Such was the popularity of 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' in 1965 that a spin-off was planned. An episode of the second series - 'The Moonglow Affair' - saw Solo and Kuryakin temporarily written out, and their places taken by agents 'April Dancer' and 'Mark Slate', played by Mary Ann Mobley and Norman Fell respectfully. It did well, and a series was commissioned - but with two important changes. The lead roles were recast; in came a young Stefanie Powers as 'Dancer' and British actor Noel Harrison ( son of Rex ) as 'Slate'. Leo G.Carroll, of course, played 'Mr.Waverly'.
I did not see this when it first went out, but viewed it recently. It is enjoyably daft hokum, with plots involving such unlikely ideas as a dog's fleas used to carry a microdot, a Kali statue coming to life and throwing daggers, the entrance to the lost city of Atlantis turning out to be in some caves in the Caribbean, an island colony of shipwrecked survivors, a health spa that makes its customers youthful, and Boris Karloff ( in drag ) as the head of a gang of killers who wear flat caps and speak bad Cockney. This hailed from the same era as 'The Monkees' and 'Batman', and it shows.
Powers is beautiful and glamorous, though it is a pity that 'April' was not given more to do in the action department. In the last episode I saw ( 'The U.N.C.L.E. Samurai Affair' ), she was attacked by a frogman, and after putting up token resistance, went to hide while Slate dealt with him. She should have chucked him over her shoulder the way Mrs.Peel did in 'The Avengers'. It does seem bizarre to call a show 'The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.' and then depict its main character as a helpless bimbo heavily reliant on a male sidekick. Another mistake was the reuse of Jerry Goldsmith's 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' theme, here given a trendy new arrangement.
I warmed more to Harrison's 'Slate'. Obviously intended to be the show's answer to David McCallum, he is rather good as a foppish hero in the 'Jason King' mold. But whose idea was it to cast a teenage boy ( 'Randy Kirby' ) as an U.N.C.L.E. agent? Robert Vaughn played 'Solo' in 'The Mother Muffin Affair', at exactly the same time Harrison was guesting on the parent show.
In the U.K., 'Girl' was shown in rotation with 'Man', but in the U.S.A., they were screened more or less together. Viewers found two 'U.N.C.L.E.' shows a week a bit much to take, and 'Girl' was dropped after a single season.
Less comedy and more action ( for April ) would have been beneficial for the show. Sam Rolfe's superb first season of 'Man' should have been the blueprint for 'Girl'.
Best episode - 'The Atlantis Affair' ( written by 'I am Legend' author Richard Matheson ) Worst episode - 'The Paradise Lost Affair'.
I did not see this when it first went out, but viewed it recently. It is enjoyably daft hokum, with plots involving such unlikely ideas as a dog's fleas used to carry a microdot, a Kali statue coming to life and throwing daggers, the entrance to the lost city of Atlantis turning out to be in some caves in the Caribbean, an island colony of shipwrecked survivors, a health spa that makes its customers youthful, and Boris Karloff ( in drag ) as the head of a gang of killers who wear flat caps and speak bad Cockney. This hailed from the same era as 'The Monkees' and 'Batman', and it shows.
Powers is beautiful and glamorous, though it is a pity that 'April' was not given more to do in the action department. In the last episode I saw ( 'The U.N.C.L.E. Samurai Affair' ), she was attacked by a frogman, and after putting up token resistance, went to hide while Slate dealt with him. She should have chucked him over her shoulder the way Mrs.Peel did in 'The Avengers'. It does seem bizarre to call a show 'The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.' and then depict its main character as a helpless bimbo heavily reliant on a male sidekick. Another mistake was the reuse of Jerry Goldsmith's 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' theme, here given a trendy new arrangement.
I warmed more to Harrison's 'Slate'. Obviously intended to be the show's answer to David McCallum, he is rather good as a foppish hero in the 'Jason King' mold. But whose idea was it to cast a teenage boy ( 'Randy Kirby' ) as an U.N.C.L.E. agent? Robert Vaughn played 'Solo' in 'The Mother Muffin Affair', at exactly the same time Harrison was guesting on the parent show.
In the U.K., 'Girl' was shown in rotation with 'Man', but in the U.S.A., they were screened more or less together. Viewers found two 'U.N.C.L.E.' shows a week a bit much to take, and 'Girl' was dropped after a single season.
Less comedy and more action ( for April ) would have been beneficial for the show. Sam Rolfe's superb first season of 'Man' should have been the blueprint for 'Girl'.
Best episode - 'The Atlantis Affair' ( written by 'I am Legend' author Richard Matheson ) Worst episode - 'The Paradise Lost Affair'.