Search - I Spy - Blackout on DVD

Three Out Of Four Ain't Bad

05/29/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Out of the four episodes presented on this disc, two are outstanding, and one is pretty darned good, especially if you're a Boris Karloff fan (you know who you are). Despite the fact that the episode entitled "Get Thee To A Nunnery" would have been better left on the cutting room floor, the disc is worth having, especially at the nice price. "Blackout" is superb, and is a showcase for Robert Culp's excellent acting skills. No other actor during the '60's spy craze gave such credibility to his character than Bob Culp, and his work here proves why audiences then (and now) preferred to spend their Thursday nights with the NBC Peacock. "Room With A Rack," is also a fine episode, although the writer(s) do, at times, ask the audience to suspend their groundings in reality just a tad too far and too long(just why would a highly trained undercover CIA agent allow himself to be persuaded--in public--to fight a bull in a ring? Criminey!). Ah, but such is the nature of television, and it sure the hell beat out anything else out there in the genre at that time. Which brings us to "Mainly On The Plains," a light-hearted look at an eccentric rocket scientist (Boris Karloff), whose belief that he is Cervantes's Don Quixote is due to the burdens of carring around a secret anti-missile missle formula. That Culp and Cosby had a great time filming the story is patently obvious, and their repartee transcends the flaws in the script (a guard strums a guitar to the chords of a Rodrigo guitar sonata, rather than holding Scott, Robinson and Don Silvando at bay with a machine gun, which is propped up against a wall. Double-criminey!!). I suspect that working with Mr. Karloff was a treat for the two principles, as their light-heartedness pervades through the entire episode and is downright infectious. Of particular note is Earle Hagen's delightful score, which rounds out the episode quite nicely. Three out of four episodes ain't too bad, and I Spy-lovers should be pleased."