User Reviews

Robert Emhardt plays the man who owns Purple Valley as our intrepid UNCLE agents venture into them thar hills to learn who is responsible for a bushel of explosive apples.

Lovely Jeannine Riley, not long off "Peitticoat Junction" is the local Daisy Mae sexpot drawn to Napoleon Solo.

Hillbillies were important in the 1960s. "The Beverly Hillbillies" were regularly in the top ten, and its episode "The Giant Jackrabbit" is still the highest-rated half-hour episode of a regular sit-com. "Hillbillies" haters have dug out excuses to explain that phenomenon; but the one excuse they refuse to accept is the correct one: "The Beverly Hillbillies" was a funny show.

And, hard as it is to believe, the great, long-running show "Hee Haw" wasn't yet a gleam in some producer's eye when this UNCLE Affair aired.

For most of American history farmers have grown the sustenance for their city brethren, but city-slickers have invariably hated, feared and looked icily down on their country cousins. This is exemplified by Hollywood's treatment of them as anything from fools to inbred degenerates. To Hollywood types a tractor is automatically good for a laugh (why is that?) Yet farmers continued growing food for city folk to live on while the slickers retained their feelings of superiority.

Growing up in a farm community but now a townie I can say the finest people I ever met are farmers, and they had wisdom city folk can't imagine. Once, when I was younger and closer to nature I mentioned to a (city boy) friend I could smell rain in the air. He laughed at me for saying something so stupid. It rained. He didn't apologize. Who needs weather-people?

So UNCLE agents Solo and Kuryakin go the place they fear most: the countryside. To find out about those loaded apples. All the stereotypes are present, but it's not too offensive as everyone is stereotyped on " The Man From UNCLE." Listen to illya in one episode give a Chinese accent while he's playing a rickshaw driver. Some Americans would get up in arms for that but let pass ridiculous Li'l Abner presentations of their fellow citizens whom they've never met and don't want to. It's the last prejudice, but I see no movement to stamp out farm, country or hillbilly stereotyping. And the Sherrif here is no Andy Taylor.

Apart from that, this episode is far-fetched. From the exploding apples to an old country codger letting off a shotgun in his own house to blow holes in Napoleon's trousers while he's holding them. I'll maintain a willing suspension of disbelief on most UNCLE doings but not on the latter, since I know what a shotgun can do.

It shows just how ineffably stupid Hollywood thinks country folk are, but really reflects on how ignorant Hollywood is.

Mr. Waverly himself refers to them as "hillbillies" (thus setting them apart from most farmers) so that must be what they are. But they're awful dumb clucks. If they are Hillbillies they're from the Ozarks, which isn't really the South, per se. But if they're southerners they don't show much of that vaunted southern hospitality I've seen and experienced.

Nevertheless, Jeannine Riley was always amazing. Lovely lady. And very funny. Even for UNCLE this is a not a very serious episode.

Bring on "Hee Haw"!