| The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - The Complete Series | 
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| List Price: $199.92 (€157.94)
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 90 reviews)
Sales Rank: 2189
Category: DVD
Actors: Robert Vaughn, David Mccallum, Leo G. Carroll
Directors: Eddie Saeta, James Goldstone, Theodore J. Flicker, Alex March, Don Medford
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Studio: Warner Home Video
Brand: Warner Brothers
Label: Warner Home Video
Format: Box Set, Black & White, Color, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 5620 minutes
Number Of Items: 41
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 6
Dimensions (in): 13.8 x 8.5 x 4.3
MPN: WARD042020D
UPC: 883929035380
EAN: 0883929035380
ASIN: B00005JM5Z
Release Date: October 21, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: September 22, 1964
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Album Description
It was the height of the Cold War, a time when most Americans had only the vaguest understanding of international espionage. Then, in 1964, the televised spy genre exploded on the screen in the U.S. and around the world when the groundbreaking series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. pulled the covers off of the spy game in what became must-watch television for the next four years on NBC. Here is The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete Series, beautifully packaged in a 60's style high tech attach? case, complete with all episodes along with hours of viewing extras.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 85 more reviews...
Relive your childhood December 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was a kid in the 60's, and had fond memories of the UNCLE craze (I even had the lunch box, which the "attache case" reminds me of). I had not seen these episodes in years, and watching them has really been fun for me. Especially seeing a lot of the episode guests is a treat. Sure, it's low-brow, but most 60's TV was . . . that's what made it fun.
We've Come a LONG Way... November 28, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was a young child when The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was aired, but my older sister and I eagerly awaited each episode. We had Illya and Napolean Solo DOLLS even! I have waited for YEARS for this DVD set to come out. Frankly, it was worth the wait as the case resembles an attache case and is very smart and sturdy. Luckily I pre-ordered two sets (one as a gift for my sister) because in writing this review noticed that the price has escalated by $30 for each set, which is ridiculous!
Another great feature is that there are English subtitles, but it would have been great if scene features could have been available as well.
Most of the women in this series are depicted as docile, subserviant women whose only thought is to look sexy and great - but then this is played up as part of the whole James Bond genre anyway. However, there are several episodes where the women match the men on an equal footing. I can't believe how far we've come in that I'm one of the owners of an aviation company now - which would virtually have been unheard of in the 1960's.
It was also really great to look at the various vintage aircraft, clothes, cars, and hairstyles on this series. Really a history lesson! Naturally the technology is pretty lame on the series - although it is fun how a package of cigarettes doubles as the "first cell phone." LOL
And this series doesn't always pay real attention to detail. LOL In one episode they show a large vault that supposedly contains 55 million dollars and yet only show an amount of money that is possibly $10,000? The rest of the vault is virtually EMPTY. LOL
That said, if you approach this as a look back in the 1960's Cold War era - you will NOT be disappointed in this great nostalgic series!
My uber-definitive review for this incredible box set... November 25, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I received the Time Life release (which is identical to the Warner version) for review last year. It took several months to get through it all, but the end-result was one of the most comprehensive reviews on this magnificent set.
You can read it at http://www.dvdinmypants.com/reviews/H-N/man_from_uncle1.php.
Cheers,
Adam Becvar
 Sorry to be the Party Pooper... November 16, 2008
8 out of 24 found this review helpful
I revere all my predecessors who have but nice words for this Series. Yet I must say I am still astonished at the Myth U.N.C.L.E.
First of all, let me say that I only recognize the value of the First, the first quart of the Second, and the final Fourth Season as being well produced and worthwhile to be considered.
And the Fourth Season is just a halved Season, since during filming of it, it was suddenly canceled.
So, in all, we have here one and 3/4, if ever, out of Four Seasons truly worth watching. The rest is plain crap, deja-vu and bad imitations of other series, such as the Whap & Zap Batman series of the '60s.
Perhaps enjoyable by former Beatnicks and Hippies, but certainly not comparable to the values offered by other Series of the time, like "The Avengers", "Danger Man", and even the Black & White "The Saint".
In the end it is just a silly compilation of slapstick comedy, combined with the gadgetry contained in Bond movies.
But the story lines are as primitive as can come and the laughters are forced.
The comparison to Bond movies of the time (the Sean Connery ones), is simply outrageous at best. All they have in common are, as said, the gadgetry, and if ever a common (and always the same) enemy. SMERSH or SPECTRE for 007, and THRUSH for UNCLE.
The comparisons stop here.
The only redeeming factor is the cast (Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Leo G. Carroll), that does its best to keep it aloof from banality.
In many episodes we have prominent guest players like George Sanders, Herbert Lom, Bradford Dillman, Rip Torn, Jack Palance, Telly Savalas and even Joan Crawford, just to name a few, and yet they all seem totally out of place, knowing what careers they have had or would have.
They all contributed to make an unusually stupid Series shine. This is probably why they were also called in. Being all respected stage actors, besides being famous movie stars, justified the watching of such nonsense.
And indeed, it is just due to their contributions alone, that this set of episodes has survived to this day.
Series such as "The Prisoner" might have had a touch of silliness in them, but since they were not set in a true world situation, nor did they ever claim to be, came out far more dignified, although they too, reflected some kitch of the mid/late sixties (see "Department S" and "Jason King").
"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." is just part of nostalgia, but in my view, and I grew up in those turbulent times as well, it is just that, and not even one of the best representations.
Many have for instance criticized "Star Trek" for being "hammy", for its acting and scenery, and being an overblown Series. Well, I would like to answer that I could take a Series like this one any day, but not "Man from U.N.C.L.E.".
Now let us come to the values of the Episodes on DVD. The image quality is fair, but still sports spots and scratches here and there. The sound is very uneven.
From one episode to the other you may have to adjust your volume down or upwards.
Jerry Goldsmith was right to be angry at what they had done to his original theme, especially starting with Season Three.
While Lalo Schifrin's interpretation was still acceptable, by bringing it up-to-date with some slight jazzy interpolation, the Gerald Fried one is just outrageously shrill in tone, and vulgar at best. No true musical taste here.
Nelson Riddle got stuck in his "Batman"-type style and never seems to be more inventive than that, nor to let lose on the merry-go-round style.
Some other jazzy music seems to be originated in style, like from some annoying "elevator music", repeated over and over.
If someone praises such music, he must have been stuck in elevators for far too long, and it would be time to get the poor soul out of it.
I am very sorry to have bought the entire series, since compared to others (like the ones I have mentioned before), but also series like "Mission: Impossible", it simply cannot stand a comparison of this kind.
It is just far too uneven and at times, just very childish, to be even considered as a classic series.
My three stars only go to all those who have worked so hard to bring it all together. But then I still must ask: why?
See, some time ago I bought the British-made "U.N.C.L.E." movie set, which in my view is still superior than this. Despite that the movie collection missed out on two, if not three of the series, they were "finished works" and in a way represented the (questionable) best of the series, and indeed, in that format, they could even be considered that.
Some have complained that in this complete set, you don't get the movies in their theatrical version. But there is nothing new in the movies, that you do not get through the episodes.
Maybe some scenes have been recut and edited in a different order in the movie version, but the material is all there.
It is sad to see some series age in time as this one does.
I also own "The Complete original Twilight Zone" which was filmed years before, and it is still an icon in TV-making to this day.
In half-hour episodes you had far more story-telling and acting craft that in these almost one-hour long "U.N.C.L.E." incarnations.
The only series that really can compare to this one is, as said, "Mission: Impossible", but boy, is "Mission" far superior to this.
If you really want memorabilia worth of this name, than stick to "Mission: Impossible". Even "The Avengers", either the Honor Blackman, or the Diana Rigg versions are a good choice.
But the best ever, remains "Danger Man" starring Patrick McGoohan.
Stick to those, and do not waste any hard-earned money on this suitcase.
I am particularly sorry for Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, whose interviews are very informative and show how affectionate they still are to a series that helped their careers lift off considerably.
Particularly to Robert Vaughn who still seems very fond of the series, which is quite understandable...
But alas, "U.N.C.L.E." made its time, in fact is stuck in time and will never be more than that.
There are series that have survived the test of time, such as the aforementioned series like "Star Trek" (whether or not digitally enhanced), "The Twilight Zone", "I Dream of Jeannie", "Mission: Impossible" and even "M*A*S*H*".
Yet some others show their age and are just plain old...
This is one of them.
If you want Bond, then buy Bond, if you want laughter then stick to Sitcoms, but if you want TV-thrills look elsewhere.
This is a series that can only be enjoyed by those who like Cartoon-flat-characters, such as the sixties "Batman" and the fifties "Superman"... For real drama and real good acting, there is no time nor space in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.".
I am really sorry for this, since the series did start on the right foot, but landed flat-faced, tripping over its own feet.
No wonder then, that executives of the time decided to cut it short.
More questions about the subject? I don't think so...
Waited for 40 years for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. on DVD November 16, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This was my favorite tv show back in the 60's. I had reel-to-reel tape of some of the episodes. Then they released some of the episodes on VHS (2 episodes per tape at $20 no less). Now the box set on DVD, Long wait but worth it. My favorite of the 2 actors is David McCallum.
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