"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." The Maze Affair (1967)

Director:

John Brahm

Writer:

Leonard Stadd (writer)

TV Series:

"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964)

Original Air Date:

18 December 1967 (Season 4, Episode 13)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Plot:

Thrush, after an unsuccessful attempt to blow up UNCLE's New York headquarters, decides on a more elaborate scheme...

Plot Keywords:

Walkie Talkie | Infrared Vision | Clothing Press | Rifle | Secret Entrance

Cast

Robert Vaughn	...	Napoleon Solo
David McCallum	...	Illya Kuryakin
Leo G. Carroll	...	Alexander Waverly
William Marshall	...	Dr. James Febray
Lawrence Montaigne	...	Oliver Barnes
Barry Cahill	...	Clemson
Charles Mayer	...	Del Florio
Ralph Moody	...	Old Man
Barbara Moore	...	Lisa Rogers
Ahna Capri	...	Abbe Nelton (as Anna Capri)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

The Missing Episode Affair

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

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.