Read and Destroy

Amazing to see BOTH Nigel Greene and Josh Ackland (the go-to actor for any East vs West drama) in this episode for the TV series.

Even more astonishing is the remarkable performance by George Merritt.

Shines out from the screen!

That's an espionage tale, the worst I expected in this series. Not too hard to follow, I agree, but that's certainly not the best of the show, far from there. Only the humor from our two leads save the whole, as usual, and what a good surprise to have here Joss Ackland, eighteen years before he became the villain for LETHAL WEAPON 2. Not that bad either, but I have always been reluctant to espionage plots in series. That's not the first in this show, maybe the third or fourth, I don't remember, but it is one too many for me. Directed by Roy Ward Baker, the famous Hammer films pillar directors; that's not the first episode he directs.

Have you ever wondered why sitcoms are always half-hour shows, and never an hour? Watching this episode provides some clues. First, the plot. Spy has written revealing memoirs, different parties want them. Veteran TV-watchers have seen this old chestnut about, it feels like, 100 times! I watched a first season Mannix not long ago--aging actress has written memoirs, many people want them. In Mannix there was dramatic tension. Here, it's all played for laughs. The emphasis is completely on tongue-in-cheek humor. That's not all bad, but the thing is, it's not compatible with any sense of danger. This episode clocks in at 52 minutes, and to me it felt like about two hours! Long scenes of people in nice rooms saying witty things to each other. Memoirs, memoirs, who has the memoirs? Snore! But if you go in just expecting some mild humor, some nice English exterior shots, and you appreciate fine British actors, you'll find some enjoyment here. Cast includes stalwarts William Merwyn, Nigel Green and Kate O'Mara. The butler, George Merritt, really shines. Worth watching I think, just know it's slanted all towards humor, and honestly, there isn't any excitement, in my view.

Spy-for-Hire, Felix Meadowes (played by Joss Ackland) is being exchanged for a Communist spy captured by the West at a remote border crossing. The United States and Great Britian both play a role in retrieving Felix from the East, but with mixed emotions. Felix manages to escape from both East and West when gunshots disrupt the prisoner exchange. Everyone is after the memoirs that Felix was in the process of writing before he was captured by the Soviets.

Felix turns to his old school chum, Brett Sinclair, to help him lay low until the excitement settles down. The British government contacts Brett to obtain the memoirs before Felix can sell the manuscript of top secret information to the highest bidder. The United States operative, an occasional employer of Felix Meadowes, ask Danny Wilde to obtain the manuscript before anyone else, including Brett Sinclair.

One of the best surprises of the episode was the character of Chivers, the butler played by George Merritt. He manages to steal most of the scenes away from Tony Curtis and Roger Moore.