A quirky spy show of the adventures of eccentrically suave British Agent John Steed and his predominantly female partners.
The Avengers is a British espionage television series created in 1961 for 161 episodes until 1969. It initially focused on David Keel (Ian Hendry), aided by John Steed (Patrick Macnee). Hendry left after the first series; Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants. His most famous assistants were intelligent, stylish, and assertive women: Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman), Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), and Tara King (Linda Thorson). Dresses and suits for the series were made by Pierre Cardin.
The series screened as one-hour episodes for its entire run. The pilot episode, “Hot Snow”, aired on 7 January 1961. The final episode, “Bizarre”, aired on 21 April 1969 in the United States and 17 May 1969 in the United Kingdom.
ABC Weekend TV, a contractor within the ITV network, produced the Avengers. After a merger with Rediffusion London in July 1968, ABC Weekend became Thames Television, which continued production of the series and was subcontracted to ABC Television Films. By 1969, The Avengers was shown in more than 90 countries. ITV produced a sequel series, The New Avengers (1976–1977), with Patrick Macnee returning as John Steed and two new partners. In 2004 and 2007, The Avengers was ranked No. 17 and No. 20 on TV Guide’s Top Cult Shows Ever.
The Ladies & Guests
Ann Sidney
Ann Sidney was born on 27 March 1944 in Poole, Dorset, England, UK. She is an actress known for The Avengers (1961), The Athena Syndrome and Treasure of the Amazon (1985). She was previously married to Duncan C. Weldon. TV host and beauty queen who won the 1964 Miss World contest representing the United Kingdom. Miss World Sidney became the second woman from her country to win the title after Rosemarie Frankland had won the title in 1961. The pageant was held in London, United Kingdom, on 12 November 1964. It was watched on TV by a reported 27.2 million […]
Charlotte Rampling: Hana
“The Superlative Seven” is the twelfth episode of the fifth series of the 1960s cult British spy-fi television series The Avengers, starring Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg and guest starring Charlotte Rampling, Brian Blessed, Donald Sutherland, and James Maxwell. It was first broadcast in the Southern and Tyne Tees regions of the ITV network on Wednesday, 5 April 1967. ABC Weekend Television commissioned the show for ITV and broadcast it in its own regions three days later on Saturday, 8 April. The episode was written by Brian Clemens and directed by Sidney Hayers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Superlative_Seven
Valerie Leon
Not just another tall, beautiful brunette, Valerie Leon had extensive experience in British theatre, television and films – and not just as a sexpot – before she became a fixture in the “Carry On” series, appearing in seven of them. In addition to comedy, she excelled in horror films, playing a dual role in one of Hammer’s best, Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb (1971), and had the distinction of appearing with two different James Bonds, Roger Moore and Sean Connery. Souce: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0502538/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm Leon’s career began as a trainee fashion buyer at Harrods. In April 1965, Leon went to an […]
Imogen Hassall
Imogen Hassall (25 August 1942 – 16 November 1980) was an English actress who appeared in 33 films during the 1960s and 1970s. Hassall boarded and attended Elmhurst Ballet School, Camberley, 1952–1954 and the Royal Ballet School, White Lodge, Richmond Park, 1955–1958. Later in 1958 (aged 16), she studied in New York City and returned to live with family in the Vale of Health by Hampstead Heath, London. She continued her absorption of the theatre mode with study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art 1960–1962, following which she joined the company of the Royal Shakespeare Company for […]
Liz Fraser
Elizabeth Joan Winch (14 August 1930 – 6 September 2018), known professionally as Liz Fraser, was a British film actress, best known for being cast in provocative comedy roles. Her first film appearance was in Touch and Go (1955), using her birth name, and The Smallest Show on Earth (1957), where she worked with Peter Sellers for the first time. Fraser also appeared in commercial television’s first live play, The Geranium for Associated-Rediffusion. She made an uncredited appearance as June in Alive and Kicking (1959); her breakthrough role was as the daughter of Sellers’ character in I’m All Right […]