THE PLOT THUS FAR
Bill Cosby and Robert Culp star as two of the hippest secret agents in television history in I Spy: The Complete Series. Travelling to exotic locales while posing as a tennis pro and his trainer, intelligence operatives Kelly Robinson (Culp) and Alexander Scott (Cosby) take on the espionage community with both grit and lighthearted banter.
A groundbreaking series when originally aired on NBC from 1965 to 1968, I Spy remains beloved by fans today due to the unmatched chemistry between its two stars. Both Culp and Cosby were nominated for Emmy Awards in the Best Leading Actor in a Drama Series category all three seasons of I Spy‘s run, with Cosby winning the award each year. Culp also received a nomination for his significant writing contributions to the series.
Tag along with the coolest agents from the Cold War in this eighty-two episode anthology of a true television classic. It’s no secret that I Spy: The Complete Series is a must-have for your collection.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“I Spy” is an odd show for its time. Sure, it was obsessed with Communists and putting white dudes in Yellow Face, but it also dared to strut the line between action drama and outright comedy. Cosby and Culp knows how to ease tension in a scene by using improve. Hell, there are a lot of times where each actor looks like they are about to crack a smile. We don’t get enough of that in modern TV!
Robert Culp and Bill Cosby really worked well together. While this could’ve been a Green Hornet style set-up, Cosby never ever plays second fiddle to Culp. They are both equals and Cosby gets to steal focus for a number of episodes. That rubbed some stations the wrong way back in the 1960s, but those old racists are old or dead now. The legacy of this show lives on! Try to forget that awful movie reimaging that Owen Wilson did with Eddie Murphy.
The DVD comes with a booklet as the only special feature. I remember that past DVD releases of the show had stuff from Robert Culp and more supplemental material. I don’t know if someone lost the rights, but the absence is noticeable. The A/V Quality is on par with a show from its era. Still, the original audio and standard definition transfers are cleaned up. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to fans.
RELEASE DATE: 06/24/2014