John Drake is a special operative for NATO, specializing in security assignments against any subversive element which threatened world peace. The series featured exotic locales from all over the world, as his assignments frequently took him to Africa, Latin America, and the Far East. Often unfairly overshadowed by it's sequel series' (Secret Agent and "The Prisoner"). Dangerman is a kick-ass (Often literally) spy show, which follows N.A.T.O. agent John Drake around the world.<br/><br/>The great thing about this show is it's length at just 25 minutes per episode it's the perfect thing to have on video when you want to kill a quick half-hour,<br/><br/>the only problem is it'll soon become a quick 4 or so hours as you watch every episode on the disc backwards searching for demonic messages from Patrick McGoohan. (?rettoP ysuB) (aet fo puc a evol dluow i eladgniD .srM, sey yhW)<br/><br/>It'll then develop into a quick 4 days as you roam the country abducting people and then bludgeoning them with to death with ring-binders when they refuse to participate in your home-produced screenplays.<br/><br/>During your 72 hour manhunt you can amuse yourself by giving your REAL name as your alias (John Drake, must have single-handedly brought about the collapse of communism by operating under such crafty Codenames as "Johnny").<br/><br/>While the prosecution is wondering why corpses with nametags reading "Hobbs","Keller","Hardy" and "Potter" were found in your apartment you can tell them (under oath) that although not quite as eccentric as "Secret Agent" or as downright mad as "The Prisoner" the general undercurrent of weirdness is palpable , (In Fact it comes to the fore in some of the later episodes,"The Contessa" for example features Drake being Drugged by a beutiful angel-like woman.<br/><br/>While your Defence lawyer rattles on about your upbringing in a racoon hive and your "Obsessive" collecting of electronic cow prodders. You can pass the time by humming "yellow submarine"AND commenting on the often sublime balance of storyline and style, of narrative and direction, of Nachos and chillypeppers.<br/><br/>You can inform the Large bearded man in your cell that "Dangerman" is to "the Prisoner" as the Old Testament is to Christianity. You can also tell him that you are flattered by his gift of a scented candle but you don't think of him that way.<br/><br/>So if you don't mind your children growing up in a Drakist temple in Southern Cambodia, or you feel your family can deal with you writing "redrum sbboH" in your finest red crayon all over their walls then Dangerman is the relig……, then Dangerman is the TELEVISION SERIES for you.<br/><br/>However if you harbour notions of ever Having a Career/Living over 30/feeling the wish to go outside again. Then perhaps it would be better not to watch this show. In the "View from the Villa" agent John Drake pulls up in what looks like an Aston Martin DB4 or DB5, thus beating Sean Connery to the punch by several years. At least on the screen. I think it also appears in a few other episodes, but I am not certain.<br/><br/>I have spent the last few years slowly catching up on this superb series via net flicks. As other reviewers have noted already the plots were nearly always excellent. The understatement and laconic delivery of Mr. McGoohan a foretelling of others who would try the same style and mostly fail, except for the wonderful Le Carre adaptions, and Mr. Caine's superb Ipcress File. The satire of Establishment figures was often very droll. <br/><br/>In the current editions I am getting from Netflicks the music track is provided by a powerful jazz orchestra. What happened to the superb Harpsichord jazz music that I remember from the original UK broadcasts? So much more subtle and intriguing than the blaring band arrangement, although it does have a period flavor I cant deny.<br/><br/>Mr. McGoohan passed away recently. I will remember him and Danger Man as one of the very influential forces in my teenage years.
Tawchris replied
295 weeks ago