V is a two-part 1983 US alien invasion sci-fi TV mini-series. Flying saucers arrive on Earth. The aliens appear to be friendly. Appearances can be deceptive. The special effects have a very 80s arcade game look. Fairly entertaining.

Here's my review.


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The 2nd season of the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex anime TV series began its run in 2004. Brilliant cynical paranoid cyberpunk sci-fi. Very much about dirty deadly political power games. Trust no-one. Nothing is what it seems to be.

Here's my review.


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Some episode reviews from season 2 of Perry Mason, a series that raised the bar in terms of complex plotting in 1950s U.S. TV and demonstrated the potential of the hour-long episodic TV drama. And that terrific cast! Always fun to revisit.

Here's my review.


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Peter Leslie’s The Cornish Pixie Affair, published in 1967, fifth of the original novels based on the TV spy series The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.. It starts with a murder in a circus (the circus setting is used extremely well). Statuettes of pixies play a role. Entertaining.

Here's my review.


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Three 1964 episodes of my favourite US anthology series, The Outer Limits. The Invisible Enemy has sand sharks on Mars. It's OK. Wolf 359 is excellent -scientists create a miniature world. I, Robot is quite good - a robot is tried for murder.

Here are my reviews.


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Rod Serling's The After Hours, still my all-time favourite episode of The Twilight Zone. Has that wonderful subtle sense of slowly increasing unease. Great performance by Anne Francis. I've seen it many times and I like it more each time.

Here's my review.


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5 colour episodes of The Saint. I slightly prefer the b/w episodes but the colour seasons had some fine moments. Flight Plan and Paper Chase are very good spy tales, Little Girl Lost is a delightful romp. I grow more and more fond of this show.

Here's my review.


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Callan Uncovered is a collection of the Callan short stories written by James Mitchell. Callan is the greatest TV spy series of all time. It worked better as a TV series but the short stories are subtly different and worthwhile if you're a fan.

Here's my review.


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The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. has its problems (a tendency at times to try to be too zany) but I'm very fond of this 1966-67 TV series. April Dancer is one of my favourite lady spies. At its best it's just crazy enough to be great fun.

Here's my review.


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Hi-Jack, an episode of the 1950-51 Dick Tracy TV series. I'm a bit of a Dick Tracy fan and the series did star Ralph Byrd, the definitive screen Dick Tracy. Alas the plot is too conventional and it all looks a bit stodgy. A curiosity more than anything else.

Here's my review.


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