THE AVENGERS in TV Terrors Forum

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THE AVENGERS

Author	Comment
oldmanster	Re: THE AVENGERS	#41	[-]
Sep 11 06 7:26 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	BB, the VHS boxed sets show up regularly at Half Price Books. If I run across the Peel/Steed eps, I'll pick them up and send them to you. ... Reed
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blackbiped	Re: THE AVENGERS	#42	[-]
Sep 11 06 11:27 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to afford them. My finances are always in a state of flux right now. Legend, oh legend, the third wheel legend...always in the way.
BijouBob8mm	Re: The Pretenders' AVENGERS homage	#43	[-]
Apr 26 07 4:49 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Does anyone remember the AVENGERS-style music video Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders did for their song, "Don't Get Me Wrong?" Even John Steed, himself, got in on the act, with Patrick MacNee making a cameo appearance. Although the quality is about average for YouTube, give it a look at www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Bj8wrXslk
John T Chance	Re: THE AVENGERS	#44	[-]
Apr 27 07 7:25 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Nice to see an AVENGERS thread here...even though it was mostly a spy show, enough of the episodes had a creepy or surreal atmosphere to qualify them as peripheral horror, IMO. As a happy recent owner of A & E's Emma Peel Megaset, I've been watching a number of these lately and enjoying the heck out of them. Many of the B & W episodes are ones I've never seen before. "Man-Eater of Surrey Green" was very enjoyable, and quite different from (and more explicitly sci-fi than) the usual Avengers' story. Such a special show. The chemistry between the leads was/is perfect, and of course I never get tired of watching the luminous Diana Rigg prance around the screen. As for the rest of Steed's partners, I remember liking Purdey and Gambit from THE NEW AVENGERS, haven't watched many Honor Blackman eps (she seems overly sharp with our Steed) and don't care much for Linda Thorsen (though there ARE some good eps amidst the dross). I need to check out those 2 1/3 Ian Hendry eps soon as well.
rvoyttbots	Re: THE AVENGERS	#45	[-]
Apr 27 07 7:53 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	On the video, I believe split screen was used and stock footage from the series. Terrible song.
BijouBob8mm	Re: THE AVENGERS	#46	[-]
May 1 07 1:59 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* don't care much for Linda Thorsen (though there ARE some good eps amidst the dross). If I recall, Brian Clemens said he and Albert Fennell were dropped from the show soon after the Thorsen run began, because the powers-that-be wanted a fresh approach. The show soon began to have problems, and the pair were brought back to get things smoothed out.
drmedula	Re: THE AVENGERS	#47	[-]
May 1 07 2:53 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Actually, Clemens left just BEFORE Thorson was cast, and he's made no secret of the fact he thinks she was all wrong for the job.
BijouBob8mm	Re: THE AVENGERS	#48	[-]
May 1 07 2:59 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	She wasn't the best of Steed's associates, but I do feel they could have done more with the character. (Look at how she was handled in the final Rigg episode...a bit too ditzy.) Overall, the scripts for most of the Thorson run were not up to par.
yendor1152	Re: THE AVENGERS	#49	[-]
May 1 07 7:24 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I watched The Avengers (beginning with the color Rigg episodes) way back when and enjoyed them immensely. What I didn't like about Tara/Linda Thorsen was her "look." After the VERY modern (and svelte) Emma Peel, Tara looked clunky, chunky, and her hair was short and too curly. Where Emma was laidback and smooth, Tara seemed caught up in the "60's bird" thing, complete with mini-skirts and lots and lots of make-up. Dana Rigg's Emma Peel is a true iconic character--something for the Ages. Tara "Boomdeay" is only an afterthought. Rod
Red Gargon	Re: THE AVENGERS	#50	[-]
May 1 07 7:35 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* Overall, the scripts for most of the Thorson run were not up to par. Actually I think the scripts were the least of the problems. Everything in the Thorson series just seems tired. Macnee gained weight and looks like he'd often rather be anywhere else, the direction and art direction stops being innovative and goes by-the-numbers. Just seems like the production team gave up. Thorson was a good actor and had the potential to be better than she was - but it seems like she didn't get much guidance. Her character and look was everywhere and nowhere. There are a handful of good episodes, but strangely they're often either Thorson solos ("Wish You Were Here" - a PRISONER spoof) or Macnee solos ("Killer", "Take-Over"). They just didn't have the chemistry together. There are some latter-day revisionists that claim the "Tara" years are the best ones, but that's a pretty big horse pill for me to swallow, I just don't see it compared to the sheer luxury of the Rigg series (particularly the B/W season).
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rvoyttbots	Re: THE AVENGERS	#51	[-]
May 1 07 9:19 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Red Gargon wrote: "There are some latter-day revisionists that claim the "Tara" years are the best ones, ..." The Thorson years are the best? Holy cow, Batman. Just awful things for the most part. I hated the Mother character and there was that horrible clip show towards the end with Mother talking the whole episode thru. Last Edited By: rvoyttbots Jan 2 09 9:23 AM. Edited 1 times.
Lawrence Nepodahl	Re: THE AVENGERS	#52	[-]
May 1 07 9:51 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	There were a few with Macnee and Thorson that I like. But, I would tend to agree that the chemistry just wasn't there. But, I still like watching the ones with Linda Thorson. Mainly, because she was such "A Babe!" She had/has the most beautiful eyes, I've ever witnessed in an actress.
grgstv338	Re: THE AVENGERS	#53	[-]
May 2 07 1:07 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Brian Clemens has actually stated that some of the scripts from the Tara King era are among his favorites. What hurt the Tara character is that there wasn't, in the beginning at least, a clear agreement about how she should have been played. She'd bounce back and forth between young novice spy and super-assured Avenger girl. It also shouldn't be overlooked that by that time the Avengers had been on for nearly an entire decade - a certain amount of fatigue was bound to set in eventually.
blackbiped	Re: THE AVENGERS	#54	[-]
May 2 07 6:05 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	When Diana left and the Thorson episodes began, it was like being madly in love with one woman but having to participate in a pre-arranged marriage with another. The new opening sequence with those roulette-wheel lips and the crapization of the elegant main title music was the harbinger of the series' doom and a traumatic event in my childhood. Legend, oh legend, the third wheel legend...always in the way. My MySpace Page
drmedula	Re: THE AVENGERS	#55	[-]
May 2 07 7:30 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Patrick MacNee, once asked to choose his favourite AVENGERS girl, naturally refused to answer (being a gentleman, of course), but did make an interesting observation: he suspected that A fan's favourite was often determined by which one he saw FIRST... There may be something to this; Thorson was most popular in France, where her episodes were the earliest broadcast, and Honor Blackman's following remains strong in Britain. (And fans under a certain age frequently choose Joanna Lumley!)
John T Chance	Re: THE AVENGERS	#56	[-]
May 2 07 7:46 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	That's an interesting observation about the first AVENGERS girl viewers watch regularly becoming their favorite (somewhat akin to DOCTOR WHO fans and their first viewed Doctor)...but it only goes so far, IMO. Frankly, I just can't see how anyone can prefer the Tara King episodes over the Emma Peel ones. I do think that Linda Thorsen is a decent actress (she does have gorgeous eyes) and indeed some of the scripts from that period are pretty sharp -- but as others have noted, the chemistry between her and Macnee was severely lacking. Whereas I doubt anyone can fault the amazing, intimate chemistry between Macnee and Rigg. I've been ping-ponging back-and-forth between the B & W and color Mrs. Peel eps, and it's fun to compare their respective merits. I do find the monochrome eps more atmospheric and a trifle harder-edged (if such a thing can be said about THE AVENGERS), but equally enjoy the eye-popping art design and cinematography -- not to mention the increasingly insane and/or surreal plots-- of the color eps. "The Superlative Seven" was a fun TEN LITTLE INDIANS riff, and it was a joy to see such a star-studded supporting cast: Brian Blessed, Donald Sutherland and Charlotte Rampling...all looking so very, very young.
BijouBob8mm	Re: THE AVENGERS	#57	[-]
May 2 07 10:06 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* There are a handful of good episodes, but strangely they're often either Thorson solos ("Wish You Were Here" - a PRISONER spoof) One of the few I've yet to see. *Quote:* The Thorson years are the best? Holy cow, Batman. Did someone say that? If so, I've overlooked that post. *Quote:* Patrick MacNee, once asked to choose his favourite AVENGERS girl, naturally refused to answer (being a gentleman, of course) Several years ago, Macnee was being interviewed and, of course, the subject of THE AVENGERS came up. The actor said he'd been rather harsh in his opinion of Linda Thorson over the years but, in retrospect, had come to appreciate her. *Quote:* I do find the monochrome eps more atmospheric and a trifle harder-edged (if such a thing can be said about THE AVENGERS) That can certainly be said of the Honor Blackman era. I know at least one of Blackman's episodes was remade as an Emma Peel episode, using a new title. ("The Correct Way to Kill.") Jog my memory; wasn't there at least one more earlier episode redone with Rigg?
Red Gargon	Re: THE AVENGERS	#58	[-]
May 2 07 10:28 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* wasn't there at least one more earlier episode redone with Rigg? Yes, "Correct Way to Kill" is a loose remake of "The Charmers". The two others were: "Death of a Great Dane" (Blackman) became "The £50,000 Breakfast" (Rigg) and "Don't Look Behind You" (Blackman) became "The Joker" (Rigg). Since we're discussing the merits of the AVENGERS ladies, I'll voice some support for Honor Blackman. She's great in the role, but the series was very different then, not only technically, but Steed was a true shady rascal with a frequently adversarial relationship to Mrs. Gale. The rough quality of the surviving materials (particularly the audio) makes them a difficult sit, but they can be really rewarding on some levels.
BijouBob8mm	Re: THE AVENGERS	#59	[-]
May 2 07 11:23 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks, Red. "Death of a Great Dane" was the one I couldn't recall, and I'm not sure if I knew about "Don't Look Behind You" or not. While the Rigg years are my favorites, I do like the fact that in those early shows you're never really sure on which side of the law Steed spends most of his time.
grgstv338	Re: THE AVENGERS	#60	[-]
May 2 07 2:50 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	For those interested in learning more about this great show, the best site I can recommend is The Avengers Forever. I don't think anyone here has claimed the Tara King episodes are their favorites, but that is an opinion held by some. Sometimes opinions get rather heated at places like The Avengers.TV International Forum. Another thing to keep in mind re Linda Thorson is that she was, at the time she got the role, the youngest and most inexperienced of those who played Steed's partner. (As some have noted re the original series, as Steed got older, his partners got younger!)
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