The Persuaders

1948-present

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Jeffrey
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The Persuaders

#1 Post by Jeffrey »

I recently bought the DVD of the one and only season (24 episodes) of "The Presuaders". A show from '71-72.

Starring Roger Moore and Tony Curtis.

I think its a wonderfull show! Roger and Tony are a good team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93fg9fgVWqQ&feature=fvw

I also got my hands on "The Saint". A litter older, but I hear it was a pretty good show.

Do you guys know these shows?

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Last edited by Jeffrey on Wed May 12, 2010 6:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
TM "Rick wasn't overly enthusiastic about my plan. He thought it had some holes in it, and he was afraid they would end up in him...
I told him that was ridiculous."

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#2 Post by Styles Bitchley »

Don't know the Persuaders, but the Saint is a classic.

Roger Moore's super-British mod style is awesome in that show.
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#3 Post by Little Garwood »

I'm a HUGE Persuaders fan!

There's so much about this show that fascinates me. I'm a big Tony Curtis fan, and I adore Roger Moore, of course, so it was VERY surprising to stumble upon this post-Saint/ pre-Bond show nine years ago. "A Home of One's Own" was the first episode I ever saw. Love the wonderfully witty banter between the two principals, the fashions(!) and the "big-budget" locations. I didn’t even know it existed until 1998, when I caught an episode (“A Home of One’s Own”) on one of the cable networks (“encore” or “Starz!”) that had a rotating theme for each day of the week, that day was mystery, IIRC.

I was born in 1971, so to see--at least thru a TV show-- how the world looked back then makes me think of the early 1970s as not quite the 1960s and not yet the seventies I remember as a little kid (Disco, Aaron Spelling shows). The early 1970s seems to be a blend of both. The Persuaders appears to me to be the bridge between the 1960s "Spy Craze" and the 1970s urban detective shows that dominated the decade. It’s interesting to see a show that took place in Roger’s post-Saint, pre-Bond career. It’s such a brief moment in history. Plus, it opened up the early 1970s for me. Regardless, watching The Persuaders is always a lot of fun.

I have to say that the show's "dated" look is part of what draws me into it in the first place. That whole "Edwardian" fashion that Roger sports as Lord Brett Sinclair as well as the safari suits, scarves as necktie, enormous belt buckles, the “chicks” with miniskirts, middle-aged men with mutton-chop sideburns, all this goes a long way with me. It doesn't explain the madness of that era, but it sure fascinates me...

What really struck me about The Persuaders was its time period. It took place in Roger’s post-Saint, pre-Bond career and it opened up the early 1970s for me.

It’s too bad the show didn’t last longer, but then maybe its appeal lies in the fact that it was just a brief moment in TV history. I’ve always wanted to write some fan fiction chronicling Lord Sinclair’s and Danny Wilde’s continuing adventures. Apparently I’m the only one, as I’ve been unable to find any such fanfic on the web.
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

~Tom Selleck

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#4 Post by Jeffrey »

Nice to hear you are a huge fan too!

I was born in 92', but I seem to like a lot of older television shows. I'm reading Moore's book, and found out he did this show. It made me curious, and now I got the DVD... :)

I think the duo Tony Curtis and Roger Moore is realy fantastic. The show is in some ways a little familiar with Magnum...
TM "Rick wasn't overly enthusiastic about my plan. He thought it had some holes in it, and he was afraid they would end up in him...
I told him that was ridiculous."

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#5 Post by Little Garwood »

I started a Persuaders-related blog--I've scaled it down to focus just on the show and its stars--I hope you can stop by and have a look. I also have a 1930s-'40s movie blog, now in its second year.
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

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#6 Post by Jeffrey »

R.I.P Tony Curtis
TM "Rick wasn't overly enthusiastic about my plan. He thought it had some holes in it, and he was afraid they would end up in him...
I told him that was ridiculous."

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#7 Post by Mr. Greene »

I just picked up a Persuaders dvd at walmart in the $5 bin that had three discs. not a complete seaon but for $5 great deal

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#8 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

Little Garwood wrote:I'm a HUGE Persuaders fan!
There's so much about this show that fascinates me. I'm a big Tony Curtis fan, and I adore Roger Moore, of course, so it was VERY surprising to stumble upon this post-Saint/ pre-Bond show nine years ago. "A Home of One's Own" was the first episode I ever saw. Love the wonderfully witty banter between the two principals, the fashions(!) and the "big-budget" locations. I didn’t even know it existed until 1998, when I caught an episode (“A Home of One’s Own”) on one of the cable networks (“encore” or “Starz!”) that had a rotating theme for each day of the week, that day was mystery, IIRC.
I was born in 1971, so to see--at least thru a TV show-- how the world looked back then makes me think of the early 1970s as not quite the 1960s and not yet the seventies I remember as a little kid (Disco, Aaron Spelling shows). The early 1970s seems to be a blend of both. The Persuaders appears to me to be the bridge between the 1960s "Spy Craze" and the 1970s urban detective shows that dominated the decade. It’s interesting to see a show that took place in Roger’s post-Saint, pre-Bond career. It’s such a brief moment in history. Plus, it opened up the early 1970s for me. Regardless, watching The Persuaders is always a lot of fun.
I have to say that the show's "dated" look is part of what draws me into it in the first place. That whole "Edwardian" fashion that Roger sports as Lord Brett Sinclair as well as the safari suits, scarves as necktie, enormous belt buckles, the “chicks” with miniskirts, middle-aged men with mutton-chop sideburns, all this goes a long way with me. It doesn't explain the madness of that era, but it sure fascinates me...
What really struck me about The Persuaders was its time period. It took place in Roger’s post-Saint, pre-Bond career and it opened up the early 1970s for me.
It’s too bad the show didn’t last longer, but then maybe its appeal lies in the fact that it was just a brief moment in TV history. I’ve always wanted to write some fan fiction chronicling Lord Sinclair’s and Danny Wilde’s continuing adventures. Apparently I’m the only one, as I’ve been unable to find any such fanfic on the web.
Hi Garwood,
Excellent post Woody, thanks for sharing.
If I recall correctly, The Persuaders used a lot of the behind the scenes talent from The Saint, with that series mindset.You might argue its a Saint sequel, not much difference between Lord Brett and Simon Templar. I watched it as a kid when it first ran because of the stars, the scenery, the humor and because I had just discovered girls and Holy Smokes did they have girls on this series.
Miss Crump, Thelma Lou and Aunt Bee on the Andy Griffith Show just weren't making it anymore compared to these European babes.
Curtis and Moore had excellent chemistry and got along but Tony's constant pot smoking was enough of a headache to the Roger Moore helmed production that on balance it wasn't worth continuing the(expensive) series in between doing Bond films for the newly minted OO7 spy Moore.
So it never had the chance to jump the shark.
Garwood, it is available on Youtube where I searched it out a few weeks ago after reading your above post, and its better than I remembered for all the reasons you cited.
I read a very interesting post there concerning the series when it ran in Germany(as it still does in many countries). The German dubbed dialogue is considered superior to the original English language version, wittier in all respects.
Anyway I have just finished viewing the first 9 episodes and it's really hitting its stride now.
Last edited by Luther's nephew Dobie on Sat May 18, 2019 1:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: The Persuaders

#9 Post by Little Garwood »

I've had the series on dvd for years and only recently rewatched all the episodes yet again. Other than Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Persuaders, outside of Magnum, P.I. And maybe a few others,mis the show I've watched more than any other.

The German translation story is one I cannot confirm. I don't know how much funnier the series can possibly be as it's already pretty darn amusing in the original English! My wife and I can quote this show and we often amuse ourselves by using dialogue from the series in our everyday lives.

When I visited London in 2010, I even had my photo taken in front of the building (15 Queen Anne's Gate, SW1) which serves as the exterior to Lord Brett Sinclair's flat!
"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

~Tom Selleck

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#10 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

Little Garwood wrote:I started a Persuaders-related blog--I've scaled it down to focus just on the show and its stars--I hope you can stop by and have a look. I also have a 1930s-'40s movie blog, now in its second year.
Hi ya Garwood,
I just went to your 1940's movie blog and right off was a piece on the great William Powell/Myrna Loy comedy Love Crazy. One of my all time favorite films. Nice job on the site.
The only autographed photo I ever bought was a still of Loy and Powell that they both had signed, cost me $65 around 1980 and I thought I was being wasteful at that time. I have no idea what it is worth but I'd never part with it.
I wonder if any Magnum Mania readers can tell us where to write Tom Selleck for a autograph and does he respond. If I had a Selleck autograph photo I wouldn't part with that either.

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Re: The Persuaders

#11 Post by Bat22 »

The Persuaders had a lasting influence on me, having seen a few episodes as a kid and decades later, with the power of the Interweb, rediscovering the series. It's aged well in that the fashion and production take the modern viewer to a place that's relatable but still lost in time.

I usually place Moore low when ranking Bonds because to me he's Moore, Roger Moore; his role as Bond is a lesser part of the whole which includes Simon Templar, Brett Sinclair, and even Seymour Goldfarb, Jr.

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Re: The Persuaders

#12 Post by Little Garwood »

The 1983-86 American TV series Hardcastle & McCormick is in some ways a riff on The Persuaders!. Judge wants to investigate the cases that "got away." He teams up with a brash race car type, and a red sportscar figures in both series. Both series are "buddy" shows with lots of comedy to accompany the adventurous goings on.
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Re: The Persuaders

#13 Post by Higgins (aka Bondtoys) »

Little Garwood wrote: The German translation story is one I cannot confirm. I don't know how much funnier the series can possibly be as it's already pretty darn amusing in the original English! My wife and I can quote this show and we often amuse ourselves by using dialogue from the series in our everyday lives.
I can assure you that the german dubbing is hilarious compared to the original version.
Basically, it‘s not a dubbing, they just did their own thing but you need to be german native speaker to get it.

What Berliner Syncron did was so popular, that they received the job dubbing their style into other languages as well.

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Re: The Persuaders

#14 Post by Higgins (aka Bondtoys) »

Bat22 wrote: I usually place Moore low when ranking Bonds because to me he's Moore, Roger Moore; his role as Bond is a lesser part of the whole which includes Simon Templar, Brett Sinclair, and even Seymour Goldfarb, Jr.

Once that you accept, that during the Persuaders, it was „Roger Moore as Roger Moore named Lord Sinclair“ and „Roger Moore as Roger Moore in Ian Fleming‘s James Bond“ then you will have much more fun.

It says a lot about the man:
Sean Connery played James Bond
Roger Moore was always playing Roger Moore and had a tremendous success with it.

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Re: The Persuaders

#15 Post by Luther's nephew Dobie »

Bondtoys.de wrote:
Bat22 wrote: I usually place Moore low when ranking Bonds because to me he's Moore, Roger Moore; his role as Bond is a lesser part of the whole which includes Simon Templar, Brett Sinclair, and even Seymour Goldfarb, Jr.
Once that you accept, that during the Persuaders, it was „Roger Moore as Roger Moore named Lord Sinclair“ and „Roger Moore as Roger Moore in Ian Fleming‘s James Bond“ then you will have much more fun.
It says a lot about the man:
Sean Connery played James Bond
Roger Moore was always playing Roger Moore and had a tremendous success with it.
Hi Guys,
But what about Moore's overlooked gem ffolkes(1980)? The character seems inspired by Ord Wingate and a certain type of off kilter, eccentric British officer.
The bits of business, like with the cats, makes this probably the most unMoore like role Roger ever did.
By the way, I have never ever read of even one example of bad behavior on Roger's part. He seems universally liked by all his co-stars and the on set workers.
As opposed to an absolute monster like Rex Harrison, whose snobbish, lying, cheating, racist, cowardly ways and utter contempt for 'working class' people and
women combined with the lack of any ethics led Richard Harris to say "he'd steal a dead fly from a blind spider."
Harris said Harrison routinely lingered at the dining table as the party he was with left and stole the waiters tips, all but one pound/dollar so if he was caught
he'd say he wasn't happy with the service.
Last edited by Luther's nephew Dobie on Fri Aug 06, 2021 1:19 am, edited 3 times in total.

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