Aug 19, 2008

It Takes A Thief On Hulu

Now that we've finally got The Man From U.N.C.L.E., It Takes A Thief is one of the final Sixties spy TV classics remaining unreleased on DVD. That hasn't changed (although I wouldn't be surprised if it became another TimeLife exclusive like U.N.C.L.E. and Get Smart), but reader Bish points out that it's recently popped up on NBC/Universal's awesome free streaming media site, Hulu. There, you can watch fourteen episodes from the first season of the Robert Wagner series about a cat burglar named Al Mundy who's forced to use his skills for Uncle Sam's spy organization. This is great news; it's a series I've never seen but read a lot about and long wanted to check out; now I can! Unfortunately, the episode in which Peter Sellers plays dual roles isn't one of the ones available, and nor are any of the ones in which Fred Astaire appears as Mundy's father, also a thief. Worst of all, neither is the series pilot! Oh well, this is still a great way to get a taste of the show in high quality. I certainly hope it's a precursor to an eventual DVD release, the way The Man From U.N.C.L.E. DVDs were preceded by streaming downloads from an ABC site.

3 comments:

  1. I wrote a piece on It Takes a Thief appearing on Hulu for Cinema Retro's website last month, which Bish referenced on his blog. Interested readers can find it by clicking here:

    http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/2204-DEAN-BRIERLY-IT-TAKES-A-THIEF-NOW-PLAYING-ON-A-COMPUTER-NEAR-YOU.html

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  2. Great article, Dean! Thanks for sharing. After reading that, I'm even more excited to watch these episodes! If only I could enjoy watching things on my computer. I know it's the wave of the future, but I just can't get as into things watching them online. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer the TV...

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  3. Thanks, Tanner. I'm with you as far as watching television episodes on the computer. It's not the best option, obviously, as you have to accept the commercial interruptions, and the streaming signal exhibits instability, resulting in some herky-jerky visuals and out of sync dialogue. If that's the next wave, then I'd as soon not jump into the water. Let's just hope that hulu's airing of It Takes a Thief is prelude to a DVD release.

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