What was arguably Robert Wagner's best TV series has yet to be offered by Universal on DVD. You would think with Bob's "comeback" in all 3 Austin Powers movies, and occasional guest appearances on Hope and Faith that we would get to see It Takes a Thief again!
The show was on for 3 seasons, but the final year (1969-1970) was the most outstanding on several fronts. The writing was as intricate as ever as Alexander Mundy plotted one heist for the government after another. The music and split screen montage in the opening theme was first-rate. It was also in that year that Fred Astaire played the role of his career in several episodes as a semi-regular: Al's father and mentor in crime: Alister Mundy! Fred's first time on the show was in "The Great Casino Caper". It was...as his son would say, "Terrific"!
Bette Davis turned up in "Touch of Magic" and future Wagner Hart to Hart co-star Stefanie Powers, along with Broderick Crawford were in "Fortune City". The episode with Dick Smothers in a serious role as a racing driver wasn't so great, but it was different.
If this series ever comes to home video, they would start with the 2 hour pilot TV movie "Magnificent Thief" from 1967, which along with reruns of the 65 episodes I caught when WWOR's EMI Service channel used to show them in 1995.
The show was on for 3 seasons, but the final year (1969-1970) was the most outstanding on several fronts. The writing was as intricate as ever as Alexander Mundy plotted one heist for the government after another. The music and split screen montage in the opening theme was first-rate. It was also in that year that Fred Astaire played the role of his career in several episodes as a semi-regular: Al's father and mentor in crime: Alister Mundy! Fred's first time on the show was in "The Great Casino Caper". It was...as his son would say, "Terrific"!
Bette Davis turned up in "Touch of Magic" and future Wagner Hart to Hart co-star Stefanie Powers, along with Broderick Crawford were in "Fortune City". The episode with Dick Smothers in a serious role as a racing driver wasn't so great, but it was different.
If this series ever comes to home video, they would start with the 2 hour pilot TV movie "Magnificent Thief" from 1967, which along with reruns of the 65 episodes I caught when WWOR's EMI Service channel used to show them in 1995.
