Avengers '65 - Set 1, Vols. 1 & 2 (1966)

A toast to A&E for releasing this two-volume set of vintage episodes from the fourth season of The Avengers. The Avengers debuted in Great Britain in 1961 (predating the James Bond films), but it was not until the late 1960s that it found a welcome home in the United States. Unlike other baby-boomer-era series, The Avengers was not widely syndicated or officially released on home video. This may be one reason why these rarely seen episodes seem as cool as when they first aired. Another reason, of course, is Diana Rigg in her signature role as the ravishing Emma Peel, partner to Patrick Macnee's urbane, umbrella-toting spy John Steed who is every bit his equal in dispatching villains or engaging in provocative banter. What makes this collection of particular interest is that these episodes introduced Mrs. Peel. Steed and Mrs. Peel were the Mulder and Scully of their time; they investigated extraordinary goings-on in the most ordinary locales, such as a seaside town populated by sinister imposters, in "The Town of No Return" or a department store that has been rigged with a nuclear bomb, in "Death at Bargain Prices." Also included is "The Cybernauts," which was the first Avengers episode to be broadcast in America. It is representative of the series' best, with its automated assassins and a colorful madman who plots to install an electronic dictatorship. Other episodes are the haunting "Castle De'ath," "The Gravediggers," and "The Master Minds." All are in glorious black and white and highly recommended. --Donald Liebenson Amazon.com essential video

Steed's top partner was Peel!

This is the first half of the 1965 series -- if you're looking for the second half of the '65 entries, go here:

Avengers '65 - Set 2, Vols. 3 & 4

Diana Rigg's career really launched in 1965 from this fine series and in her role as Mrs. Emma Peel, the sexy and lively partner to the refined secret agent Englishman, John Steed, shrewdly played by Patrick Macnee. In fact, in the U.S., most of us didn't even know about Honor Blackman and Macnee's other (earlier) partners until many years later.

Diana Rigg can probably claim about 60% of the credit for the vast number of U.S. audience members who were glued to their TVs when "The Avengers" finally hit here. The other 40% (not forgetting Macnee's fine performances) had to do with the presentation of the series. Starting in 1965, with Rigg, the filmscore was notably updated and played more prominently throughout the story, enhancing the action and suspense. Also, the action itself was boosted. Never a dull moment with Steed and Mrs. Peel. And these episodes were all FUN -- one embraced a sense that Macnee and Rigg were having a great time in making these films. Now that I've seen episodes from "The Avengers'" earlier years, I can see that they dragged quite a bit and were much more soap opera-ish.

Each episode is futuristic and on the cutting edge of excellent television productions. I know of no series, "The Original Star Trek Series" excepted, which has remained as timeless as "The Avengers". You'll encounter, in these episodes, every nemesis ranging from killer robots to mass hypnosis to mendacious merchant marines.

Here, we're talking about six enjoyable, action-packed, black-and-white episodes: "The Cybernauts" (written by Phillip Levine); "Death at Bargain Prices" (written by Brian Clemens); "The Town of No Return" (written by Brian Clemens); "The Gravediggers" (written by Malcolm Hulke); "Castle De'ath" (written by John Lucarotti), and; "The Master Minds" (written by Robert Banks Stewart). A trivia point, "The Town of No Return" was actually filmed twice, the one you WON'T see here having Elizabeth Shepherd in the role that became Diana Rigg's, who replaced her.

It's difficult to evaluate which is the "best" episode in this set. I think that they're all just excellent. The entire series is sort of crazy like "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." but with the great British ambiance of "Doctor Who". If you've never seen "The Avengers" before, you're in for a real treat! January 20, 2008

Not just Nostalgia!

I grew up watching these black and white Emma Peel Avenger episodes in the UK. But when I came to search for them on Amazon.co.uk I could only find entire collections that were both expensive and rare. I was really surprised when I found exactly what I was looking for here on the American version. Obviously it's the American market where the Avengers is popular enough to get the all-star treatment in these relatively cheap and good quality dvd sets spanning the entire Avengers archive. This, off course, was my 1st purchase- the introduction of (cross her at your peril!) Mrs. Emma Peel.

While these 6 Avenger missions can veer into the ridiculous and times have obviously changed since 1965, amazingly these stories are still completely valid, yet surreal investigations into the under-belly of criminal Britain. You couldn't reproduce the magic of the show for a modern audience, as the Avengers movie certainly proved, but thankfully you can still watch the original episodes as if no time had passed and be thoroughly immersed in the strangeness that is the Avengers' world.

My impression of this 1965 set (beginning the Steed-Peel partnership) is that these are not the best of their collaborations (obviously the best is yet to come and I'll definitely be acquiring those very soon). But this isn't because Diana Rigg takes time to adjust to the part (far from it- right from the outset she makes her role as Steed's equal partner in crime-solving her own)- it's more that my personal episode favourites come later on in her tenure. Although that's not to say that these episodes aren't inventive, thrilling and involving, because they are- VERY much so and I would definitely advise you to begin your Avengers DVD collection with this little gem that has weathered the past 40 years incredibly well indeed.

Episode (1) 'The Town of No Return'
A great Cold war-influenced story with a horror-movie feel- 8/10

Episode (2) 'The Gravediggers'
Peppered with quintessentially English set peices, it's funny and inventive!- 8/10

Episode (3) 'The Cybernauts'
A mad inventor, an unstoppable fighter and high-kicking action from Emma!- 9/10

Episode (4) 'Death at Bargain Prices'
A department store conspiracy, but light on originality and tension- 6/10

Episode (5) 'Castle De'Ath'
Atmospheric and intriguing (if somewhat plodding)- the under-cover routine is still proving a winner (plus, the ending is pure Avengers class!)- 7/10

Episode (6) 'The Master Minds'
Emma in a nurse's costume along with hypnosis and anarchy in the aristocracy- interesting/confusing/amusing, but a bit slow- 6/10 January 6, 2005

The introductions of Emma Peel

Episodes in Volume 1 & 2 - 1965 introduce the dazzling and vivacious Mrs. Emma Peel. Most people know Mrs. Peel, but they little recall Dr. Katherine Gale (1962-64), played by Honor Blackman, she followed Steed's original partner - a male Dr. David Keel (Ian Hendry 1961-62). Blackman had left to be a Bond gal in "Goldfinger". Over the year, Steed (Macnee) proved he could hold "The Avengers" down while a parade of partners waltzed in and out of the series. But none made the impression Mrs. Peel did. She was a thorough, self-contained woman. She was smart, able to fight like a man and was beautiful, what the women of the late 70s would be aiming for, so you might say, she was the first really strong figure on telly for women to use as an idol.

You are introduced to Mrs. Peel in six great episodes in this series.

1) "The Town of No Return" - Mrs. Peel and Steed must travel to Little Bazely-by-the-Sea. (Note of interest is Mr. Smallwood, a character in this episode, goes on to play "Mother" in the Tara King ear). This episode was originally filmed with Elizabeth Sheppard as Steed's partner Mrs. Emma Peel. She was immediately replaced with Diana Rigg and the rest is history! Steel and Mrs. Peel are sent to uncover a conspiracy of a small sea side town, when it's actually a launching spot to take over all of Britain
2) "The Gravediggers" is a very jolly episode - a fault develops in Britain's radar. it ends with Emma tied to a miniature railroad in the manners of the old "Perils of Pauline" and Steed must ride to the rescue
3) "The Cybernauts" is the best episode (in the B&W) and the only one to have sequels - "The Return of the Cybernauts" with Peter Cushing, filmed in color and "The Last of the Cybernauts with Purdey", Steel and Gambit in the
New Avengers. Veteran horror actor Michael Gough plays a man confined to a wheel chair who has perfected the radio controlled Cybernaut. Then tension in this episode is amazing. Rigg really comes into her own in this one.
4) "Death at Bargain Prices" has Emma going undercover in the women's lingerie where they discover the whole store is not as it would seem
5) "Castle De'ath" is a great episode where the past and present collide in a medieval chamber of horrors, forcing the dashing Steele and delectable Emma to fight a modern menace with dirk and claymore.
6) "The Master Minds" has public servant running amok, pity that, Steed and Mrs. Peel go undercover at a school for intellectuals. They must face hypnosis and fight to save the say

They are just a delight to enjoy in the sharp DVD format. With writing and directing from names like Brian Clemens and Roy Baker.
October 11, 2004

Deadly Dame Peel.

I have been a huge fan of this series since first seeing it as a kid. My admiration has not diminished for this groundbreaking series. Leave it to the classy Brits to come up with the first "strong woman" of television. The first time I saw Diana Rigg as "Mrs. Emma Peel", I was hooked. Don't get me wrong, I loved Patrick Macnee as "John Steed", so cool in his fabulous English suits and walking stick. But, it was Mrs. Peel that had me fascinated. Oh, the excitement I'd feel when she donned one of her skin-tight body suits, then you KNEW a battle was soon to follow. One of the best things about this series, and one that was remarkable for that time, was the equality of both their characters. Steed had total respect for Mrs. Peel, and she got him out of many scrapes, usually dispatching her opponent with a few karate chops. To see a woman, indeed an incredibly sexy woman, display strength, power, intelligence, and beauty, all in one portrayal, was absolutely unheard of at that time. What they had is called CHEMISTRY, and, it is rare. Though partners against the evil forces that be, who used their brains as much as their physical prowess, their underlying flirtation with each other via witty repartee never waned, and was a big part of their success. I must admit to sadness when Diana Rigg's Mrs. Peel left the series. I tried to get into the new character, a lovely Brit girl whose name was, I think, Linda Thorson(?). But, no, Mrs. Peel was irreplacable, my heart was broken, and I, like many, abandoned the series from that point on. Though this dvd contains one of my favorite episodes, "The Cybernauts", I still intend on getting the entire "Mrs. Peel" collection, it's on my future "must-have" list. This series also had one of my all-time favorite intros, it excites to this day. Maybe those younger will not totally appreciate the lack of computerized special effects of this time period. But, for me, there was more excitement, beauty, and intelligence in Diana Riggs Mrs. Peel than in any Anjelia Jolie opus. Mrs. Peel remains the personification of Strong Woman, against whom all other strong-woman-glamour-pusses are measured.... yet pale. The one whose beauty, brains, and power were made to be worshipped, and, worship her you shall! December 19, 2003

New partner for Steed

These DVD's from A&E represent the best known and certainly the most popular era of the long running British TV fantasy-adventure series "The Avengers." Made between 1965 and 1966, all 26 episodes of the fourth season of the show are available here on eight discs in four sets, or two at a time.

When Honor Blackman (Mrs. Cathy Gale) left the series after season 3 to take up the lead role in the Bond movie "Goldfinger," the producers had already made the decision to start filming the series, moving it out of the TV studio and giving it a much glossier and dynamic feel. John Steed (Patrick MacNee), the debonair British government agent stayed on and his new partner was devised by the production team to be another tough, all-action girl with "Man Appeal." M-Appeal (geddit?) Elizabeth Shepherd was cast as Mrs. Emma Peel and two episodes were filmed before it was mutually agreed that she didn't meet the expectations of the production team. A quick replacement was sought and in stepped Diana Rigg. A TV legend was born.

The relationship between Steed and Mrs. Gale had always been haughty to say the least. With the introduction of the widowed (or seemingly) Mrs. Peel, the relationship between the two leads became much closer with a great deal of sexual tension. Mrs. Peel was as intelligent, quick thinking and emasculated as her predecessor, and initially at least shared her penchant for leather outfits, but she was also certainly softer and more readily prepared to act as Steed's partner in their adventures.

The stories were certainly becoming much more fantasy bound, and the use of diabolical masterminds and organizations with bizarre acronyms became the norm for the stories from this series on. The fantasy and sci-fi elements of the show were highlighted more than before and the fashions and design of the show took on a much more stylish and indeed 'stylized' look. The success of these elements was immediate, and huge ratings in the UK followed, plus overseas transmissions of the show followed for the first time. Such was their success indeed that another 26 episodes were soon commissioned, this time to be made in color.

The stories have supposedly been digitally re-mastered for these DVD releases, and indeed the picture quality is pretty impressive, but there is still sparkle and dirt on the prints that may detract from the quality for some viewers. The 26 episodes are presented in the same order of their original UK transmission. Unfortunately, as with all the A&E Avengers releases, there are no extras at all. Not even production notes. However, there are menus included, which are nicely done.

This for me is the very best season of the show, with great style and wit accompanying the excellent scripts, direction and production values. I'd certainly recommend this release to anyone. May 5, 2003

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