Secret Agent K7

Secret Agent K7 Returns was a 1939 revival of a 1932 spy drama (Secret Agent K7, which has not survived). In each 15-minute episode, Secret Agent K7 introduces a fellow agent who figures in the adventure. Secret Agents Z, B-9, and M were frequent figures on the show. As war clouds were looming in 1939, the show's episodes lean towards efforts to preserve peace and thwarting war mongers.

Many of the episodes also presage later history, reflecting actual undercover dirty tricks that manifested themselves during the run-up to World War II and later during the Cold War. In particular, I found the episode "Illegal Use of Radio" particularly arresting; you could rewrite the script, substituting the phrase "social media" for "radio," and have a story for our times.

The stories themselves are bare-boned action tales, as the 15-minute format did not allow for luxuries such as character development or comic relief. A rotating, typically uncredited cast voiced the roles.

For more information, see Great Detectives.

Series description provided by Frank Bell.