Television series
The Champions
A 1968 spy-fi series where three MI6 agents gain superhuman powers after a mysterious healing in a Himalayan temple. It's campy, earnest, and stylishly weird—part James Bond, part comic book, entirely committed to its premise. For viewers hungry for colorful 60s adventure with a dash of the unexplained.
If you liked this
The Avengers1961
Witty, elegant spy-fi with a kinetic visual style. Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee have the same blend of sophistication and absurdity that keeps The Champions moving.
But Later seasons lose focus badly, and the tone can veer between camp and drama in ways that feel confused rather than intentional.
Danger: Diabolik1968
Italian spy-fi fever dream with that exact same chromatic boldness. Gloriously artificial, impossibly stylish, operating on pure visual confidence.
But Essentially plotless. If you need narrative momentum or emotional stakes, this will frustrate you deeply.
The Prisoner1967
Another ITV gem of the era: mind-bending, surreal, and visually stunning. Both shows share that era's willingness to let strangeness breathe on television.
But Abstract and maddening by design. The Prisoner doesn't explain itself, and some find that infuriating rather than intriguing.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Champions
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Modesty Blaise1966
Both celebrate visual style and the pleasure of watching beautiful, competent people navigate impossible situations. Both are more interested in *how* than *why*.
Monica Vitti as a retired master thief dragged into one last job. Pop-art spy fantasy with outrageous color and a female lead who's never less than brilliant—a different flavor of stylish 60s adventure.
But Simultaneously overstuffed and slack. The plot collapses, and the film knows it doesn't matter, which some find liberating and others infuriating.
More like this (6)
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons1967
Supermarionation series with a similar retro-futuristic gloss and the same appetite for high-concept sci-fi adventure. Impeccably crafted miniature work.
But Puppet acting, however skilled, isn't for everyone. Dialogue can feel stiff alongside live action.
The Saint1962
Roger Moore as an impossibly suave smuggler-for-hire. The formula—stylish hero, exotic locations, lightweight plotting—shares Champions' DNA without the superhero element.
But Formulaic to the point of sleepiness. Episodes blur together into one very pretty, very samey whole.
Get Smart1965
American spy-comedy that nails the tonal balance: genuinely funny, visually inventive, never winking so hard it breaks character. Peak Don Adams.
But Relies heavily on sitcom rhythm and wordplay. If you need genuine stakes or forward momentum, it undercuts itself.
Barbarella1968
Jane Fonda in a giddy, glittering space romp. Same year, same commitment to lurid color and earnest absurdity. A legitimate feast for the eyes.
But Threadbare plot and one-note characters. It's decoration, and if you're watching for narrative substance, you're watching the wrong thing.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.1964
Spy-fi with wit and style to spare. Robert Vaughn and David McCallum have the same easy charm as Champions' trio, and the espionage plots actually land.
But Tonal inconsistency. Tries to be both Bond and comedy, and sometimes neither registers fully.
The Immortal1970
Both centre on protagonists permanently altered by circumstances beyond their control, gaining powers they never asked for. Both explore what it costs to be different.
An ordinary man discovers he's unkillable and pursued by those who want his gift. Science-fiction premise meets road-movie melancholy—a stranger arriving in each town, changing nothing. Far more existential than Champions, but shares the mystery-man-with-abilities core.
But Bleak and repetitive. Deliberately so. The whole point is that immortality is a curse, not a gift, and if you want empowerment fantasy, this will disappoint.
People
Cast
Writing
- Dennis SpoonerCreator
- Monty BermanCreator