The Avengers! -- Classically Proper or Fiendishly Diabolical?

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So. Born in 1971, first time I encounter Diana Rigg is in The Great Muppet Caper, first time I see Patrick Macnee is Spinal Tap. Somewhere in later years I hear about this TV show they were in that apparently ran back in the sixties, my mom mentions it, end up seeing an episode with Christopher Lee as the guest villian somewhere in the eighties. Learn over time that the series has some sort of legendary status, also learn that the Emma Peel episodes were only part of the picture. Recently start picking up some DVDs here and there and now realize, "Damn, what a cool show." Not *perfect* -- but more than once, very close. Would rather obsess over this than, say, the original Star Trek (or would that be Gilligan's Island?).

So, prefer the original David Keel/Catherine Gale episode arcs, the more straightforward skullduggery and occasional flair of humor amidst the slightly hard-boiled if cheaply filmed efforts? Can't get enough of the classic Emma Peel years, the catsuits, the high kicks, the absolutely and utterly arch interplay between hero and heroine? Think there's something to be said for Tara King times (and of course, Mother)? Actually admit to liking the seventies weirdness of The New Avengers? Wish to hell that it never existed and think that Macnee is but an expatriate Tory who only belongs in Oasis videos and that Rigg is but a luvvie? Actually...LIKED THE MOVIE?

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 20 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Mrs. Peel, new answers are needed.

For myself, the sheer delight of how the best Steed/Peel episodes work -- the colors and sets, the absolute precise focus of their exchanges and dialogue, the sense of Steed as eighteenth-century wit as city gent and Peel as the give-as-good-as-gets counterpart, the insanely over- the-top villianry that makes taking anything seriously impossible -- can't be beat. Check out "The Correct Way to Kill," directed by Ealing legend Charles Crichton, for a current favorite -- and dig how perfect Rigg is to capture a mood perfectly just by pulling a face.

But having recently taken the plunge into more of the Gale years, the more realistic and often more somber tone of the episodes has its own appeal, a series of snapshots of a time and place that may not be anything like an accurate portrait of Britain 1963, say, but often has more of an affecting (and sometimes more modern) connection than might be thought -- the frustration of the army officers trying to help colleagues in "The Golden Fleece," the worries over copyright in "The Medicine Men," the talk of antibiotics and environmental manipulation in "The Grandeur That Was Rome." Honor Blackman, meanwhile, holds her own as Cathy Gale -- little surprise she was picked as Pussy Galore for Goldfinger (though also interesting to note that Macnee [rightfully] thought Ian Fleming's books very obnoxious in their treatment of women).

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 20 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I had fond memories of the Emma Peel shows, and the character in particular, but when they were reshown a few years ago I was disappointed in them. My memory of her was a fabulously sexy woman kicking the shit out of the bad guys, and seeing it again the fact that Diana Rigg was doing almost none of the fighting was all too obvious - too much of a gap of disbelief for me to bridge (unlike, say, in Buffy). It was fun occasionally, but I didn't get much out of them.

― Martin Skidmore, Sunday, 21 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Wasn't it really just there to allow fetishists to get their jollies while trying to appease the censors?

― Venga, Sunday, 21 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I love Emma Peel. The bad guys were so goofy in many of the episodes!

― toraneko, Sunday, 21 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

God, I haven't watched this in years, I loved the Emma Peel shows (though, to be honest, I've seen very few episodes with Honor Blackman (who I can't stand anyway) or the other girl). I liked the juxtoposition of quaint Englishness and bonkers we-are-wierd surrealism. But Emma Peel alway seemed perfect to me, sassy without being sour and smug (ie: Honor Blackman).
I dimly remember watching 'The New Avengers' in the 70s. What I remember most about it was hating Joanna Lumley. I hated her then, I hate her now.

― DavidM, Sunday, 21 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Avengers are without doubt UTTERLY CLASSIC!

For the uninitiated, ‘The Avengers’ is a stylish blend of espionage, fantasy and quasi-science fiction that appeals to Anglophiles who enjoy witty, sentimental, slightly off-beat television, and don't mind terribly dated storyline material.

‘The Avengers’ is pure magic, as light as a feather yet quite unforgettable, a timeless classic that shall live forever in the hearts of hopeless romantics of all ages, cultures and eras.

Airing in Great Britain from January 1961 through September 1969, and comprising 161 episodes, The Avengers became one of the most popular television series of all time, eventually reaching audiences in 120 countries, a record that still stands today.

The Steed/Peel episodes have a comfortable and familiar formula: curious events take place (usually involving murder), Steed and Emma investigate, there is a big fight, and at the end the heroes ride off into the sunset, each time via a different mode of transport. Tongue is always firmly implanted in cheek--goofy mad scientists and fiendish enemy spies abound, and their frequent plots to take over the country/world are often downright silly.

What makes all of the absurdity so endearing is the wonderful chemistry between Steed and Emma, and their droll observations on their circumstances, no matter how dire. Interestingly, some of their clever banter was written by Macnee and Rigg, who virtually invented their characters themselves, since the producers were--almost literally--making things up as they went along. Indeed, one of Macnee's favourite recollections is of an early script that said, "Steed stands there." But the director demanded he do something more than that.

The Avengers followed the golden rule of role-playing: Men want to be Steed and want Emma; and, remarkably, women want to be Emma and want Steed. Yet it is doubtful that all of this was planned--some of it just happened, which is all part of the magic.

The Avengers broke the mould not once but twice, with two successive female leads who were strong, intelligent and independent. That it predated the feminist movement makes it all the more extraordinary. Add to this a male lead who treated his female partner as his equal, and it’s easy to see that celebrating anti-stereotypes created part of the magic.

Of course, there is no question that (Dame) Diana Rigg was a strong draw, especially for male viewers, but there's much more to appreciate than the eye candy she provides. Mrs. Peel is highly intelligent, strong, capable, cool and sophisticated, all of which makes her intensely interesting and an ideal role model for like- minded women. And considering the era of the show, she was way ahead of her time--somewhat ironic since, after leaving the show, both she and Honor Blackman went on to appear in Bond films.

By 1976 one of several attempts to resurrect the program resulted in 26 episodes of “The New Avengers” a show muddled by stylistic disagreements between the French and Canadian backers and the British producers. Macnee's misgivings about the show are perhaps well- founded--heavy on action and violence, it has virtually none of the original's wit and charm. However, it is not without its merits, and the episodes are enjoyable if one does not view them with great expectations. I actually quite liked Joanna Lumley – it’s Gareth Hunt that I can’t bear to watch.

So, my verdict would have to be -

Avengers = Classic, New Avengers = A Bit Dud (by comparison)

― C J, Sunday, 21 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Agree with most of the above, except:

I don't recall finding the fights unconvincing.

Some of the colour Rigg eppies are a tad on the tedious side.

The New Avengers with Joanna 'Sex Goddess' Lumley is tops. Particularly 'Sleeper,' 'The Tale of the Big Y' and the one in Canada with the car (just remembered: 'Emily'). Even the first episode, which could have been called 'The Nazis are Back Plot # 1' had a certain je ne sais quoi.

― Tim Bateman, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

new Avengers: half of the final series was made with foreign money because everyone involved in financing it in Britain thought it was rubbish. and rightly so. That's why there are 4 eps set in Canada.

― Alan T, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(must read even the VeeeeRY long posts)

― Alan T, Tuesday, 23 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought the film was G*R*A*T*E. It features the best visual gag in the history of cinema and lots of arch goings on. I really don't understand why it is so widely hated.

I haven't seen that much of the TV series - apart from the New Avengers, which was on when I was small. I saw it as a gritty and realistic portrayal of the world of espionage.

― DV, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

two months pass...

The Avengers film isn't all that bad. A fun popcorn-muncher of a movie. The real problem is that try as they might, Fiennes and Thurman can never replicate the chemistry Macnee and Rigg had.

Steed and Peel were cool-as-cucumber, super-efficient, overachieving elitists, but always had charm and charisma by the bucketload because of the warmth Patrick and Diana brought to their roles. The last scene in The Forget-Me-Knot where Emma says goodbye to Steed works so much better because after all the archness they play it deadly straight.

You then watch Ralph and Uma face off with the same kind of faux-sophisticated dialogue and think "what a pair of smug bastards."

And Sean Connery is crap in the film too.

― Ben Mott (Ben Mott), Saturday, 5 October 2002 18:39 (twenty-three years ago)

classic for sure, though it has been absolutely YEARS since i saw any of the episodes. i do recall loving it as a kid, and dreaming of being emma peel ( as you might when little and clueless as to any sexuality in the show ).
i havent seen the uma / ralph version, and dont care to that much. some things are better left alone, and i think it would be hard to recapture the perfectly cool coupling of patrick and diana.

― donna (donna), Saturday, 5 October 2002 19:26 (twenty-three years ago)

and dreaming of being emma peel ( as you might when little and clueless as to any sexuality in the show )

I am not little, and not clueless as to the sexuality, but I could still happily dream of being Emma Peel, though I can't say that 'being' her was what I dreamt of as a teenager.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 5 October 2002 20:09 (twenty-three years ago)

it was me though!! p.mcnee ew ew ew howevah!!

(also GARETH HUNT WOT A C___ etc)

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 5 October 2002 20:14 (twenty-three years ago)

four months pass...

It would have been nice if "CJ the Unruly" credited the source of his contribution: http://theavengers.tv/forever/profile.htm.

― David K. Smith, Wednesday, 5 February 2003 00:56 (twenty-three years ago)

four months pass...

Wow, I saw this for the first time last night! HSA came home with a joblot of Avengers DVD's! I know only the sort of vague idea - I'd never seen an actual episode. Very classy, very fun, and also at the same time, very surreal and aesthetically interesting.

One question - who WAS Mr. Peel? In fact, was there ever a Mr. Peel at all?

― kate (kate), Thursday, 3 July 2003 10:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I believe Mr Peel was "missing" climbing Everest or darkest Peru. Does he rock up when Dianna Rigg leaves.

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 3 July 2003 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I was very surprised to see Hunt Protesters in an episode filmed in 1966.

― kate (kate), Thursday, 3 July 2003 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

in the final ep DR was in, she leaves and steed looks out of the window and we see DR driving off in an open-top car with a fellow in a bowler who looks identical to steed from behind DO YOU SEE

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 3 July 2003 11:20 (twenty-two years ago)

All upper-class gentlemen in Britain during that period looked alike from behind, in that case.

― kate (kate), Thursday, 3 July 2003 11:25 (twenty-two years ago)

UPPER class gentlemen never wear bowlers kate, and they are of course DRIVEN

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 3 July 2003 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Amazing synchronicity. I brought all the colour Diana Rigg DVDs from HMV last night and was gonna revive this thread. Classic-ist thing in the history of classic things.

― Nathan W (Nathan Webb), Thursday, 3 July 2003 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

All various permuations of "Mrs Peel - We're Needed" = beyond classic.

― Nathan W (Nathan Webb), Thursday, 3 July 2003 11:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I kind of adored the movie. I mean, it had evil bears and an Escher house; WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE??????

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 3 July 2003 11:32 (twenty-two years ago)

HSA reckons that this programme is responsible for the adolescent sexual development of every boy in Britain. (And then helpfully suggested that maybe I go and fetch my leather suit from the wardrobe.)

― kate (kate), Thursday, 3 July 2003 11:34 (twenty-two years ago)

The movie gets way too much hate. Emma Peel is the still absolute model of womanhood for me.

― Nathan W (Nathan Webb), Thursday, 3 July 2003 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

It also featured Uma Thurman in a sexy role where she ACTUALLY WAS SEXY. I'm sorry, but the movie was totally successful.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 3 July 2003 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Movie was wretched. It doesn't get enough hate. Not out of some "how dare they sully the memory of a grebt telly series" RAGE, but out of some "rubbish rubbish rubbish rubbish rubbish film waste of time burn down the cinema aaaaaaaagh" rage.

― Alan (Alan), Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Alan you FULE, Red-headed Uma in a catsuit vs evil bears excuses a myriad of cinematic sins. LOWER YOUR STANDARDS!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:24 (twenty-two years ago)

sean connery is crap in all movies evah

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

But considering that the TV series was largely based around the banter between the leads, the fact that everytime the film has both of them on screen at the same time, you want them both to shut up and leave must count against it.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:28 (twenty-two years ago)

i will lower my standards...

hmm, it's still piss poor. but suddenly highlander 2 doesn't seem so bad.

best put those standards back up ;-)

― Alan (Alan), Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:41 (twenty-two years ago)

thre period with DR in is so classic it hurts.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 3 July 2003 12:49 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.phinnweb.com/links/avengers.jpg

― Venga, Thursday, 3 July 2003 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

(Any excuse to post that.)

― Venga, Thursday, 3 July 2003 14:08 (twenty-two years ago)

thank you!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 3 July 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

http://members.aol.com/movingemma/emma_enter.gif

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 3 July 2003 20:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Avengers = Classic among Classics

I enjoy the Honor Blackmon eps but the Diana Rigg run is clearly the definitive set of Avengers. First time i caught this was in the mid-80s when PBS started running Avengers and the Prisoner back to back and I fell in love with both.

DP knows not what he speaks of in trying to defend the Avengers movie - an embarresment to all involved.

― H (Heruy), Friday, 4 July 2003 09:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I really like the credits to the Avengers movie. Apart from that it is piss poor. Why couldn't they have waited a few years and then got Shane Ritchie and Zeinab Badawi I don't know.

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 4 July 2003 10:13 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

Think there's something to be said for Tara King times (and of course, Mother)?

Yes - most of the eps I saw are from that era, and it's all grebt. Only saw one of the b&w Rigg ones, when I was really young, couldn't get into it at all.

Am considering buying a DVD box set or two, but it seems that there's no good middle ground, either you buy those gigantic A&E sets or you're stuck with crummy one or two ep DVDs.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:14 (twenty years ago)

The Avengers is being re-issued on DVD in the UK by Cinema Club. No details, but apparently they're starting with the Honor Blackman episodes and have spoken to fans re. issues like restoration and possible extras.

― Ben Mott (Ben Mott), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:18 (twenty years ago)

I liked the film! I particularly loved the bears. Rarrr!

― DV (dirtyvicar), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:25 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

For anyone interested - and presumably UK based, with digital TV - the fifth season (the colour Emma Peel one) begins on BBC Four this evening (shown again tomorrow). Is certainly much too long since I've seen any of these, and they aren't available on DVD; hopefully they'll show the Tara Kings too: some of those are underrated, though admittedly some are very poor.

― Tom May (Tom May), Thursday, 10 November 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

― Special Agent Dale Koopa (orion), Thursday, 10 November 2005 18:47 (twenty years ago)

this is like looking into some golden age of ilx jolliness and humourosity

and Ned - you sweet little whippersnapper you

― Snowy Mann (rdmanston), Friday, 11 November 2005 01:35 (twenty years ago)

Funny to see this thread here. I've been slowly working my way through the first season (b/w 1965) of Emma Peel episodes and it's interesting to see how fast the producers and writers cave in to the absurdity of it all and just go barking mad.

"Too Many Christmas Trees" is my favorite xmas episode of any TV series ever.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 11 November 2005 07:36 (twenty years ago)

jeez, are you still at work?

― teeth marks on your tongue (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 11 November 2005 07:43 (twenty years ago)

After reading this, and seeing somebody's face light up during the ITV show last night, I have just ordered the Emma Peel Megaset. All five seasons, under £60 (through US Amazon).

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 11 November 2005 11:10 (twenty years ago)

i believe this programme is responsible for the inexplicable phrase 'odds boddikins'.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 11 November 2005 11:15 (twenty years ago)

See, I thought that was from Catweazle

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:21 (twenty years ago)

bbc4 get 'highbrow' leather fetishists

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 11 November 2005 12:51 (twenty years ago)

where do you think they got the term 'highbrow' from? Roger Moore obv.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 11 November 2005 13:28 (twenty years ago)

I've got the colour Emma Peels on DVD, they released them piece-meal fashion over the last few years along with the other Peels, Taras and a box set of a lot of the surviving Kathy Gale era.

― mzui (mzui), Friday, 11 November 2005 15:54 (twenty years ago)

seven years pass...

OK I just watched my first episode of this (season 4's "Death at Bargain Prices", featured on the Onion this week) and HOLY HELL is it great! I'm looking forward to going through the rest of this season and maybe catching up on some top ten best-ofs from the other years. What a cool show!

― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Saturday, 2 February 2013 22:27 (thirteen years ago)

The banter between the two leads is really so amazing and great. I love how extremely English it gets at points (in one ep i saw, Steed pulls out an entire tea set from his briefcase while they are sitting on a train, complete with tea-ready hot water) and how pop it is at others. I like the weirdness in it. Emma Peel's giant eye on the doorway. The metal bowler, the leather catsuit, the repeating bad guys, the soundtrack, all of it. I think I have an extreme inability to critically look at anything from the 60s because even in the bits where they are obviously just stretching something out for time/to save money, it doesn't matter to me because IT IS THE SIXTIES and they are SUPER SEXY BRITISH SPIES and the soundtrack has some cool jazz combo doing a shuffle with a harpsichord or something.

― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Saturday, 2 February 2013 22:37 (thirteen years ago)

I'm watching "Cybernauts" now. Each one is like a mystery story. Here, it seems like a karate-powered cyborg is on the loose.

― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Sunday, 3 February 2013 00:04 (thirteen years ago)

The karate sensei is bald and talks like Morpheus. I have a theory that "The Matrix" was highly influenced by this show. When Emma Peel was hacking a '65 computer in the last episode in her industrial-looking catsuit, the scene made me think of Trinity.

― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Sunday, 3 February 2013 00:07 (thirteen years ago)

Steed has a camera umbrella.

― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Sunday, 3 February 2013 00:11 (thirteen years ago)

More Matrix: Emma Peel is being stalked by a robot while the bad guys watch it unfold as pixels on a computer display.

― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Sunday, 3 February 2013 00:37 (thirteen years ago)

one year passes...

they are starting repeats in the UK on the 5th Jan on "True Entertainment" channel (061) daily at 20:00

episode spiel mentions David Keel so i think they going RIGHT BACK to the beginning.

― koogs, Friday, 2 January 2015 19:32 (eleven years ago)

Channel 184 if you've sold your soul to Murdoch.

― ailsa, Friday, 2 January 2015 20:20 (eleven years ago)

they are really mangling these, at least on freeview. wrong aspect ratio resulting in the image looking almost square. oh um.

― koogs, Thursday, 8 January 2015 20:59 (eleven years ago)

also, they started from series 4, the b&w emma peel.

― koogs, Thursday, 8 January 2015 20:59 (eleven years ago)

five months pass...

Hell of a run, but Patrick Macnee has passed at 93

http://www.patrickmacnee.com/

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 25 June 2015 18:10 (ten years ago)

A great detail here I'd missed:

Having wrapped production of The Avengers in 1969 (followed by The New Avengers in the latter 1970s) Macnee continued to be a tireless and principled champion for the series’ efficient and ethical distribution. As the 130 episodes emerged from a decade of unchecked bootlegging in the 1980s and 1990s, he worked steadily to assure its success, creating a range of value-added materials, and refusing to approve final distribution contracts until he was assured that the show’s guest and supporting actors received a decent share of the profits.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 25 June 2015 18:13 (ten years ago)

RIP Patrick

― holger sharkey (Tom D.), Thursday, 25 June 2015 18:52 (ten years ago)

nine months pass...

A few months ago I realized Hulu had several seasons of this; watched one or two episodes, thought "this'll be fun to dip into when I don't feel like watching a movie." And now they're all gone in a puff of sad trombone.

― Honor thy pisstake as a hidden intention. (WilliamC), Thursday, 14 April 2016 16:15 (nine years ago)

Funny this, wasa thread I might have just sought out today.
I got a load of the episodes off pirate Bay a couple of weeks back and have started watching season 2 which is the one where Steed is the lead role but he still has alternating sidekicks Catherine Gale plus Venus Smith and Dr martin King. & their parts are all still adaptyed from the original Ian Hendry part apparently. Not sure how much the lines have been changed or rewritten or whatever.
Hendry had been the police Surgeon of the original series that the Avengers was initially a reformatting of. He was also the original Avenger since his girlfriend was killed and the initial Avengers story had him avenging her and thus meeting the Secret Agent John Steed.
Last night I watched the episode The Mauritius Penny which seemed to be at least a foreshadowing of some of the later style of the programme. It has Catherine Gale and Steed finding out about and putting down a Nazi plot while investigating a death in a stamp shop.
It seems to have more humour to it than previous episodes and features a writing team with Terrence Dicks in it, even though he is better known for his work on Doctor Who wondering if he has anything to do with the change here. Just wondering if that is ushering a new feel into the show or if it is a one off of something that will only be revisited in the next season.
Season 2 is 26 episodes long and features Venus Smith 6 times and Dr Martin king 3.

So wanted to ask where people thought the changeover to the better known style is. I am thinking that it is at least partially in Cathy Gale years.

― Stevolende, Thursday, 14 April 2016 16:27 (nine years ago)

THink I first came across the show being shown on Canadian tv when I went up to the UWO centenary with my Dad in the early 80s. I was disappointed that it wasn't about the Marvel characters

― Stevolende, Thursday, 14 April 2016 16:31 (nine years ago)

So wanted to ask where people thought the changeover to the better known style is. I am thinking that it is at least partially in Cathy Gale years.

Afraid I can't help. All the episodes I remember (from its 11:30 p.m. time slot on CBS) were 5th series and later (Rigg + color).

― Honor thy pisstake as a hidden intention. (WilliamC), Thursday, 14 April 2016 17:35 (nine years ago)

Style seems to be gone again by the next episode. & possibly the first appearance of Cathy Gale S02E01 is closer to the feel but I think she is definitely just a Hendry substitute at that point.
I think i'd watched that episode about a month back and not since, actually looks like I got the series back in February. So wonder if it is still around. Looks like it's everything since season 2 to the end of the 60s at about 10GB. Episodes aren't exactly pristine, a bit blurry in places but it does have all that series. i think I've seen a credit from 1990 so it was presumably videotaped and then transferred to digital.

Can't see the one I have d/lded but there is this 59GB one which appears to have the couple of surviving bits of season 1 in it
https://pirateproxy.tv/torrent/7977205/The_Avengers_Complete_Series_%281961-1969%29_Season_1_to_7

― Stevolende, Thursday, 14 April 2016 18:08 (nine years ago)

features a writing team with Terrence Dicks in it, even though he is better known for his work on Doctor Who

and Hulke wasn't?

― glandular lansbury (sic), Thursday, 14 April 2016 22:35 (nine years ago)

three years pass...

Just re-reading the Wiki for the '98 film

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(1998_film)

Due to internal wrangling at Warner Bros., the decision was made to vastly cut down the running time after test screenings, reducing the 115-minute film to 89 minutes. The film was panned by critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a rating of 5%, based on 82 reviews, with an average rating of 2.93/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "A TV spinoff that lacks enough energy to spin, The Avengers is an ineptly written, woefully miscast disaster."[5] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 12 out of 100, based on 19 reviews.

The Avengers was nominated for that year's Razzie Award for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Supporting Actor (Sean Connery), Worst Actress (Uma Thurman), Worst Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Worst Screen Couple (Fiennes and Thurman), and Worst Original Song ("Storm"), winning only one trophy for Worst Remake or Sequel. Several critics, especially in the UK, noted that the American production team fatally misunderstood the symbols of "Britishness" central to The Avengers series, such as the inclusion of an inexplicable gadget on the dashboard of Steed's Bentley which appeared to dispense tea, with milk already added.

Will anyone stick up for this? I do recall seeing the trailer and thinking 'Wow, that's going to make an sbolute fortune'.

― piscesx, Thursday, 17 October 2019 17:55 (six years ago)

I think bits of it are fine. I like the opening sequence and all the giant bear stuff is fun (and from about the same time Aphex Twin was fucking about with the same themes). A Surfeit of H2O is one of my favourite Avengers eps and so naturally I love the bits of plot it steals from there but the whole thing is a bit of a mess - mainly because it tries to cram too much in.

I haven't seen it in years though and reading the plot summary again it doesn't seem and more complex than a Netflix serial so maybe the rep is a product of the time? Might watch it again to check.

― So, your CV says you're a (checks notes) DJ and stand-up comedian (aldo), Friday, 18 October 2019 18:01 (six years ago)

ten months pass...

Actress Dame Diana Rigg, known for roles from The Avengers to Games of Thrones, dies aged 82https://t.co/gbJ7BUmGSv
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) September 10, 2020

― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 10 September 2020 13:41 (five years ago)

pic.twitter.com/grkegRH5eB
— Andy Miller (@i_am_mill_i_am) September 10, 2020

― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 10 September 2020 16:17 (five years ago)

so many great photos of her, you could fill a hefty book with them

― 这是我的显示名称 (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 10 September 2020 16:26 (five years ago)

we have this picture on our fridge

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1221/2992/products/5760-002_1024x1024.jpg

my wife was a big avengers fan when she was a kid and loved Diana Rigg. combination of anglophilia and being bisexual

― rascal clobber (jim in vancouver), Thursday, 10 September 2020 16:26 (five years ago)

I shall watch Murderville and raise a glass, I recorded an interview with her once in 1993 at the Almedia theatre (David Frost was doing the interviewing) she was very cool, told some good Bond anecdotes iirc too.

― Maresn3st, Thursday, 10 September 2020 22:15 (five years ago)

There's one on YouTube from 96

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sgu6mqp8hv0

― koogs, Thursday, 10 September 2020 22:45 (five years ago)

Actually, that's the exact interview I recorded, weird, could have sworn it was earlier.

― Maresn3st, Friday, 11 September 2020 09:56 (five years ago)

I enjoyed the Avengers without thinking at all about it. Might fuck about and watch this later

thinking about it, this is my favourite Avengers episode - the British upper class as strange mesmerised children, and where's the lie https://t.co/UMaW1OaH71
— Owen Hatherley (@owenhatherley) September 11, 2020

― xyzzzz__, Friday, 11 September 2020 09:59 (five years ago)

Love this tribute that the illustrator Jonathan Edwards shared on Facebook

https://scontent.fman1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/119072735_3273357129384090_71194238993309337_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=vzlvFPKVkokAX-T0it1&_nc_ht=scontent.fman1-1.fna&oh=00c4c747d069649b77c7b246ef73b947&oe=5F825718

― Ward Fowler, Friday, 11 September 2020 10:04 (five years ago)

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