They're at it again. Another popular television series from yesteryear, in this case 1964-68, is being remade, reworked and revamped into a big screen movie. 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E,' one of the iconic spy shows spawned by the James Bond craze, has been tapped by Warner Brothers as a theatrical. The Hollywood Reporter reports that David Dobkins, best known for 'Wedding Crashers,' will direct 'The Man from UNCLE' and Max Borenstein is writing the script.

The big question now is not when or why, but who. Who will Warners choose to play Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, the two super secret agents of United Network Command for Law Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.), and even if the casting is perfect, as a follow up, how will they inevitably screw it up? The track record for well-loved TV shows being rejiggered for the silver screen is awful.

Movies are great, and Encore Western has feasted on showing lots of theatrical features and shorts. However, the premium channel has wisely veered from its bread and butter, by mixing in TV shows. The channel will soon be adding to the TV fare when Gunsmoke, Rawhide, and Have Gun Will Travel join Encore Westerns.

These are three classic TV westerns that had significant long runs and big name stars. They'll be a nice addition to shows like Cheyenne and Maverick currently on the net, as well as the Roy Rogers and Gene Autry programmers that run through the day.

Sometimes it's really easy to forget that some of your favorite stars are getting up there in age. For example, Rockford Files/8 Simple Rules star James Garner.

The veteran actor, now 80, suffered a minor stroke the other day. Entertainment Tonight is reporting that he had surgery and will be home later this week. No other details are available at this time (even that ET page above is rather brief), but he seems to be doing well. I'm sure the TV show will have more information later today.

Older fans will remember Garner from such shows as Nichols. Really old fans will remember him from the '50s western Maverick (a role he reprised in the early '80s series Bret Maverick). Checking his credits, I completely forgot that he played God in the short-lived animated series God, The Devil, and Bob in 2000. Of course, I forget that show in general.

[via TV Tattle]