I Spy (1965 TV series)

I Spy
Title card
GenreAdventure
Action
Comedy drama
Developed byDavid Friedkin
Morton Fine
StarringRobert Culp
Bill Cosby
Theme music composerEarle Hagen
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes82 (list of episodes)
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Production
Executive producerSheldon Leonard
Running time50–51 minutes
Production companyThree F Productions
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 15, 1965 (1965-09-15) –
April 15, 1968 (1968-04-15)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

I Spy is an American secret-agent adventure television series that ran for three seasons on NBC from September 15, 1965, to April 15, 1968, and teamed US intelligence agents Kelly Robinson (Robert Culp) and Alexander "Scotty" Scott (Bill Cosby), traveling undercover as international "tennis bums." Robinson poses as an amateur with Scott as his trainer, playing against wealthy opponents in return for food and lodging. Their work involved chasing villains, spies, and beautiful women.

The creative forces behind the show were writers David Friedkin and Morton Fine and cinematographer Fouad Said. Together they formed Triple F Productions under the aegis of Desilu Productions where the show was produced. Fine and Friedkin (who previously wrote scripts for radio's Broadway Is My Beat and Crime Classics under producer-director Elliott Lewis) were co-producers and head writers, and wrote the scripts for 16 episodes, one of which Friedkin directed. Friedkin also dabbled in acting and appeared in two episodes in the first season.

Actor-producer Sheldon Leonard, known for playing gangster roles in the 1940s and 1950s, was the executive producer (receiving top billing before the title in the series' opening title sequence). He also played a gangster-villain role in two episodes and appeared in a third show as himself in a humorous cameo. In addition, he directed one episode and served as occasional second-unit director throughout the series.