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I remember that there was a Man from UNCLE episode of the A-Team.  I think it was even called "The UNCLE Affair," with each segment given an Act number (as per TMFU).  By that time Robert Vaughn was overseeing the A-Team.  David McCallum was an old associate, who, IIRC, turned out to be the bad guy.

The Girl from UNCLE was the spinoff.

I don't know that I'd call it a rival organization, but the bad guy organization was THRUSH.

I don't know about the movies, but I'm going with The Man from UNCLE.

George

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4 hours ago, GeorgeStGeorge said:

I remember that there was a Man from UNCLE episode of the A-Team.  I think it was even called "The UNCLE Affair," with each segment given an Act number (as per TMFU).  By that time Robert Vaughn was overseeing the A-Team.  David McCallum was an old associate, who, IIRC, turned out to be the bad guy.

The Girl from UNCLE was the spinoff.

I don't know that I'd call it a rival organization, but the bad guy organization was THRUSH.

I don't know about the movies, but I'm going with The Man from UNCLE.

George

You are corrrect!

The new movie didn't have THRUSH,  they had WASP. 

The A-Team episode was "the UNCLE Affair." The Avengers episode was "The Girl from Auntie",  and even had  MFU  as an abbreviation on a sign at the beginning.

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Malcolm McDowell once said he'd like to appear on this show, but only if his nephew), would direct the episode. Such a chance was offered in season five, episode eighteen, "Business as Usual", but never materialized due to scheduling conflicts.

One character was originally envisioned as a young Clint Eastwood type. When one actor was called in for his audition, the casting director told him that none of the previous actors had been "grouchy enough". So the actor improvised his lines using his most gravelly voice, and secured the role. The character's  scoff eventually became such a character trademark that the screenwriters would often script it into his lines.

One of the characters (my personal favorite) was inspired by certain John le Carré spy novels, particularly "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy".

George

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16 hours ago, GeorgeStGeorge said:

Malcolm McDowell once said he'd like to appear on this show, but only if his nephew), would direct the episode. Such a chance was offered in season five, episode eighteen, "Business as Usual", but never materialized due to scheduling conflicts.

One character was originally envisioned as a young Clint Eastwood type. When one actor was called in for his audition, the casting director told him that none of the previous actors had been "grouchy enough". So the actor improvised his lines using his most gravelly voice, and secured the role. The character's  scoff eventually became such a character trademark that the screenwriters would often script it into his lines.

One of the characters (my personal favorite) was inspired by certain John le Carré spy novels, particularly "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy".

George

Starting from the bottom, that might be a tailor who's a spy.

Rene Aburjonois  (something resembling that)  used a gravelly voice playing the Constable. 

Malcom Mc Dowell  (who played Soren in "Star Trek- Generations"  has, as a nephew  Siddig El Faddil,  aka Alexander Siddig.

With all that in mind, I think we're talking Elim Garak, Constable Odo Ital,  and something that almost happened on "STAR TREK- DEEP SPACE 9."

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I forget how long ago I learned, and where I learned that one, actually.  I've known for more than a decade.    Raf may have told me face-to-face when DS9 was airing, for all I remember.  Phil Farrand may have mentioned it in one of his books.  It was probably one or the other.

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It was actually your first clue that sent me in that direction. The others made it clearer.      BTW, I was thinking the other day that it's strange NOBODY ever called "Constable Odo" by his personal name, "Ital."    Sisko sometimes called Major Kira Nerise  "Nerise"  (like calling you "George.")  "Odo" was the Constable's  family name, such as it was.   Odo's pretty formal, but even Major Kira never called him anything but " Odo".    Perhaps she felt silly, since he got the name almost by accident.   

The Bajoran for "unknown sample" is "odoital."   So, when the unknown sample turned out to be a being, they kept calling him Odo Ital, as if it was a Bajoran name, and it stuck.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/19/2020 at 1:05 PM, WordWolf said:

I forget how long ago I learned, and where I learned that one, actually.  I've known for more than a decade.    Raf may have told me face-to-face when DS9 was airing, for all I remember.  Phil Farrand may have mentioned it in one of his books.  It was probably one or the other.

It was either one or both (either you got it from Farrand or I did).

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16 hours ago, GeorgeStGeorge said:

You've done this before, I think.

M*A*S*H?

George

Yes, but last time was a few years ago, and you've missed it before. I was counting on it looking familiar but nothing more specific.

14 hours ago, Raf said:

It was either one or both (either you got it from Farrand or I did).

Makes sense.

 

So, George is up.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Groucho Marx was to make a cameo appearance in the episode "Sadie Hawkins Day". The planned scene was the star doing his frequent impression of Marx, then Marx appearing with his reaction. But when the 86-year-old Marx arrived on the set, it was decided that he was too weak to perform and the scene was scrapped. Marx posed for publicity photos with the cast but they were never released due to his frail appearance.

The original title of the series was to be simply a single word (the main character's name); but that was before the composer had difficulty writing the theme song lyrics. He couldn't find enough rhyming words for the title. Giving up on that tack, he decided to compose lyrics that illustrated the premise of the show (a man returning to his home town). The producers were so impressed with the song that they decided to change the series title to include the song's title. The song was also released on a single which went to #1 on the charts.

George

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Either clue was enough for me.

"WELCOME BACK KOTTER."

Mark Evanier, Marx Brothers fan, was on the writing staff for this episode.   He said the episode's epilogue was first going to include Gabe telling a joke, then Groucho coming out and topping the joke.  Then, when they saw his physical state, they were just going to have him come out, and have his appearance be the "topper."  Then they scratched that idea, again due to his health.

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On 8/8/2020 at 3:53 PM, GeorgeStGeorge said:

Groucho Marx was to make a cameo appearance in the episode "Sadie Hawkins Day". The planned scene was the star doing his frequent impression of Marx, then Marx appearing with his reaction. But when the 86-year-old Marx arrived on the set, it was decided that he was too weak to perform and the scene was scrapped. Marx posed for publicity photos with the cast but they were never released due to his frail appearance.

The original title of the series was to be simply a single word (the main character's name); but that was before the composer had difficulty writing the theme song lyrics. He couldn't find enough rhyming words for the title. Giving up on that tack, he decided to compose lyrics that illustrated the premise of the show (a man returning to his home town). The producers were so impressed with the song that they decided to change the series title to include the song's title. The song was also released on a single which went to #1 on the charts.

George

BTW, at the time, Mark was told that all copies of the film/photos of Groucho visiting the set were destroyed. Decades later, he was shocked to find that something had survived.

 

grouchokotter01.jpg

grouchokotter03.jpg

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This show had 3 incarnations, all with the same title (more or less).

A) It started airing March 1, 1949 and finished a second season despite

the host/founder's death (and despite his name being on the show!)

B) It aired 1982 to 1986, with Jack Palance hosting. It ran in syndication

in the 1990s on cable as well.

C) It aired 2000-2003 (plus syndication) with Dean Cain hosting.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Interesting choice, but no.  Were you thinking of Dick Gautier as the star?  This actor is much better known.  Unfortunately, IMDb has almost no trivia on this show. So,

This not-so-well-known show starred a well-known actor famous for movies and a variety show.  Although he has also voiced cartoon characters and had repeat roles in a couple of series, this was his only starring TV role.

The title of the show is a play on words, also alluding to a song he performed in a very well-known movie.

George

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This not-so-well-known show starred a well-known actor famous for movies and a variety show.  Although he has also voiced cartoon characters and had repeat roles in a couple of series, this was his only starring TV role.

The title of the show is a play on words, also alluding to a song he and a co-star performed in a very well-known movie.  The two have also performed the song live, on occasion, and at least once on the variety show.

George

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