"I Spy" (1965) TV series 1965-1968

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

15 September 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime

Plot:

A pair of American agents faces espionage adventures with skill, humor and some serious questions about their work...

Plot Keywords:

Travel | Tennis | Spy | Rhodes Scholar | Secret Agent

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Robert Culp	...	Kelly Robinson / ... (82 episodes, 1965-1968)
Bill Cosby	...	Alexander Scott (82 episodes, 1965-1968)

Also Known As:

Danny Doyle (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

50 min (82 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12 (season 1) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico

Company:

3F Productions

Trivia:

The first American dramatic TV series to feature a black actor in a lead role. Scripts were peppered with unique lingo. One catchphrase, "wonderfulness," became popular and was later used by Bill Cosby for the title of one of his comedy albums.

Quotes:

Alexander Scott: This is how far a cigarette burns in five minutes.
Kelly Robinson: Is there no limit to the wonderfulness of your mind.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Middleman: The Obsolescent Cryogenic Meltdown (#1.9)" (2008)

An ABSOLUTE classic!

Not only was this show groundbreaking, but it had such quality to it that it really should be as well-known as another series that aired on the same network in those years called "Star Trek." I became such a huge Robert Culp and Bill Cosby fan after this series originally aired, and wish it would be released on DVD or VHS complete. It inspired me to become a writer as well as my love for acting, but unlike other series of its type like Mission Impossible, it did not merely copy familiar ground in the spy genre like so many James Bond-type clones, but reinvented the form with great straight drama laced with comic highlights. It is just a shame that we don't see more of the dramatic side of Cosby. He was quite good in those shows, and won three Grammys to prove it, and he owed it all (and said so in his acceptance speeches) to his buddy and costar Robert Culp. Just the locations alone make it a memorable show, but the quality of writing makes it all the more memorable. If you have never experienced this show before, you must.