The Ladies of 'The Avengers'

Known better as Pussy Galore from "Goldfinger" to international fans, she was John Steed's first female partner, a recently widowed young "English Rose" named Dr. Cathy Gale. She was on the show from 1962 to 1964. Cathy Gale was perhaps the first woman on a English-language television series to play a lady who could handle herself against the bad guys with karate.
After appearing in some 40 episodes she went back to a revived career in movies.

A few choice pictures of some of the most beautiful and talented women from one of the best tongue-in-cheek action shows ever, "The Avengers".

I left out Uma Thurman from the film version of the series not because she's not pretty but because the movie is so bad myself (and most fans) don't consider it part of the show.

For those who want to find out or reacquaint themselves with the show, the best site on the web for doing just that is called "The Avengers Forever'. Even for non-fans it's a site worth checking out for the professional way Mr. David Smith put it together.

"Peel the Reel"--A Tribute to "The Avengers"

For those who love "The Avengers" or just haven't seen the original show in awhile, I can hopefully direct you to this link below, which features three minutes of highlights from the 1966-67 color season of the series. Mrs. Peel is the most popular "Avenger" lady of them all, but some kudos should be spared for her predecessor, Honor Blackman, who was the first strong female action character (Dr. Cathy Gale) and Patrick McNee's partner for three seasons, then came Diana Rigg and all was good, and then Linda Thorson came along. (Ms. Thorson continues to work in a popular soap in Britain called "Emmerdale") She had the tough job of replacing Diana Rigg in the 1968-69 season and was getting the hang of things when the show was cancelled when it was put up against Laugh-In by ABC-America. In 1976, Joanna Lumley did the role for two seasons opposite MacNee ( and the late and wonderfully talented third partner, Gareth Hunt) as Gambit.

The less said about that 1997 movie the better for all.

Anyway, here's three and a half minutes of 1960's television gold by the great ying-yang duo of John Steed and Emma Peel. Wait no more. And thanks Peter Peel, whoever you are!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKKeVtWDEPw

(pictured: Macnee and Rigg celebrating the success of the show in Britain and soon, America, in 1965.)

An Avenger Forever

Sad news for fans of "The Avengers":

Gareth Hunt (far right, above) the fine actor who played the smooth, tough-as-nails and often quite witty character of Gambit in "The New Avengers" for two seasons (1976-78) has died of cancer at age 65 at his home south of London.

In a twist of morbid sependipity I saw the news about Mr. Hunt's passing on The Avengers Forever website about five minutes after I viewed an episode of "The New Avengers". I hadn't seen any of the "TNA" shows for twenty-five years since it was first shown on CBS Late Nights. I had just acquired a DVD of the first season's 13 episodes and was reviewing (and enjoying) getting reaquinted with the series. While not quite as engaging as the original series in the main, "TNA" had its own charms, not least of which was the chemistry Hunt had with his co-star, the sexy Joanna Lumley.

I remember being dubious about a younger and probably less polished actor coming in to essentially handle the "running about and fighting" now that John Steed (Patrick MacNee) was long in the tooth for being the action hero. But it was soon clear to me that Brian Clemens, the producer of "TNA" and the main creative force behind the success of the original series, had fashioned Gambit to be more than a robotic tough guy or a sidekick to MacNee. Gambit (Hunt) could hold his own in many non-action scenes and was an excellent and plausible third member of the espionage-and-crime fighting trio.

Hunt's character provided the main romantic tension in the series; he was determined to engage in a "non-profesional" realtionship with his partner, Purdey (Lumley). She was flattered, but only up to a point. The verbal ribbings and practical jokes they played on one another in the series was a nice contrast to the mature John Steed. Our Man Steed would have seemed too much the roue to be wooing Purdey while at the same time dashing about and saving all or at least part of Great Britain every week.

I saw Mr. Hunt in small parts in a couple of films but beyond that I gathered the greatest part of his career was in British television and the stage. Wish I had seen more of his work. I look forward to watching the restof Season One and then on to Season Two. With this recent loss, some of the fun in reviewing the show, however, has definately faded.

In any case, rest in peace good sir.

For more, and reactions from his co-stars, here is a link to The London TimesOnLine:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radi...

'The Avengers", "The New Avengers" and Beyond!

After eight years, "The Avengers" returned for two seasons totaling twenty-six episodes in all. "The New Avengers" again had Patrick MacNee as John Steed and, fortunately, also had Brian Clemens also returning as chief producer. Two new characters were added to the series. Gareth Hunt, who in the role of Mike Gambit (hell of a last name, mate ) took over some of the fighting and car chases now that John Steed was past fifty and a bit less limber. The woman in question was the leggy and limber Joanna Lumley, supplying M"em-appeal" as Purdey (hell of a first name, eh what?)

Ms. Lumley (pictured above) also went on to make a even bigger splash as the frequently inebriated and always self-centered Patsy Stone, a hilariously viper-tongued "bit past-it" fashion designer on "Absolutely Fabulous" opposite the writer/actress Jeniffer Saunders. For this and other "services to her country" Ms. Lumley became Dame Joanna and was thus the second former "Avenger" star to earn Dame Commander status.

Oh, but back to the actual series. CBS picked up the series this time, but never gave the show a prime time slot. It did air on Friday nights at 11:30 opposite NBC's ratings juggernaut, "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" and against whatever Geraldo Rivera specials they were scraping by with after hours on ABC. I remember the show had a certain flair to it, although it often played more like a regular melodrama, a British " Starsky and Hutch" as it were, than the cavalier flair of the original series.

Brian Clemens himself said that the original series, at its height, "was a humorous show with serious overtones and the new show was a serious show with humorous overtones." There were more dramatic stunts and fewer witty lines. But part of the trouble was that the times and tastes had changed. It had been almost ten years since the original show had been off the air and the spy/diabolical mastermind craze had become a bit old-fashioned to viewers. Audiences probably wanted a "tougher" show, with greater dollops of violence. "The Avengers" was heading in that direction toward the end of its original last year already.

Still there were some good episodes, and the regulars were likable. Unfortunately the show wound up expiring in the second short season. Perhaps the lack of a prime-time slot on the lucrative US market was a factor. Production of the show left the UK for France and then it was off to Canada for the last episodes, no doubt for economy's sake.

One definitely good thing about the series was that its return to production sparked interest in the original series. CBS began running the older "Patrick and Diana" shows again on late night national television. This boost also brought out of mothballs the other 25 monochrome episodes with Steed and Mrs. Peel. I finally got to see samples from that 1965-6 season in syndication on Channel 20 in San Francisco. I thought the stories were equal if not better than the color ones and confirmed my belief that "The Avengers" was more than just an interesting show from my youth; it had a style and delicious epicene chemistry seldom if ever equaled even in theatrical movies from Hollywood's Golden Age .

The Avengers--Part Three

Wonder what our intrepid duo is so glum about? Here is a "You Tube" link to a short film that was put together back in 1966. It is titled "The Strange Case of the Missing Corpse". It was made as a promo for "The Avengers" second season on ABC-USA, and their first one in color.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1D5IoyMSFs

Tune in again...part four coming soon.

"The Avengers"--Part Two

In 1968 Diana Rigg left "The Avengers" because of a salary dispute and some on-set alienation from the crew (but not her co-star), and also to pursue a stage and movie career. Like Honor Blackman, she appeared in Bond film shortly after leaving the show.  "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969) might have been a blockbuster for all concerned--its still a very good Bond film entry--but it lacked a strong leading man for Bond.  Sean Connery had left the series (temporarily) and the film did less than stellar business.  Although she has had a fine career in television and the stage, Dame Diana never became a film star--although she conquered the stage with numberous awards playing in everything from Euripides to Tom Stoppard.  She also has done great work in British television films like "Rebecca", "Mother Love" and  was a fine Lady Dedlock in the 1985 BBC TV adaptation of Charles Dickens great novel, "Bleak House".

As for "The Avengers", things went downhill a bit.  American viewers were not as taken by Toronto-native Linda Thorson (pictured above)  , the 20 year old long-legged brunette actress who took over as Tara King, John Steed's newest partner.  The maturity and droll elan of "Mrs. Peel" was sorely missed, and the loss was compounded by the fact that NBC had a hit show called "Laugh In" that came on opposite "The Avengers" on Monday nights.  Despite some good scripts and an improvement and later "toughening up" off the more frilly and vulnerable character of Miss King by the British producers, ABC stopped ordering new episodes early in 1969.   The loss of American money coming into the production doomed it.  Reruns of the Emma Peel shows continued after the King series was over.  After six full series years and close to 200  episodes (83 seen in the USA)  Patrick MacNee's charming and stylishly capable John Steed had to hang up his hat and umbrella.

"The Avengers" should have been television history after that but, like "Star Trek", it was only "the end" for a while.    

      (please check back for part three--coming soon to a monitor near you!) 

 

"The Avengers" (and the confessions of a "bleedin' Anglophiliac")

Those who know me have to put up with the fact that I am a pretty serious follower of British pop culture, especially from the sixties and seventies. I really have a kind of faux nostalgia for the whole "Swinging London" cycle of films and music, plus some of the later shows like "Monty Python's Flying Circus."

'What the hell's the matter with our American culture, you snook'? you might be thinking. Well, I answer, peevishly, I always think it's a good idea to have a back-up national culture just in case things go "off the rails" as our Anglican cousins might say. Also, it's easier to follow British pop culture because most of the other European and Oriental cultures require you to learn a second language. Bloody cheek of 'em.

I think a little history is in order here. "The Avengers" started off on Associated British Television in December, 1960, with Patrick MacNee as a mysterious spy named John Steed who called on a doctor (Ian Hendry) to help him stop criminals and spies. (He had helped the doctor track down who had killed his fiancee, so he kind of owed him.) Hendry left the series after one year, perhaps mainly to become a movie star, which never happened, although he did appearr in some good films like Sudney Lumet's "The Hill" (1965).

Next, for season two, the powers that be tried another guy playing a different doctor as Agent John Steed's partner. Then the producer came up with the idea of having an "emancipated" woman take the place of the buddy tandem. And that's when the show leaped from being a minor hit to an iconic piece of comedy-drama that was destined to be broadcast all over the world for decades after it went off the air.

From 1962 until 1964, Patrick MacNee was partnered with the beautiful and talented Honor Blackman in "The Avengers". ( see the color picture above) The show was a big hit in Britain and Canada, Australia, Italy, et al.

Alas, unlike this still, all of the forty or so episodes featuring Ms. Blackman were shot on monochrome video tape. Her blonde "English Rose" looks thus are slightly muted. Honor left the series for the role of Pussy Galore in "Goldfinger" and to pursue other film offers. (Acccording to a recent poll, she is still the second most popular "Bond Girl" from the series.)

The show was off the air for over a year while a deal was worked out with ABC in America to do a filmed series. Enter, in the Fall of 1965, the lovely Diana Rigg (see the black and white picture--well you already have I'll bet.) A realtive unknown, the 27 year-old member of the Royal Shakespeare Company was chosen to play Mrs. Emma Peel. It was this version of the series, specifically the second season of MacNee and Rigg (shot in color) that ran on ABC in 1966-7 and 1968-9, that most American viewers think of when they picture the show.

Sometime during the first or second run of the Peel color season I was taken by the sexy and undefined realtionship between John Steed and his "talented amateur" agent. It made me a young "Avengers" fan. Why?

Well, there was the fact that it was an action show, which I appreciated. And it had spies and diabolical masterminds. And it was set in England, so the locations used on the show and the actors and the slang terms and accents were totally different from anything I had come across before. The only show on television I had seen that even came remotely near it for pure panache and style was "Mission:Impossible". But this British show had something the other lacked: a sense of pure fun to the business of saving the day for the "good guys". It was not a stoic American crime or spy show: it was a series with inventive villians and zany characters. And it was not a pure spoof show like "Batman" either. Something in between---drama and comedy mixed together with two playful main characters who might get into a spot but always finished off their assigments with a smile, a bit of flirtation and a champagne toast.

And there was something else about the show, something I had not encountered before and rarely have seen done so well since. It was the realtionship between Steed and Mrs. Peel. MacNee and Rigg had something-- great personal chemistry. And their realtionship when they weren't out risking life and limb was not defined. Were they a couple? They seemed more like friends than that. Or were they just colleagues trying to save the receding British Empire from modern-day Professor Moriartys. Each episode had a bizarre villian ot three and they were all loaded up with such weapons as nasty metallic humanoid (and karate-chopping) cyberbnauts; sometimes they set up bombs to go off at peace conferences; bizarre body-swapping machines; mind-bending chemical agents were a specialty of the baddies. They were also plain crazy criminal nutjobs who dressed as giant condors or turned domestic cats into man-eating feral amimals. Other episodes featured well-dressed henchmen in Savile Row suits with matching silencers.

At the end of all the episodes the hero and heroine were back to having fun as adults. Taking a drive in the countryside, for instance. Or off to dinner in a fancy restaurant. Yet there was no overt affection: no clinches, no kissing, certainly no living together. Indeed our hero Steed always addressed his partner as "Mrs. Peel", never the more familar "Emma". What was going on here? American couples on television didn't behave like this!

To a eight or nine-year old like me it was baffling, and deliciously intriguing. It made adulthood seem like pure fun and suave and sexy and trey cool for sixty minutes.

John Steed would rescue Emma, but sometimes the reverse happened. Mrs. Peel was a martial arts expert and threw her share of men around. And she seemed to be the equal of Steed in dealing with baddies. And they sometimes worked on dangerous assignments apart. Steed would worry about Mrs. Peel (whose husband had vanished years earlier in a Amazonian plane crash so she was technically almost a widow) but he usually didn't come to her rescue unless she asked him to. And there is nothing "butch" about Diana Rigg (now Dame Diana). She was and is as feminine and alluring as all get out.

When I first saw it,"The Avengers" to me It was all a great mystery--this "we're they or weren't they" thing---and like all great mysteries it was never answered.

Unlike most shows you see as a kid and cringed about liking later on as a grown-up, my appreciation for the original show has only grown.

(part two of this blog coming soon. Also available on 8-Trac and cassette. Look for it wherever fine blogs are sold. )

In the meantime, for more info on "The Avengers", please see the link to the excellent "The Avengers Forever" website on my blogroll. Even those who might not know much about this show will appreciate how well this site has been put together by Mr. David K. Smith)