# I Spy (1965)

> Two American intelligence agents hide behind the cover of a tennis pro and his coach while pursuing secret missions across the globe.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/4652

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 82
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: action, adventure, drama
- Created by: Morton S. Fine, David Friedkin
- Network: NBC
- Cast: Robert Culp, Bill Cosby, Antoinette Bower, Helen Funai, Howard Duff, Frank Silvera, Gene Lyons, Wesley Addy
- TMDB rating: 7.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058816/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: breezy, witty, sophisticated, tense, playful

## Synopsis

I Spy (1965-1968) is an American spy adventure series created by Morton S. Fine and David Friedkin and broadcast on NBC. Robert Culp plays Kelly Robinson, a tennis pro who is secretly an intelligence agent, and Bill Cosby plays Alexander Scott, his coach and partner in covert work. Their engine is simple and concrete: each hour-long episode sends the pair on a new secret mission abroad, where their cover as a tennis player and trainer must hold while they outwit hostile operatives and navigate unfamiliar cities. The series runs three seasons and about eighty-two episodes, built as a set of mostly standalone assignments rather than one continuing story. Its tone is breezy and sophisticated, with witty banter between the two leads softening the tension of cold war intrigue. Set in the 1960s across Europe, Asia and beyond, it offers jet set glamour and playful rivalry. Fans of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible and Get Smart will find a similar mix of espionage, travel and charm.

## Shows like I Spy

- [The Company (2007)](https://ember.film/tv/5040)
- [The F.B.I. (1965)](https://ember.film/tv/2108)
- [The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964)](https://ember.film/tv/193)
- [The Persuaders! (1971)](https://ember.film/tv/2416)
- [Danger Man (1960)](https://ember.film/tv/1381)
- [Hardcastle and McCormick (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/1192)
- [It Takes a Thief (1968)](https://ember.film/tv/9755)
- [Police Story (1973)](https://ember.film/tv/9147)
- [Get Smart (1965)](https://ember.film/tv/4236)
- [Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/3249)

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