Adventure/Espionage Series

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tabs

About

"On 'Mission: Impossible'... nothing is foolproof, but suspense is pretty solid stuff. You’re waiting for something to happen and that’s the way the show is done." - Robert Butler, Director

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.

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

00:52

George Barris

George Barris on making cars for Route 66

02:27

Earl Bellamy

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

Donald Belisario on creating Quantum Leap

04:44

Harve Bennett

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

21:39

Dick Berg

Dick Berg on writing Suspicion, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Third Man

01:21

Ernest Borgnine

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

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

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

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

Reuben Cannon on casting The Greatest American Hero

03:08

Reuben Cannon on casting The A-Team

03:54

Bob Claver

Bob Claver on directing The Munsters Today and Automan

00:59

Robert Conrad

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

Barbara Corday on writing for Wonder Woman

03:35

Robert Culp

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

John Debney on composing for seaQuest DSV for executive producer Steven Spielberg

07:44

Vin Di Bona

Vin Di Bona on producing MacGyver

05:02

Richard Donner

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

Harrison Ellenshaw on his father working on Zorro

01:16

Ruth Engelhardt

Ruth Engelhardt on packaging I Spy for Sheldon Leonard

13:07

Jeannie Epper

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

19:31

Barbara Feldon

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

05:39

Mike Fenton

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

06:52

Gerald Perry Finnerman

Gerald Perry Finnerman on being cinematographer for Mission: Impossible

07:17

Dorothy C. Fontana

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

Ron Friedman on writing for The Fall Guy

03:07

Chuck Fries

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

06:54

David Gerber

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

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

Sandra Gimpel on performing stunts on The Bionic Woman

22:56

Lesli Linka Glatter

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

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

Earle Hagen on composing for I Spy

28:48

Earle Hagen on composing music for I Spy

02:21

Dean Hargrove

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

Jonathan Harris on appearing on Zorro, starring Guy Williams

05:39

Albert Heschong

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

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

Eartha Kitt on acting on the series I Spy

05:28

Perry Lafferty

Perry Lafferty on producing The Aquanauts aka Malibu Run

02:15

Ring Lardner, Jr.

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

04:54

Glen A. Larson

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

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

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

Sheldon Leonard on creating I Spy

11:01

Richard Lewis

Richard Lewis on producing Crusader

07:52

Leslie H. Martinson

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

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

52:55

Nolan Miller

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

Howard Morris on appearing on Baywatch

00:54

Pam Polifroni

Pam Polifroni on casting MacGyver

01:19

Della Reese

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

03:52

John Rich

John Rich on producing MacGyver

07:57

Barney Rosenzweig

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

Marion Ross

Marion Ross on guest-starring on MacGyver

00:54

Stanley Ralph Ross

Stanley Ralph Ross on writing the third pilot for Wonder Woman

03:18

Joseph Sargent

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

13:37

Lalo Schifrin

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

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

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

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

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

Fred Steiner on composing for Navy Log

02:29

Nick Stewart

Nick Stewart on playing "Willy-Willy" on Ramar of the Jungle

04:40

Robert Vaughn

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

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

09:06

Ben Wolf

Ben Wolf on shooting Climax!

08:47

Frederic Ziv

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

00:32