User Reviews

'Danger Man', which starred Patrick McGoohan as secret agent 'John Drake', started life as a series of half-hour shows, with the actor adopting an American accent throughout, and Drake said to be working for a secret N.A.T.O. department based in Washington. Though a success in the U.K. in the early '60's, it sank without a trace in the States. By the time it was relaunched in 1964, however, things were different. Sean Connery had starred in two 'James Bond 007' pictures - 'Dr.No' and 'From Russia With Love' - and audiences were more responsive to the idea of a weekly spy series. Changing the title from 'Danger Man' to 'Secret Agent' was a wise move.

In Britain, 'Yesterday's Enemies' kicked off the new series of hour-long shows, whereas it was 'The Battle Of The Cameras' in the States. Drake was now British, not American, and working for intelligence department M9, whose offices are in London under the cover of a travel agency. Most episodes began with Drake receiving orders from a desk-bound 'M'-type superior - such as 'Brigadier Gorton' ( Raymond Adamson ) or 'Admiral Hobbs' ( Peter Madden ). Gadgets increased in number. Over the course of the series, Drake would be seen using a typewriter with a built-in camera, an electric shaver cum radio transmitter, and a pipe containing a knock-out dart. The show also benefited from a lively new theme tune which has become something of a classic in its own right -'Secret Agent Man' - performed by Johnny Rivers.

Written by Philip Broadley, the story opens at a French atomic laboratory, where a cleaning woman steals important documents. She is no ordinary cleaning woman, of course, but the lovely 'Martine' ( Dawn Addams ), who works for 'A.J.A. Kent' ( Niall McGinnis ), a disfigured crook specialising in stealing and selling secrets to the highest bidder. Posing as a rich playboy type, Drake travels to the South of France to try and sell Kent the formula to F6, a new type of rocket fuel. He is given assistance - if that's the right word - by the clumsy Alex ( Patrick Newall a.k.a. Mother' from 'The Avengers' ). Kent is sufficiently intrigued by Drake to put him under surveillance...

This Don Chaffey-directed episode is lighter in tone than your average 'Danger Man'. 'Alex' provides comedy relief ( including nearly falling over in Hobbs' office when he tries to sit down ), In his leather mask, 'Kent' is more like a Bond villain ( at times one is reminded of Donald Pleasance in 'You Only Live Twice' ), Addams a glamorous femme-fatale whom Drake pretends to flirt with to expedite his mission, and Drake himself exhibits a Bondian swagger not seen in the rest of the series, smoking from cigarette holders, drinking champagne and wearing loud jackets. He has a couple of good fight scenes, such as throwing about Kent's henchman 'Alan Genicot' ( Frederick Hartman ) in a gymnasium, and when attacked by two men in weird costumes at a fancy dress party on an island. Good stuff on the whole, but let down by the distinctly unspectacular climax. After drugging Martine and getting Genicot to confess, Drake has Kent arrested. Not so much as a shot fired in anger. End of episode. We do not even get to see what became of Alex.

Still, the new show succeeded where its predecessor had failed. 'Secret Agent', along with 'The Saint' and 'The Avengers', became one of the most popular imported '60's shows on U.S. television.

The offbeat title, incidentally, refers to the fact that Kent's men are forever photographing Drake, while the latter is doing the same to them.

There are certain songs that you just can't get out of your head and Johnny River's hit "Secret Agent Man" has always been one of them with me. This series was shown in both the United Kingdom and the United States starring Patrick McGoohan (who is best known to American audiences as the sadistic warden in the Clint Eastwood film Escape From Alcatraz) as John Drake a dashing and debonair secret agent ala James Bond (the Bond movies were at the height of their success when this show came out). Drake was a unique kind of hero because he usually fought with his wits however he never backed down from a fight. This episode has him after stolen secrets and dealing with a strange disfigured villian who reminds me of Blofeld in the Bond movies. Its a good show that gives Drake a chance to show off his intellectual and fighting skills (there is a good karate fight). A little bit of trivia, I heard they offered McGoohan the role of 007 but he turned it down.