Lately I've been rediscovering the British television series The Avengers on DVD. I hadn't seen the show since watching it regularly as a kid. In those days I had been impressed by the atmosphere, imaginative storylines, and flamboyant characters, both in the lead and supporting roles. Seriousness and humor were counterpointed in an intriguing fashion that was to be influential for many other series' to come (i.e. The X-Files). The plots usually revolved around various diabolical masterminds attempting outlandish schemes to take over the world, one English county at a time. It's amazing how many different ways that it could be accomplished, and the entertaining ways each potentially catastrophic situation was resolved by our heroes. Unconventional combat methods were often deployed, such as Karate, Judo, or an umbrella and bowler hat, to defeat their adversaries.
In all, there were 161 episodes of the original series (1961-1969), over six seasons. However, a persuasive argument has been made by aficionados (of which I am becoming one) that there were technically seven seasons, because of wildly varying season lengths, differences between United Kingdom and United States air-dates, a complicated stop and start of production during season five, and the fact that it was first shown in the U.S. as a summer replacement. For the purposes of this article, I'm sticking with the more straightforward six-season count, while acknowledging the points made by the seven-season camp. The DVD sets are released by year, in UK broadcast order, instead of by season, adding to the confusion, or maybe because of it.
I checked out from the library The Avengers '64 vol. 1&2, depicting an earlier incarnation of the show than what I was used to, and was impressed with Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale, John Steed's partner before Emma Peel. These volumes actually represent the end of the Cathy Gale era (in another confusing twist, vols. 3&4 constitute the first half of 1964). The show is basically separated into four eras (Dr. Keel, Cathy Gale, Emma Peel, and Tara King) established by Steed's main counterparts; the debonair Mr. Steed being the only constant. Patrick Macnee (pronounced MACK-knee) as Steed and Diana Rigg as Mrs. Peel were to become the ultimate combination for the series, but what came before and after is superb in its own way.
In the beginning (1960), there was a British television show called Police Surgeon starring Ian Hendry. When it was cancelled after only thirteen episodes, the producers decided to start another series: The Avengers. Hendry played David Keel, a doctor who became interested in fighting crime after his fiance was murdered. He is enlisted by a mysterious government agent, John Steed, to help solve unusual cases, and was occasionally assisted by his nurse Carol Wilson, played by Ingrid Hafner (in a foreshadowing of the female side-kick concept). For many years only one episode, The Frighteners, was known to survive from this 1st season (1961), since in those days programs were videotaped, broadcast, and then taped over or even destroyed, without a thought to posterity. Recently, one other complete episode, The Girl on the Trapeze (the only episode not featuring Steed; you hardly miss him, it's so good), has surfaced along with the first act (22 minutes) of the first episode Hot Snow. These are now available as part of a bonus disc on the Emma Peel megaset or separately if desired. These are excellent examples of early 60's British television, and provide a fascinating introduction to the show.
After an Equity strike cancelled the last half of the 1st season, Hendry decided to take the opportunity to seek other roles, and the show resumed in the Fall of '62 for a second season, now without Dr. Keel. Three episodes originally intended for him were re-written for a Dr. Martin King, played by Jon Rollason. After a short time Honor Blackman was hired to play Mrs. Cathy Gale, a more equal partner for Steed. The producers weren't through experimenting with characters, however; Julie Stevens was hired to play a jazz singer named Venus Smith that assisted Steed for six episodes. It was eventually decided, though, that Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale was the perfect foil for Steed. That's when the series really took off, and the third season ('63-'64) features her as Steed's only counterpart.
All of these early episodes were filmed on videotape in essentially one take, so there are camera and verbal flubs that remain intact, and the productions are generally less sophisticated than what audiences are used to today. Viewed from an historical perspective, however, these inconsistencies are interesting and even humorous, especially compared to the slickness of later years. For instance, the fight scenes were also done in one take without stuntmen; sometimes the action appears a bit perfunctory like a stage play, which the programs often resemble. One startling aspect that was introduced early on, though, was the use of Karate by Mrs. Gale to overcome antagonists, a tactic that set the tone for the duration of the series. This added to the show's appeal, since it was the first to feature a strong female lead that could take care of herself; in fact, she often rescued Steed instead of the other way around. When Blackman decided to leave the show to accept the role of Pussy Galore in the James Bond thriller Goldfinger, the search was started for a replacement; a difficult task.
At this same time American television producers had begun taking an interest, and offered to broadcast the show in America while substantially increasing its budget. Originally, Elizabeth Shepherd was signed for the part of Emma Peel, but after only two episodes it was decided that she was unsuitable. On a lark, actress Diana Rigg decided to audition for the role. The chemistry between her and Patrick Macnee was evident from the beginning, and some of the early episodes featuring them together are among the best of the entire series. The two seasons featuring Emma Peel clearly represent the epitome of The Avengers. She was as strong as Cathy Gale (and just as good at Karate), but a bit less contentious with Steed. Their friendship was more open-ended than previous eras allowed, and their banter more scintillating.
The fourth season ('65-'66) was shot in black and white, but film had replaced videotape; the fifth season ('66-'67) was filmed entirely in color. After awhile, Diana Rigg became fed up with the increasingly bizarre scripts and this, combined with a contract dispute, caused her to ask to leave the show midway through her second season. When both the show and Rigg were nominated for Emmys, she was offered a raise and agreed to finish the season. After that she joined Honor Blackman as Avengers alumni who went on to take roles as Bond girls, this time as Tracy Di Vincenzio in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Since then she has continued her illustrious career on both the stage and screen.
Linda Thorson was brought in to play Tara King, a slightly different kind of partner for Steed. For instance, whereas Cathy and Emma were flirty yet undefinedly platonic in their relations with him, Tara was decidedly in love with Steed. This created a nice balance between the eras. In the early to mid-sixties it was believed that, after a solid period of mourning, widows were potentially more available than women that were still blatantly single; thus we have Mrs. Gale and Mrs. Peel. This allowed Steed to flirt with other females in the show while still leaving the possibility open that something could develop with his compatriots. It also left Mrs. Gale and Mrs. Peel considerable leeway in their various encounters with other men. By the time Tara King made the scene, female roles were liberalized and women had more freedom to pursue relationships on their own terms.
This new incarnation only lasted one season, however, because of several factors. In the first place replacing Diana Rigg was no easy task; in the second, the scripts became more and more far-fetched, almost to the point of the show spoofing itself; and thirdly the show was scheduled opposite Laugh In, also one of the most popular shows at that time. Season six ('68- '69) happens to be the most dated of the later seasons, partly because of the quirkiness (even for this show) of the late-sixties plots, but also because of the many hairstyle changes endured by Thorson when the dye she used to become platinum blond for the program caused her hair to fall out, forcing her to wear various wigs until her natural locks returned. This last season was also filmed in color (as was most television by then), and it had its charms despite its problems. Some of the scripts were actually some of the best ever written for the show, and Tara was really beginning to come into her own. The final season of The Avengers came to a close in the Spring of 1969. In the last episode, Tara King and John Steed blast off together in a rocketship at the end, a fitting finish for a show that took the basic crime and espionage format to extraordinary heights.
Sources:
http://theavengers.tv/
http://theavengers.tv/forever/
http://theavengers.tv/forever/guide.htm
http://theavengers.tv/forever/timeline.htm
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