Reviews (6)

New color era for Steed and Mrs. Peel
Following the huge success of the first filmed series of The Avengers, starring Patrick MacNee as debonair British agent John Steed and his cool, sophisticated partner Mrs. Emma Peel, the producers opted to make the next batch of 26 episodes in color, to be broadcast in 1967. In order to accomplish this, foreign backing was necessary, and the American networks were approached. The US had broadcast the black and white season four as a mid-season replacement, and were interested in moving forward with a color season in prime time, however they only provided enough backing for 16 episodes initially. Another challenge was that Diana Rigg was not particularly keen to film another season of the show, and demanded a huge salary increase in order to secure her participation. She got the money, but it was made clear it would be her second and last season with the show.

Apart from the use of color film, there were other subtle changes to the show for this fifth season. Both Steed and Emma were given new apartments and Mrs. Peel a much more stylized wardrobe. The device of ending each story with the two leads driving off in a variety of vehicles was abandoned and instead a tag scene was used to introduce each story, where Steed informed his partner that they were needed in a variety of humorous ways. Each story title was also given a two-line subtitle. After completion of the first batch of 16, the American backers did provide finance for a further 16 but asked for both the subtitles and tag scenes to be dropped, and also requested that Mrs. Peel's wardrobe became more recognizably en vogue.

After only 8 episodes were completed, producers Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell left the show after a disagreement and the new producers opted not to continue with Mrs. Peel and began their own interpretation of the show. It wasn't long before Clemens and Fennell were back in charge, but the 67 series ended with "Mission highly improbable," although Rigg was brought back in 1968 for the one-off "The forget me knot," to introduce her replacement Tara King. This episode is included in this release as a bonus episode.

In terms of storylines, acting and the wonderful interplay between the two leads, there is little difference between this color season and the preceding black and white stories and the show had really reached its zenith by this point. Certainly in terms of popularity and ratings, it was never as successful again. Interestingly, several of these stories are in fact remakes of earlier episodes from the Mrs. Gale era. "The joker," "The correct way to kill," and "The $50,000 breakfast," are all remakes, whereas "The return of the Cybernauts," is a sequel to an earlier Steed/Mrs. Peel adventure.

Fans of The Avengers will of course be delighted to have these discs, and I'd highly recommend them to any other fans of the sci-fi/fantasy genre, and indeed fans of the 60's spy format. If you've ever seen the dreadful movie featuring Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman, don't let that put you off. These stories are the real McCoy!

Pop Goes the Weasel
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 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. They look good, very good, excellent in fact. Great 60s pop culture.

A great classic!
I remember watching the Avengers on TV 7-8 years ago when A&E was showing them. Now, I am glad to say that I can own this series. The Avengers have always been based on intelligent scripts, witty dialogue, and suspense. This set is no exception. This set contains very classic, very different episodes from the Avengers: suspense thrillers, psychological games, and good old espionage. I highly recommend it.

One of the best TV shows ever
I am thoroughly impressed with A&E's reissue of the Avengers series. Never have these episodes looked so good: the color is sharp, the sound crisp, and the shows themselves are as witty and fun as you remember. Yes, the "extras" are skimpy but to have three episodes on one disc is worth the sacrifice

Absolutely top-notch
The VHS (digital enhanced) version is beautiful. Vivid colors and seamless cuts. Looks as good as the day it was broadcast. Of course, the series is 5-stars plus (no doubt about that). ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Badder and better
Unlike Vincent Price's the Fly and Dr. Goldfoot, this time the second one is better. The deformed and demented doctor is back to try and revive his beloved wife (Caroline Munro in an uncredited, non-speaking role). Instead of the revenge plot from the first film, this one has Phibes in a race with Biederbeck (Robert Quarry) to see who can find way to the river of life. This dark comedy is just a little better than the first due to a more interesting plot and a stronger supporting cast, although Peter Cushing only has a couple of lines and is still billed third. Price seems to really enjoy himself in the Phibes role and Robert Quarry is a very worthy advisary. In the late 60's -early 70's, Vincent Price did some really weak films like Scream and Scream again, the Oblong box and Cry of the Banshee that gave him top billing but gave him very little to do. So, it was great that he got to revive his horror career by doing some fine films like the the two Dr. Phibes films and Theater of Blood.

Excellent sequel to "The Abominable Dr. Phibes"
Vincent Price returns as Dr. Anton Phibes is this competent sequel, which has Phibes traveling to Egypt to get an elixer that will bring his deceased wife back to life. Phibe's antagonist Biederbeck (Robert Quarry) is also in search of the miracle drug. Phibes proceeds the eliminate the competition by picking off Biederbeck's crew with a grisly relish. Lots of fun that does justice to the original.

Give It To Me Straight Doctor, I Can Take It!
Yes, the good doctor (Vincent Price) has risen again, just as diabolical, just as obsessed with his beautiful, dead wife Victoria. He is now trying to get her to Egypt, where he plans on taking her down the secret "river of life" for her complete resurrection! Accompanied by the ever silent Vulnavia (Valli Kemp), Phibes must compete with archeologist / eternal-life seeker Beiderbeck (Robert "Count Yorga" Quarry) in a race to the land of the pharaohs for the expected murder-fest, and ultimate showdown. Lots of laughs and killings-a-plenty in this near perfect Phibes phollow up! Highly recommended...

Not quite as good as the original
The beauty of the original Dr. Phibes movie was that while the plot was fantastic and Phibe's schemes convoluted and almost impossible to pull off, there was always the sense that given a driven and malignant enough intelligence they could (emphasis on could) have happened. In other words in real life there could have been Dr. Phibes-like murders. In the second Phibes film, all pretense of reality is stripped away and the fantastic is embraced. The plot being that Phibes is racing against Robert Quarry's Biederbeck to locate the river of life in order to revive his long dead (yet remarkably perserved) wife, Regina. Whereas in the original, Phibes is merely out to avenge her 'murder' by killing the operating team that tried to save Regina's life. This is not to say this makes for a bad film, it just seems a little diminished when weighed against the original. Just how likely is that a man who can figure out how to survive years entombed with embalming fluid in his veins could not save his wife's life? And what exactly is Phibe's relationship with the conveinently ressurected Vulnavia? How is it that Phibe's tomb was never discovered but his safe was found and the house above him was completly leveled?

That being said, Dr. Phibes Rises Again is one heck of a fun, twisted movie to watch. Vincent Price is again at his campiest and the retro/deco sets are glorious to behold. Even the Egyptian sets are gorgeous and the outrageous props (like the elaborate tuba Phibes carts all the way to Egypt or his standard automated musicians) just add to the outlandish fun.

A number of the character actors from the original make appearances in this second installment including the dogged Inspector Trout and his bewildered Scottland Yard superior. Terry Thomas makes another cameo as a ocean liner booking agent (vs. his eventually bloodless Dr. Longstreet) and there is a wonderfull small appearance by Peter Cushing as an ocean liner captain.

Robert Quarry as Phibe's nemesis is as fun to watch as Price himself. Biederbeck's callous and casual egotism is almost as dehumanizing as Phibe's disregard for all those who get in his way (and many who don't). Phibe's dispatching of his victims is as vicious and mean spirited as in the original. His murder of Biederbeck's mute manservant is particularly innovative.

All in all this is a horror movie that is great fun not overly gory and outshines most of the horror films that followed it. There are plenty of humorous moments in the movie (most at the expense of the Scotland Yard detectives) to break up Phibe's sadistic scenes. The plot is somewhat plodding but lets be honest you don't watch Vincent Price horror films for Oscar quality plot elements (though the Phibes' plots are arguably more complex than say, Titanic's). You watch to see Price the horror master at work and he certainly earned his keep on this film.

oh no...you better watch out!!
You have to have seen the first film, "The Abominable Dr. Phibes", to really understand the "good" doctor's madness in his quest to find the river of life in Egypt. Phibes is totally dedicated to restoring life to his beloved wife, Victoria. So dedicated that he kills people who get in his way. In the first film he murders a lot of doctors and in this one he kills archeologists who are working for Biederbeck {he's played by Robert Quarry, the man who AIP was secretly planning to become their new horror star because Vincent was getting old and AIP felt that audience would turn away from an old man}. Biederbeck has a secret and he too is kept alive with serum but unlike Dr. Phibes, Biederbeck wants to find the youth river for himself. Phibes finds this apalling and he tricks Biederbeck into giving him back a key that unlocks the gate blocking the river of youth (it's in the bottom of a pyramid and resembles more like a stream than a river). Phibes paddles himself and the dead Victoria through the gates of life as Biederbeck slumps over watching the two sail off. Biederbeck's wife says something like "it's not the end of the world" and then we see Biederbeck turn into his true 110 year old self! The police force are once again on hand for comic relief (Inspector Trout and his superior are hilarious). This sequel is just as great as the 1971 original. ... Read more

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A toast to A&E for releasing this two-volume set of vintage episodesfrom 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 andMrs. 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 ... Read more

Reviews (7)

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!

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.

The Awesome Avengers
This Avengers is a must have DVD!Steves Helarious! Emma Rocks! It's an all round funny show.

The 3 Worlds of John Steed
John Steed must have felt like Gulliver in the three worlds of Kathy Gale, Mrs. Emma Peel and Tara King. '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 they sound great in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono.

Look Steed 2 Volumes
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. They look good, very good. If you relish a series like "The Avengers" or "Twilight Zone" you no doubt know about the content of what you are getting. You are more likely concerned about the quality of what you are getting. Like Emma might say to John, "Can I borrow your umbrella? Thank You Mother. ... Read more

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This special, four-episode volume unhappily brings the Mrs. Peelchapter of The Avengers to a close. "The Positive-Negative Man" is a shocking tale about an electronically charged killer dispatching members of a scientific research team with one touch of his finger. Steed (Patrick Macnee)and Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) get a dose of high voltage, and the story is deliciously tense at times (who doesn't remember being a kid and squealing when somebody threatened to poke you with a finger?), but the wacky plot keeps matters from getting too serious. Good surreal fun and delightfully sexy. "Murdersville" is a dark tale about a quiet English town in which nearly all the residents participate in killing for a fee. Mrs. Peel discovers this the hard way when an old friend inadvertently leads her into danger there--some of it quite medieval, as in a tense scene where Emma nearly drowns in a witch's ducking pool. Highlights include a phone ruse in which our beautiful heroine foils her captors by calling her "husband John" to reassure him, and a climactic fight that manages to make pie-throwing a deadly art. "Mission Highly Improbable" follows, a wild story about a miniaturization device being used by villains to shrink their enemies to pocket-size--at which point they can be tossed into the trash or washed down a drain. The action gets even more fun when Steed and Mrs. Peel, at different times, are themselves made tiny and have to make do in a world of giant--though ordinary--objects such as pens and telephones. Finally, there's "The Forget-Me-Knot," in whichMrs. Peel's replacement on the show and in partnership with Steed is introduced: Tara King (Linda Thorson). The script concerns a traitor within the intelligence organization and his henchmen, who are using a memory-killing drug on their victims. But the strongest moment anyone watching this show will remember is a coda in which Steed and Emma say goodbye. Crushing! --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (2)

SHOCKING POSITIVELY SHOCKING
Shocking! Positively shocking! No, I am not referring to the comment that Sean Connery made after he electrocuted an undesirable in his bathtub at the beginning of "Goldfinger." No, I am referring to "THE AVENGERS" episode, "The Positive-Negative Man" in this set. I am also referring to the episode, "The Forget-Me-Knot" where Mrs. Emma Peel portrayed by the exquisite Diana Rigg departs from the series and is replaced by Tara King in the person of the lovely Linda Thorson. Shocking! That episode has something to do about introducing memory loss on some unsuspecting chap or something. I seem to have forgotten. Now where was I? Oh yes, poor Patrick Macnee! I don't think that debonair John Steed will ever recover from all these different female partners or should I say work associates! I mean going up and down stairs, forgetting one's umbrella and all that! Really! Good show all around!

Enter Tara King Exit Emma Peel
Set 4, Volume 8 contains 4 episodes of the series. "Mission Highly Improbable" is highly inferior to the other 3. Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg are both espionage veterans via this British TV series as well as appearing subsequently in "A View To A Kill" and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" respectively. As we see Mrs. Peel make her exit, enter Tara King played by the highly overlooked Linda Thorson in "The Forget-Me-Knot". Electrifying "The Positive-Negative Man" is reminiscent of an animated "Batman" episode. Zap! "Murdersville" is very good and offbeat and leaves the viewer curiously paranoiac. Good luck, Mrs. Peel! I hope see more of Tara soon. ... Read more

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Philip Levene wrote the first episode on this DVD, "The See-ThroughMan," in which a discredited inventor (the delightful Roy Kinnear) sells his formula for invisibility and John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and Mrs Emma Peel(Diana Rigg) believe enemy agents may be using it. Not one of the pantheon episodes, "The See-Through Man" is still quite enjoyable, particularly in its tag scene, which finds our hero and heroine pushing Steed's old Rolls after it fails to start. "The Bird Who Knew Too Much" is a Brian Clemens story in which Steed and Mrs. Peel find carrier pigeons equipped with tiny cameras used to photograph top-secret missile bases. The photography theme extends to some comic moments in which Steed and Mrs. Peel both do a little posing for a fashion cameraman, but there is also some fun with a parrot named Captain Crusoe, who at one point requests political asylum. Also on this DVD is "The Winged Avenger," a truly crafty piece of work by writer Richard Harris, with good tongue-in-cheek references to the influence of comic-book culture on 1960s television. A number of ruthless men are being ripped apart and killed by an unknown assailant, the only clue being that their murders seem to have been predicted in recent comic strips featuring a Batman-like superhero named the Winged Avenger. The zippy climax finds Mrs. Peel and a killer each wearing magnetic boots that allow them to fight on a ceiling. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bring the 67 John Steed and Emma Peel Avengers Back
This was a great TV series. '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.

Steel Leather and an Umbrella Mrs. Peel?
If you relish a series like "Honey West," "T.H.E. Cat" or "77 Sunset Strip" 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 Steed (Patrick Macnee) might say to Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), "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. 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 01 (1966). ... Read more

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In "Death at Bargain Prices," Steed and Mrs. Peel once again find extraordinary goings-on in the most ordinary places, in this case a department store that serves as a front for madman tycoon Horatio Kane's biggest takeover bid yet--of London (he has rigged the store with a nuclear device). Mrs. Peel works undercover as a clerk, prompting Steed's priceless line, "I asked where to find you and was told, 'Our Mrs. Peel is in ladies' underwear.' I rattled up the stairs three at a time." This episode was directed by Charles Crichton, who later directed A Fish Called Wanda."Castle De'ath" is a truly haunting episode, both because of its red-herring ghost story and the scandalous peek at Mrs. Peel's navel, not to mention her nocturnal investigation of a foreboding Scottish castle in her nightgown. What brings her and "McSteed" (outfitted in a kilt) to the castle is the death of an agent in scuba gear, who when found was four inches taller than when he was alive. "It all has to do with the price of fish," whispers McSteed. In "The Master Minds," Steed and Mrs. Peel investigate a series of raids on state security. Each, Steed notes, "has been boldly conceived and superbly executed" by "a diabolical mastermind." This leads the duo to a special school for geniuses whose lesson plan includes brainwashing. Highlights of this episode are a student's come-on to Steed ("I wonder if I might lure you away from brainwork for something more physical") and a climactic fight seen only in shadow behind a screen on which a military training film is being projected backward. Grade: A. All three episodes are in glorious black and white. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

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With a provocative swat on her leather-clad bottom, John Steed (Patrick Macnee) first clashes swords with his new partner, Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), in "The Town of No Return," the episode that launched the fourth season of The Avengers. "Town" begins on a characteristically surreal note as a figure emerges from the sea in what looks like a giant Hefty bag. Out pops an impeccably dressed gent who notes to a nonplussed fisherman, "Looks like rain," which brings us to Bazeley-by-the-Sea, a quaint but odd village where four agents have disappeared. Will Steed and Mrs. Peel be numbers five and six? Like one of the treats Steed offers Peel on their Bazeley-bound train, this episode is "a marzipan delight." In "The Gravediggers," Steed and Mrs. Peel dig up a sinister plot to sabotage Britain's radar defense system. But this doesn't quite explain howMrs. Peel finds herself tied to a train track with a miniature locomotive chugging toward her! "The Cybernauts" was the first episode to air in the United States. Steed and Mrs. Peel are up against automated assassins made by an inventor who plots to create an electronic dictatorship. A highlight is an elegantly dressed Mrs. Peel's karate fight. All three episodes are in glorious black and white. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

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Not a masterpiece, but still suitable for framing, is "The Girl from Auntie," one of three episodes on this DVD from the 1966 season of The Avengers, in which an art dealer, who supplies his clients "anything for a price" (including the Mona Lisa!), kidnaps Emma for auction to enemy agents. This episode features perhaps the series' quaintest assassin, an elderly "lady" who dispatches her victims with knitting needles. Highlights and comical characters abound, including a game Emma Peel impersonator who gets the episode's best line. "Six bodies in an hour and 20 minutes," Steed remarks. "What do you call that?" "A good first act," she replies. In a wickedly funny Beatles reference, four corpses tumble out of a closet. Their names: John, Paul, George, and... Fred. "The 13th Hole," is not quite up to par, but the impeccable chemistry between Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg as gentleman spy John Steed and his ravishing partner,Mrs. Emma Peel, respectively, is palpable. Mrs. Peel scores a hole inone with the episode's best line. After he is nearly bogeyed by a golf ball, Steed credits his fortified hat with saving his life. Remarks Mrs. Peel, "It really is the height of pessimism to have a hat lined with chain mail." The final episode, "The Quick-Quick-Slow Death," has all the right moves, as Mrs. Peel goes undercover at a dance studio. The kinkiest moment comes courtesy of an Italian shoemaker. "Look," he gushes over Mrs. Peel's wiggling piggies, "they talk to me. You naughty little chatterboxes, you." The fade-out alone is worth the price of purchase. Instead of riding, rowing, or sailing off into the sunset as is customary, Steed and Mrs. Peel engage in a little Fred and Ginger action. All three episodes are in black and white. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

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"The House That Jack Built" is one of Diana Rigg's finest hours, and arare chance to see the usually nonplussed Mrs. Peel totally plussed. She is in for "the fright of [her] life" when she is held prisoner in a house rigged by a vengeful techno-obsessed madman bent on driving her insane. Rooms that move and labyrinthian mazes are mere prologue to "the exhibition dedicated to the late Emma Peel." This DVD also contains the three black-and-white episodes that wrapped up the fourth season of The Avengers in high style. "A Sense of History" is not grade A, but John Steed (Patrick Macnee)and Mrs. Peel's investigation of deadly goings-on at a university does earnextra credit for Mrs. Peel's Robin Hood costume and her pointed exchange with Steed, who is dressed as the Sheriff of Nottingham. His sword, she observes, "looks a bit droopy." "Wait until it's challenged," he replies. In the macabre "How to Succeed... At Murder," 11--make that 12--prominent businessmen have been dispatched by a band of secretarial assassins. Who is pulling the strings? Her name is Henrietta, a real "doll." Her battle cry: "To bring men to heel and put woman at the pinnacle of power. Ruination to all men!" The DVD concludes with the bonus episode "Honey for the Prince," which one Avengers-appreciation Web site ranks among the top 20episodes of the Mrs. Peel era. The provocative prologue shows Steed and Mrs. Peelactually skipping arm in arm back to Steed's place. It is all "Quite Fantastic," which is the name of a company that creates and satisfies their customers' "most repressed desires." Speaking of fantasies, Mrs. Peel, "sold" to a young prince targeted for assassination, appears in garb that would make Barbara Eden's Jeannie blush. --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

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The glory years of The Avengers, the stylish British television series starring Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg as intelligence operatives, are in full bloom in this three-episode volume. First up is "The £50,000 Breakfast," a typically quirky mystery that begins with a Zurich-bound ventriloquist crashing his car and ending up in a hospital--only to be discovered carrying a stash of diamonds in his stomach. The strange circumstance leads John Steed (Macnee) and Mrs. Emma Peel (Rigg) into an investigation of a wealthy financier who may be considering taking his fortune out of England. But that's only the beginning: soon Steed andMrs. Peel are up to their knees in murder plots and borzoi dogs, all endingin a gift of a Dalmatian-spotted tie. "Dead Man's Treasure" is probably best remembered for a harrowing scene in which poor Mrs. Peel is forced to "drive" a racing car simulator that gives powerful electric shocks when she veers off a virtual road. The simulator is one of the kookier gimmicks in a story about a fellow agent who plants a dispatch box in a car enthusiast's mansion, then arranges for Steed and Mrs. Peel to participate in a treasurehunt for the missing item. Saboteurs abound, but the episode's highlight is the hunt, which finds contestants and their autos subjected to spikes in the road, sugar in their petrol tanks, and misarranged road signs. The action is crisp, the humor cheeky, and our heroic duo sexy and sharp. The final episode begins with one of the most enjoyable stories from the series. "You Have Just Been Murdered" is a clever mystery in which wealthy men are being mock-assassinated by stalkers who shoot, stab, and otherwise "murder" them with toy weapons. The reason is simple: blackmail. If the hidden, insidious mastermind behind this plot can get that close to his victims, he can certainly put them in the grave for good. Enter Steed and Mrs.Peel into the fray, who fail to get much cooperation from the terrified millionaires and have to find their way to the villain's lair on their own. The show ends delightfully with one of the series' best tags: Steed counting his fortune in halfpennies and finding he's just short of a certain goal.... --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

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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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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

Amazon.com

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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"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