The Protectors (1972–1973)

The Protectors were Harry Rule, the Contessa di Contini and Paul Buchet, three freelance troubleshooters who ran an international crime fighting agency. Based in London, Harry was the ... See full summary »

Stars:

Robert Vaughn, Nyree Dawn Porter, Tony Anholt

1 win.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Robert Vaughn	...	Harry Rule (52 episodes, 1972-1974)
Nyree Dawn Porter	...	Contessa Caroline di Contini (51 episodes, 1972-1974)
Tony Anholt	...	Paul Buchet (42 episodes, 1972-1974)

Storyline

The Protectors were Harry Rule, the Contessa di Contini and Paul Buchet, three freelance troubleshooters who ran an international crime fighting agency. Based in London, Harry was the leader of the group. The Contessa lived in Italy and, when she wasn't working with Harry, ran her own detective agency that specialized in exposing art frauds and recovering stolen art. Paul Buchet worked out of Paris, and was the group's researcher and gadget specialist. Their adventures ranged from simple kidnapping to convoluted cases of international intrigue. Since the episodes were only half-an-hour long, the show's forte was fast paced but straightforward action.

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Plot Keywords:

spy

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 September 1972 (UK)

Also Known As:

Gli invincibili

Filming Locations:

Venice, Veneto, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (52 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The lead role was originally named Craig Bradford and Chuck Connors was the first choice before the character was renamed Harry Rule.

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Soundtracks

"Avenues and Alleyways"
Written by Mitch Murray & Peter Callander
Sung by Tony Christie

User Reviews

They almost did it . . .

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.