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"Now that you've seen me, what do you think?" a gentleman inquires ofhis blind date. She pulls out a gun and fires. This typically provocative prologue sets the stage for a killer episode from the fourth season of The Avengers. John Steed and Emma Peel become clients of Togetherness, an exclusive marriage bureau that also traffics in assassinations. This episode is of note for reportedly being the first in which Diana Rigg portrayed Mrs. Peel. Her character engages in some un-Emmalike behavior, such as when she argues angrily with Steed and later gets tipsy on a bottle of champagne. But all is forgiven with the scene in which she lists her criteria for a husband, among them "stamina." One intriguing question: Did the character of the fashion photographer ("Fabulous, baby, yeah") inspire Mike Myers's Austin Powers?

"A Surfeit of H20" has been ranked by one Avengers-appreciation Web site as among the top five of the Mrs. Peel era. This intoxicating episode really pours it on, with vintage witty dialogue, assorted crackpot characters, and, of course, a diabolical madman--a vintner who is flooding the countryside with his own manmade rain.

Also on this volume is one of the must-own episodes from the fourth, and arguably best, season of The Avengers. The unsettling first half of "The Hour That Never Was" plays like something out of The Twilight Zone. Royal Air Forces Camp 472 in Hamelin is splitting up, and John Steed may be cracking up. He and Mrs. Peel emerge from an auto wreck to find the air base deserted, all the clocks stopped at 11, an unconscious rabbit, and a dead milkman. When Steed returns to the air base, a reunion party with all the previously missing men is in full swing. Nitrous oxide gives the climactic fight with a diabolical dentist a goofy spin. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

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Worth the price of purchase alone is this volume's bonus episode, "TooMany Christmas Trees," which one Avengers-appreciation Web site ranks as the best Emma Peel episode of all time. This "fascinating exercise" (to quote one devilish character) concerns a psychic experiment that gives John Steed deadly nightmares that are coming true. Among the many highlights is the girl of our dreams, Mrs. Peel, helping Steed open his Christmas cards ("Who is Boofums?"). Listen for the in-joke reference to Rigg's predecessor, Honor Blackman, who left the series to star in Goldfinger. Regarding the card from Mrs. Gale, Blackman's character, Steed ponders, "What can she be doing in Fort Knox?" And the sight ofMrs. Peel costumed as Oliver Twist may also cause some sleepless nights!

This volume also contains "The Man-Eater of Surrey Green," a bit of straight-faced silliness about, yes, a man-eating plant from outer space. More down-to-earth is "Two's a Crowd," in which "king of the spies" Colonel Pesev (pronounced "Zev") comes to town. Patrick Macnee does extra duty as Steed and his double, a fashion model ("wearing slacks built for action") named Webster, who is recruited by the Russians to infiltrate a vital meeting of the defense chiefs. Will the unwitting Mrs. Peel be able to tell the difference between the two? In "Dial a Deadly Number," six "dynamic, indispensable" company chairmen have suddenly keeled over. Who ya gonna call? Steed and Mrs. Peel, who make a connection between the untimely deaths, a "bleeper" (pager) pocket pen, and Fitch, a sinister "backroom boy" and mechanical genius. The umbrella-toting Steed actually fires a gun in this episode. The most taut suspense is reserved for the scene in which Steed engages in a duel of palates at a wine tasting. To paraphrase one character, do not deprive yourself of this DVD's company. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Too Many Christmas Trees
Ahead of its time? 'The Avengers" was a popular 1960's British fantasy-adventure series that focused on the exploits of a male-female duo in the service of the British government. The series underwent several changes of its female lead but its one constant male lead was John Steed always portrayed by the debonair Patrick Macnee (Originally the John Steed had two male partners but that format eventually changed). Kathy Gale portrayed by Honor Blackman became Steed's first female partner. However, when Honor Blackman departed the series and Diana Rigg entered as Mrs. Emma Peel, the show became an international sensation. Rigg brought sophistication, wit, charm and beauty, which hid her lethal and highly visual judo and karate abilities. Macnee and Rigg complemented each other beautifully with their carefree witty and charming exchange of dialogue. The show distinguished itself with bizarre and futuristic villains and fantastic plots. Popular at the height of the James Bond craze, the show was able to distinguish itself with its simply over-the-top visual style. Laurie Johnson's catchy and sophisticated main title theme matched the visuals of the show and still conjures up an image of the series when listened to today. When Diana Rigg left the series, Linda Thorson entered as John Steed's new partner Tara King. The series soon went off the air in the United States. It was a shame because the episodes with Tara King were quite good. The King episodes seemed to be a little more down to earth and contained some very good writing and intricate plotting. In any event series definitely left its mark amongst the finest. These DVD copies are gorgeous and very welcome.

Steel Champaign and an Umbrella
If you relish a series like "77 Sunset Strip," "T.H.E. Cat," or "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE" you no doubt know about the content of what you are getting. You are more likely concerned about the quality of the product. Like John might say to Emma, "You scratch my back and I'll scratch your back. Just watch the hat please." John and Emma are back and are here to stay via DVD technology. Being on DVD, the aesthetics about the actual episodes are not in question here. More appropriately one may ask how they look. Thank Mother because they are much better than the Sean Connery film. They look good, very good.

You may find this offer a Peeling
You can look up the individual reviews. This collection will either bring back old memories or create some new old memories. However you will have friends and relatives that will want to remember Mother (Patrick Newell.) A single case makes the movies easier to keep track of and look better on your video storage wall. Being DVDs this is a one-time investment. Buying them individually can add up in shipping and handling. So as Emma says "Always keep your bowler on in time of stress, and watch out for diabolical masterminds." And buy the collection. Also available is Avengers '67 Set 1 Vol 02 (1966). ... Read more

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"Where have all the martlets gone?" That's the not particularlyintriguing mystery that gentleman spy John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and his partner,Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), root out in "Silent Dust," one of threeepisodes on this DVD from the 1966 season of The Avengers. It has something to do with a fertilizer that "went wrong" and a plot to defoliate all of England "if necessary." A highlight is a wounded Steed's delirious fantasy in which a mustachioed Mrs. Peel, garbed in Old West duds and clutching a jug of Red Eye, removes a bullet. The climactic chase has horsebacked bad guys tallyhoing after Mrs. Peel, giving new meaning to the phrase "fox hunt." "Room Without a View" is better, as Steed and Mrs. Peel check out a hotel in which seven guests--all physicists--have mysteriously disappeared from room 612. Steed gets the episode's best line. He informsMrs. Peel that a by-the-book bureaucrat requires everything in triplicate. Regarding his ravishing partner, he smiles, "I wonder what he'll think of you." In "Small Game for Big Hunters," Steed and Mrs. Peel do the voodoo that they do so well. Local farmers are in comas. Is it "the curse that follows one across continents"? Why has the Kalayan jungle been re-created in the English countryside? And what's with those incessant and infernal tribal drums? James Villers makes a diabolical villain as hunter Simon "That's not all I've shot" Trent. All three episodes are in black and white. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

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Is Venus about to attack Earth? Several members of the British Venusian Society think so, while other BVS devotees are being killed in a rather unearthly manner: hit by some kind of bright light that leaves them shock-white from head to toe. John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and Mrs. EmmaPeel (Diana Rigg) investigate and find, naturally, a larger conspiracy than meets the eye. The enticing mystery (written by Philip Levene) is aided by a nifty sound effect (a high-pitched whine that grows stronger just before the burst of light), and Steed's infiltration of the eccentric BVS group is highly entertaining. The second episode on the DVD is another Levene script, "The Fear Merchants," in which businessmen are being reduced to babbling psychiatric patients after being subjected to their worst fears: spiders, birds, fast cars, etc. Steed has to do some fancy footwork to avoid being buried by a bulldozer, andMrs. Peel--who apparently has no phobias--is nearly subjected to nastysurgical tortures. The satirical element, in which captains of industry are made demented by anxieties, is great fun. The final episode on this volume, "Escape in Time," finds the intrepid Steed and Mrs. Peel hot on the trail of villains who are offering criminals the perfect escape from modern law: a one-way trip to the past, where they can lose themselves in history. Levene's smart script and Avengers designer Wilfred Shingleton make the time-transport scenes convincing in a very economical way--travelers go to sleep in a room at an opulent, old country house and awaken in that same room furnished in the style of the Georgian or Elizabethan ages, etc. When Mrs. Peel takes a trip back to what she believes is going to be 1790, and is confronted by a masked executioner from an older era, it's yikes time. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Weird Merchants of Fear and Others Oh Dear
If you fondly remember that great British import that we watched on TV way back in the 60s then you no doubt know about the content of what you are getting. You are more likely concerned about the quality of the product. Like John might say to Emma, "You scratch my back and I'll scratch your back. Just watch the hat please." John and Emma are back and are here to stay. Being on DVD, the aesthetics about the actual episodes are not in question here. More appropriately one may ask how they look. They look good, very good, excellent in fact. Still can't get that great theme out of my head.

You may find this offer a Peeling
You can look up the individual reviews. This collection will either bring back old memories or create some new old memories. However you will have friends and relatives that will want to remember Mother (Patrick Newell.) A single case makes the movies easier to keep track of and look better on your video storage wall. Being DVDs this is a one-time investment. Buying them individually can add up in shipping and handling. So as Emma says "Always keep your bowler on in time of stress, and watch out for diabolical masterminds." And buy the collection. Also available is Avengers '67 Set 1 Vol 02 (1966).

One of the best seasons for Avenger's Maniac
It's a pleasure to discover again these episodes ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The best 70's cop show EVA!
I can't wait till the studio gets around to releasing this.

It contains Michael Douglas' finest work and is without a doubt the best 70's cop show produced to date.

Action and Drama, S.F.-Style
THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO was one of the better crime dramas of the 70's, featuring screen veteran Karl Malden as Lieutenant Mike Stone and rising star Michael Douglas as Inspector Steve Keller.The series was produced by Quinn Martin and filmed on location in the City By The Bay.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about STREETS, besides the solid scripts and beautiful location scenery, was the powerhouse roster of guest stars.The series featured performances by many top actors from both new and old Hollywood, including Martin Sheen, Joseph Cotten, James Woods, Ida Lupino, John Ritter, Leslie Nielsen, Patty Duke, Nick Nolte, Larry Hagman and even a young Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Michael Douglas left the series in 1976 to pursue a movie career.His final episode was the two-part fifth season premiere, "The Thrill Killers", about a radical organization that kidnaps an entire jury.The story was inspired by the Patricia Hearst kidnapping case, which was still making headlines at the time.Douglas was replaced by Richard Hatch for the final year.

Several volumes of STREETS episodes were released on VHS back in 1998 but are now out of print. It would be great to see entire seasons of the drama released on DVD.
... Read more

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In "The Living Dead," reports of a ghost seen in the chapel of a private estate, owned by the 16th Duke of Benedict, bring agents John Steed (PatrickMacnee) and Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) into the British countryside toinvestigate. Another agent is killed while looking for evidence, and soon after, Mrs. Peel disappears. What Steed finds while searching for his partner is a particularly imaginative invention by writer-producer Brian Clemens, a nice blend of science fiction, conspiracy tale, and the usual unflappable charm of the two principals. In the second episode on this DVD, "The Hidden Tiger," the villains within an organization called PURRR intend to overwhelm England with ordinary household kittens who are made savagely violent by radio transmitters altering their brain waves. The script by Philip Levene is a succession of clever little mysteries (how did a big-game hunter get mauled to death while he was inside a cage?), and the outrageousness of several scenes (a seemingly doomed Steed is tied to a chair, surrounded by furry kittens) is a hoot. Steed and Mrs Peel are paired off with their Russian counterparts in "The Correct Way to Kill," a Brian Clemens story in which a finishing school called Snob is churning out English gentlemen outfitted exactly like Steed and providing cover for murder.A good episode but not a great one, although one gets to see Mrs. Peel fencing, and the understated satire on Steed's British conformism is fun. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

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Philip Levene wrote the first show on this volume, "Never, Never SayDie," in which computerized duplicates of brainy scientists and others are causing some havoc. The best part of the show is the setup, in which a corpse walks out of a mortuary and--despite being shot, hit by a car, and electrocuted--keeps on with its rampage. "Epic" is a spooky episode in which Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) is kidnapped by a mad director whoholds her prisoner in a studio while filming The Destruction of Mrs. Peel. Series coproducer Brian Clemens wrote the inventive script, which finds poor Mrs. Peel in a movie-cliché nightmare, being shot at in aWestern saloon, in a World War I setting, and by Indians and Chicago gangsters. Clemens was also behind "The Superlative Seven," which features some familiar faces (Donald Sutherland, Brian Blessed, Charlotte Rampling) in an Agatha Christie-like tale of seven people brought to an island, where one of their numbers is killing off the others. The slightly conventional plot is spruced up by an international conspiracy element, a surprise ending, and the dramatic arrival of Mrs. Peel onto the island--by parachute! --Tom Keogh ... Read more

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Chicken runs, rounds of Russian roulette, and teetering on ledges arefor "thrill-starved teenagers," observes gentleman spy John Steed (Patrick Macnee), and not for distinguished soldiers with chests full of battle honors. So why is a corps of army elite acting "like irresponsible beatniks"? Steed and Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) meet "The Danger Makers"in a thrilling episode from the fourth season of The Avengers, directed by A Fish Called Wanda's Charles Crichton. Hold your breath duringMrs. Peel's harrowing initiation into the organization that Steed refers toas "Death Wish, Incorporated," and cock an eyebrow at Steed's provocative suggestion that Mrs. Peel impress the ringleader, a phrenologist, by showing him her "bumps" (Macnee's double take at his own innuendo is priceless). This DVD also includes the episode "A Touch of Brimstone," in which Steed and Emma are put up for membership in the Hellfire Club, whose practical jokes mask a plot to stage "a coup so outrageous the whole country will be up in arms." One Avengers-appreciation Web site ranksthis among the top 10 of the Emma Peel era. Reason enough: the too-hot-for-American-television "Night of All Sins" sequence, during which Mrs. Peel reigns as Queen of Sin. Monty Python fans: that's Carol Cleveland as the insatiable Sara. In "What the Butler Saw," someone is leaking defense secrets to "the other side." While gentleman spy Steed goes undercover as a butler to locate the culprit, Mrs. Peellaunches "Operation Fascination" to attract the attention of the womanizing prime suspect, Captain Miles. About to meet him for drinks, she is memorably advised by Steed, "Don't do anything I would do." Two notable bits: for security purposes, three defense officials zip themselves up in a ridiculous giant plastic body bag that anticipates Get Smart's Cone of Silence; and Mrs. Peel flees from a pursuerthrough a succession of doors used to train butlers, a scene echoed in Sam Raimi's Crimewave. --Jenny Brown ... Read more