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Post by silentseason on Jul 9, 2014 14:46:50 GMT -5
Any fans of Steed and Peel around? Recently started rewatching The Avengers again. Silly sci-fi/spy stuff, but done with a touch of class. I prefer the black/white over the color episodes, but they are all a fun escape into 60's TV.
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Post by zombiewhacker on Jul 10, 2014 21:39:53 GMT -5
Though I loved The Avengers as a kid, regretfully the majority of eps have not stood the test of time.
Macnee and Rigg made an ideal team, to be sure, but the writing was too often pedestrian and overly campy (and not in a good way) while the action sequences tended to be poorly staged, even inept.
That said, I still have great affection for the show (mostly out of nostalgia) and recently bought a few VHS tapes from my local library. Among the episodes that I did enjoy were:
"The Hour That Never Was." (B&W)
Steed and Peel arrive at a military base only to discover that virtually all the personnel stationed there have vanished.
"Man-Eater of Surrey Green." (B&W)
One of the better sci-fi eps from the series. Hard to describe without spoilers, so I'll leave it at that.
"Return of the Cybernauts."
One of the great pleasures of watching a British TV series from the sixties is the virtual who's who of Hammer/Amicus horror stars making guest appearances on the show. This episode features Peter Cushing at his villanous best as a mad scientist out for revenge against Steed and Peel.
"Never Never Say Die."
And where one goes, the other is bound to follow: this time it's Christopher Lee menacing Steed and Peel.
"The Superlative Seven."
This ep really rings in the guest stars: Charlotte Rampling, Donald Sutherland, and Brian Blessed! Despite the title, this is really a riff on "Ten Little Indians." Great fun, even though Steed gets more to do here than Peel.
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Post by kidflash on Jul 20, 2014 21:02:52 GMT -5
Got into the show because I was curious after seeing the movie opening weekend. Thought it was great fun. Haven't watched any eps in a long time, though - never did get that uber-set A&E sold here in the US, and who knows what that thing's worth now? (There are season sets available in the UK.) Kind of surprised that no one's attempted a reboot in the wake of Doctor Who's huge international success, but the movie probably soured interest.
Also, this sounds like a perfect choice for the numerous digital sub-channels here Stateside. I'd think rights might be a little beyond their budget, however.
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Post by zombiewhacker on Jul 21, 2014 1:58:30 GMT -5
Also, this sounds like a perfect choice for the numerous digital sub-channels here Stateside. I'd think rights might be a little beyond their budget, however. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the same cable channel that's currently re-running old Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes also carrying The Avengers?
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Post by kidflash on Jul 21, 2014 9:20:28 GMT -5
Also, this sounds like a perfect choice for the numerous digital sub-channels here Stateside. I'd think rights might be a little beyond their budget, however. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the same cable channel that's currently re-running old Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes also carrying The Avengers? They aren't, no. www.myretrotv.com/shows.html
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Post by zombiewhacker on Jul 21, 2014 12:41:09 GMT -5
My mistake. I was thinking of Cozi.
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Post by zombiewhacker on Jul 22, 2014 20:06:12 GMT -5
Haven't watched any eps in a long time, though - never did get that uber-set A&E sold here in the US, and who knows what that thing's worth now? (There are season sets available in the UK.) Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention this: the Emma Peel DVD megaset was released in the US last year and is still available on Amazon.
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Post by kidflash on Jul 23, 2014 10:07:11 GMT -5
Oh wow! That's absurdly affordable...
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Post by zombiewhacker on Sept 1, 2014 2:28:22 GMT -5
Watching more of the B&W episodes now, and silentseason was right, the B&W ones were far superior. The complaints I made above were mostly directed at the color episodes.
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Post by RedTom on Sept 2, 2014 2:34:23 GMT -5
I have seen a few episodes, and unfortunately they had to make a movie based off of them! The show was pretty good, and on my Dad's Local station it came on before Get Smart and Wild Wild West, so watching it with my Dad is a good recent memory.
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Post by zombiewhacker on Jul 22, 2015 12:51:16 GMT -5
Update: the Blu-ray version is now here.
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Post by GarrettCRW on Jul 23, 2015 11:48:42 GMT -5
It looks like the Blu-rays have severe audio issues, though.
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Post by zombiewhacker on Jul 23, 2015 18:14:24 GMT -5
Unfortunately, yeah. Unless you buy the DVDs and the Blu-Rays, then synch them up and play the Blu-Ray video while listening to the DVD audio.
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Post by GarrettCRW on Jul 24, 2015 0:57:45 GMT -5
Or take the fairly stiff Region B tax and buy the UK Blu-rays with proper sound. (But, then again, I have a region-free Blu-ray player already.)
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Post by Shep on Apr 16, 2017 3:48:05 GMT -5
They screened a couple of the surviving Season 1 episodes over here recently. Really interesting. Ian Hendry played the lead, a police doctor who teams up with John Steed to fight underworld gangsters after his wife is killed. A very different, serious show. Can't imagine it would have run nearly as long had they kept this format, but Hendry (very good actor if you know his work--Get Carter, Lotus Eaters, etc.) is outstanding.
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