Sir Roger Moore reunited with DBS for The Persuaders! 40th anniversary DVD collection

13 Sep 2011

Four decades since the first episode of the ever popular The Persuaders! appeared on television, an enhanced DVD collection of the two series made has been released. To mark the occasion, Sir Roger Moore, who played Lord Brett Sinclair alongside the late Tony Curtis as Danny Wilde, was reunited on Saturday with the Aston Martin DBS he drove in the series. Together, with Wilde driving a Ferrari 246 GT Dino, the series followed two international playboys, one a wealthy English aristocrat, the other an American self-made millionaire, and their adventures as they flamboyantly battled crime on the French Riviera.

After posing in Knightsbridge, London, with the car – a DBS disguised to look like the new DBS V8 that in April 1970 had just gone into production, by fitting the latter’s alloy wheels and badges, due to examples of Aston Martin’s latest flagship not being available due to demand (if one listens to the soundtrack it is clearly a six cylinder model) – guests and fans were treated to a viewing of two episodes of The Persuaders!, separated by an interview and question and answer session with Sir Roger hosted by film critic Barry Norman. Although the The Persuaders!, the most expensive British series of its genre then ever produced, was a huge international success, it was not well received in America, despite the casting of Curtis, and that led to its demise, leaving Moore free to play James Bond.

In immaculate condition, the Bahama Yellow DBS, which bore the personalised registration plate BS 1, was comprehensively restored in the late 1990s by Aston Martin Works Service at Newport Pagnell. It plays a starring role in almost every episode of The Persuaders!, all 24 of which have been superbly digitally restored in high definition for a just released Blue-ray special edition DVD set. Incorporating many new special features, including unused footage and still photographs, a Top of the Pops promotional video for John Barry’s theme tune, a documentary of the series, interviews with Moore, Curtis and production staff, and a bound book of viewing notes and more, it is available at a recommended retail price of £79.99.