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Written by The Edge Editor
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Tuesday, 02 March 2010 |
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TV GOLD – THE PERSUADERS
‘GOLD! Always believe in your soul, you’ve got the power to know, you’re indestructible....’
And this month readers: The Persuaders.
Do you remember ’em? Roger Moore as Lord Brett Sinclair in his Bahama
Yellow Aston Martin DBS and Tony Curtis as Danny Wilde in his bright
red Ferrari Dino 246 GT (a bit like a sort of a right rich, early Bodie
& Doyle).
You’ve got to go back to 1971 to remember this one though, readers, and
The Persuaders was reckoned to be ‘the last major entry in the cycle of
adventure series that had begun in 1960 with Danger Man’.
To which The Edge says: “Bollocks!” What about the superb Starsky & Hutch, which I’ll try to remember to review next month.
His Lordship and Danny Boy were international jet-setters; playboys, if
you will, but there was only ever one series of Lew Grade’s ambitiously
expensive show as the Yanks didn’t take to it.
I did though; every Friday night after swimming at Keighley public
baths. I used to bloody love it, I did; the sheer luxury, opulence and
escapism, even though I was only ten!
The Persuaders are two men from totally different backgrounds who
reluctantly team up together in order to solve cases which the courts
can’t.
Wilde/Curtis is a bit of a rough diamond, raised in NYC, who escapes by
joining the US Navy. He goes on to make his millions in the oil
business, as you do. Sinclair/Moore, on the other hand, is a Harrow and
Oxford educated aristocrat who always addresses his comrade-in-arms as
Daniel. (As a bit of an aside, Tony Curtis was actually raised in The
Bronx and did indeed serve in the US Navy. He was 46 when he made The
Persuaders and performed all of his own stunts and fight sequences.)
John Barry’s excellent theme tune always brings the hairs out around my
goolies, if not on the back of my neck. Such nostalgia is almost
palpable, even writing this.
At the time, the 24-series Persuaders was the most expensive British TV
series ever produced, each episode costing a nifty £100,000.
There was talk of a second series, despite publicity about the two
stars not getting on off-screen. However, any such plans were scuppered
when Moore was invited to be the next James Bond.
When you consider some of the shite on TV today, I do wonder why
terrestrial channels don’t re-run the entire series of the likes of The
Persuaders, Auf Wiedersehen Pet and Whatever Happened To The Likely
Lads at peak times.
I, for one, would certainly tune in.
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