Adventure/Espionage Series


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tabs

About

Advetnure/ Espionage describe shows involving characters placed in dangerous situations who must rely on their wits and skills. In many (but not all) cases, the characters are spies, secret agents, and/or undercover military personnel, often involved in international intrigue.

Highlights
Robert Butler on directing Mission: Impossible; on directing suspense
02:01
Lucy Lawless on "Xena's" wardrobe on Xena: Warrior Princess
01:54
Jack Larson on why the "Superman" character has remained popular
02:33
Henry Winkler on producing MacGyver
02:47
Barbara Corday on writing for Wonder Woman
03:35
Reuben Cannon on casting The Greatest American Hero
03:08
Who talked about this genre

Howard Anderson, Jr.

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Howard Anderson Jr. on creating the opening titles for Wonder Woman
00:52

George Barris

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George Barris on making cars for Route 66
02:27

Earl Bellamy

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Earl Bellamy on directing Jungle Jim
02:03
Earl Bellamy on directing Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
02:52
Earl Bellamy on directing I Spy
05:01

Donald P. Bellisario

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Donald Belisario on creating Quantum Leap
04:44

Harve Bennett

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Harve Bennett on producing The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman
21:39

Dick Berg

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Dick Berg on writing SuspicionAlfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Third Man
01:21

Vin Di Bona

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Vin Di Bona on producing MacGyver
05:02

Ernest Borgnine

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Ernest Borgnine on his role on Airwolf with Jan-Michael Vincent; on the premise of Airwolf, produced by Donald Bellisario, and his character
04:46

Eric Braeden

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Eric Braeden on co-starring in The Rat Patrol as "Captain Hans Dietrich" and the show not accurately depicting historical facts
10:27

Robert Butler

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Robert Butler on directing the pilot and several episodes of Batman
25:07
Robert Butler on directing Mission: Impossible; on directing suspense
02:01
Robert Butler on co-creating Remington Steele
05:22

Stephen J. Cannell

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Stephen J. Cannell on creating and producing The Greatest American Hero
11:57
Stephen Cannell on the theme song of The Greatest American Hero becoming a hit
01:41
Stephen J. Cannell on creating and producing The A-Team
10:46

Reuben Cannon

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Reuben Cannon on casting The Greatest American Hero
03:08
Reuben Cannon on casting The A-Team
03:54

Bob Claver

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Bob Claver on directing The Munsters Today  and Automan
00:59

Robert Conrad

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Robert Conrad on auditioning for and shooting Hawaiian Eye
03:29
Robert Conrad on the basic premise of Hawaiian Eye
00:44
Robert Conrad on playing "Greg 'Pappy' Boyington" on Baa-Baa Black Sheep
04:52

Barbara Corday

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Barbara Corday on writing for Wonder Woman
03:35

Robert Culp

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Robert Culp on starring on I Spy
22:12
Robert Culp on starring on I Spy
19:13
Robert Culp on co-starring on The Greatest American Hero
10:20

John Debney

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John Debney on composing for seaQuest DSV for executive producer Steven Spielberg
07:44

Richard Donner

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Richard Donner on directing The Man From U.N.C.L.E  (Donner incorrectly identifies Jill Ireland as Jill St. John)
03:00

Peter Ellenshaw

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Harrison Ellenshaw on his father working on Zorro
01:16

Ruth Engelhardt

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Ruth Engelhardt on packaging I Spy for Sheldon Leonard
13:07

Jeannie Epper

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Jeannie Epper on being Lynda Carter's stunt double on Wonder Woman
19:31

Barbara Feldon

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Barbara Feldon on the premise and subtext of Get Smart - a satire about the world of political espionage
05:39

Mike Fenton

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Mike Fenton on casting Gomer Pyle - U.S.M.C. and I Spy
06:52

Gerald Perry Finnerman

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Gerald Perry Finnerman on being cinematographer for Mission: Impossible
07:17

Dorothy Fontana

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Dorothy Fontana on writing for Then Came Bronson
00:51
Dorothy Fontana on writing two scripts for The Six Million Dollar Man and getting NASA's full cooperation
02:59

Ron Friedman

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Ron Friedman on writing for The Fall Guy
03:07

Chuck Fries

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Chuck Fries on Ziv Productions producing Sea Hunt starring Lloyd Bridges and on producer Ivan Tors
06:54

David Gerber

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David Gerber on approving Batman  as head of 20th Century Fox Television 
03:54
David Gerber on selling Irwin Allen's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
02:46

Herschel Burke Gilbert

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Herschel Burke Gilbert on his music being used for The Adventures of Superman, and other shows that used the MUTEL library
05:56

Sandra Gimpel

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Sandra Gimpel on performing stunts on The Bionic Woman
22:56

Lesli Linka Glatter

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Lesli Linka Glatter on being tapped by Steven Spielberg to direct Amazing Stories
09:40
Lesli Linka Glatter on directing and executive producing Homeland
01:07:29

Leonard Goldberg

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Leonard Goldberg on casting and producing Charlie's Angels
27:41
Leonard Goldberg on the supporting cast, production, and the 2000 movie version of Charlie's Angels
20:05
Leonard Goldberg on the creation, casting and series run of Fantasy Island
13:42
Leonard Goldberg on the creation and casting of Hart to Hart
07:04

Earle Hagen

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Earle Hagen on composing for I Spy
28:48
Earle Hagen on composing music for I Spy
02:21

Dean Hargrove

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Dean Hargrove on writing for The Man From U.N.C.L.E
03:44
Dean Hargrove on writing for The Man From U.N.C.L.E
22:02

Jonathan Harris

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Jonathan Harris on appearing on Zorro, starring Guy Williams
05:39

Albert Heschong

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Albert Heschong on art directing for Adventures in Paradise
03:31
Albert Heschong on the challenge of crafting on airplane set, including on Spencer's Pilots
06:09

Julie Ann Johnson

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Julie Ann Johnson on doing stunt work on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and on taking "nondescript" parts
01:46

Eartha Kitt

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Eartha Kitt on acting on the series I Spy
05:28

Perry Lafferty

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Perry Lafferty on producing The Aquanauts aka Malibu Run
02:15

Ring Lardner, Jr.

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Ring Lardner, Jr. on writing for The Buccaneers and The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
04:54

Glen A. Larson

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Glen A. Larson on creating the pilot for Knight Rider
04:35
Glen A. Larson on the genesis and casting of The Fall Guy
05:39

Lucy Lawless

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Lucy Lawless on playing "Xena" on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
13:41
Lucy Lawless on playing "Xena" on Xena Warrior Princess  (Part 1)
17:34
Lucy Lawless on playing "Xena" on Xena: Warrior Princess  (Part 2)
40:59
Lucy Lawless on playing "Lucretia" on Spartacus
30:38

Gene LeBell

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Gene LeBell on his stunt work on the television and film versions of Batman
03:30
Gene LeBell on his experiences doing public appearances with Adventures of Superman star George Reeves, and his doubt that Reeves committed suicide (as was officially determined)
10:14

Sheldon Leonard

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Sheldon Leonard on creating I Spy
11:01

Richard Lewis

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Richard Lewis on producing Crusader
07:52

Leslie H. Martinson

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Leslie H. Martinson on directing The Six Million Dollar Man
03:07
Leslie H. Martinson on directing Wonder Woman
04:00
Leslie H. Martinson on directing Fantasy Island
03:27
Leslie H. Martinson on directing Airwolf
01:42

David McCallum

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David McCallum on playing "Illya Kuryakin" on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
52:55

Nolan Miller

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Nolan Miller on working on Supertrain
02:29
Nolan Miller on costuming Joan Collins and Tallulah Bankhead when they guest-starred on Batman
01:46
Nolan Miller on costume designing for Fantasy Island starring Ricardo Montalban and Herve Villechaize
03:47
Nolan Miller on costume designing for Hart to Hart starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers
01:36

Howard Morris

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Howard Morris on appearing on Baywatch
00:54

Pam Polifroni

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Pam Polifroni on casting MacGyver
01:19

Della Reese

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Della Reese on guest-starring on The A-Team, Crazy Like a Fox, 227, Night Court, and MacGyver
03:52

John Rich

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John Rich on producing MacGyver
07:57

Barney Rosenzweig

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Barney Rosenzweig on the long road to getting hired on Charlie's Angels and changes he brought to the show
08:22
Barney Rosenzweig on the long road to getting hired on Charlie's Angels and changes he brought to the show
08:22

Stanley Ralph Ross

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Stanley Ralph Ross on writing the third pilot for Wonder Woman
03:18

Marion Ross

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Marion Ross on guest-starring on MacGyver
00:54

Joseph Sargent

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Joseph Sargent on directing The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
13:37

Lalo Schifrin

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Lalo Schifrin on composing the Mission: Impossible theme
12:43
Lalo Schifrin on composing the theme and music for T.H.E. Cat, produced and directed by Boris Sagal
02:01

Ralph Senensky

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Ralph Senensky on the difficulty of directing Mission: Impossible; on working with the stars of the show
04:02
Ralph Senensky on actual F.B.I. input on The F.B.I.; on sponsor Ford Motor Cars; on specific episodes of the show: "The Death Wind", and "The Assassin"
17:26

James Sheldon

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James Sheldon on directing an episode of The Fugitive and getting a shot in despite the fact that there was a fire burning nearby
00:36
James Sheldon on directing The Fugitive
02:21
James Sheldon on why he enjoyed directing Route 66 and Naked City
01:23
James Sheldon on the first episode of Route 66 that he directed
00:59

Jaclyn Smith

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Jaclyn Smith on starring as "Kelly Garrett" on Charlie's Angels
33:24
Jaclyn Smith on playing "Kelly Garrett" on Charlie's Angels
22:10

Herbert F. Solow

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Herbert F. Solow on the development of Mission: Impossible
16:01
Herbert F. Solow on the legacy of Desilu's productions, including Mission: Impossible and The Untouchables
01:40
Herbert F. Solow on the quality of Bruce Gellar's work on Mission: Impossible and his contribution to the show
01:04
Herbert F. Solow on Steven Hill as the original "Mr. Briggs" on Mission: Impossible
01:44
Herbert F. Solow on Peter Graves being cast as the new lead on Mission: Impossible
02:06
Herbert F. Solow on working with Peter Graves on Mission: Impossible
00:41
Herbert F. Solow on the long running success of the TV show Mannix
03:08
Herbert F. Solow on a crowd's reaction to Greg Morris from Mission: Impossible
01:15

Fred Steiner

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Fred Steiner on composing for Navy Log
02:29

Nick Stewart

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Nick Stewart on playing "Willy-Willy" on Ramar of the Jungle
04:40

Robert Vaughn

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Robert Vaughn on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
16:35
Robert Vaughn on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (contd.) - on the different seasons, gadgets, his contract
05:34

George Watters

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George Watters on editing Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea for Irwin Allen
09:06

Ben Wolf

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Ben Wolf on shooting Climax!
08:47

Frederic Ziv

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Frederic Ziv on being the father of the action-adventure genre on television
00:32