The Protectors

The Protectors is an effective globe-trotting action series from the 1970s about an intrepid group of investigators lead by Harry Rule, with consistent help from the Contessa di Contini and Paul Buchet (although poor Paul sometimes just pops up for a scene or two). Each episode sees the group take on villains and solve crimes, but the 25-minute episodes do mean that things are a bit abrupt. Indeed, some episodes lack clear resolution, introduce villains late into the drama, and the feel of others is a bit like flipping the channel 25 minutes in on a 50-minute drama and then picking up on the action as it isn't always clear why the team are on the case. Robert Vaughn is as cool as usual and Nyree Dawn Porter wears some eye-catching 70s hats, but more time per episode would have been a good thing.

Rather than the glib UNCLE show, this effort for Robert V. had a believable conceit - a small group of bodyguard/detectives hires themselves out to whomever can afford them (without crossing their moral scruples). CEOs and governments were frequent customers of The Protectors, never mob or terrorist elements. As with the best in series television, a good premise and tight chemistry in the cast usually overcame mediocre scripts.

How could you not resist singing along to Tony Christie's wonderful rendition of "Avenues & Alleyways"? I love this series not for the plots that went nowhere, but for the great cast of Robert Vaughan, Nyree Dawn Porter (deceased) in a pseudo-Italian accent and the very handsome Tony Anholt (deceased) who looked decorative, spoke with a French accent and was always elegantly attired). A special mention needs to be made for Yasuko Nagazumi who plays Harry Rule's talented and elegant personal assistant. Check out her hairstyles and creative costumes!

This series epitomised the stylish early 70's when men wore fitted suits, silk neck-scarves and sexy shoes, when women wore outrageous dresses, make-up and very high, creative hairstyles.

Another Gerry Anderson production (I'm a fan of his work, especially UFO), this series was very much like "The Persuaders", set all over continental Europe and featuring some interesting guest stars of the day. The locations alone are worth watching for.

Watch this series just for the fun and the retro memories. Don't take the story lines too seriously - it was just the early 70's; and that's what mattered!

This series almost works. Almost. But thirty minutes (or, rather, 25 minutes of runtime) just aren't enough. I always thought Robert Vaughn and Nyree Dawn Porter had the beginnings of a strong on-screen chemistry. But it never really happened. And it wasn't just because of the background presence of Gerry Anderson, whose sci-fi series cast with humans (UFO and Space: 1999) often rivaled his puppet populated sci-fi series, such as Fireball XL5, for stiffness and lifeless performances. No, it was mainly a matter that just as soon as Harry and the Contessa began even the mildest of banter the producers had to move the story along to get in all the action scenes and wrap things up at the end of a half hour.

Otherwise, the makers of the series seem to be flying by the seat of their pants throughout. And this is not necessarily a bad thing. There are lots of interesting and even novel, for the time, camera shots and action sequences. All in all, not a bad way to spend a half hour. For all its faults, there is more imagination in the shooting of The Protectors than there is in most of the static drama series on TV today.

Don't ask why some things stick in one's head 30 years later, but the opening theme of "The Protectors" went like this:

In the avenues and alley-ways Where the soul of man is easy to buy, Everybody's wheelin', everybody's dealin' All the lower living are high.

Every city's got 'em, Can we ever stop 'em? Some of us are gonna try...

Dum-dumm-DE-Dum-dum..

For the cosmic two cents that it's worth.