Subject: The Avengers (1961-1969) Wed Apr 13, 2011 2:44 am
I have a casual acquaintance with the TV series THE AVENGERS, but recent re-acquaintance thanks to Netflix streaming has inspired me to get off my arse and really dig into what this series has to offer. I love 1960s silliness, and this has that good sense of British humor and weirdness to it that makes it that much more enjoyable.
And the title sequence for the fifth season? Pure class.
Makeshift Python 00 Agent
Posts : 7656 Member Since : 2011-03-14 Location : You're the man now, dog!
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Wed Apr 13, 2011 2:46 am
On Netflix Instant? *queue's it*
Should be real fun. :)
Largo's Shark 00 Agent
Posts : 10588 Member Since : 2011-03-14
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:22 am
I loved this THE AVENGERS, and still do. Grew up with repeats, and always had a huge crush on Diana Rigg in *that* leather suit.
Real shame there's no videos of Rigg's Emma Peel in driving her Lotus Elan on Youtube...
Laurie Johnson did a fine job on the later scores, too, even if I slightly prefer John Dankworth's moodier theme for the first few series.
Have you cached the Patrick Magoohan's THE PRISONER, Harms? That sounds up your street. The episode where Magoohan's No. 6 and Leo Mckern's No. 2 face off is bleedin spectacular. Mckern reportedly had a heart attack after filming it.
DANGER MAN (SECRET AGENT MAN for you yanks) is pretty darn entertaining too.
The White Tuxedo 00 Agent
Posts : 6062 Member Since : 2011-03-14 Location : ELdorado 5-9970
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Wed Apr 13, 2011 5:17 am
It's on Instant!? Yippie!
Love that Rigg.
Guest Guest
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:53 am
Sharky wrote:
Have you cached the Patrick Magoohan's THE PRISONER, Harms? That sounds up your street. The episode where Magoohan's No. 6 and Leo Mckern's No. 2 face off is bleedin spectacular. Mckern reportedly had a heart attack after filming it.
I love THE PRISONER.
Hilly Administrator
Posts : 8059 Member Since : 2010-05-13
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Sat Jun 25, 2011 12:42 am
On the regional news they highlighted something going on for the 50th anniversary of the show, they did interview Honor Blackman but aside from being on iplayer until midday or something there's no other record...but this site
http://blogs.chi.ac.uk/theavengers/
Been ages since I've seen the show. Once I've done with Batman I'll speed back to it sharpish.
tiffanywint Potential 00 Agent
Posts : 3675 Member Since : 2011-03-16 Location : making mudpies
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:05 am
This link below is a great Avengers reference and info site. Very well done. http://declassified.theavengers.tv/introduction.htm I was quite pleased that for the 50th anniversary (2011) the complete series has been released on one set as of May 2011. http://declassified.theavengers.tv/avengernews_optimum_complete.htm This is truly the complete set. It's got complete Series 2-6 plus the complete salvagable bits from Series 1 ( 2 complete episodes and the first Act of the debut show. The rest of Series One is lost.) Unfortunately it seems to be only a Region 2 Europe, dvd-release so it won't play on North American Region 1 players. I can only hope this true complete set, finds its way to Region 1 quick.
I'd love to get the Emma Peel series' though each set seems to average £60.
Lazenby. Head of Station
Posts : 1274 Member Since : 2010-04-15 Location : 1969
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:53 am
Sharky wrote:
I loved THE AVENGERS, and still do. Grew up with repeats, and always had a huge crush on Diana Rigg in *that* leather suit.
Same here.
Hilly wrote:
I'd love to get the Emma Peel series' though each set seems to average £60.
Yep, it's such a shame so many other TV box sets are pretty affordable, yet every time I look into buying The Avengers, it seems like it would cost me the earth to do so. Thus all I have is the complete box set of The New Avengers, which was very affordable, though obviously due to it being a far shorter-running series.
tiffanywint Potential 00 Agent
Posts : 3675 Member Since : 2011-03-16 Location : making mudpies
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Fri Sep 23, 2011 4:45 am
Yes the price is rather daunting but its nice to know that such a set does finally exist. Hopefully Amazon re-sellers or Ebay might eventually offer up better deals. I don't mind waiting these things out and keeping an eye on the prices.
Interesing, I read on the Declassifed Avengers website that although the Avengers TV series pre-dates the first Bond movie by a year, the impetus for the new series was very much driven by the popularity of the Fleming novels. The creators correctly surmised that spy drama might be a coming trend in TV.
Guest Guest
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Tue Oct 11, 2011 5:30 pm
I know this is The New Avengers but interesting nonetheless... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8819927/Joanna-Lumleys-Avengers-character-should-have-been-called-Charlie.html Joanna Lumley's Avengers character should have been called Charlie Joanna Lumley has revealed that her character in the 1960s television series The Avengers was originally named Charlie 11 Oct 2011 However the actress complained that it was the same name as a popular perfume and coincided with the TV programme Charlie's Angels. Instead, the female sidekick to the suave Steed became Purdy. Lumley told an audience at Cheltenham Literature Festival that she suggested Purdy and it was accepted. She then became the darling of hairdressers all over Britain when she created the short bob hairstyle for her character. Lumley said that the programme makers "bought the change of name and they also bought my short haircut", which was going against the fashion of the time for very long hair. "They said they had never had a heroine on screen with short hair," she said. "If they didn't like it, I'd have to pay for a wig and wear it throughout the show." She went to a London hairdressers who had a young hairdresser there called John Frieda. Lumley gave him instructions to cut it like a "prep schoolboy". "A boy with long red hair holding the Kirby grips was Nicky Clarke," she said. "Luckily the world loved it and I became the patron saint of hairdressers. Suddenly the Purdy haircutbecame fashionable and hairdressers were thrilled with me." Remembering the Avengers, Joanna said she enjoyed working with the cream of British actors and did all her own stunts - except motorcycling. "Colin was my stunt man. He had to shave his legs!" She said there was a real bond between her and Patrick Macnee (Steed) and Gareth Hunt. She had to do all the gun-slinging because Patrick, having served in the War, would have nothing to do with guns. "He'd only poke someone occasionally with his umbrella," she said.
6of1 Cipher Clerk
Posts : 137 Member Since : 2011-03-21
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Tue Oct 11, 2011 7:26 pm
I remember having read at the time Lumley got to choose her own name, finally settling for the name of the finest shotgun . Lumley was originally hired with long Farah Fawcett mane, the intent being to copy Fawcett's style from 'Charlie's Angles'. You can still see the style in the first trailer that shows scenes from the first two finished episodes, and a short glimpse of screen test material where she steps aside a door that is forced open by Gambit with his gun ready. It's only a second or so but you can judge whether the short bob was an improvement. IMO definitely yes.
j7wild Head of Station
Posts : 2038 Member Since : 2011-09-10
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Tue Jun 12, 2012 3:07 am
The 5 Diana Rigg's episodes ABC (American Broadcasting Company) refused to broadcast!!
Emma does the dance of the seven veils starting at 38:40
The White Tuxedo 00 Agent
Posts : 6062 Member Since : 2011-03-14 Location : ELdorado 5-9970
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Tue Jun 12, 2012 3:14 am
"ths iz gey were iz teh hulk?.j"
Hilly Administrator
Posts : 8059 Member Since : 2010-05-13
Subject: Re: The Avengers (1961-1969) Wed Jun 13, 2012 12:21 am