Variety reports that Ben Stiller and British comic Steve Coogan are teaming up for a Dreamworks feature film version of the 1971 UK-produced TV series THE PERSUADERS, the one-season bomb that starred Roger Moore and Tony Curtis as ner-do-well playboys drafted by a retired judge to work as detectives in Europe. The series began as a spin-off episode of Moore’s THE SAINT, with Stuart Damon in the role that eventually went to Tony Curtis. Despite the immediate failure of THE PERSUADERS here, the John Barry instrumental theme is still a beloved hit in France to this day (where it is known as AMICALEMENT VOTRE) and the show remains unaccountably popular overseas. (Trivia tidbit: Roger Moore also designed the wardrobe on the show. He went from THE PERSUADERS straight into James Bond)
They have been showing this on BBCAmerica. Perhaps the problem was that it came on after THE AVENGERS and THE SAINT, which rendered it unwatchable by comparison.
Good premise, though. But something just didn’t gel.
Isn’t France the place that thinks Jerry Lewis is a God?
One interesting fact about the series is that -though it flopped in the US- it became a real success in parts of Europe…in the countries where the synchronisation studios translated the scripts and dubbed the episodes. The translations were somehow better than the originals, although they were more or less 1:1. There never was series before or after this one that became a similar phenomenon.
I’ve seen this show on BBC America. If I were Roger Moore I wouldn’t be bragging about designing the wardrobe. But then maybe its just that early 70s look that makes me cringe.
*Love* THE PERSUADERS. It’s very Lounge. John Berry’s theme, Roger Moore’s wardrobe, Tony Curtis…couldn’t be campier.
Persuaders still Persuasive
Way back in June 2005, it was announced that Ben Stiller and British comic Steve Coogan were teaming up for a feature film revival of the flop 70s TV series THE PERSUADERS. Apparently, that project has dissolved, because this week
Can you tell me who was the first choice to play Danny Wilde in The Persuaders?
I’m 22 and I love the persuaders, it totally flopped in the us, but the german and french dub was really great so it was really sucessful there.
My Mom used to look it and me and my friends are really thrilled watching the dvd, I think in europe it could be a sucess