55 Years Ago Today...

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

The opening titles for the new television show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ran for the first time on this date in 1964.  It's been 55 years since that epic moment when we first laid eyes on Napoleon Solo, Illya Kuryakin (a stylishly dressed blond who only vaguely resembles the one we love in his iconic black turtleneck), and Alexander Waverly.
We're celebrating this event with a challenge here on Section VII: The Long Story Affair Challenge.
You can find the stories on AO3 in a collection of the same name, The Long Story Affair Challenge.

Writers, if you haven't already, please make sure and post your stories within the collection.  We want to make certain that the entries are easily found and identified as part of this challenge.

Along with the stories we're posting today and hopefully into the next week, please feel free to share some of your favorite moments in the series.  Use the comments section to share what you love about MFU, about an episode or characteristic of the show and its characters.

Comments

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

MFU was my passion at 10 years of age, and it became my passion again when I discovered fan fiction and bought the series on DVD. At this point in my life MFU has helped save my sanity from the trials and tribulations I have faced during the last 10 years.

Thanks Glenna fro coming up with this challenge to celebrate the Man from UNCLE anniversary!

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

1964 was a banner year for ten year olds :D . We had The Beatles in February, A Hard Day's Night that summer and then in September... Tadaaa! Illya and Napoleon on television every week. Life was good that year :D

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

It certainly was. For some reason Beatles lyrics pop into my head overtime I read your heading "55 years ago today"

It's was 20 ago today, Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play ...lalalalala! :D

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was already 11 years old when I entered the world, but I wasn't to discover it until I was 10, in 1985. As I grew up, other things took my attention (though my love for David McCallum never really went away). It came back into my life just over 5 years ago, when my life was falling apart. I had just lost my job, and rediscovering UNCLE was the perfect distraction. I switched from writing Torchwood fic, to writing UNCLE fic, whereupon mrua7 invited me to Section VII. It was here, and in other LJ communities, where I discovered a network of friends.

This community has not only given me a place to belong, and an UNCLE shaped playground to run around in, it has also given me the exceptionally generous gift of a trip to Cardiff (which is in 44 days time). This gift spurred me on to improve my health, (which was dangerously close to giving up on me) and, although things have gone of the rails a little recently, I'm still a million times fitter than I was.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is not just a wonderful old TV show, which has given me hours of entertainment. It has given me amazing fanfic to read, a sandbox full of plotbunnies, and a fandom full of fantastic friends.

More than this, with writing helping to keep my mind busy, and the community spurring my fitness on, I can say with all honestly that, for me, Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin have been literal lifesavers.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks for adding your MFU thoughts, and for finding us. Life here would be missing an important element if you weren't around to share it with us. And the trip... can't wait to hear all about it.