Product Description

When the law fails you, The Protectors won’t. Unflappable American Harry Rule, beautiful Brit Contessa di Contini and suave Frenchman Paul Buchet return for another action-packed season of hi-tech sleuthing, international espionage and juicy romance. Based in London, Rome, and Paris, these three super detectives operate a secret agency, jetting around the world hiring out their services to those in need. Employing a variety of specialized skills ranging from expertise in arts and antiques to Judo and Bond-like gadgetry, The Protectors pit their wits against evildoers everywhere. No job is too small or too large for these intrepid heroes--governments are saved, innocent prisoners are sprung, spies are apprehended and glittering, rare jewels are recovered. Starring Robert Vaughn (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) and filmed on location in some of the most exciting cities around the world, The Protectors is yet another TV cult classic from A&E and the creators of The Secret Service, Thunderbirds, and Space: 1999. This 4-pack DVD SET features all 26 thrilling episodes from The Protectors popular second season.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #81378 in DVD
• Brand: A&E
• Released on: 2005-04-26
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 676 minutes

Customer Reviews

First season has more punch....
Those who have Set One of The Protectors will undoubtedly enjoy this second set. Lots of international locations (not just the local studio at Pinewood is used here) making the series an interesting travelogue of international crime and glamourous detectives (Vaughn, Porter, and Anholt). My main gripe is that the episodes could have been more interesting--there simply is not enough time to really establish the frame of the story--we leap into the drama instantly without really knowing why.

The episodes are short--around 20-25 minutes, so there isn't really that much plot development (unlike what you would see in a 30 minute episode of Danger Man), but if you like action, then give the Protectors a spin on the DVD player--the 70's never looked better. Sadly, actors Anholt and Porter are no longer living. Anholt died of a brain tumor a few years ago; Porter, to breast cancer--all good supporting castmates to Robert Vaughn, the leader of this well-dressed band of international superheroes.

Buy it on sale.
This is not the cool first season, but if you get it at a discount, then it's ok. The cheaper the price, the more it's nice.

Season #2 Actors Are Even Older-Writers Are Even Lazier
"The Protectors" was a British television show (ITC) back in 1972-74. It was an attempt to capture the spirit of "The Avengers" and "The Saint", and to capitalize on Robert Vaughn's fading "The Man From UNCLE" popularity.

The best part of the show was its catchy "Avenues and Alleyways" theme song played at the beginning and ending of each 24-minute episode. New viewers will find even 24 minutes too long as the low budget and lack of talent (both writing and acting) doom things from an entertainment perspective, unless you can find unintended humor in the idea of an action adventure show in which action and adventure are conspicuously absent.

Vaughn plays Harry Rule, a member of a three-person team of freelance troubleshooters based in Europe. A fair amount of each 24-minute episode is taken up by scenic "establishment" shots to make it appear that the show was produced on location in a variety of exotic European locales.

Harry appears to be the leader of the group, if only because he has the most screen time (although slightly less than the amount devoted to the establishing shots). Tony Anholt plays the gadget guy (today he would be the team nerd). He is definitely a third wheel, rarely starring in an episode and by the second season rarely even appearing.

My theory is that "The Protectors' target audience was nursing home residents with bad hearts, who wanted to see a secret agent type show but could not survive exposure to things like action, suspense, humor and hot romance.

Which is about the only way to account for the casting of Myree Dawn Porter as a character called the Contessa di Contini. Despite her exotic name, the Contessa was about as antiseptic and sterile as a wax figure. It is likely that the character was meant to be a slightly more sophisticated version of Emma Peale, but the Contessa avoids all action and contributes nothing in the humor, parody, or seduction departments.

Since the popularity of this type of show requires a fair degree of sensual energy, the nursing home explanation is the only way to account for the casting of an actress in her late 30's, especially one clearly showing a lot of mileage. She was certainly no Alexandra Bastedo ("The Champions") and the show's frequent close-ups of her face were not a good idea.

If you have nothing better to do than watch this series, watch for the absence of young attractive actresses (a staple of every Saint and UNCLE episode) as villains or heroines. Apparently Porter had a contract clause specifying that no "featured" actress could be younger than her; and they wonder why these things don't get better ratings.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.