Interestingly the Secret Agent version of the theme provides more fuel for people who see John Drake as The Prisoner's Number Six: "They've given you a number and taken away your name."

@steve-ph9yg

Жыл бұрын

John Drake: Who are you? Number 2: I’m the new number 2 John Drake: Who’s number 1 Number 2: You are number 6 John Drake: I’m a person not a number

used to watch this program on Saturday night. Patrick McGoohan was very very cool.

I don't remember the original run of this series, in 1961, as I was only four-years-old at the time, but I do remember the second run, in 1968. As an 11-year-old, I loved and watched it faithfully.

@jamesbrice6619

Жыл бұрын

The first couple of years the show was a half hour and John Drake worked for NATO. America rejected the show and it wasn't shown over here. In England it was called Danger Man, not Secret Agent. The show was brought back in an hour format and America picked it up because of the James Bond rave. The Johny Rivers song was played only in America, not Great Britain. The hour show lasted from 1964 to 1967. Personally I think the early half hour shows were far better than the hour shows.

I love the studio recording of Secret Agent Man

Came here after reading Tarantino's book; Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Had this song in it near the end. I'm a young guy, but man i have to admit i wish i could have at least visited that time period. I'm so envious of you older folks who were around back then!

I was about 8 or 9 when this show came Stateside. It was my first introduction to British Mod TV Later came The Saint and The Avengers. Cool with a capital C.

Thank you for presenting a portion of Secret Agent from the mid-60's. It's just what I remember from years ago, especially the Johnny Rivers theme song. Loved listening to it back then.

@jubalcalif9100

2 жыл бұрын

I heartily concur !

@tombutcher5776

Жыл бұрын

Thought that sounded like Johny Rivers.

Friggin COOL tune! Loved it as a kid. Johnny Rivers was the bomb.

@PedalToTheMetal61888

5 жыл бұрын

...yeahhh...not these ...stupid ...Gangster-''Rappers...!?...

One of my favorite tv shows. He was an excellent actor.

Heavens to John Drake ! That was pretty cool to see the opening credits and a Westinghouse commercial ! Thanks for sharing this bodacious "blast from the past" with us ! CHEERS !! :-)

The first season of half-hour episodes ran on CBS under it's actual title of "Danger Man." When it returned two years later to American television on CBS, the character of John Drake had left his position as a U.N. "danger man" to work for British intelligence's M9 unit still as a danger man, an agent brought in when all else failed. To cash in on the popularity of 007 and the Cold War spy and espionage stories, CBS programming executives wanted to bring "Danger Man" back, but to change the title to "Secret Agent" and pay royalties for the use of the hit song "Secret Agent Man" with a completely new opening and end credits. While very popular among American viewers, Patrick McGoohan hated the new opening, closing credits, and the song itself that had originally been a tribute to 007, James Bond, whose name was taken away in the sight of his superiors and always addressed by them as "double-o seven." McGoohan's sentiment was echoed by "Danger Man" creator and senior producer Ralph Smart and, ultimately, by CBS owner and Chairman, William S. Paley. None, however, had any objection to "Secret Agent" as the title title for the North American audiences. The solution came six episodes into "Secret Agent's" second season when the opening moniker reverted to the "Danger Man" style with the same negative image of McGoohan walking into the close-up with the credit "Patrick McGoohan as." Instead of "Danger Man" the words became "Secret Agent." The "jigsawed" Danger Man on the end credits were modifed into a "jigsawed" Secret Agent. The "Danger Man" theme, "High Wire" by Edwin Astley became the "Secret Agent" theme as well and CBS no longer had to pay royalties for the use of "Secret Agent Man" for the remaining 17 episodes. When the last two episodes of the series (the beginning of a fourth season) came to American television on The ABC Sunday Night Movie, they had been edited and combined into a single movie using the title of the first episode, "Koroshi." The end credits retained the "Danger Man" title. By this time, CBS was televising McGoohan's "The Prisoner." Over the decades when the British prints were all restored for home video, it was the "Danger Man"-titled prints that that had been recorded. For United States distribution, the covers were labeled "Secret Agent a.k.a. Danger Man." All of that changed thanks to a new phenomenon in the 1990's, the internationally-popular children's cartoon parody "Danger Mouse." To capitalize on the "Danger Mouse" craze, American video covers now read "Danger Man a.k.a. Secret Agent" and to new generations discovering the series the "Secret Agent" name gradually faded and it became better known all over internationally as "Danger Man."

@josephabreu6042

3 жыл бұрын

wow, thank you for all the cool background information. i grew up with this character in the ‘1960’s and though a huge james bond fan, i always had a special place in my heart for john drake. this video also has a westinghouse thing going on which makes it even cooler.

@fodiladjila2853

Жыл бұрын

Merci beaucoup pour ces infos ❤🙏

@drakefallentine8351

5 ай бұрын

"Good show, old man. Ripping!"

@lowellwhite8810

2 ай бұрын

Thank you for the explanation

That was a shock! The commercial took me right back to being a kid in the living room watching the old Dumont. Break my heart.

@storm7586

3 жыл бұрын

The only thing I could think of with the commercial was - watch out, grease fire !

@stonehobson2487

3 жыл бұрын

@@storm7586 Oh yeah, I forgot. Careful with the oil. Moms were always concerned about grease fires.

The Greatest theme song in the world 🌐

@spaceodds1985

3 жыл бұрын

Prefer the UK credits

@C.O.G.

2 жыл бұрын

~Hawaii 5-0 has entered the chat~ (Still the most popular T.V. theme ever.)

I thought Patrick McGoohan was the coolest secret agent ever.

This is how Secret Agent/Danger Man was meant to start!

@drakefallentine8351

5 ай бұрын

Yes! With the opening Secret Agent theme song AND that cool harpsichord tune called "High Wire" during the credits.

This was 1st broadcast in USA, on CBS, Friday night, Dec. 10, 1965, at 9pm EST

@stevewonderr

9 жыл бұрын

stevewonderr This was the "Say it With Flowers" episode--I remember watching it then!

@2000Majicman

5 жыл бұрын

stevewonderr wow you remember huh

@OhioBoy1440

4 жыл бұрын

Exactly 20 years before my birthday, 12/10/1985.

Canadian television aired the Danger Man version of the show on the same night that CBS aired the Secret Agent version. Since Danger Man was shown earlier, you could actually watch both shows on the same night if you lived close to the border. I do not think the same episode aired on both networks.

The episode started here was directed by Peter Yates, who went on to "Bullitt" and "Breaking Away."

I always liked the harpsichord theme at the start of the show with the credits, and various scene-setting shots in the background.

@captainvladmir7535

2 жыл бұрын

I believe that's the theme used for UK broadcasts.

@hebneh

2 жыл бұрын

@@captainvladmir7535 Yes, the original opening in Britain was just the harpsichord sequence with the credits. The opening shown here with the Johnny Rivers song was added just for America but the British credits were shown also, following it.

Thank Q !!! 😎👣 He could've at least left her the flowers 🌺

Besides the great theme song, I always loved the music that comes after the commercial break when scenes of London are shown.

@TheBob3759

Жыл бұрын

Very cool music.

@KCOliver1960

Жыл бұрын

That harpsichord music is the show's actual theme.

@markkelly3859

Жыл бұрын

@@KCOliver1960 Thanks. It was so cool.

@drakefallentine8351

5 ай бұрын

"High Wire" is the name of that tune

This looks like the network 16mm backup print. Back then, the film shows were run off of high quality 35mm prints, with the commercials spliced in. At the same time, they would also have 16mm copies running from a backup location in another state. If there were a problem in New York, the network could put the 16mm copy on the network. Think of the summer 1977 NYC blackout. I am guessing the networks would return the 35mm copies to the show owners, but the 16mm copies would just get tossed. They ended up in the hands of collectors over the years. Sometimes that was the only way you could see the sponsor mentions, station break bumpers and coming attractions after the network runs, since most DVD releases are missing those pieces of film.

That double side broiled steak looks great!

@PedalToTheMetal61888

5 жыл бұрын

...but now they have this stupid ...AIR-FRYER that'ss ...suppose to do the same ...THING'''...my ...sister has one ...Back ...LAST...Year''s ...THANKSGIVING'''...DAY-Dinner-""...need i say more ...She''s still ...crying ...because ''EVERYONE""...GOT UP AND ...LEFT...food was done on OUTSIDE but ...UN-done on the inside ...NASTY As ...''HELL"""...Damn...Shame...!!!...

"Everary ma-oove 'e ma-akes . . ." Love it.

Theres a local channel here in Georgia, Z, thats playing the 30 min version. I'm hopeing they have the rights to the hour so i can enjoy the theme music and great incidental music as well on my big ole screen. Saw that this channel also shows space 1999 and the saint so they must have a thing for british stuff. Hope they put on the avengers some day.

A great great show from my youth.

that song, reminds me of long car rides with my parents car, love surf rock.

This series aired in the UK as "Danger Man" RIP P.M. Another gr8 show: "The Prisoner " He starred in that one also.

@jowilt7906

4 жыл бұрын

The Prisoner was without question his Magnum Opus

Two broiling elements!

Great theme song, and Patrick McGoohan had something very special. A pity he didn't accept the offer to play James Bond.

@johnmarcucci1719

5 жыл бұрын

He declined because he was a Catholic. Too much womanizing and gun play. John Drake disliked guns. "They are noisy and they hurt people."

@jacklowe3429

2 жыл бұрын

He also made more money on TV. He was one of the first actors to get a big piece of TV residuals and syndication payments. Smart man.

@Suddenlyits1960

9 ай бұрын

​@johnmarcucci1719 I respect McGoohan for it. He was his own man and that's rare in Hollywood for someone turn turn down such a huge role because of their own personal ethics and morality. Patrick McGoohan would be disgusted by the garbage on tv today. It takes more effort to swim upstream than to follow the rest.

It was two different shows. 1960-1962 39 half hour b/w episodes 1964-1968 46 hour b/w episodes, 2 hour colour (to spell it the British way) episodes After the third season of the second program Patrick McGoohan didn't want to play John Drake anymore and created The Prisoner and though Danger Man fans kept wanting Number 6 to be John Drake he denied it. One of the reasons the ending of the Prisoner is so odd is he didn't want go give the fans the normal kind of ending they were expecting he said "it wasn't that kind of series". The first series was apprently shown rarely in the US. It was the second that was given a new title Secret Agent and a theme with vocals "Secret Agent Man". The two British series had two different instrumental themes. In the first Danger Man John Drake was an American working for NATO, often British Intelligence wanted him to pull their fat out of the fire so he got captured or killed they could then disavow any knowledge of his actions (to borrow a phrase from an American TV series). In the second Danger Man aka Secret Agent John Drake was British (or was it Irish as he claimed in at least one episode?) working for a fictional British intelligence agency M9. Though Patrick McGoohan completely rejected the idea that Number 6 in The Prisoner was meant to be John Drake, I could see this version of John Drake finally becoming disgusted and resigning in protest. M9 was ruthless, as bad as their enemies, willing to assassinate their own or abandon people Drake was unable to rescue. And the second version of John Drake was not always kind. The Secret Agent Man lyrics fit James Bond better than John Drake, he was never given a number, in the first series in particular he just went by his actual name, second they sometimes gave him temporary aliases but never was he reduced to just a number. Again that is in The Prisoner in which some never identified man resigns from some never named agency for reasons he refuses to explain and keeps having to yell "I am not a number, I am a free man" only to be laughed at. "Be seeing you" (oddly enough John Drake says that before Number 6 and his captor, from whom its far more ominous)

He was offered Bond before Sean Connery but on moral grounds he said no

imagine joining mi6 only to deliver poisoned flowers to the wrong house.

The problem I can see with the Westinghouse range and it's above and below broiler elements is that all the meat drippings would be going right on the lower broiler, spattering and smoking like hell. It's one thing to BBQ out in the yard with the drippings smoking on the burning coals, but wouldn't this setup create an awful lot of smoke for a kitchen oven? Don't know if anything like this this is made today, but I've sure never lived in a house, going back to the early 1960s, with "over and under broilers".... Odd.

that westinghouse oven tho should be a standard today

I am very old and I just found out that this song was associated with this series that I never heard of before.

In Cincinnati back then one could watch both DM (half-hour) and SA (one hour). I work a schedule that prevented me from watching DM. But I tried to see SA as often as possible.

Lots of similarities with The Saint, same directors, composers, actors, etc...Secret Agent and The Saint are on Folk Tv channel daily, plus the Saint is on This TV, channel 5.3 in Calif, daily with four episodes Saturday night

That broiler is a fat fire waiting to happen.

Could be wrong on this, but the opening animation has that unmistakable Saul Bass look to it.

The precious flavor-juices remain where they belong .... I miss that era.

I Used To Tease Patrick McCluney Who Was Born March 16,1967 He Was A Grade Behind Me,i Did Call Him Patrick McGoohan.I Called His Older Brother David Who Was Born December 10,1965,I Did Call Him David McGoohan.They Got Very Mad At Me.I Like Patrick McGoohan Very Much,I Called Mr.Eide Roger Mudd.I Called Mr Dennis My Friend Dennis Weaver At Miss Joan's.

The harpsichord led tune under the titles after the Westinghouse spot was actually the theme music for the show as it was originally aired in the UK as "Danger Man". The same music would be reprised under the closing titles. In the US version, the Johnny Rivers song was used for the opening and close of " Secret Agent".

@drakefallentine8351

5 ай бұрын

That tune is called "High Wire"

WONDER SECRET ALL AGENT'S.

I was 11 I guess. tuned into just to hear the the rivers tune again and the harpsichord intro ... led me to "the prisoner "

Used To Call Patrick McCluney Patrick McGoohan At School,Called His Older Brother David McGoohan,

Before he quit and became The Prisoner, he was the Secret Agent Man!

I Called Then Suz Suzanne Pleshette,I Called George Petrich George Clooney.

Be seeing you!

i remember westinghouse, makers of cheap costco boom boxes that stop working after a month.

'You can be sure.........if it's WESTINGHOUSE." Jingle composed by Eric Siday, the "S From Hell" guy.

The Johnny Rivers song, "Secret Agent Man" might clash with the original Harpsichord theme of "Danger Man," but it was a rip-roaring into to the high class "John Drake" series.;)

Hold on... so in the US the show started with the teaser, THEN the US theme, THEN a commercial and THEN the UK theme/credits?? Geesh, what a lot to do for the US market!

@hebneh

Ай бұрын

Yes. I liked that there were two different theme songs in succession although I had no idea why at the time when the show was new.

Edwin Astley’s “High Wire” theme is still the standard bearer for the series. The lyric for “Secret Agent Man” makes little sense in so far as the character of John Drake is concerned.

Patrick McGoohan was offered the role of James Bond...twice!,and he turned it down. He was a highly principled man and objected to the sexual content and excessive violence in the Bond series.

Like most BBC shows at the time, the theme was written by Ron Grainer I do believe.

@timelordtardis

4 жыл бұрын

This was an ITV show not BBC. The series music was by Edwin Astley. For series two onwards the musc used was 'High Wire'. I agree that it does have that Ron Grainer feel.

Classic 60s spy show. John Drake was never like James Bond. Remember him firing a gun sliding across a floor in the intro.

I've heard (but can't confirm) that Patrick McGoohan HATED the Secret Agent Man song.

Odds are he won’t live to see tomorrow. Secret Asian Man.

This episode was directed by Peter Yates.

...DOES ANYBODY OUT THERE OWN ...that New OVEN PRo AIR-FRYER...!!!...???...

I Laugh Every Time The Westinghouse Jingle I Hear On The Internet.

Ironic that the creator of the series has the same last name as Don Adams’ bumbling character on “Get Smart!” And Peter Yates of “Bullitt” fame paid his dues with shows like this!

Teen titans

Wow that FTD Guy gets pissed If you don't tip

..very good! this was what i was lQQking 4...i remember watching this(i thought in color, but...9_9) at Gramma n Grandpas house on i think, saturday nites in the mid 60's

secretly, despite my caucasian appearance i am indeed a secret asian man.

“SECRET ASIAN MAN”

I am not a number! Oops, wrong show.

That brief bit at 1:40 turns up in Electric Light Orchestra's Don't Bring Me Down. Coincidence? kzread.info/dash/bejne/dWSexJuzh8eanpc.html

The original Edwin Astley harpsichord theme (High Wire) is much better and our British opening sequence where Drake appears in negative, is much more dramatic.

@timelordtardis

4 жыл бұрын

I quite agree about the opening titles. The UK version made such a dramatic statement.

I might have to see if I can't find this show online.

@beegee1960

6 жыл бұрын

Shadowkey392 you can find the entire British version of the series on utube.

@AnnalouisePrice

5 жыл бұрын

Order it from your local library silly

@stingray4real

4 жыл бұрын

You' can search it on KZread under Danger Man.

The GPO was never like this!

so do we agree that John Drake is in fact The Prisoner?

That meat is burnt

@PedalToTheMetal61888

5 жыл бұрын

...yeahhh...it does not look ..Good ...at ...All...yucK...!!!

What ever happened to those episodes sung by Jonny Rivers? Does anyone know if they even exist anymore? You use to still get them on video tape and a few DVD’s. I grew up with this version, not Danger Man. I know it had to with some sort of copyright.with Rivers somehow. That is a tragedy in my eyes. You would think after all these years,!they could release the version that was on CBS. After all, they finally released the Beatles original version of Let It Be aft after decades. What seems to be the problem? By the time, if ever, they would release them, those generation of viewers will be dead just like the film Let it Be audience.

Odd to have a theme song like that for a programme like this.....the u.k theme tune was better and more appropriate ,I feel!

NINTENDO HIRE THIS MAN

The US theme tune is out of sync with the UK tone of this show.

@nellsstuff2.052

4 жыл бұрын

I agree... totally not fitting for the show/character at all... BUT then again, the US market also wanted more sex & violence and McGoohan (thankfully) won out on that front!

Can anyone direct me to the original British theme song?

@joelholmes1260

5 жыл бұрын

Look for collected works of Edwin Astley, a British film composer. (Incidentally, one of Astley's daughters, later married into the rock group "The Who.")

@philipmonihan8222

5 жыл бұрын

@@joelholmes1260 Oh, cool. Thanks.

@philipmonihan8222

5 жыл бұрын

@@joelholmes1260 Did he do The Saint as well?

@joelholmes1260

5 жыл бұрын

@@philipmonihan8222 Only in part-the original radio theme written in the 1940's by author Leslie Charteris, was also mixed into the television theme song, later used in the U.K. and U.S. versions of the series. Look up Edwin Astley-Wikipedia.

@philipmonihan8222

5 жыл бұрын

@@joelholmes1260 The Saint's original author wrote that theme? Wow! A man of many talents.

Was not that show in color?

...'''AND DID YOU KNOW ...'''WESTINGHOUSE-""...replaced some 2500...WORKERS ...with ROBOTS''...(ODENTON-MaryLand-)...Damn...Shame...@...2:36...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

darn commies! lol

John Drake was played as gay but in the closet

@jagz227

4 жыл бұрын

?? HUH??

@michaelhewitt258

2 жыл бұрын

Double HUH?????..