The New Avengers '76 (1978)

Sometimes dismissed as a pale descendant of a great original, The New Avengers deserves a second look and is perhaps best considered as a largely successful attempt to re-imagine its predecessor for 1970s audiences. Patrick Macnee was never the most convincing of action heroes, and the decision to make his John Steed the supervisor and mentor of two younger agents was a sensible one--Steed's virtues are style, wisdom, and fortitude rather than physical prowess. Gareth Hunt's Gambit has an unattractively smug side, but also has charm. Joanna Lumley's Purdey is one of the most attractive heroines of genre television, astonishingly leggy and beautiful. Those who only know her later incarnation as Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous will now understand why such a fuss is made over her. The script team overlaps heavily with that of the original series; the new show has the same quirkiness, only occasionally varying it with a rather darker Le Carré-esque complexity or sudden outbreaks of Hammer Horror. If it lacks some of the sheer style of the original, that is a reflection of its period--the 1970s were less visually imaginative than the '60s. Tightly plotted and imaginatively cast with interesting guest stars, it is only with The Avengers that The New Avengers suffers by comparison. --Roz Kaveney Amazon.com

LOVE IT!

I own almost all the avengers sets now - and was running out of things to watch. I wasn't sure about the new avengers, but I read some reviews that said it was still some good Avengers.
So I chanced it. At first I didn't like the new set-up, with 3 people and Steed just seems to be a mentor. But, I really started getting into it, they still, have the crazy off the wall stories - and Purdy and Gambit have great chemistry together. April 27, 2008

'Twas "MOTHER" killed The Avengers...

...But it was Clemens & Co. that tried to resurrect them from the dead, just like Dr.Frankenstein. And just like in the classic story that sprang from the darkest wells of the mind of a famous poets young bride so very long ago, "The New Avengers" '76 and '77 came crashing down in a blazing pile of rubble and heartbreaking agony! - "The dead should remain dead." October 4, 2007

A treat to watch....

This box set is a welcome addition to anyone's collection; anyone, that is, who loves 70's TV from England! The acting of the three leads, MacNee, Hunt and Lumley is first-rate. The banter is a delight. The pseudo-sexual tension between Hunt and Lumley is always fun. The stories are unique and bring in wonderful guest stars like Peter Cushing and Ian Hendry (the latter was the original Avenger Dr. Keel in the first Avengers episode way back when). The theme music is jaunty and a wonderful derivative of that of the original series. This is a must for any lover of outstanding TV! July 2, 2007

The greatest show of all time!

A month and a half ago I got the first season of The New Avengers, and truly I tell you this was the greatest two season show of all time and in my opinion the greatest show of all time period! I have watched the 13 episodes and enjoyed them all. I have begun watching it all over and I never seem to get tired of it. And can't wait to get the second season soon! I am well pleased with this DVD box set of The New Avengers!

My favorite episodes from season 76 are Target, The Eagle's Nest, and Faces, Dirtier by the Dozen.

The show was made in the 70's and yet still holds out well today. It is timeless, love the locations, the filming style, the music, all of it. The New Avengers was a big international hit, and was also a show ahead of it's time. Some of it's episodes about cloning, robots, ruthless villains wanting to bring harm to the world or control it, and other stuff could be related to today's current events.

But the biggest thing was the The New Avengers themselves Steed, Purdey, Gambit, good repore between them and they were fun to watch. Another big, big thing was style, this show had a great style that I have never seen being matched by any other show.

It's the best and it's my favorite show of all time!
March 10, 2006

What fun!

The New Avengers is just as good as the "Old" Avengers in its own quirky way. I love the banter between Purdy and Gambit. I love the fact that Steed is still Steed, not some modernized version of himself. All around great fun! July 4, 2005

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