The Avengers
Fully restored for the first time, Optimum will be releasing all of the surviving episodes of cult TV classic The Avengers over the course of the next year on DVD, starting here with the 2 ½ surviving episodes of Series 1 and all of Series 2, along with un-missable new extras and special inserts.
This paragraph from the original promotional flyer for the first series captures the appeal of the Avengers perfectly:
“The special flavour of this highly-polished, fast-moving crime series lies in its off-beat twists and strong vein of wacky humour, laced with an undercurrent of social conscience.
Hero of The Avengers is John Steed, played by David Niven’s cousin Patrick Macnee, who is related to the Earl of Huntingdon and descended from Robin Hood. Steed is a highly-trained, top-level secret agent, a ruthless operator who works under cover of his life as a wealthy man-about-town with an aristocratic background.
His tastes are demanding – nothing but the best in everything from pretty girls to food, wine, cars and tailoring.
Naturally, therefore, his Girl Friday is a thoroughbred too – a cool blonde named Catherine Gale (Honor Blackman), who is a 1960’s version of the leggy Dietrich-type beauties of the Thirties – resourceful, wise-cracking, elegantly man-tailored but essentially feminine.
Cathy’s skill with Judo, guns and fast cars makes her an ideal partner for Steed, although with her scientific background and social conscience she often clashes with his ruthless methods.
When Cathy is not around, Steed uses two amateur assistants, the handsome Dr Martin King (Jon Rollason) and Venus Smith (Julie Stevens), a pert, cute nightclub singer who helps Steed for the thrill of breaking out of her normal environment.
In the background is One-Ten (Douglas Muir), a mysterious and very English Foreign Office figure who controls Steed’s undercover activities.”
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