April Dancer (originally, in The Man From UNCLE episode setting this series up, Mary Ann Mobley, superior in every way; but Stephanie Powers in the series) is an UNCLE agent. Her partner, Mark Slate, is played by Noel Harrison, son of Rex and best known for singing the theme song of "The Thomas Crown Affair."
Some idiot reviewers here are like Inquisitors seeing Heresy wherever the look for it. They say the show is sexist. If all you can do is call names, you don't belong as a reviewer. You're too stupid. The show isn't sexist. Don't fall for their hate, folks with open minds.
In fact, Powers is a gifted UNCLE agent while her partner Slate, while not actually bumbling, is often in trouble and needs her to rescue him, a nice inversion of the cliche. Following that pattern more seriously, this series might have been a classic, universally beloved (Partners in TV shows developed in America are rarely fully equal, as in the British "Avengers"; when they made the movie in America about "The Avengers" they got the dynamics so incredibly wrong-headed: what's wrong with the tiny minds of American movie and TV makers, anyway? Why can't they conceive of equal partnerships?)
The show isn't sexist but it is INCREDIBLY silly. Possibly inspired by "Batman." The lure of Batman at the time is dangerous to underestimate.
It isn't helped by Powers, carrying on in a silly accent when her natural voice would have been much better. And Noel Harrison, while not altogether without talent, is a poor choice for a regular. Unlike the case with some of the great teams like Solo and Kuryakin, Jim and Artie, Steed and Mrs. Peel, Harrison can't compete, acting-wise, with Powers, even considering her misguided accent.
The best thing about this series is its variety of guest stars. For instance, one episode has a very funny part for comedian and voice artist Stan Freberg, who was shamefully underutilized during this time. It's for guest artists like Freberg that I give the series so many stars.
This is a show to miss, but not for the pilfering reasons given by Inquisitor-like reviewers. To be honest (and I always try to be) "The Man From UNCLE," never too serious, was going through its own silly season at the same time. Looking back, the whole Carnaby Street 1960s is kind of silly and the people then were bewilderingly self-important. So it's wrong to single this show out.
