JuicyTalk
Soon after the release of the first two James Bond movies took the world of cinema by storm, the character’s creator Ian Fleming was asked to help with the development of a spy thriller TV series for NBC. This show would go on to become the yardstick by which all others in its genre are measured.
More than six decades on from its network TV premiere, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is still the closest thing to 007 that we’ve seen on the small screen. Born out of the same climate of Cold War espionage that gave rise to Fleming’s most famous creation, this series perfectly encapsulates the initial golden age of spy fiction.
Featuring smooth-talking secret agents, futuristic high-tech gadgets, and an evil organization referred to by its acronym, this series has everything a James Bond fan could want in a small-screen thriller. It remains one of the best TV shows of the Cold War era to concern itself with covert operatives.
Although it strikes a lighter tone than its 1979 British counterpart Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is just as stylish and sophisticated as this and other adaptations of John le Carré’s work. More recently, the show has been remade as a feature film, which is among Guy Ritchie’s best movies as a director.
No Current TV Spy Thriller Can Match The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
There isn’t a single contemporary spy thriller that tops The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as the archetypal masterpiece of its genre. Apple TV’s Slow Horses might have more depth to it, whilst the likes of Netflix’s The Night Agent has more suspense to it, and Prime Video’s The Night Manager offers comparable style and swagger.
But none of these series have central characters who convey effortless cool quite like Napoleon Solo or Illya Kuryakin. Nor do they serve up dialogue with the biting wit and wry self-awareness of The Man from U.N.C.L.E..
This show demonstrates that the essence of the spy genre isn’t in explosive action sequences or elegant tailoring, although it also offers both these things in abundance. It’s in morally ambiguous characterizations, and storylines fraught with shadowy deception and hidden danger.
The U.N.C.L.E. of the series title is a suitably mysterious organization. The acronym stands for United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, a global intelligence network formed to thwart its evil counterpart, the Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity, or “Thrush” for short.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’s Protagonist Was Created By Ian Fleming
It’s worth noting that no other TV series shares as much creative DNA with James Bond as The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. The show’s co-creator Norman Felton asked Bond creator Ian Fleming for assistance in developing its story.
It was Fleming who came up with the character Napoleon Solo, who’s arguably the most iconic fictional spy in TV history. He’s so important to the genre, in fact, that the actor cast to play him in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’s movie adaptation immediately became the favorite to become the next 007 as a result.
Guy Ritchie’s Movie Adaptation Of The Show Made Henry Cavill The Bond Frontrunner
The 2015 movie version of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. starring Henry Cavill doesn’t get the respect it deserves. One of director Guy Ritchie’s best works, it looks just as dashing as a classic Bond movie. What the film lacks in smooth dialogue and plot innovations, it makes up for with modern pyrotechnics, and Ritchie’s trademark sense of humor.
A decade ago, Cavill was the frontrunner in the race to play James Bond after Daniel Craig hung up his handgun and tuxedo, simply on the strength of his performance as Napoleon Solo in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. Ironically, after slipping down the list of contenders since then, he’s now back to third-favorite with many betting outlets.
Perhaps Denis Villeneuve and his casting directors at Amazon MGM have finally gotten around to watching Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. adaptation. If Henry Cavill were to get the part, he’d certainly have Ian Fleming original TV show to thank for its indirect role in his casting.
