The Persuaders!, Set 2

Rating:
Summary: Persuaded 2 more of the same, but still good.
Review: It seems Americans must pay twice for the same product that sells as one set in Europe. We all know that this series was cancelled after a short run. As to "The Persuaders" featuring Roger Moore and Tony Curtis; the idea (a good one)was to unite two unmarried globe trotters who are rich, have a reputation as playboys and risk takers, and cause them to become a team that solves international problems. You also get to see some of the lunacy of the psychedelic era, presented in the colors of costumes and sets. The actors work well together and the back and forth humor is funny. Mr. Curtis is a little old for the role of "Playboy" but still has charm and Mr. Moore used this series to feature his line of clothing as a fashion designer amid practice for his future role as James Bond. The DVD is sharp and the John Barry music for this show was made into an album that sold well in Europe. The show had a large budget and they invested it in location filming, supporting cast and writing so I can't understand why anyone would not appreciate a good effort as this series plainly indicates. It should be viewed as "entertainment", not meant to be taken seriously and is good semi-campish detective fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, A&E has released set II of the Persuaders!
Review: Finally! The continuing adventures of Danny Wilde and Lord Brett Sinclair on DVD - Set II consists of the remaining 11 episodes (13 were included in Set I) of this excellent British series of the early 1970s. Regrettably, only 24 installments of the Persuaders! were ever made. The extras on this set are disappointing - the first set had two excellent audio commentaries by Sir Roger Moore and others. The show itself is the real gem here. The episodes are fun, not to be taken too seriously, lively action, adventure. I don't have a favorite episode, but I definitely have many favorite scenes, always involving the interaction between Curtis and Moore. They play off each other in subtle and not so subtle ways, often very spontaneously. There is clearly a great chemistry between them that they exploit masterfully. Since the first set came out, I have discovered a wonderful and very active and current Appreciation Society "The Morning After" (TMA)(see web site www.itc-classics.com for details) and a related outstanding website (www.blofeldscat.com/persuaders/the_persuaders.html. TMA has a great magazine (latest issue released in April 2004) with excellent access to photos and memorabilia - I highly recommend. As for the show itself, after 30 years it is still fresh. Curtis and Moore are at their best - not taking themselves or the show too seriously. If you enjoyed Set I, you will no doubt get a kick (and a lot of laughs) out of Set II. Thanks to A&E for bringing these shows to DVD in the US!!

Rating:
Summary: Buy only the first set...
Review: The first set was very entertaining--a spy/crime caper spoof with dashes of comic brilliance provided by Moore and Curtis--Set II is another kettle of fish altogether. The second set is strictly played for laughs--there is little or no character development and the plots and dialogue run rather thin. Frankly, I hoped for more.

Surprisingly, the acute observer will notice that some of the episodes in the second box are written by none other than Terry Nation--who would go on to pen a bigger and more serious series SURVIVORS in the UK four years later-when will that be available in the US?

Rating:
Summary: more of the same
Review: This is an exact continuation of the first season, only there are 11 episodes instead of the usual 13 for a season. Because of the exactness, it tends to become boring. Fans of Roger Moore or Tony Curtis may not find this objectionable. The TV audience at the time did and that is why the program was discontinued.