This episode has for years been a kind of personal 'Holy Grail'. From 1992-94, 'M.F.U.' was a fixture on B.B.C.-2 on Friday evenings ( with the exception of Season One, which for reasons beyond my comprehension was not included ), as part of a retro television package that also included Gerry Anderson's 'Stingray' and vintage 'Dr.Who'.
With only two episodes ( this one and 'The Deep Six Affair' ) left, B.B.C.-2 inexplicably ditched the series. I fired off an angry letter. A friend pointed out that 'The Maze Affair' had in fact been shown, albeit on B.B.C.-1 on Sunday at 7.25 A.M. - a slot normally reserved for children's or political discussion programmes. I complained yet again, but to no avail. Luckily I managed to get 'The Deep Six Affair' the following week, but I was still short by one episode. When I record a series, I like to get every episode, not miss out one or two. Other people must also have complained because a year or so later the last two U.N.C.L.E.'s were first on in a bunch of afternoon B.B.C.-2 repeats. Unfortunately, the timer on my video had not been set correctly and so I missed it a second time.
It gives me great pleasure to report that I now have the episode. Written by Leonard Stadd ( whose other credits include 'The Time Tunnel' ), it opens with a THRUSH attempt to blow up U.N.C.L.E. H.Q. Fortunately, U.N.C.L.E. is used to dealing with such threats - Del Floria puts the bomb down a chute into a cellar full of men in protective suits who chuck it down a well, leaving it detonate harmlessly. THRUSH decides to try again, only this time enlisting U.N.C.L.E.'s help.
Solo goes to Febray Electronics where Dr.James Febray ( William Marshall ) claims to have invented a 'molecutronic' gun. Thinking THRUSH might want it, he tries to take it back to UNCLE H.Q. but is captured by THRUSH men who want to test the gun on him...
I won't reveal more of the plot, as part of the fun is seeing it unravel before your eyes. Suffice to say, its a bit more complex than most U.N.C.L.E. adventures. There's no actual maze in this, by the way. The title presumably refers to the story itself, which has quite a few unexpected turns. William Marshall, who plays 'Dr.Febray', was in 'The Vulcan Affair', the very first U.N.C.L.E. episode.
I came away from this both happy at having seen it at last and also because it is a good U.N.C.L.E. episode.
With only two episodes ( this one and 'The Deep Six Affair' ) left, B.B.C.-2 inexplicably ditched the series. I fired off an angry letter. A friend pointed out that 'The Maze Affair' had in fact been shown, albeit on B.B.C.-1 on Sunday at 7.25 A.M. - a slot normally reserved for children's or political discussion programmes. I complained yet again, but to no avail. Luckily I managed to get 'The Deep Six Affair' the following week, but I was still short by one episode. When I record a series, I like to get every episode, not miss out one or two. Other people must also have complained because a year or so later the last two U.N.C.L.E.'s were first on in a bunch of afternoon B.B.C.-2 repeats. Unfortunately, the timer on my video had not been set correctly and so I missed it a second time.
It gives me great pleasure to report that I now have the episode. Written by Leonard Stadd ( whose other credits include 'The Time Tunnel' ), it opens with a THRUSH attempt to blow up U.N.C.L.E. H.Q. Fortunately, U.N.C.L.E. is used to dealing with such threats - Del Floria puts the bomb down a chute into a cellar full of men in protective suits who chuck it down a well, leaving it detonate harmlessly. THRUSH decides to try again, only this time enlisting U.N.C.L.E.'s help.
Solo goes to Febray Electronics where Dr.James Febray ( William Marshall ) claims to have invented a 'molecutronic' gun. Thinking THRUSH might want it, he tries to take it back to UNCLE H.Q. but is captured by THRUSH men who want to test the gun on him...
I won't reveal more of the plot, as part of the fun is seeing it unravel before your eyes. Suffice to say, its a bit more complex than most U.N.C.L.E. adventures. There's no actual maze in this, by the way. The title presumably refers to the story itself, which has quite a few unexpected turns. William Marshall, who plays 'Dr.Febray', was in 'The Vulcan Affair', the very first U.N.C.L.E. episode.
I came away from this both happy at having seen it at last and also because it is a good U.N.C.L.E. episode.
