E1 ENTERTAINMENTBaron, The: Complete Series

THE BARON was distinguished by some very well-written scripts and some exceptionally interesting guest players, many of whom also appeared on other shows of the era (mid to late 1960s) such as THE AVENGERS, THE SAINT, MAN IN A SUITCASE, etc. The premise of THE BARON had very little to do with the source novels by John Creasey (the book series was still up and running when this TV show was produced). American actor Steve Forrest (brother of Dana Andrews and sounds just like him) was an unexpected choice for the lead. Although Forrest is often quite stiff, his performance does start to work after a few shows. Although I liked Paul Ferris as the Baron's original aide David Marlowe, when Sue Lloyd joins as Cordelia, a glamorous but sometimes surprisingly inept agent and investigator, some chemistry kicks in and Forrest starts to relax more in the role. Among my favorite stories are episodes respectively featuring Patricia Haines, Peter Wyngarde, and Raymond Huntley (who played Dracula in London in the late 1920s) in the featured guest roles. I'm a major fan of Sixties espionage-themed television and THE BARON is a dark horse from the stable with some surprisingly artful manoeuvres.

The Baron was a surprise. Well written and in keeping with the likes of the Saint and Man of the World with Craig Stevenson was exciting and full of mystery not to mention the styles of the time period, wonderful. Steve Forrest was better than I thought he would have been, he to was a surprise. That car he drove was something else a Jensen, I had never seen one before. Did a little research on it and was pleasantly surprised. Loyd, Forrest's co-star in the mid to later shows was something else also; very stylish.

The 60's / 70's was full of mystery series that were fun to watch, not gross and full of blood, violence and hatred. This short series was in the same vein as the Saint (Roger Moore), The Avengers (Diana Rigg need I say more) and The Persuaders (Tony Curtis).Great European locations, plots easy and fun to follow. For the price you get 30 shows, plus all kinds of extras about the stars, directors and locations. Neat stuff and for the re-runs of summer 2013 we have something new to watch!

May not have been a successful series,only 2 seasons,but my mother and I both agreed way back when that Steve Forrest was a hunk.Watched him in anything I could catch on TV.He may not have had as much movie success as his brother,Dana Andrews,but he had similar looks,albeit blonde and blue-eyed,but he was always convincing.Will treasure this series in memory of Mr Forrest's passing,and hope his family are doing okay.We miss and love both him and Dana Andrews,brothers forever.

The Baron aired at a time when everyone was spy crazy. This was the era of James Bond, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., I spy and a plethora of other shows in the secret agent genre, even Get Smart. It was the cold war, and everyone wanted to be a spy and get the most beautiful women. The Baron really fits the bill, and of course it was made by the Brits, after all, who knew spies better than the Brits. Steve Forrest is a very good actor and is completely believable in the lead role of The Baron, John Mannering, dealer an antique dealer, an American living in London. After doing a little private undercover work to help out a few friends he is sought out by the British Intelligence agency to do a little free lance work for them. Sort of like Mission Impossible covert activities, "of course if you are caught Mr. Mannering we will disavow any knowledge of you." The Baron uses his vast knowledge of antique art etc. to help solve the missions he is sent on. This show is very timely now, since some of the back story of John Mannering is that he was one of the experts seeking out the stolen art by the Nazi's to return it to its proper origin. His character was a Monuments Man. It is a shame this show only lasted one season in the mid 60's it was a wonderful show. I really enjoyed it as a school boy, and I am very glad I can see it again. Well worth the investment. The only drawback is that some of the scenery and effects appear somewhat out of date, but one can overlook this considering it is 50 years old. Steve Forrest was a tremendous actor, often overlooked. He refused to cash in on the celebrity of his more well known older brother Dana Andrews. R.I.P. Steve Forrest you are missed.

I am enjoying this show. I did not remember many episodes but I watched it and enjoyed the series. It is good has well paced stories. The Late Steve Forrest is well cast as the lead and does an excellent job he is a very underated actor. The show was one of many out from England at this time around 1966 and this one is a definite collectors item for those of us that believe the 60s were the most original time for creative television.

I do not remember seeing this on TV. Purchased DVDs, enjoyed this series. There is not much on TV that interests me so when series' like The Baron come up on Amazon I buy, sometimes on speck. It is great that I did love this series.

I found the dvd very good quality, and the audio extras very interesting. I didn't remember the series from when I was a kid but love spy shows. With the cost so very reasonable I took a chance and I'm glad I did. It's like watching a brand new show but in the format I love. The great Steve Forest (who just passed away) I sat and watch about have of the series as a memorial to him. I did remember enjoying Sue LLyod when I was a teenage and she was hot, she looks great. IF you liked Danger Man (Secret Agent) The Saint or even I Spy then the Baron is just what you are looking for.

Despite having the familiar Lew Grade cheap-but-handsome appeal, 'The Baron' lacks the something that made 'Saint' and 'Suitcase' great.Plots are reheated from many that went before - and many yet to come - but that's standard for ITC. More damagingly, 'The Baron' doesn't have an iconic theme tune or title sequence, which is disastrous.Points for the roster of guests ~ the usual unprincipled heels: Allen, Madoc, Wyngarde, Bowles .. and intriguing ingenues: Syms, Haines, Merrow, Furneaux . .Co-star Sue Lloyd is always worth a look. Bit like 'adult' heroine, Alex Harper - - so I'm told.As The Baron's hapless assistant, see odd performances by Paul Ferris, who went on to score music for 'Witchfinder General', 'Creeping Flesh' and Cliff Richard, before effecting suicide due to awful Huntington's.As with all these shows, for those interested in classic menswear there's much to admire/steal. Super crisp, slim suits are on view. Shirt/tie combinations are always harmonious - even on the nasties. Cufflinks glint and pocket square options spiff. In the uber-style heritage of Astaire, Grant and Bond, 'The Baron's males are clean-cut and dapper.Always stars for this rightness.No boutonnieres, but 'The Baron' isn't bad for what it is - standard well-acted, well-shot crime drama - but it's nowhere near your Gideons or Hopkirks . . what ever could be?

Taking one back to 1966-67 era when television stories were told in a straight forward way. One of those series that is a must to see London locations where streets did not have many cars or pedestrians and motorways contained a few cars not like you see now. Not forgetting actors in their younger days some of which are no longer with us. A series that is a trip down memory lane. All of the episodes I can remember now which I saw in B & W but one can see it now in colour and the format is 16.9, not as it was, 4.3 Thanks for the memory A must see TV series for those of a certain age !!

I've always been puzzled why this series is not routinely repeated on Satellite TV while "The Saint", "The Persuaders", etc reappear regularly. (I think maybe it had something to do with Broadcasting Rights...?)I loved the "Baron" books by John Creasey, and imo Steve Forrest portrayed the suave John Mannering superbly. Some of the episodes seem a little dated but the list of guest stars who went on to be famous actors is formidable. All-in-all, a great reminder of a much-loved programme of my youth.

The Baron is one of those 'greats' you remember watching as a kid. Along with Dept S, Man In A Suitcase, R&H(D), The Saint, The Prisoner, etc it is very much a creation of its time, yet it still knocks the spots off many of todays series with their sanitized stories and dull music. Being a DVD, the image is a little soft on a 75" screen, but the sound is clear and vibrant. I dont know if a bluray version would ever be a possibility. Nevertheless I'm enjoying the revisit. Recommended.

Having tired of so much poor TV these days I have recently started to watch again some of the series I used to watch years back and for the most part have found them far more entertaining. The Baron was one such and though there were better series it still is enjoyable and for me far better than most of the modern series that are around