Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Console best movie i've ever seen.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Brian Washington This show was very unique when it comes to spy shows that were on television at the same time. Of course, the fact that it was one of the first shows to feature an African-American in a non-demeaning role made it unique as well as the humor, but there were other factors that helped make this show one of the most memorable of the 1960's. First, it was probably the only spy show that didn't rely on any special gadgetry as was the norm on shows like Mission: Impossible, The Man From Uncle and even the Wild Wild West. The two spies had to rely on their wits in order to take on their weekly antagonists. The second thing that was very unique about the show was that it relied on heavily on characterization. The characters of Kelly and Scottie were probably the most fleshed out characters on not just shows dealing with international intrigue, but of any show in that era. However, the most interesting aspect of this show was the fact that the characters actually questioned why they were in the business. Of course, this was in the middle of the Cold War, where loyalty was never an issue on the various spy shows, but this was probably the first one where the characters actually would question why they were being sent on these missions.

ShadeGrenade 'I Spy' premiered on U.S. television a year after the launching of 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E'. At first glance the shows appear virtually indistinguishable - a pair of globe-trotting secret agents constantly facing danger, as well as lots of lovely women. But that is where the similarity ends. 'M.F.U.' followed the Bond formula closely, but 'I Spy' was much more original.It broke new ground by having a black man - comedian Bill Cosby - as a lead, not a supporting character. Times were changing in the mid-60's. Within months of his debut, 'Mission: Impossible' gave us Greg Morris as 'Barney Collier' and Nichelle Nichols opened hailing frequencies as 'Uhura' in 'Star Trek' . 'Alexander Scott' was as important as his friend 'Kelly Robinson', played by Robert Culp. Robinson's cover was that of a world-class tennis player, while Scott was his coach. The strong relationship between the men was an integral part of the show's success. The humorous banter they exchanged made it a joy to watch. It paved the way for the buddy-buddy shows that followed in the '70's.While Cosby rightly got the acting awards, one should not overlook his co-star. Culp, an early choice to play 'Napoleon Solo', made 'Robinson' more human than some of the other spies on television at that time. In 'Room With A Rack', for instance, we see him being tortured, and he was just brilliant.It also was the first show to boast overseas location filming. When Scott and Robinson strolled down a busy street in Tokyo, that is exactly where they were. As a consequence it had a realistic edge many similar shows lacked.The plots were more down to Earth too. No mad scientists threatening to unleash death-rays on Washington D.C. Robinson and Scott were more likely to be rescuing a kidnapped British mathematician or busting up a gang of saboteurs posing as respectable businessmen. There was no 'M' or 'Mr.Waverly' figure ( though Walter Wager's novels featured a desk-bound superior called 'Donald Mars' ), instead they got their orders from other agents in the field.The roster of guest-stars included Boris Karloff, Eartha Kitt, Peter Lawford, Martin Landau, Michael Rennie, Dorothy Lamour, Carroll O'Connor, a pre 'Jason King' Peter Wyngarde, and future Bond villain Richard 'Jaws' Kiel! The show was massively popular, winning Cosby Emmys ( as previously noted ) while Culp saw acclaim for his intelligent scripts ( the best one being Season 3's 'Home To Judgment' ).Strangely, after three years, it ended, apparently as the result of conflict between the network and producer Sheldon Leonard. Culp and Cosby went their separate ways, briefly reuniting in 1972 for the film 'Hickey & Boggs', and then as Scott and Robinson in 1994's T.V. reunion movie 'I Spy Returns' which, in my view, was not much good.2002 saw the inevitable cheesy Hollywood remake, starring Eddie Murphy as 'Robinson' and Owen Wilson as 'Scott'. Its makers had clearly never seen the show. Murphy/Robinson was now a boxer, with Wilson/Scott his promoter. The plot, such as it was, concerned an invisible plane. This insult to celluloid rightly flopped. The best thing to be said for it was that neither Culp nor Cosby were persuaded to do cameos.'I Spy' remains a thrilling, funny, intelligent show that set new television standards, ones that have never been equalled, much less surpassed.

pa28pilot I was quite young when this series was filmed, but remember the re-runs quite fondly. I have to echo the sentiments I've seen expressed. After finding 2 seasons of episodes on Hulu, I have engaged in an orgy of I Spy watching.I don't think that we in modern (2009) American culture really remember just how recently it was that the rest of the world was truly mysterious. In the 1960s and early 1970s, going out for Chinese food, even in New York and some other cities with Chinatowns was a bit of an event. We certainly didn't have 10 places that would deliver cuisine from pretty much any culture of the world directly to one's door, as even the suburbs often do today.It is with that backdrop that I would call any prospective viewer's attention to the often breathtaking location shots in this series. Not only do you get a real feel for how various parts of the world looked, but you get to do so in a time when telephones weren't always right there in a pocket, and a car was a massive yet often stylish thing.In a time now when it seems no drama can run for more than 10 minutes without something exploding, I Spy still holds the attention of the viewer, transporting them to places we've not been (and can't go back to in time), while presenting themes that recur even in a post-Cold War world.Alexander Scott is a genteel man, but in no way effete or effeminate, despite his education. He also was someone who came from the city and worked his way to an exceptional education. Scotty tries, wherever he is in the world, to be the antithesis of the "Ugly American", but is a patriot at the same time. His skills as a polyglot certainly don't hurt. Kelly Robinson is a little more coarse than Scott, but not above finding opportunities for adult frivolity and perhaps even silliness. Though occasionally falls off the straight-and-narrow, is an upstanding guy by most modern standards. As someone who has lived and worked in the vicinity of Washington, D.C. and the government it houses for most of my life, I find it refreshing that these characters can discuss some of the moral vagaries around their jobs and missions without immediately leaping (as characters seem to in modern movies) to defection or total dissipation. (Don't even get me started about the first Mission:Impossible movie.) Yes, sometimes they face some difficult ethical choices, and they do the best they can, but as you'd expect, some choices weigh more heavily than others on them.The thing that makes I Spy resonate with people is that these two seem like normal guys. Granted, one is brilliant and they're both very highly trained to do an exotic job, but they're all too human while still, in some humble way, being heroic.

mrcoreyr A truly unappreciated show in in so many ways. First we have a African-American lead who is every bit as capable,suave, savvy as the the Caucasian male lead. The exotic locations were real and not just props. The villains(if that is the right name)were plausible and very much in step with the times. The show had the right blend of humor, action and drama. The show had a lot of competition at the time (The Saint, The Man from UNCLE, Avengers, Mission Impossible, It Takes a Thief)but this gem seemed to stand above the rest due to the scripts and in no small part the terrific acting of Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. Seldom will you find a show before or since with two actors that play so splendidly off of each other. If you have not seen it, do yourself and come in out of the heat of 24, NCIS, and The Unit and step back into the Cold War with I Spy.CR