User Reviews

This is the episode described by Lew Grade as the worst episode he had ever seen of anything! Directed by Robert Vaughn and also featuring Vaughn's best pal and business partner Sherwood Price, it was clearly intended as a light-hearted romp but is, narratively speaking, poor filmmaking. It involves the kidnapping of a dog - I won't spoil the viewer's enjoyment by detailing the plot, but the whole thing is a weak affair. A troubled though popular (in the UK) TV series that Vaughn apparently once described as "tasteless junk", leading to British tabloid's suggesting Vaughn "was biting the hand that feeds him". Avoid this particular episode, others I did enjoy with Tony Anholt and New Zealander Nyree Dawn Porter.

I can't really see The Protectors doing a comedic episode. This one is a good reason why they should have steered clear. No wonder Robert Vaughn has a bemused look throughout and he directed it.

Dim witted and hair obsessed Felix Da Costa and his girlfriend Mary Laroche kidnap the poodle from airhead American tourist Linda McCall on holiday in Malta.

She is upset, Harry Rule is consoling her while he keeps noticing suspicious characters. Felix is one of them wanting to know what the Linda fees the poodle. The mutt won't touch any branded dog food.

It seems unsavoury Joe Flynn is an industrial spy. He has hired Felix to use the poodle to smuggle a microfilm containing the secret designs of an atomic power plant in the dog's collar.

In the words of Sean Connery in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, he would have been better off mailing it to the Marx Brothers.

Daft, uninspiring and unnecessary slapstick.

November 2021

I have already reviewed The Protectors as a series, where i stated my disappointment as i feel the 25 minute format is simply too short for these type of things.

I just watched this episode, which was completely different to any of the others, it was like a complete piece of fluff comedy episode, almost as if they couldn't think of anything else better to do that week. I have to say i totally loved this episode and rushed on IMDB to see what everyone else thought and to my horror it is the lowest rated of the 52 episodes with a 3.8 rating!!!

So i have to balance this score out a bit.

Best episode of the 52.

8ish out of 10.

I will disagree with reviewer gregorybquinn in that I liked this episode as it seemed as if it was really played for laughs, without major dangerous situations rather than some of the other episodes that were a bit unbelievable in how The Protectors got out of their predicaments, also in other episodes the character played by Nyree Dawn Porter could be a bit unprofessional, dare I say it even not on the ball. I will also say that Linda Staab only did one thing on tv or screen and this was it and she ended up marrying Robert Vaughan a year or so later so perhaps she was his girlfriend at the time and because he was directing he got her the job (perhaps that is why her characters name in the episode is Linda). Also as gregorybquinn points out the other main character played by Sherwood Price was Vaughan's business partner however what he didn't mention was that the character Price played had a partner named Mary Laroche which is (having one letter not capitalised) the name of Sherwood's real life wife Mary LaRoche. Perhaps Robert Vaughan got some control on the show when he signed up for it however we will probably never know.