Secret Agent (1965)

It was 1965 when American audiences first welcomed handsome principled secret agent John Drake (Patrick McGoohan of The Prisoner ) into their homes as CBS ran the unique spy series known as SECRET AGENT.Now at last John Drake s entire crime-solving career including the first season that aired only in the U.K. under the name Danger Man as well as all 47 episodes of the international hit Secret Agent is available in one unique collection. Each episode of this exciting spy thriller is complete and uncut and presented in the original broadcast order from the original Danger Man episodes through the two rarely seen color episodes of Secret Agent that provided a vivid finale to the long-running suspense thriller.The complete Secret Agent series including the first season that aired only in the U.K. is now available togther for the first time in one high-margin 18-disc set.Features all 86 episodes from the SECRET AGENT A.K.A. DANGER MAN series at a 50% discount from buying the Danger Man and Secret Agent Megaset™ collections separatelyStarring the Emmy® Award-winning Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner ). Special Features: Patrick McGoohan Biography/Filmography WComplete Full-Length Original U.S. Opening Featuring SecretAgent Man Sung by Johnny Rivers WPhoto GallerySystem Requirements:Run Time: 3420 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 733961768589 Manufacturer No: AAE-76858 Product Description

Great show, Good set

First, this is good product. The discs are single-sided and play without error, the prints are beautiful-looking, the black-and-white photography sharp and well-contrasted, the shows are NOT time-compressed, the actors' voices sounding natural, as they should, and the shows are unedited, running 26+ minutes for the 39 half-hour shows, and 51+ minutes for the 47 hour-long installments.

I've read a couple of reviews that complained of the sound having been mastered at too low a level, requiring that the tv volume be turned up to unusually high levels in order for the dialog to be clearly heard, or that the sound is generally indistinct - muddy.
Well, the sound has not been remastered and is therefore not razor-sharp, but it is clear, and on par with most other good-to-high quality sets that have been released. I've watched the shows with my tv's volume set at its usual level and, generally, have clearly & comfortably heard every word spoken by the actors.
There are a few places (it's a rare exception) where the sound lacks a certain distinctness, but that may have been a flaw in the original sound recording, as opposed to deteriorated tapes, etc. There are also a few episodes in which an unusual buzzing, or humming, sound is heard on the soundtrack, but never so loud as to drown out the actors' voices, and never for longer than 20-30 seconds.
In general, then, the sound is 'good'.

Summary: The product quality of this set is High.

As for the show itself, those who know it need no description of it; those who don't will find that its Wikipedia article (under "Danger Man") provides as good a summary of it as will be needed to judge whether it will be of interest to them. Some reviews here also offer good, insightful commentary on the show's qualities.

I'll add only a few words about Patrick McGoohan. Many American TV fans know him only from the two "Columbo" episodes in which he was the guest-star/murderer, but would do well to get to know his other performances. In my opinion, neither of the "Columbo" appearances, even the more appealing of the two, in which McGoohan plays a spy who kills another, do more than hint at the full power of his screen presence in his major shows of the '60s, "Danger Man" and "The Prisoner".

Another reviewer called his screen presence here in "Danger Man" "hypnotic". That's a perfect word for it. There is an air of self-possession and steely power about McGoohan in these performances that has been only rarely seen in tv's leading men. The cliche about one's never taking one's eyes off of an actor is true of watching McGoohan; it's a great pleasure to see him perform. Obviously intelligent and physically interesting, McGoohan simply cuts an intriguing figure on film. He's a great star who more than carries the show; the show becomes a vehicle for him as performer, in the same sense that "Perry Mason" was a vehicle for the great talent of Raymond Burr.

I should also mention the show's fantastic guest-star roster, featuring a host of familiar and well-loved actors, many of whom also appeared in the American shows of the period. On the first disc alone, we're treated to performances by Kenneth Haigh, Laurence Naismith, John Crawford, Donald Pleasence, Hazel Court, Sam Wanamaker, and more. Going beyond the first disc, the list becomes endless: Honor Blackman, Nyree Dawn Porter, Jean Marsh, Beverly Garland, Robert Shaw, Jack MacGowran, Niall MacGinnis, Kate Woodville, Sylvia Syms, and so on; a veritable treasury of classic performers appear alongside McGoohan, only adding to the show's dimension and appeal.

Summary: If you know and like the show, you'll be happy with this set. If you don't know the show, and are uncertain about whether a British-made series featuring a somewhat unfamiliar British star will hold your attention and entertain you, take our word for it: "Danger Man" is a great, classic show, thoroughly entertaining in the mold of the best that television has ever offered.

****Re A&E's decision to include the American version of the show's opening title sequence, featuring Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man" only as a bonus feature, effectively relegating it to "curiosity" status, and retaining the original "Danger Man" title sequences as originally executed by the show's English makers, I think that it was a rock-and-a-hard-place, best-practice type of situation.
I think that they made the right decision, but agree that American viewers who caught the original "Secret Agent" broadcasts have a right to see them in just that way again, because that was what was presented, "sold", in a sense, to them - that's the product as they 'bought' it.

An analogy is the Capitol Records versions (the "American" versions) of the early/mid-period Beatles albums, that presented the Beatles' original UK albums to Americans in altered form, with different song selections, album art, and even different titles. When the Beatles albums were eventually released on CD, only the UK originals were made available to Americans, confusing and alienating many who'd grown up with and never known any alternative to the American versions.

It's wrong for the rug to be pulled out from under a large segment of consumers in this way, but if only one set of "Danger Man"/"Secret Agent" DVDs was to be manufactured and there was a choice to be made between making available the product as originally conceived and presented by its creators, and making available an altered version of it - so altered only for commercial reasons - then the choice was clear; as difficult to live with as it might be for many, they did the right thing in the long view. August 21, 2008

Great series / great price

The best "spy" series of the '60s. If you were old enough to watch this series 'back in the day' you will enjoy the 'bang for the buck' it gives you TODAY. Please also bare in mind that this seies started in the UK back in '59 !! I was not aware of it till I saw the roman numeral copyright years on the very first episodes.

Almost 50 years later ( for me ) I have had a chance to see alot more of what was 'implied' as well. They kept the show pretty clean and probably HAD TO back in those years. You will see a fair amount of sexual inuendo, promiscuity, and racy behavior coming from the actresses who are now nearing 70 y/o.

I like the 'cold war' spy plots and one analysis from a Middle Eastern 'contact' who said in one episode, " whoever controls oil in 50 years will control the world and countries will even go to war over it's control". WOW !! This is a statement made in one of the shows when Super Shell was .26 cents a gallon.

Patrick McGoohan was a class 'act' in this series and if you are my age you will probably enjoy this 'value pack'. July 27, 2008

A&E/New Video customer service is poor. Product packaged incorrectly

BUYER BEWARE: I purchased this set thinking I had the ENTIRE Danger Man series, but when I got to disc 7 I found that the company A&E/New Video had mistakenly put disc 4 in the case so now I have two disc 4's and no disc 7's. When I contacted A&E/New Video's customer service several times asking them if they could send me disc 7 in the mail I got no response. So purchase this, or any other A&E/New Video title, at your own risk but realize they'll leave you out in the cold if their product turns out to be defective. July 2, 2008

Dangerman Megaset

This is great. Amazon's price is very reasonable too. I wish I'd known about this, before I spent $107 on the Australian release of Season 1.
This megaset uses slimline cases to package all 3 seasons, plus the alternate opening sequence (with the "Secret Agent Man" song).
You also get the colour pilots for the unmade season 4 "Koroshi" and "Shinda Shima."
Extras mainly include McGoohan filmography and photographs.
This is the most comprehensive collection of Patrick McGoohan's suave secret agent on DVD. McGoohan is reported to have turned down the James Bond role, in favour of playing this character.
Some consider it a prequel for "The Prisoner."
You can watch it and make up your own mind.
Either way, it's great spy entertainment. May 31, 2008

Drake. John Drake

Even the opening monologue is a precourser to "Bond. James Bond" that we heard later in the sixties. Nice location filming provides some good historical and pictoral perspective on what Europe and even other countries looked like (and some still look like). Clever dialog and some educational facts also make this a worthwhile series. McGoohan is superb in his clipped British accent and facial nuances. A great value for the money. May 8, 2008

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