The Avengers : The Definitive Dossier 1967

Starring: Diana Rigg, Patrick Macnee Director: Gordon Flemyng, John Krish, Robert Asher, Robert Day, Roy Rossotti Dvd Release: 4th June, 2001 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

Ive waited for what seems an eternity for the Avengers to be released on DVD, & now here it is at last. The first six episodes of the colour Rigg season are here presented on two discs, digitally remastered & complete. Although by this stage the series had become rather formulaic with the same rigid plot structure employed every week, the verve & imagination shown as the programme embraces elements of science fiction & comic-strip are breathtaking. I am always amazed that people criticise Patrick Macnees acting ability - his performance as Steed is wonderful, his comic ability clearly evident. Diana Rigg is of course absolutely gorgeous. Look out for also for superb guest star cameos from Jon Pertwee, Peter Bowles & Warren Mitchell, among others. The fully restored & remastered picture really enhances the viewing of these episodes. Extras are limited, but include the wonderful Strange Case of the Missing Corpse, the promo short made to showcase the programme in America, recently rediscovered in 1999. There is also an extensive picture gallery, a jazzy trailer for the series, & a Follow the Hat feature which can be accessed whilst watching the episodes or straight from the main menu, but which is quite disappointingly done, with poor graphics intruding upon the interviews with chosen subjects . For many people this is the Avengers at the height of its powers - I really cannot recommend these episodes highly enough - hopefully the rest of the series will follow soon.

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

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