Pages 1 - 2 and more images on 3
Season 1 - originally broadcast
December 29, 1965
French: "L'affaire de T'Sien Cha" (same as English)
German: "Die Glocke von T´sien Cha " (The Bell of T'sien Cha)
Writers: Mort Fine & David Friedkin
Director: Sheldon Leonard
A train bound for Hong Kong disappears, and they are assigned to solve the mystery.
Cast (see images at left and on page 2)
Roger C. Carmel (Edwin Wade), Vera Miles (Rachel), John Orchard (Gavin), Lukas Shimatsu (Lee Ho), H.T. Hsiang (Yau Shoi), Hedley Mattingly (Hardy), James Hong (fortune teller), Nancy Hsueh (unnamed girl), Raynum K. Tsukamoto (Lou Wai), Clive Wayne (Maitland
FROM THE NOTEBOOKS
Synopsis: They must find a train that vanished
Highlights/Comments: Surely the pilot. Cosby's acting stiff. After extracting pledges of unconditional loyalty from Kelly, Scotty begs "Carry me."
I SPY REVISITED
This episode was not without charm, and had a good feeling in terms of sense of place. More highlights: Their contact agent Wade says to Kelly, don't repeat everything I say. My wife does it. That's why I travel so much. When they encounter the village child with a toy gun, Kelly says, we don't want to make no trouble, mister.
Sheldon Leonard's voice as announcer on rock station
. Kelly waving white flag after Rachel takes the gun with live ammunition from the child Lee Ho
... Following Kelly's knock-down fight with the assassin, Rachel asks, is he dead, and Kelly replies, no, but I think I am. After they kis, she says, no, you're not.
The DEFINITIVEITE on Affair in T'sien Cha
The I Spy Forum comments on "AFFAIR IN T'SIEN CHA"
Author: SAM
Date: 6/18/01 6:54:40 PM
When this episode first aired after Christmas 1965 I did not much like it - too wordy? Too adult? But last August I saw it again in glorious VHS - it seemed wonderful - now on DVD it is PRISTINE. I think it is certainly one of the PRETTIEST episodes. I have been to all those places - the floating city of Aberdeen, the Tiger Balm Gardens: so Tatia, I really grasp how you feel having just returned from Italy.
Yes there were lots of flaws - the falling pottery `chopped` scene in the Gardens (did anyone else notice the agent's voice was the same as the puppet in `No Exchange`?) - and the obvious stunt double during the last fight scene on the sampan. I also winced at the `won't rub off` scene but by the end it seemed to work.
While the men were a tad stiff in their new roles - Kelly a bit dark in his persona, Scott - trying to much to be Kato-it was not nearly as hard to watch as the producers at NBC seemed to think. The gun-switch scene involving the child was prescient in light of today`s handgun problems- as a female I enjoyed that VERA MILES retrieved the weapon. The opening teaser grasped your attention - also the second-last scene, when Kelly asked to carry the bad guy like a trophy. I don`t know why he chose to do that - any ideas?
SAM
Author: Hip and Cool
Date: 6/19/01 2:17:33 AM
I liked the pilot episode if for no other reason that it is nice to see a show in its infancy and compare it to later episodes to see improvement or regression. I generally agree with you on the flaws that you stated, although throughout its run the stunt doubles were obvious for extended fight scenes. After the opening credits and the murder, in the hotel room it appears that Scotty is reading lines on Kelly`s back while reciting a foreign phrase not once but twice, even though the camera shot quickly shows Kelly`s back almost immediately after Scotty says his lines. Scotty does come across as a second banana in this episode although we know better for future episodes. As far as why Kelly carried the bad guy like a trophy, i guess if i just kicked a guy`s butt who was trying to kill me...............
One of my favorite scenes is on the train when Kelly and Scotty encounter the "tennis fan/player". It was both very funny and serious, although if the bad guy really wanted to kill them he would have. You guys enjoy your day and i will talk to you
later.- Hip and
Author: Tatia Loring
Date: 6/19/01 4:27:32 PM
I made a few mental notes while watching "Affair in T'sein Cha" and SAM mentioned EACH and every one!!! (and Hip and Cool covered some very good points too - I really liked that train scene also!) Yes, I noticed that Kelly`s agent friend in Tiger Balm Garden "was" the voice of the puppet in "No Exchange" .... it was so strange to hear that voice sounding just the same .... ( I almost expected to find the puppet shoving the vase down on them) .... and also the much too close - close-up of the double in the fight scene at the end in the sampan - even his build was wrong ... I have to say that I always thought "I SPY" normally handled their stunt doubles very, very well - the only other time I can remember where a double was really obvious was the fight scene in the nightclub in "It`s All Done With Mirrors" ... this is in total contrast to "Star Trek" where Capt. Kirk had an awful double who was always very visible .... and finally I too was rather uncomfortable with that "not rubbing off" skin color scene with Scotty (this was the segment that Mr. Smith said was "not" included in the series in that Cosby Book of his that I just re-posted. Well there it was!!!
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