MAN OF THE WORLD

Full Name:	Michael Strait
Nationality:	American
Organization:	None
Occupation	Reporter

Creator:	Leslie Harris
Time Span:	1962 - 1963

ABOUT THE SERIES

Michael Strait is a photojournalist.

That is a reporter with a camera, letting his photographs say as much in an article as his words.

He is a very good one, working apparently on a freelance basis such that he goes where he wants, when he wants, and reports of what he wants. He does have one or more organizations which keep him solidly in work but the impression he gives is that the assignments he accepts are totally up to him.

One thing he would be adamant about is that he is not a spy. That is neither his purpose nor his desire. That does not mean, however, that this famous shutterbug does not do an occasional little something when the American Intelligence community asks nicely. Here again it is on him whether he accepts but considering his wide-range of interests and his penchant for globe-hopping at a moment's notice, he is likely to accept such requests.

Strait is a quite handsome single man in his early-to-mid 40s. His good looks and ever-so-smooth urbane style makes him a constant attraction to the fairer sex and he is quite happy to accept their invitations. So far none of those have involved any long term commitments.

Assisting Strait on many of his assignments is the beautiful and quite efficient Maggie Warren. What her exact title might be with regards her work for Strait is up in the air, though administrative assistant seems the most apt. She is certainly around enough to know the kind of dangerous situations that Strait routinely gets involved with.

If the airlines had been handing out frequent miles back when Strait was jetting to any and all places on the planet, he would have racked up an impressive total. Considering that one week he might be in Indochina and the next in a European capital and the next in a Central American banana republic, there is no doubt that Strait is accustomed to airline food. Certainly that would be while flying first-class.

TELEVISION


Number of Episodes:	20
First Appearance:	1962
Last Appearance:	1963
Network:	ITV

REGULAR CAST
Craig Stevens	Michael Strait [ 1-2 ]
Tracy Reed	Maggie MacFarlane [ 1 ]

Fresh off his successful run as Peter Gunn, American actor Craig Stevens was lured to Britain to star in another thrilling series for still relatively new production company Associated Television (ATV) to be aired on the ITV network.

The series creator, Leslie Harris, was a firm believer in having an American 'name' in his series in order to better the chances of moving the shows into the far more lucrative U.S. market. Whether that was as successful as it might have been without the Yank stars is debatable. What isn't open to argument, IMHO, is that the quality of these shows was quite high and they deserved better reception than they got.


1	Death of a Conference Episode 1-1, first aired 09/29/1962 Director: David Greene Writers: Tudor Gates, Robert E. Thompson The assassination of an Algerian revolutionary while attending peach talks causes trouble for Michael Strait as he is there to photograph the proceedings. Strait ends up in the middle of the investigation, and a target both the French and the Algerians.

2	Masquerade in Spain Episode 1-2, first aired 10/06/1962 Director: David Greene Writer: Lindsay Hardy Michael Strait has been hired to photograph one of the richest women in the world but while doing so both he and the woman are kidnapped

3	Blaze of Glory Episode 1-3, first aired 10/13/1962 Director: Harry Booth Writer: John Roddick As Michael Strait takes a series of photographs while studying a racing accident the year before, he begins to have worries about the failing eyesight of one of the premier drivers in the annual event.

4	The Runaways Episode 1-4, first aired 10/20/1962 Director: Charles Crichton Writer: Michael Pertwee A naive and impressionable young heiress, Joanne, has fallen in love with a conman. When Michael Strait decides to break up the couple, it does not go well for the photographer.

5	The Frontier Episode 1-5, first aired 10/27/1962 Director: Anthony Bushell Writer: Lindsay Galloway On the border between India and China, Michael Strait learns that Chinese soldiers are occupying an Indian village on the pretense of building a road. A female Indian doctor has a plan to trick the Chinese into leaving but things go awry.

6	The Sentimental Agent Episode 1-6, first aired 11/03/1962 Director: Charles Frend Writer: Jack Davies While in Havana, Michael Strait is arrested for photographing in a restricted area. To his rescue comes a charming rogue. This episode was the pilot for a spin-off series The Sentimental Agent.

7	The Highland Story Episode 1-7, first aired 11/10/1962 Director: Charles Frend Writer: Lindsay Galloway The assignment Michael Strait has been handed is to report on a typical Scottish clan. Things get complicated when he learns that the clan in question is protecting killers from Australia.

8	The Nature of Justice Episode 1-8, first aired 11/17/1962 Director: Harry Booth Writer: Tudor Gates Michael Strait is given the assignment of a story in Iraq dealing with a famous archaeologist and an ancient stone table and a question of ethics.

9	The Mindreader Episode 1-9, first aired 11/24/1962 Director: Anthony Bushell Writers: Wilton Schiller, Robert E. Thompson Michael Strait has come across a young lady with apparently the ability to read minds. This gift, if real, is causing considerable trouble to her life and health.

10	Portrait of a Girl Episode 1-10, first aired 12/01/1962 Director: Charles Crichton Writer: Michael Pertwee Michael Strait is reunited with heiress Joanne and finds himself in the middle of a scheme to cheat her and her father out of a lot of money with a fake Gainsborough painting.

11	Specialist for the Kill Episode 1-11, first aired 12/08/1962 Director: Jeremy Summers Writer: Lindsay Hardy The CIA hires Michael Strait to photograph passengers as they come off a plane in order to identify an assassin coming into West Germany to kill the visiting East German leader.

12	A Family Affair Episode 1-12, first aired 12/15/1962 Director: Anthony Bushell Writers: Norman Borisoff, Robert E. Thompson In Paris for a fashion shoot Strait is caught up in an explosion and when his film of the devastation is confiscated by a bogus policeman Strait becomes involved in the supposed death of a dangerous OAS fanatic. Stars Lisa Page, Richard Warner, Eugene Deckers, Paul Whitsun-Jones, Alan Gifford, Keith Pyott and Richard Leech.

13	Shadow of the Wall Episode 1-13, first aired 12/22/1962 Director: Harry Booth Writer: Ian Stuart Black In West Berlin, Michael Strait, there for a photo shoot, learns that a friend of his and the man's young English bride have been arrested for passing intel to the East.

14	The Bandit Episode 2-1, first aired 05/11/1963 Director: Charles Crichton Writers: John Pudney, Ian Stuart Black Michael Strait is in Sicily to take photographs of a Greek temple. He runs up against a bandit leader who is holding an actress for ransom. The man offers Strait a chance at cards to win the freedom of the woman and him.

15	The Enemy Episode 2-2, first aired 05/18/1963 Director: John Llewellyn Moxey Writer: Julian Bond While on assignment in Vietnam Michael Strait is injured in an ambush and is being seen to at a mission run by an Italian doctor. When Communist troops take over the facility, both the doctor and Strait are ordered to be put to death.

16	Double Exposure Episode 2-3, first aired 05/25/1963 Director: Jeremy Summers Writer: Jack Davies The CIA want Michael Strait to go undercover as a chauffeur working for an eccentric old lady who is taking an annual trip to a mineral springs behind the Iron Curtain. They want him to photograph a general the Agency think has been replaced by a double.

17	Jungle Mission Episode 2-4, first aired 06/01/1963 Director: Harry Booth Writer: Lindsay Galloway Michael Strait is taking a trip into the Amazon rain forest looking for a story about a rebel leader but instead finds one about an order of nuns trying to establish a mission there but facing opposition from local headhunters.

18	In the Picture Episode 2-5, first aired 06/08/1963 Director: John Llewellyn Moxey Writer: Brian Clemens Michael Strait is having an exhibition of his photographs. A careful study of some of them can lead to the discovery of a plot to assassinate a European president. The plotters are out to stop the show from happening and to get the negatives from Strait.

19	The Bullfighter Episode 2-6, first aired 06/15/1963 Director: Harry Booth Writer: Marc Brandel Michael Strait is doing an photographic story on a young bullfighter who is following in his father's footsteps on the road to greatness. Someone is determined to not have him arrive.

20	The Prince Episode 2-7, first aired 06/22/1963 Director: Charles Crichton Writer: Arthur Berlin The small nation of Loscha, located between Burma and China, has a problem deciding if a 12-year-old boy is or is not a Prince of the region. Michael Strait is in the area reporting on how the decision could keep a revolution from happening.

MY COMMENTS

I was far too young back in the day to have ever watched this show. Plus I was living on the wrong continent and though the producer had hoped to have the show make it across the Pond into the States, it never did in the style he was wanting.

How I came to see a couple episodes of this show back in the late 70s is still a foggy mystery to me. Nowadays it is possible to find one episode on YouTube which is sad because this is, in my fading memory, a good show and there is never a bad time to watch someone as smooth and cool as Craig Stevens. Ever!

GRADE

My Grade: B

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