Danger Man & Trek
I wouldn't normally have bothered, but with the deaths of Ricardo Montalban and Patrick McGoohan, I decided to watch something from each of them. They are both actors who I have enjoyed over the years, possibly because they were both a little larger than life.
I ended up watching Star Trek - Space Seed for Montalban. I didn't want to watch Star Trek 2 and have yet to pick up Spy Kids 2, and after checking his credits, realised I had nothing else he'd done. There are many shows I'm planning on picking up in which he's done an episode, but none so far. So I dragged out my old videotape of Space Seed and gave it a look.
It still mostly holds up, and Montalban is very good in the part. It could so easily have been two dimensional and forgetable, but his take on the character mean Kahn always has his pride and dignity on show. It works, and is a good reminder of why they bought him back.
Then I watched an episode of Danger Man I hadn't seen before called Position of Trust. John Drake embarks on a personal mission to bring down some drug lords by getting their names to pass on to the US government. To do this he has to screw over a minor functionary, and is quite prepared to do this to have an impact on the heroin trade. McGoohan is in good form, as usual. Drake is focused and has no remorse in what he needs to do to achieve his goal.
As an added bonus the episode also starred Donald Pleasence and Lois Maxwell. It's odd watching McGoohan with Maxwell, knowing that he could have easily have been James Bond.
Goodbye you pair, you'll be missed, but I'm glad you both had good long lives.
I ended up watching Star Trek - Space Seed for Montalban. I didn't want to watch Star Trek 2 and have yet to pick up Spy Kids 2, and after checking his credits, realised I had nothing else he'd done. There are many shows I'm planning on picking up in which he's done an episode, but none so far. So I dragged out my old videotape of Space Seed and gave it a look.
It still mostly holds up, and Montalban is very good in the part. It could so easily have been two dimensional and forgetable, but his take on the character mean Kahn always has his pride and dignity on show. It works, and is a good reminder of why they bought him back.
Then I watched an episode of Danger Man I hadn't seen before called Position of Trust. John Drake embarks on a personal mission to bring down some drug lords by getting their names to pass on to the US government. To do this he has to screw over a minor functionary, and is quite prepared to do this to have an impact on the heroin trade. McGoohan is in good form, as usual. Drake is focused and has no remorse in what he needs to do to achieve his goal.
As an added bonus the episode also starred Donald Pleasence and Lois Maxwell. It's odd watching McGoohan with Maxwell, knowing that he could have easily have been James Bond.
Goodbye you pair, you'll be missed, but I'm glad you both had good long lives.