I loved the TV program, 'I Spy.' It was so cool. Cool is definitely a perfect adjective for that program.

The opening credits would be rolling and the fantastic theme music would be playing. Music designed to emphasize and compliment, an action adventure television program. At the same time the music was playing, a silhouetted human figure holding a gun, was crouched in a defensive shooting position, and it was moving to the right and then to the left. At the last moment the animated silhouette fires his gun. It was a perfect set up for the popular TV spy thriller. 

As a young moronic male, who loved the show, I would usually act out the same spy moves, at the same time the silhouetted spy was moving back & forth. It was my fantasy to be a super cool spy.

By the way, I never became a super cool spy. I never became a dorky spy either.

Robert Culp (Kelly Robinson - character name) & Bill Cosby (Alexander Scott - character name) were friends, on and off screen.  Culp & Cosby portrayed secret agents, with a cover story, Culp was a tennis pro & Cosby was his trainer. One minute the characters would be doing an action scene with guns drawn, and the next minute, Kelly & Scott would be joking with each other, Humor and action combined, made the show a big hit with a younger male audience. Since they were close to each other in real life, their portrayal of two friends seemed very realistic



'I Spy' & 'Man from U.N.C.L.E.' were made to capitalize on the popularity of the James Bond movies. During the 60's, secret agent movies & TV shows were huge. It might have something to do with a little thing, referred to as, THE COLD WAR.

On one occasion, I met Robert Culp and he seemed to be a shy person. I find that a lot of celebrities tend to be shy when they are not portraying a character. Being an actor allows them to hide behind the "mask." I wish I had a humorous or interesting anecdote about Mr Culp, but alas, I don't.

I remember when Robert Culp guest starred on 'The Cosby Show.' They combined the Kelly Robinson  & Alexander Scott character names from 'I Spy,' to make the name for Robert Culp's character, on the hugely popular 'The Cosby Show.' His name was Kelly Scott, a long time friend of Heathcliff and Claire Huxtable.

I never watched Bill Cosby's other sitcom, 'Cosby.' I wish I had seen the episode that Robert Culp guest starred. Cosby's character had been talking about 'I Spy' and how cool it was. Soon after he made those comments, he fell asleep and was dreaming about that same TV show that he had been talking about. In the dream sequence that followed, Culp & Cosby played their old roles from I Spy. It would have been fun to watch.

Below is a magazine ad, from 1968, with the two stars of 'I Spy.' Take a close look at the ad and you might agree with my opinion, I think they pasted Culp's & Cosby's heads on other bodies. Robert Culp's head doesn't seem to fit on the shoulders of his supposed body. It just doesn't look right.

 



I HAVE UPLOADED AN EPISODE OF 'I SPY', FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT. THE THEME MUSIC THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, STARTS PLAYING A FEW MINUTES INTO THE PROGRAM.

GENE HACKMAN & JIM BACKUS ARE GUEST STARS.












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