'm seeing for the very first time. There was only one series of 30 episodes ever made, and I'd mistakenly assumed that I must've seen all of them over the years at one point or another. To think that I'm only just now seeing some episodes that were initially broadcast when I was around 8 or 9 years of age means that I'm sort of going back in time to see something I should've seen then, but didn't. (Or maybe I did, but just don't remember. Either way, it amounts to the same thing.)
Man In A Suitcase is an excellent show, and lead actor Richard Bradford is perfect as the disgraced former CIA agent who was set up to take the rap for helping someone defect to the other side. Bradford died four years ago (2016) at the age of 81 or 82 (depending on which source you read), but there he is on my TV screen, as young as fit as he ever was, when he was a grown-up and I was a mere kid. I'm now far older than he was then, which is a bit scary, but I temporarily forget that little fact while watching the show, as I'm returned to another house in another neighbourhood in another age, when I still enjoyed the illusion that I had eternity in front of me and Death was a stranger I'd never meet.
Did you watch Man In a Suitcase back in the '60s, readers, and what did you think of the show? How do you think it compared to other '60s shows like The Saint, The Baron, Department S, The Avengers, The Champions, Adam Adamant, Callan, and Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)? Tell all in the comments section.
Having now watched all 30 episodes, I'm astounded by the fact that I only seem to remember seeing about two of them back in the '60s. In fact, I may be remembering them from repeats in the '70s or '80s. I can only assume that I watched the opening credits for the great title music, then switched off my brain (not the TV) and read a comic or something. There are a few scenes in a few other episodes that seem vaguely familiar, but overall, my recent viewing of the show was like watching a completely new series starring a familiar character. Well, that's me caught up with another piece of my past - I wonder what'll be next?!
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Having now watched all 30 episodes, I'm astounded by the fact that I only seem to remember seeing about two of them back in the '60s. In fact, I may be remembering them from repeats in the '70s or '80s. I can only assume that I watched the opening credits for the great title music, then switched off my brain (not the TV) and read a comic or something. There are a few scenes in a few other episodes that seem vaguely familiar, but overall, my recent viewing of the show was like watching a completely new series starring a familiar character. Well, that's me caught up with another piece of my past - I wonder what'll be next?!
31 comments:
I’m surprised when I look back and see Jason King was only one season . First of all why only one . And second it had a following much longer than most one season shows.
I think ol' Jason worked better as part of the Department S team, PS. What surprises me now (though I'd have been unaware of it at the time) is just how gay Jason looks and sounds for an alleged 'ladies man'.
Man In a Suitcase was required viewing for me back in the '60s, I used to think McGill was so cool. I didn’t realise this was a UK originated show, I always suspected it was American. There seemed to be no end to the number detective type shows in the period from around 1966 – 1979ish, some good others were that great. I recall watching (not all detective type) shows like PJ and the Bear, McMillan and Wife, Hondo, Rockford files, Barretta, Cannon, High Chaparral, Barnaby Jones, Streets of San Francisco and Police Woman. I also find it jarring when you see these shows with the stars looking so young and healthy and then you see them today as really old folk (if not dead 10 years) same thing with pop stars form the 60s/70s I forget those days were long ago and not just yesterday (as it seems at times in my mind). Ah Jason King even for the 70’s he was way over the top.
Love all those ITC shows, Then & Now..Currently working through Department S & First Season Space 1999.
Columbo was a cracking TV show as well, McS, and I really liked Roger Moore's Saint. A lot of those shows still stand up well, some don't, but they were all entertaining back in their day. Mannix was another one I liked, as well as, in the '80s, Hardcastle & McCormick. Ah, the good ol'days, eh? Fancied the burd in The High Chaparral - sadly, she died not that long ago.
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I've got the complete dvd set of UFO still to watch, RD, plus the complete set of Columbo. The question is, will I have enough time left to get around to everything I've yet to do? Hope so.
Rockford Files! I have the entire run on dvd. Kojak was so popular it was on twice a week. Now it’s the series everyone seems to have forgotten.
And yes I was a big Starsky and Hutch fan.
Always enjoyed The Rockford Files, PS. (Apparently, Stingray's Troy Tempest was modelled after James Garner.) I remember seeing the pilot for Kojak back in the '70s, and regularly watched the series. A Man Called Ironside was another good show.
Man in a Suitcase was a strange show with the principle character being beaten to a pulp every episode or so it seemed. Were there really 30 episodes?
Man In a Suitcase was broadcast on an American TV network in May-September 1968. It was probably used as a temporary summer replacement for some series that was on a hiatus (or that had been cancelled, and for which they dis not yet have a permanent replacement). IIRC, that was also the case with The Prisoner and The Champions when they were shown in the US at about that same time.
The Saint and The Avengers were both popular with American audiences in the 1960s. IIRC, The Avengers was first shown in the US in 1966, starting with the in-color episodes co-starring Diana Rigg and then continuing through the last season/series, with Linda Thorson.
Danger Man, retitled Secret Agent, was broadcast on the CBS network sometime around 1965-66.
I seem to recall watching reruns of MAIS, The Saint, The Avengers, The Prisoner, and one other show (maybe The Baron) on consecutive weeknights in the mid-1970s, so maybe those shows were all marketed together in the same syndication package.
Oddly, the British shows with American stars or co-stars (MIAS, The Champions, The Baron, The Protectors, The Adventurer) never made much of an impression here (although The Champions, along with The Avengers, was a favorite of mine). The most popular British shows in the USA-The Saint, The Avengers, Danger Man-had British stars.
Yup, 30 episodes, T47. I wouldn't say that he got beaten to a pulp in EVERY episode, but he certainly looked like he'd been in a fight after a bout of fisticuffs with some villain or other - unlike Bond, who was always immaculate.
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Ironic that the reason Lew Grade used American actors was to help sell the shows in the States, TC, but that they were less successful than the ones with British stars. Even tony Curtis's presence in The Persuaders couldn't secure a second series for the show. Funnily enough, John Drake (Danger Man) was originally played as an American until the show was revived after a break, when he suddenly became British.
Did Man In A Suitcase have the same title in the US? I've seen various soundtrack discs with a theme called Man WITH A Suitcase on some cds, though I don't know if it was the same one. (Maybe it was just a mistake.)
The Persuaders was a show which deserved more than one season.
Agreed, PS, but it didn't prove popular in the States, hence its cancellation.
Loved the theme music and I think Chris Evans used it in one of his TV shows. All those ITC shows were very watchable. There seemed to be a certain style and class about them that means, I would still watch all them today whereas many shows from the past are...... UNWATCHABLE! Please suggest a few if you like.
Suggest a few unwatchable shows? Can't think of any off the top of my head, Triple F - can any of you Crivvies think of some? Maybe we only remember the good ones.
Man In a Suitcase had the same title, and used the original (British) opening title sequence and theme music, when it was syndicated in reruns in the US in the 1970s.
IDK offhand if any changes were made when it was shown on the ABC (American Broadcasting Company) network in 1968.
The one-hour version of Danger Man was called "Secret Agent" in the US, and the Johnny Rivers song "Secret Agent Man" was used as the opening and closing theme music.
It's always puzzled me as to why Danger Man was retitled for the States, as the original name was far more intriguing in my estimation. I've got Mel Torme's version of Secret Agent Man, but to be honest, I think The Man Called Flintstone is a better song.
Bert D'Angelo was a spin off from the pretty good Streets of San Fransisco but was pretty dire as was Manimal and Gemini Man. I never understood people's love of Blake's 7, I always thought it was awful. Oh and Phoenix 5 was really bad
I didn't mind Gemini Man, McS, never really watched Manimal, thought Blake's 7 was rubbish (as was a lot of Dr. Who), and don't remember much about Phoenix 5. (Was that the one with Judy Geeson?) There'll be others, but I'll need to be reminded of them first. What about David McCallum's The Invisible Man?
I enjoyed David McCallum's Invisible Man although it got a bit repetitive (although nowhere near as repetitive as the Invaders which, great as it was, had almost the same story every week).
There's an Invisible Man episode called Pin Money that I remember really enjoying, haven't seen it for years though. Wonder if it was as good as I remember?
Maybe you can find it on YouTube, DS, then let us all know whether it still stands up after all these years or not? I might even take a look myself and see if it's there.
No it was Patsy Trench that was in Phoenix 5 Kid. I don't recall too much about the Invisible Man I'm afraid I never saw him (boom boom!)
Actually, I never trusted the Invisible Man - I could see right through him. (Well, you started it!)
There was a popular show here in the US in the late 70's that made it to the UK called 'The Dukes of Hazzard'. Being an adult when it was broadcast I thought it was infantile rubbish.
Some years later there was an article in 'The New Yorker' magazine a magazine that by UK definition would be termed High Brow, that told a tale of visiting the Highlands of Scotland. In talking to a crofter the writer relayed that the crofter liked watching The Dukes of Hazzard because they made fools of the local law enforcement and authority.
After reading that I had a higher regard for the Dukes.
I mainly watched the Dukes Of Hazzard for the fit burd, T47 - Catherine Bach. Now there was a woman! (Oh, I'm so shallow.)
I totally disagree that Blake's 7 was rubbish. I've watched numerous episodes on YouTube and it holds up pretty well in my opinion. So there.
Oh well, that's us told then, CJ. How very dare we? (It was pure pish!)
Yes Man In a Suitcase... Always remembered it's theme. Which I believed helped sell the show. TV in the 60s was always good and even though the production was not on the same standard as today it was still better viewing. Another good one was MOGUL ( The Troubleshooters ) At least Man In A Suitcase is complete
Complete and restored, LH, with the picture quality looking better than ever. You see a few cheap shortcuts being taken in the show, but overall, it's pretty entertaining. And they didn't always do 'day-for-night' shooting - they sometimes actually shot location scenes at night. Not many ITC shows did back then.
I discovered Man in a Suitcase thanks to 80s repeats on ITV. Brilliant series. Maybe memory cheats, but there's an episode where McGill is paid to protect a guy from hit men. When he realises the guy has no money, and that he won't get paid for risking his life, he just leaves the guy to his fate. Can't think of any other ITC 'hero' who would do that. There's a great episode with Donald Sutherland too. I really must get around to watching this again.
Donald Sutherland appears in two episodes, OD, though I've only watched the first one so far. I'm nearly two-thirds through the series and am astounded that I only recall seeing two of the episodes before. That means most of them seem 'new' to me, though it's possible I've simply forgotten them over the years. I'm really enjoying working my way through them.
Oops! That should be 'Tony Curtis' (capital 'T') in one of my above comments, not 'tony Curtis'.
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