The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
spy-fiSpy-fi is a genre of spy fiction that includes elements of science fiction or fantasy. It often uses a secret agent or superspy whose mission is a showcase of science fiction elements such as technology and ideas used for extortion, plots for world domination or destruction, weapons in science...
TV series that aired on
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
for one season from September 16, 1966 to April 11, 1967. The series was a
spin-offMedia spin-off is the process of deriving new radio programs, television programs or video games or even novels from already existing ones. Spin-offs work with varying degrees of success...
from
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international law-enforcement agency called...
and used the same theme music except with a slightly different, harder-edged arrangement.
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. starred
Stefanie PowersStefanie Powers is an American actress. She starred as Jennifer Hart in the 1980s television series Hart to Hart.-Early life:...
as American U.N.C.L.E. agent April Dancer and
Noel HarrisonNoel Harrison is an English actor and singer. He is the son of British actor Sir Rex Harrison .-Early life:As a teenager he joined the Ipswich repertory theatre group and taught himself guitar, but his main interest was sport and most of his spare time was spent skiing in Switzerland.At an early...
(son of
Rex HarrisonSir Reginald “Rex” Carey Harrison was an English actor of stage and screen. Harrison won both an Academy Award and a Tony Award.-Youth and stage career:...
) as her English partner, Mark Slate.
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
spy-fiSpy-fi is a genre of spy fiction that includes elements of science fiction or fantasy. It often uses a secret agent or superspy whose mission is a showcase of science fiction elements such as technology and ideas used for extortion, plots for world domination or destruction, weapons in science...
TV series that aired on
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
for one season from September 16, 1966 to April 11, 1967. The series was a
spin-offMedia spin-off is the process of deriving new radio programs, television programs or video games or even novels from already existing ones. Spin-offs work with varying degrees of success...
from
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international law-enforcement agency called...
and used the same theme music except with a slightly different, harder-edged arrangement.
Synopsis
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. starred
Stefanie PowersStefanie Powers is an American actress. She starred as Jennifer Hart in the 1980s television series Hart to Hart.-Early life:...
as American U.N.C.L.E. agent April Dancer and
Noel HarrisonNoel Harrison is an English actor and singer. He is the son of British actor Sir Rex Harrison .-Early life:As a teenager he joined the Ipswich repertory theatre group and taught himself guitar, but his main interest was sport and most of his spare time was spent skiing in Switzerland.At an early...
(son of
Rex HarrisonSir Reginald “Rex” Carey Harrison was an English actor of stage and screen. Harrison won both an Academy Award and a Tony Award.-Youth and stage career:...
) as her English partner, Mark Slate.
Leo G. CarrollLeo Gratten Carroll was an English actor, best known for his roles in several Hitchcock films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E..-Life and career:...
played her superior,
Alexander WaverlyAlexander Waverly is a fictional character from the 1960s television show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and its spin-off series The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.....
, in both series. The character name "April Dancer" was suggested by
James BondJames Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. The character has also been used in the longest running and most financially successful English language film franchise to date, starting in 1962 with Dr...
creator
Ian FlemingIan Lancaster Fleming was a British author and journalist. Fleming is best remembered for creating the character of James Bond and chronicling Bond's adventures in twelve novels and nine short stories...
who was a consultant in the creation of the parent program before his death.
The series was not as successful as its parent program and was cancelled after 29 episodes due to low ratings. Several crossover episodes were produced in conjunction with
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., including the episode that introduced April and Mark. In their first appearance they were portrayed by
Mary Ann MobleyMary Ann Mobley . She is a former Miss America, actress, and television personality.She married actor Gary Collins in 1967...
and
Norman FellNorman Fell was an American actor of film and television, most famous for his role as landlord Mr. Roper on the sitcom Three's Company and its spin-off, The Ropers.-Early life:...
, respectively.
In the memorable crossover episode "The Mother Muffin Affair",
Robert VaughnRobert Francis Vaughn, Ph.D. is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. He is perhaps best known as suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
made a guest appearance along with
Boris KarloffBoris Karloff was a British actor who emigrated to Canada in the 1910s. He is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the 1931 film Frankenstein, 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, and 1939 film Son of Frankenstein...
, who, dressed in drag, played the titular villainess Mother Muffin.
Similar to the later spy series
AliasAlias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
, April Dancer often went on undercover missions where she had to affect a foreign accent (Powers is fluent in several languages). Her dance training was also put to good use in several episodes, particularly "The Mata Hari Affair" where Powers recreated the famous
Greta GarboGreta Garbo was a Swedish actress during Hollywood's silent film period and part of its Golden Age....
dance from the 1932 film
Mata Hari.
Another notable feature of the show were the avant-garde fashions worn by Powers. She was featured on the cover of
TV GuideTV Guide is a North American weekly magazine about television programming.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews. Some issues have also featured horoscope listings and crossword puzzles.-Annenberg/Triangle era: The...
(Dec. 31, 1966–Jan. 6, 1967), and the article on her mentions the show "...allocating roughly $1,000 an episode for stretch vinyl jackets and skirts, a bare-midriff harem-dancer outfit, miniskirts and the latest mod fashions from London's Carnaby Street."
The article also underscores the show's major flaw: "Unlike her fellow U.N.C.L.E. agents, the ladylike April is not required to kill the bad guys. Her feminine charms serve as the bait, while her partner Noel Harrison provides the fireworks. She does carry, however, a perfume atomizer that sprays gas, earrings and charm bracelets that explode, among other interesting gadgets."
In contrast to the dynamic, karate-chopping heroines
Honey WestHoney West is a fictional character created by Gloria and Forest Fickling under the pseudonym "G.G. Fickling", and appearing in numerous mystery novels by the duo....
and Emma Peel (
The AvengersThe Avengers is a British television adventure series about secret agents in 1960s Britain. The programmes were made by TV company ABC Weekend Television , and created by its Head of Drama Sydney Newman...
), the demure, "ladylike" conception of April Dancer weakened the character and often turned her into a helpless damsel-in-distress. Arming her with gimmicks and gadgets was not enough. Plus, the stories generally leaned toward parody and campy humor rather than the action-suspense format of its progenitor. Despite attempts at cross-promotion with its parent series — Harrison appeared as Slate in an episode of
Man from U.N.C.L.E. while
Robert VaughnRobert Francis Vaughn, Ph.D. is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. He is perhaps best known as suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
appeared as Napoleon Solo in an episode of
Girl — the show failed to build an audience and thus lasted only one season. According to
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Book by Jon Heitland, and commentary on the DVD release of the parent series, the failure of
Girl from U.N.C.L.E. was considered a contributing factor in Mans early cancellation in 1968.
Cast
- Stefanie Powers...April Dancer
- Noel Harrison...Mark Slate
- Leo G. Carroll...Alexander Waverly; chief of U.N.C.L.E.
- Randy Kirby...Agent Randy Kovacs
Notable guest stars
- Edward Asner
- Joan Blondell
Rose Joan Blondell was an American actress.After winning a beauty pageant, Blondell embarked upon a film career. Establishing herself as a sexy wisecracking blonde, she was a pre-Hays Code staple of Warner Brothers and appeared in more than 100 movies and television productions...
- Tom Bosley
Thomas Edward Bosley is an American actor, best known for his starring and supporting roles on the television shows Happy Days, Murder, She Wrote and Father Dowling Mysteries.-Early life:...
- John Carradine
John Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns.-Early life:...
- Jack Cassidy
John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...
- Ellen Corby
Ellen Corby was an American actress. She is most widely remembered for the role of "Grandma Esther Walton" on the CBS television series The Waltons, for which she won three Emmy Awards.-Early life:...
- Wally Cox
Wallace Maynard Cox was an American comedian and actor, particularly associated with the early years of television in the United States. He appeared in the U.S. TV series Mr. Peepers , plus several other popular shows, and as a character actor in over 20 films...
- The Daily Flash
- Yvonne De Carlo
Yvonne De Carlo was a Canadian-born American film and television actress, dancer and singer. In her six-decade career, her most prolific appearances in film came in the 1940s and 1950s and included her best-known film roles, such as Salome Where She Danced and The Ten Commandments, opposite...
- Dom DeLuise
Dominick "Dom" DeLuise was an American actor, comedian, film director, television producer, chef, and author. He was the husband of actress Carol Arthur from 1965 until his death, and the father of actor, writer, director Peter DeLuise, and actors David DeLuise and Michael DeLuise.- Early life...
- Bernard Fox
- Stan Freberg
Stanley Victor Freberg is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertising creative director....
- Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff was a British actor who emigrated to Canada in the 1910s. He is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the 1931 film Frankenstein, 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, and 1939 film Son of Frankenstein...
- Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer and actress. She first came to prominence in the 1940s with her #1 hits Somebody Is Taking Your Place and Mañana, having a string of successful albums and top 10 hits in three consecutive decades...
- Fernando Lamas
Fernando Álvaro Lamas was an Argentina-born American actor and director, and the father of actor Lorenzo Lamas. His full birth name was Fernando Álvaro Lamas y de Santos-Early years and career:Lamas was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. By 1942, he was an established movie star in Argentina...
- Raymond Massey
Raymond Hart Massey was a Canadian-born American actor.-Early life:Massey was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Anna and Chester Daniel Massey, the wealthy owner of the Massey-Ferguson Tractor Company...
- Luciana Paluzzi
Luciana Paluzzi , is an Italian actress. She is best known for playing SPECTRE assassin Fiona Volpe in the fourth James Bond film Thunderball....
- Ruth Roman
Ruth Roman was an American actress.-Career:She was born Norma Roman in the Boston suburb of Lynn, Massachusetts. As a young girl, she pursued her desire to become an actress by enrolling in the prestigious Bishop Lee Dramatic School in Boston...
- Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands is an American actress of film, stage and television. She collaborated with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes on ten films.-Early years:...
- Olan Soule
Olan Soule was an American character actor with hundreds of credits in films, radio, commercials, television and animation.-Early life:...
- Ann Sothern
Ann Sothern was an American film and television actress with a career spanning six decades.-Early life and career:...
- Leslie Uggams
Leslie Uggams is an American actress and singer, perhaps best known for her Tony Award-winning work in Hallelujah, Baby!...
- Robert Vaughn
Robert Francis Vaughn, Ph.D. is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. He is perhaps best known as suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
- Carol Wayne
Carol Wayne was an American television and film actress. She was best known for her many appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as the Matinée Lady.-Early life:...
- Michael Wilding
-Early life:Born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, Wilding was a successful commercial artist when he joined the art department of a London movie studio in 1933. He soon embarked on an acting career.-Career:...
Episodes
| Episode # |
Production Code |
Episode Title |
Airdate |
| 1 |
8622 |
"The Dog-Gone Affair" |
September 13, 1966 |
| 2 |
8611 |
"The Prisoner of Zalamar Affair" |
September 20, 1966 |
| 3 |
8611 |
"The Mother Muffin Affair" |
September 27, 1966 |
| 4 |
8617 |
"The Mata Hari Affair" |
October 4, 1966 |
| 5 |
8601 |
"The Montori Device Affair" |
October 11, 1966 |
| 6 |
8606 |
"The Horns-of-the-Dilemma Affair" |
October 18, 1966 |
| 7 |
8615 |
"The Danish Blue Affair" |
October 25, 1966 |
| 8 |
8605 |
"The Garden of Evil Affair" |
November 1, 1966 |
| 9 |
8609 |
"The Atlantis Affair" |
November 15, 1966 |
| 10 |
8621 |
"The Paradise Lost Affair" |
November 22, 1966 |
| 11 |
8626 |
"The Lethal Eagle Affair" |
November 29, 1966 |
| 12 |
8630 |
"The Romany Lie Affair" |
December 6, 1966 |
| 13 |
8628 |
"The Little John Doe Affair" |
December 13, 1966 |
| 14 |
8614 |
"The Jewels of Topango Affair" |
December 20, 1966 |
| 15 |
8613 |
"The Faustus Affair" |
December 27, 1966 |
| 16 |
8623 |
"The U.F.O. Affair" |
January 3, 1967 |
| 17 |
8610 |
"The Moulin Ruse Affair" |
January 17, 1967 |
| 18 |
8629 |
"The Catacomb and Dogma Affair" |
January 24, 1967 |
| 19 |
8625 |
"The Drublegratz Affair" |
January 31, 1967 |
| 20 |
8605 |
"The Fountain of Youth Affair" |
February 7, 1967 |
| 21 |
8631 |
"The Carpathian Caper Affair" |
February 14, 1967 |
| 22 |
8603 |
"The Furnace Flats Affair" |
February 21, 1967 |
| 23 |
8632 |
"The Low Blue C Affair" |
February 28, 1967 |
| 24 |
8634 |
"The Petit Prix Affair" |
March 7, 1967 |
| 25 |
8619 |
"The Phi Beta Killer Affair" |
March 14, 1967 |
| 26 |
8638 |
"The Double-O-Nothing Affair" |
March 21, 1967 |
| 27 |
8636 |
"The U.N.C.L.E. Samurai Affair" |
March 28, 1967 |
| 28 |
8620 |
"The High and the Deadly Affair" |
April 4, 1967 |
| 29 |
8640 |
"The Kooky Spook Affair" |
April 11, 1967 |
Original novels
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
was featured in five original novels, only two of which were published in the United States:
The Birds of a Feather Affair
by Michael AvalloneMichael Avallone was a prolific American author of mystery and secret agent fiction, as well as many novels based upon various television series and films...
The Blazing Affair
by Michael Avallone
The Global Globules Affair
- Simon Latter (Published in United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and in FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
as L'affaire des Globules
)
The Golden Boats of Tatadata Affair
- Simon Latter (Published in United Kingdom only)
The Cornish Pixie Affair
- Peter Leslie (Published in United Kingdom only)
A Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
digest magazine was also briefly published, which included novellaA novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. While there is disagreement as to what length defines a novella, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count...
s not published elsewhere. Gold Key ComicsGold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands.-History:Gold Key Comics was created in 1962, when Western switched to in-house publishing rather than packaging content for branding and distribution by its business partner, Dell Comics...
also published a short-lived (5 issue) comic book.
See also
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international law-enforcement agency called...
AliasAlias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
, a similarly themed television series of the 2000s.
External links
Girl from U.N.C.L.E.