The Avengers : The Definitive Dossier 1967

Starring: Diana Rigg, Patrick Macnee Director: James Hill, Robert Asher, Robert Day, Sidney Hayers Dvd Release: 25th February, 2002 Number Of Discs: 2 Format: Box set, PAL, Region 2 Encoding

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The Avengers is a British 1960s television series featuring secret agents in a fantasy 1960s Britain. The programmes were made by TV company Associated British Corporation & the series was created by their then Head of Drama Sydney Newman. Patrick Macnee played secret agent John Steed throughout the series, complete with bowler hat & umbrella. In the first series in 1961, Steed was himself a secondary character, the protagonist being Dr David Keel - all but two of these episodes are now lost. The Avengers was a successor to Hendrys earlier series Police Surgeon, in which he played a similar character. Hendry was considered the star of the series, receiving top billing over Macnee & Steed did not appear in several episodes. Production of the first season was cut short by a strike. By the time it was settled & production could resume, Hendry had quit to pursue a film career. Posters Of The Avengers

Avengers 1967 Box Set 4:

This is the last box set of The Avengers first colour season. Again its a great joy to see these lovely episodes again. Although it looks as if they cant avoid the little distortions or encoding errors, sound quality is good considering the series were made in the late sixties. The episode The Positive-Negative Man two times suffers from minor splats in the audio. This minor imperfection is also present in The Forgot-Me-Knot. Overall picture quality is all right, but the image sometimes shows some scratches. I dont think its disturbing, it merely adds a touch of nostalgia. Picture is sharp & colours are clear. The extras include a wonderful picture gallery & an introduction to Linda Thorson . But dont expect too much of the Follow That Hat feature or you will probably be a little disappointed. All in all this is a worthy addition that makes your Emma Peel colour collection complete.

This wonderful set contains no less than 7 episodes. The 7th, The Forgot-Me-Knot, is technically a Tara King episode but is included here because its the episode in which Emmas long lost husband is finally found in the Amazonian jungle & Emma & Steed part. This one is particularly memorable because of Emmas words: "Always keep your bowler on in times of stress & watch out for diabolical masterminds." Farewell Mrs. Peel.

The title The £50,000 Breakfast has to be taken literally. I know English breakfasts are quite substantial compared to a continental breakfast but diamonds are a bit over the top. But its the Avengers Series; anything is possible albeit at times highly improbable!

Dead Mans Treasure is not the best episode of the series because of a rather thin plot. Still theres much to enjoy: the beautiful countryside, fantastic cars , the gorgeous blond who by coincidence becomes Steeds driving partner & wouldnt you just love to try out that smashing racing car simulator yourself? The infectious score makes this episode one that I like very much. All things considered, good fun! Good fun indeed!

Steed has to find a needle in a haystack & Emma ruins her new leather catsuit in You Have Just Been Murdered. Needle is a very diabolical mastermind who stages the murders of millionaires several times, until they crack & hand over a million or die. A great episode that features some phenomenal fights!

The Positive-Negative Man does remind me of the cybernauts. This one is better than the cybernauts episodes but cant make it in my top ten. Close but no cigar, or should I say spark?

Murdersville is one of my very favourites. The idea of a village full of murderers is absolutely a hood! Many great dialogues, very very funny. Definitely a classic episode!

When I first saw Mission... Highly Improbable I though it was a bit ridiculous to shrink people & cars, but over the years & after seeing it again on DVD I must change my mind: Its all for laughs! The little Steed on the desk calling Emma is very amusing. And the scene where Emma is carrying Steed around in a little bag & comments "Im not sure I shouldnt keep you like this. After all, its one way to bag a man" is hilarious..Edwin Meijster, an Avengers fan from The Netherlands.

Dame Diana Rigg is a British actress. She is particularly known for her role in the British 1960s television series The Avengers, where she played the sexy secret agent Emma Peel. Her career in film, television & the theatre has been wide-ranging, including roles in the Royal Shakespeare Company between 1959 & 1964. Her professional debut was in The Caucasian Chalk Circle in 1955. After leaving The Avengers she returned to the stage, including playing two Stoppard leads, Ruth Carson in Night & Day & Dorothy Moore in Jumpers. A nude scene with Keith Michell in Abelard & Heloise led to a notorious description of her as built like a brick basilica with too few flying buttresses. In 1986, she took a leading role in the West End production of Stephen Sondheim s musical, Follies. On the big screen, she became a Bond girl in On Her Majestys Secret Service playing Tracy Bond. Her character, to date, is the only girl to officially marry James Bond. Her other films include The Assassination Bureau, Theatre of Blood & A Little Night Music. Posters Of Diana Rigg

Editors Choice: A Hazard Of Hearts, Theatre Of Blood, On Her Majestys Secret Service, James Bond, The Avengers, Rebecca, Samson And Delilah, The Bible, View DVDology

Patrick Macnee is a British actor. His mother became a lesbian & had a live-in partner who helped pay for his schooling. Macnee became an American citizen in 1959. Despite numerous roles in theatre, on television & in cinema, Macnee is still best known as the inimitable secret agent John Steed in the series The Avengers. Initially a secondary character--the series was conceived as a vehicle for Ian Hendry, who played an associate of Steeds--Steed became the centre of the show after Hendrys departure at the end of the first season, playing opposite a succession of female partners that included Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg & Linda Thorson. Steed was also the central character of a revival, The New Avengers, in which he was teamed with characters played by Joanna Lumley & Gareth Hunt. Other notable roles include his part in the James Bond movie A View to a Kill, a guest role in Alias Smith & Jones & two villainous roles in Battlestar Galactica. Posters Of Patrick Macnee

Editors Choice: A Seance To Contact The Spirit Of Diana, The Howling, The Avengers, View DVDology

Please edit James J Hill, was a noted American railroad tycoon. Hill showed his aptitude for the intellectual side of the world early in life; although he only ever had nine years of formal schooling, by the time he had finished, he was adept at algebra, geometry, land surveying & English. His particular talents for English & mathematics would be critical later in his life. After working for a while as a clerk, Hill settled in St. Paul, Minnesota at the age of 18. His first job at St. Paul was with a steamboat company, where he worked as a bookkeeper. His talents at this earned him a great deal of respect & by 1860 he was working for wholesale grocers, for whom he handled freight transfers, especially dealing with railroads & steamboats. This work made him learn, by necessity, about all aspects of the freight & transportation business. Like everything else Hill tried his hand at, he was quite successful at it. During this time period, Hill began to work for himself for the first time. Posters Of Black Beauty

Editors Choice: Worzel Gummidge, Christmas Special, The Belstone Fox, Black Beauty, The Persuaders, Trial And Error, The Avengers, View DVDology

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