The Persuaders!
Greetings, ‘The Persuaders!” is an action comedy television series that was created by ITC Entertainment which first hit the airwaves in 1971 and continued on into the following year. The globetrotting show had one season which was comprised of 24 episodes and is considered among ITC’s most expensive productions. The same company was the creative force behind other programmes from the 1960s and 70s that have been previously reviewed on this blog including ‘The Prisoner’ as well as ‘Randal and Hopkirk (Deceased)’. This show boasts a pre-‘James Bond’ Roger Moore as the suave Brett Sinclair alongside Hollywood star Tony Curtis, father of scream queen Jamie Lee, as American oil tycoon Danny Wilde as the leads. Laurence Naismith is the other crucial cast member and makes an appearance in 11 of the episodes. The iconic theme music was composed by John Barry who also wrote the even more famous theme for 007.
The pilot begins in the French Riviera as two luxurious sports cars chase each other along scenic sun kissed roads. The two playboy drivers are, at the time, unknown to each other and are engaging in a display of one-upmanship until they arrive at their destination. A hotel in Monaco. It is revealed that the two men, British Lord Brett Sinclair and self-made American millionaire Danny Wilde, have both received an anonymous invitation to come to this hotel. They have an instant dislike for each other and it isn’t long before the competitive Wilde and Sinclair get involved in a fracas. During their brawl, they smash up the hotel’s bar and both are threatened with 90 days imprisonment by local authorities for their disruptive behaviour. Before being locked up, a retired judge by the name of Fulton reveals himself to them and advises that he has the necessary clout that would keep them out of jail. He offers them a deal.
Fulton reveals that he was the one who invited the duo to the hotel under mysterious circumstances. Despite being retired for a number of years, delivering justice is still his passion and reason for being. Fulton decided to recruit the two adventurous men, who are both known across the world as celebrities, so they could right wrongs when the official system failed to solve criminal cases. His assignment is to locate and gain the confidence of a woman called Maria Lorenzo. Her supposedly deceased brother was the head of a criminal syndicate operating in the region but Fulton believes that he faked his death two years ago and is still in control from the shadows. Wilde and Sinclair are keen to avoid the slammer so they accept the deal to flush the mobster out. Far from working together, the well-to-do men see it as a challenge to find and seduce Maria first but the case would prove to be the foundation of an unbreakable future friendship.
‘The Persuaders!’ is certainly showing its age these days although that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I had a lot of fun with it as well as the other ITC programmes I’ve watched so far and that’s partially because they are a time capsule of a bygone era. The true companionship and healthy rivalry between Brett and Danny is among the main reasons I liked it so much. It was simply an easy watch as they drove around in flashy cars, competed for the same women and wound up in messy situations with their lives often in danger. One of my favourite episodes is a homage to ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ in which Roger, much like Alec Guinness, acts as a number of Brett’s eccentric relations who are bumped off one by one in a spate of murders. I believe the show could easily have ran for a few more seasons but at least it had paved the way for Moore’s stint as that beloved British spy.
Plot=7/10
Characters=9/10
Special Effects=7/10
Overall=8/10
Quote of the Day
Hammond, after some consideration, I've decided not to endorse your park.
Dr Alan Grant
Jurassic Park
