Love for the Russian Spy…this is where it all started!

The Man from UNCLE” was one of a dozen competing TV spy-movie series in the 1960s. The good guys in U.N.C.L.E. – with its deliberately ambiguous hints of “Uncle Sam” and the “UN” proclaiming the global reach of the organisation – included a loyal Soviet Russian Illya Kuryakin (played by a Scottish-born actor David McCallum) whose role subverted the prevalent Cold War era spy genre stereotypes, promoting themes of international unity amid U.S.-Soviet rivalry. Could this “humanising of the enemy” have inadvertently set a young Donald Trump (aged around 20) on a path to re-imagining geopolitics based on TV spy-movie fantasies?

Did you know?

Ian Fleming (James Bond author) contributed the name of Napoleon Solo. The Solo name also appeared in Goldfinger: Mr. Solo was an ill-fated gangster. Because of this Solo character, the UNCLE series producers were forced to re-name their original title (“Ian Fleming’s Solo”).

For all you Star Trek fans: William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy appeared together in the 1964 UNCLE Episode “The Project Strigas Affair”, two years before Star Trek premiered.

Actor David Keith McCallum was initially destined for a classical musical career (encouraged by professional musician parents). He played oboe as well as a number of other instruments (including double bass and guitar – each played during UNCLE episodes). His musical career continued alongside acting, with release of instrumental albums in the 1960s (his best known original piece was “The Edge”).

He also released a single in 1966 with vocals – featuring David’s voice: “Communication”