How could you not resist singing along to Tony Christie's wonderful rendition of "Avenues & Alleyways"? I love this series not for the plots that went nowhere, but for the great cast of Robert Vaughan, Nyree Dawn Porter (deceased) in a pseudo-Italian accent and the very handsome Tony Anholt (deceased) who looked decorative, spoke with a French accent and was always elegantly attired). A special mention needs to be made for Yasuko Nagazumi who plays Harry Rule's talented and elegant personal assistant. Check out her hairstyles and creative costumes!This series epitomised the stylish early 70's when men wore fitted suits, silk neck-scarves and sexy shoes, when women wore outrageous dresses, make-up and very high, creative hairstyles.Another Gerry Anderson production (I'm a fan of his work, especially UFO), this series was very much like "The Persuaders", set all over continental Europe and featuring some interesting guest stars of the day. The locations alone are worth watching for.Watch this series just for the fun and the retro memories. Don't take the story lines too seriously - it was just the early 70's; and that's what mattered!

This series almost works. Almost. But thirty minutes (or, rather, 25 minutes of runtime) just aren't enough. I always thought Robert Vaughn and Nyree Dawn Porter had the beginnings of a strong on-screen chemistry. But it never really happened. And it wasn't just because of the background presence of Gerry Anderson, whose sci-fi series cast with humans (UFO and Space: 1999) often rivaled his puppet populated sci-fi series, such as Fireball XL5, for stiffness and lifeless performances. No, it was mainly a matter that just as soon as Harry and the Contessa began even the mildest of banter the producers had to move the story along to get in all the action scenes and wrap things up at the end of a half hour.Otherwise, the makers of the series seem to be flying by the seat of their pants throughout. And this is not necessarily a bad thing. There are lots of interesting and even novel, for the time, camera shots and action sequences. All in all, not a bad way to spend a half hour. For all its faults, there is more imagination in the shooting of The Protectors than there is in most of the static drama series on TV today.

There have been a few Hollywood-star-comes-to-Britain crime series, if that counts as a genre. Walter Pigeon's ‘Bulldog Drummond' being an early and excellent example. ‘Man in a suitcase' ‘The Persuaders' & ‘Dempster and Makepeace' were others of more variable quality. This is the most forgettable of the lot. Inevitably the star soaks up the budget, and everything else looks shabby because of it. At the time us hormone fuelled teenagers were more interested in Nyree Dawn Porter and overlooked the tatty and wobbly interiors, inferior locations and duff direction and editing. These days however it looks dated and weak and even Robert Vaughan cannot lift it. I always let the opening titles run before switching over however, to see that yellow car (an Opal?) rolling lazily over and over almost in time to the theme music.

I remember seeing this series in Saint Louis, running as the last thing Sunday night. As an old fan of "The Man from UNCLE," I was curious to see Robert Vaughn playing an older, cynical, grouchier version of Napoleon Solo. Vaughn's personal liberal sentiments occasionally showed through, in one episode involving a military intelligence case. His Harry Rule character showed nothing but contempt for the way the military operated and its goals.On the other hand, there was a small amount of goofiness. One episode I recall had Rule and his Italian costar stopping a neo-Nazi plot. Instead of contributing the gold they seized that was intended to revive the Third Reich to a charity cause, they stuck it in a Swiss bank. Not precisely heroic behavior.One other note: Faberge, the perfume company, made the series (it was "A Brut Production") and the show contained a lot of "barter" spots for the Brut line of men's care products.