The Fans from U.N.C.L.E.: The Marketing and Reception of the Swinging '60s Spy Phenomenon

Abstract

Over the past few years there has been a surprising number of big-budget Hollywood films based on the 1960s spy show genre, such as Mission: Impossible (1996), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), The Avengers (1998), and Wild Wild West (1999). With the success of the sequel Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and the sequel to Mission: Impossible (2000), it is clear that this genre is immensely popular among contemporary filmgoers. This recent renewal of interest in the 1960s spy spoof makes a study of its original reception particularly timely. This genre, which began in 1964 with the television program The Man from U.N.C.L.E., starring Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo and David McCallum as Illya Kuryakin, offered a welcome escape to viewers who were overwhelmed by America's political problems. In their letters, many of the fans emphasized their annoyance with the “relevancy” programming of the early '60s. One fan wrote that he watched the show to escape from political struggle: “[W]e have too many programs that are trying to give a message (in order to be relevant with today's problems).