Talk:The Persuaders!

ITC Project
Please consider joining the project! HowardBerry 19:20, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

Politically incorrect?
This claim is made at least twice in WP (here, and on the page for The Protectors) but it's never said in what way it's politically incorrect. Is it the premise itself, or does it contain lots of dated portrayals of race and gender, or what?


 * It's unquestionably sexist at the very least.Graham 00:06, 22 Sep 2004 (UTC)


 * Well, it might be good to say that. I mean, it's described as "outrageously" un-PC; when people read that modifier they're naturally curious as to details.  (I would do it myself, except the discs are still waiting far down my Netflix queue...) -- Antaeus Feldspar 02:19, 22 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Title
The correct title of the show is "The Persuaders!" (note the exclamation mark). This should be changed, or if this isn't possible, it should be noted that WP is unable to display the title correctly and that it actually is the version with the exclamation mark. HowardBerry

Thanks for doing that for me - I didn't know how to change the title of the page. HowardBerry 19:28, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * I never understood just why the show was called "The Persuaders!" with the exclamation mark. Was "The Persuaders" (without it) not persuasive enough or something? -- Jalabi99 09:36, 3 June 2006 (UTC)

testing, testing .. what?

 * In some ways, Lord Brett Sinclair was inspired by Roger Moore's earlier performance as Simon Templar in The Saint, and it was first tested in an episode of that earlier series entitled, "The Ex-King of Diamonds".

Er, what was first tested? Did Moore play both Templar and Sinclair in that episode? &mdash;Tamfang 03:57, 9 June 2006 (UTC)
 * You got me. I'm unaware of there being a pilot episode for the Persuaders in the earlier series. I'd support deleting the unsourced statement (the part about the episode; the fact Sinclair is a thinly veiled copy of Templar is pretty obvious). 23skidoo 05:20, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

"The Ex-King of Diamonds" was an unofficial pilot for The Persuaders. Producer Robert S. Baker has confirmed this in several DVD commentaries. So I guess it was the concept that was first tested...--Hoppy Uniatz 07:25, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

UK/US TV series
The opening line of the article states "British TV Series" yet at the bottom it's listed as part of "1970s US TV Series"? 82.109.94.139 18:40, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
 * That's because it was broadcast on an American network as a first-run series. 23skidoo 22:51, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

Article image
I don't understand why the DVD cover was removed. The edit summary about it violating "ITV obligations" makes no sense whatsoever. I have no objection to the image being replaced by a UK DVD release or a screenshot or something, but we need an image with this article and in lieu of anything better, the US DVD release is perfectly fine, especially since this is a US-hosted site. The (now-removed) soundtrack LP cover that was used for a bit isn't applicable under current fair use rules, however. 23skidoo 22:51, 5 February 2007 (UTC)

April 2007 edits
Whoever did the most recent update to the article, with such phrases as "notable and classic episodes" and "'was 70's TV really this good?' The answer is probably yes" is clearly a fan of this series, and has violated the Wikipedia stipulation about maintaining a neutral tone. Dolmance 14:59, 28 April 2007 (UTC)

To whoever made the most recent update to the article, claiming that the reason why people in Britain laugh at Roger Moore is "probably due to his tongue-in-cheek portrayal of James Bond" -- I'm sorry, but that's not true. He's laughed at because he's thought of by critics as a talentless, "wooden" actor, who's just got by on looks and personality. Even if you disagree, it is true that he has no reputation in the theatre and has barely ever worked there, was once a male model, and has never made any dramatically challenging films and TV, just lightweight, escapist material. Jokes about his only acting ability being raising his eyebrows have been frequent. Dolmance 14:10, 23 April 2007 (UTC) You've never watched "The Man Who Haunted Himself" then.143.167.141.52 (talk) 15:47, 29 March 2019 (UTC)Andy

British title sequence
Does anyone know if the British opening title sequence was in French while the American one was in English? Do the words "The Persuaders!" actually appear at the top of the British version? CzechOut 08:10, 18 August 2007 (UTC)

US ratings
The article could really benefit from some hard evidence about US ratings. The original statement that the show was up against "Mission:Impossible at its peak" was blatantly false, as M:I was then in its post-Nimoy slump towards cancellation. No show on Saturday nights was in the top 30 that year, as the current citation makes clear. But it would be best if we could find hard data as to precise finishing position. I've searched for a while now and can't find that data. Anyone got any suggestions? CzechOut 03:31, 19 August 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:PersuadersDVD.jpg
Image:PersuadersDVD.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

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BetacommandBot (talk) 19:41, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

why
is the show called 'the persuaders'? who(m) do the guys persuade, and what do they persuade them of? the article should contain an explanation of the show's title. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.22.13.240 (talk) 06:56, 20 August 2008 (UTC)
 * It doesn't need it. Many shows put out by ITC and related organizations used generic, action-based titles. Danger Man for example never explained why it was called Danger Man, The Champions never really went out of its way. And for anyone in the UK who didn't see the first 2 episodes of the Patrick Macnee/Ian Hendry version of The Avengers, the title was meaningless too as they never avenged anyone after that. (And UK viewers never saw the US intro that attempted to explain the title until the DVDs came out decades later and once the show went to colour, the US never bothered explaining it either) 70.73.90.119 (talk) 13:48, 23 October 2020 (UTC)

Sinclair
I do not know how the scripts were developed, but I can tell you that the name Sinclair was inspired by a friend of Roger Moore. Sidney Sinclair OBE. AM. was an ex-patriot Englishman who became prominent in Australia in business, philanthropy, commmunity service and as an advisor on foreign trade. Sinclair left school in the great depression at the age of 14, and like Moore, abhored violence. He was always impeccably dressed, as was Brett, but there the similarity to Brett Sinclair ends. Sidney grew up in Whitechapel, a poor heavily Jewish suburb of London. He asked that his name not to be used, but accepted that he could not stop his friend Moore using the surname with another first name. Historygypsy (talk) 19:59, 11 November 2008 (UTC)

Dino 206 v 246
Reverted part of a previous edit that changed the model of the Dino to 206. Added reference to Giles Chapman book TV Cars (Haynes 2006) which details the car as chassis number 00810, completed May 1970. The Dino Register lists the last known 206GT as chassis no 00410. This car would therefore be a 246GT type "L" (series 1). — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ian Wegg (talk • contribs) 12:41, 16 December 2010 (UTC)

Title Sequence
The article currently states: "As the biographies approach their current ages, the screen splits diagonally, connoting their excitingly peripatetic lifestyles". This doesn't happen (in the original UK titles, at least). There is no diagonal split - what happens is that there are four short sequences, alternating Wilde-Sinclair-Wilde-Sinclair, each of which combines live footage with torn newspaper "clippings". Although the torn newspaper clippings are not straight, they aren't diagonal, and these sequences never show Wilde and Sinclair at the same time, as the article curently implies. If no-one objects, I'll rewrite this section. 86.7.30.217 (talk) 14:28, 9 November 2011 (UTC)

Swedish title
The Swedish title "Snobbar som jobbar" would translate into "Snobs that work" or "Snobs who work" — Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.227.167.200 (talk) 20:18, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

Estonian title
It is impossible that the Estonian TV could have shown the series in the 70's. Has it been shown later or was it only watched from the Finnish TV? In the latter case it actually has no Estonian title, only a translation of the Finnish one.--2001:708:110:1820:7646:A0FF:FEA0:4B5B (talk) 11:40, 3 October 2016 (UTC)

Awards won by the series
In addition to the awards already listed, I believe 'The Persuaders!' also tied with Thames Television's spy drama 'Callan' for best television programme trophy in The Sun TV awards 1972, sponsored by the British newspaper of that name. As Tony Curtis was a guest presenter that year he was placed in the unusual situation of having to both present and accept the award.

I understand Network DVD's release of the series carries a clip from the awards as a bonus feature.

Arthur mee (talk) 23:22, 5 March 2017 (UTC)

The Last? Nope!
The show has been called "the last major entry in the cycle of adventure series that began 11 years earlier with Danger Man in 1960"

Well, that's true, it's been called that...wrongly as a matter of fact. "The Adventurer" and "The Protectors" followed a year later. Major? "The Protectors" went to a 2nd season/series, something many shows in the "cycle," including this one, were unable to do. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.49.32.70 (talk) 00:28, 24 July 2018 (UTC)

The Persuaders was on 35mm film. Jason King, The Protectors, and The Adventurer were on 16mm film and moved out of the studio for much of the filming. The Zoo Gang (1974) was the last on 35mm film; despite the star names it was not taken up in America and was cancelled.REVUpminster (talk) 18:04, 24 July 2018 (UTC)

Bond casting and 2nd Series
Without cited source, the article states that one reason there wasn't a second series is because Moore was cast as Bond. That contradicts accounts I've read in numerous sources that says Moore became available as Bond because the Persuaders had failed to find an audience in the US and had been cancelled. So they say the cancellation made Bond possible for Moore, not the show was cancelled because Moore became Bond. I'm seeing autobiographies and other books cited as sources here, maybe one of them can give the correct account. 70.73.90.119 (talk) 13:45, 23 October 2020 (UTC)


 * As I remember Moore was cast to replace Sean Connery but Lew Grade persuaded Moore to appear in the TV series citing "the country needed him, think of the exports". At the time the UK desperately needed to export such was the remaining debt from the second world war. George Lazenby took the part of Bond.REVUpminster (talk) 22:34, 23 October 2020 (UTC)

Canada
I live in Canada, and remember watching the series when first run, but cannot seem to find any record of the Canadian airings. Anyone know? Thanks. 2001:56A:FA85:3800:B8D8:CD23:F01A:B6C7 (talk) 02:09, 5 March 2021 (UTC)

Books
Why no mention of the novelizations of four episodes in two books "edited by" a Frederick E. Smith ?

The Persuaders! 1 and The Persuaders! 2 were published by Ballantine Books in March 1972.

Oddly, the photos used on the book covers only show Roger Moore with another character - - - no Tony Curtis anywhere. 2600:8800:395:B000:7004:3820:18BC:E96F (talk) 21:48, 23 May 2024 (UTC)