Reader Tips

Reader Tips 38 Comments
 
 

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to SDA Late Nite Radio. Tonight, for your delectation, here are Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg performing the roles of Major John Steed and Mrs. Emma Peel in The Town of No Return, II, III, IV, & V episode of The Avengers.

This was the first episode in the first full year that featured Dame Rigg: 1965. As a student of this type of genre, I must say, it really is a treat to have this kind of history available via YouTube, transient though the availability may be.

Your Reader Tips are, as always, welcome in the comments.

The following is from: http://theavengers.tv/forever/profile.htm …

For the uninitiated, The Avengers is a stylish blend of espionage, fantasy and quasi-science fiction that appeals to Anglophiles who enjoy witty, sentimental, slightly off-beat television, and don’t mind terribly dated plots. This British production acquired quite a global following back in the late sixties […]

Airing in Great Britain from January 1961 through September 1969, and comprising 161 episodes, The Avengers became one of the most popular television series of all time, eventually reaching audiences in 120 countries, a record that still stands today. Much of the show’s international popularity was due to the eventual pairing of Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg as uber-agents John Steed and Emma Peel.

The Steed/Peel episodes have a formula as familiar and comfortable to fans as their favorite bathrobe. Curious events take place (usually involving murder), Steed and Emma investigate, there is a big fight, and at the end our heroes ride off into the sunset, each time via a different mode of transport. Tongue is always firmly implanted in cheek–goofy mad scientists and fiendish enemy spies abound, and their frequent plots to take over the country/world are often downright silly.

What makes all of the absurdity so endearing is the wonderful chemistry between Steed and Emma, and their droll observations on their circumstances, no matter how dire. Interestingly, some of their clever banter was written by Macnee and Rigg, who virtually invented their characters themselves, since the producers were–almost literally–making things up as they went along. Indeed, one of Macnee’s favorite recollections is of an early script that said, “Steed stands there.” But the director demanded he do something more than that. […]

It wasn’t until his third full-time partner, the brilliant Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), that Steed became the highly sophisticated, ultra-British gentleman spy for which he is best known. And while some regard Steed as something of a James Bond knock-off, The Avengers in fact predated the 007 films. (Macnee has remarked that he hated Ian Fleming’s stories, in particular the way James Bond treated women.)

Of course, there is no question that (Dame) Diana Rigg was a strong draw, especially for male viewers, but there’s much more to appreciate than the eye candy she provides. Mrs. Peel is highly intelligent, strong, capable, cool and sophisticated, all of which makes her intensely interesting and an ideal role model for like-minded women. And considering the era of the show, she was way ahead of her time.

[End of excerpts from: http://theavengers.tv/forever/profile.htm]

38 Replies to “Reader Tips”

  2. Ahh, Diana Rigg. Brings back fond pre-pubescent memories of skin tight outfits. The Avengers way outdid Mission Impossible.

  3. that’s strange, the only person I can place from that series, is Diana! … none of the others, but possibly that bowler hat. I loved the campyness, still do.
    sometimes my 14 years old gal fakes a crazy bad London accent… to this day, it’s 100% effective for smiles.

  4. My favourite show for a little while.
    I remember an episode, where Steed had to don a pair of boots, and when asked his size, he replied “eights”. I was about age 12, at the time, and couldn’t believe a full grown man could wear size 8 boots. For many years, I thought British people must be on the puny side. My teenage brother had size 11 feet, and my mom wore 9s. That episode still troubles me.

  6. obamaCare….Finally!!! A practical use for those dinky toy “cars”…artificial reefs!!

  7. dp:
    I think shoe sizes in the USA and UK are different. I believe a British 8 is equal to an American 9.
    RE: The missing Monk of Regina. That was good story!! Reminds me of the joke where a monestary was running low on funds so they decided to start selling fish and chips, as they were close to a highway.
    One day the food supplier rings the doorbell–an old monk answers.
    “What can I do for you,” asks the monk
    “I’m looking for the fish frier,” says the salesman.
    “He’s out at the moment, but I’ll go get the chip monk.”

  10. Joe- I did find out about shoe size, but for quite awhile, I was confused by that episode.
    Before the era of hip, British TV shows, all a kid could relate to were westerns, and “Combat”. I’m pretty sure no one on those shows was smaller than size 10. In fact, kids used to lie about their shoe size. One of my brothers wore size 12 his whole life, even though he’s a 10 and 1/2.

  12. Daniel- I’d lost track of Michael Moriarty. I must say, I’m very surprised he’s kept his wit. His lifestyle was not conducive to brain cell conservation. Did he turn over a new leaf? His writing is sharp as a tack.
    He spent some time in Halifax, mostly as a barfly, in some pretty scary establishments. I heard he took a terrible beating, outside a Vancouver dive, not long ago. He must be a tough SOB.

  13. Finally and at last – goodbye, farewell and good ridance to KHS. Asshole extraordinaire!

  16. OK. Diana Rigg. Leather. Teenage boy who knew nothing about sex. Lethal combination.

  17. dp RE:”Daniel- I’d lost track of Michael Moriarty.” I recently saw him in a jazz performance at a Vancouver restaurant. He is very talented. He also seemed a bit frail — maybe the result of that beating. I did not know he blogs occasionally. Thanks for posting the link, Daniel. Interesting stuff.

  18. Re: Captain Michael Scott Speicher, F/A-18 Hornet Pilot, USN; 1958 – January 17, 1991.
    It was reported (by the CBC and FOX News) that when a group of Bedouin came across Capt. Speicher’s remains on January 18, 1991 (the day after he was shot down), they gave him a proper burial in the desert – even though he was a “kafir”; even though they could have left his “haram” remains to the desert hawks. Apparently the Bedouin’s hatred of Saddam was greater then their wariness of Christians.
    That said – I have no idea whether he was buried facing Mecca, or towards Jerusalem.

  19. Also one of my favourite shows along with the Outer Limits, Twilite Zone, Time Tunnel, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Invaders. Next please.

  20. remember janet reno? att’y general in the jimmy cahtah term?
    Michael Moriarty’s tenure as DA for NYC was cut short when reno, in Mr Moriarty’s words ‘KGBed’ him.
    apparently a television actor was a threat to the stability of the cahtah regime and jummy cahtah allowed it to happen. emphasis on ‘stab’ in ‘stability’.
    true story. I saw the interview with Michael Moriarty. it was a major reason he took up residence in the maritimes for a while, doing films. see, I gots a real real real vast long recollection for this kind of stuff. it is why I chafe at the hero worship endemic in politics.

  22. Loved “The Avengers”. Thanks so much for the links. Diana Rigg – thanks for helping me through puberty.

  23. Tony Blair’s Britain – Thousands of the worst families in England are to be put in “sin bins” in a bid to change their bad behaviour, Ed Balls announced yesterday. The Children’s Secretary set out £400million plans to put 20,000 problem families under 24-hour CCTV super-vision in their own homes.

  24. Finally,a major newspaper is starting to ask questions about the ‘wafergate’ fabrication. Unfortunately it is the NYT,the Canadian media have already swept it under the rug and are hoping that it remains there. Via Bourque,—http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/business/media/03paper.html?_r=2 .

  27. The Avengers was such an elegant series. The stories were cold war era themes with delicious British humour and style. No gore but lots of upper crust language and stylized violence. Cheers.

  29. O’s Beer Belly socialism.
    The religion of socialism is the religion of the stomach*.
    As anon said: Work is the curse of the drinking class.
    …-
    “Beer summit sparks fight between MADD and alcohol lobby
    President Obama’s beer summit might have created a media frenzy, but not everyone was excited about the message it sent about drinking.
    Placing alcohol at the center of a political firestorm has sparked a war of words between Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the pro-alcohol lobby.
    Nancy Raynor, the President of the Delaware chapter of MADD, told radio station WDEL this weekend that the beer summit may send an inappropriate signal to young people.
    “It’s a well known fact that young people tend to mimic the actions they see of the adults,” Raynor said.
    Now, the alcohol lobby is firing back, accusing MADD of promoting an unreasonably broad, anti-alcohol position.”
    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2307313/posts
    *The psychology of socialism – Google Books Result
    by Gustave Le Bon – 1982 – Political Science – 415 pages
    The stomach would be the prime cause and the end of humanity. As a Marxist has maintained, Socialism is in effect nothing but the religion of the stomach. …
    books.google.ca/books?isbn=0878557032…

  31. If nominations for further Avengers episodes can be entertained, one absolutely must vote for A Touch of Brimstone from series 4 (episode 99)…the most watched first-run episode ever…but banned in the USA!
    “Steed Joins the Hellfire Club
    Emma Becomes the Queen of Sin”

  36. LOL, check out Hedy Fry at yesterday’s Pride Parade in Vancouver:
    //www.straight.com/files/images/Pride200907Fry-SH.jpg

  38. hahaha, soccermom!! That pic of idiot hedy fry tells you all you need to know about the typical liberal voter.
    Haven’t. Got. A. Friggin’. CLUE.
    mhb

Proudly powered by WordPress & Skyrocket Themes

MENU

Navigation