The seminal classic The Avengers was at the height of the Cathy Gale era when Series 3 was broadcast to UK audiences. Starring Patrick Macnee as John Steed and Honor Blackman as Dr Cathy Gale, the show?s popularity was such that the producers bestowed a very healthy budget to ensure the series? success and maintain its position as one of the nation?s favourite shows.
With the release of The Complete Series 3 on 15th February 2010 by Optimum Home Entertainment, and featuring the first full restoration of all episodes, we can relish the expanded wardrobes, lavish sets, top notch scriptwriting and stories that benefit from the combined input of writers, directors and actors.
Telling highly imaginative stories of secret agents in 1960s Britain, The Avengers is also an early example of the spy-fi genre combining as it does secret agent storylines with science fiction and fantasy elements.
Although the writers were not allowed to let characters go beyond first base, Series 3 did establish a level of sexual tension between the characters, which was progressive for 1962-1963. The series revealed that Gale lived in Steed?s flat, and whilst the explanation was that it was a temporary arrangement whilst Gale looked for a new home, and that Steed slept in a hotel, the innuendo was there for all to see.
The Gale era also saw Steed transformed from a trenchcoat-wearing run of the mill agent into a stereotypical English gentleman in Savile Row suit, bowler hat and umbrella ? a traditional English Gent, though his attire concealed all manner of tricks and gadgets. Gale, on the other hand, was clad in black leather with high-heeled ?kinky boots?, an outfit necessary for her high-kicking fighting style.
The longest running espionage series produced for English-language television, The Avengers eventually reached audiences in 120 countries, a record that still stands to this day. Now, with the release of The Complete Series 3 on 15th February 2010
Series 3 (1963-1964) Episodes:
Disc 1 Concerto
Brief for Murder
The Nutshell
The Golden Fleece
Special Features Audio commentary by Brian Clemens on Brief for Murder
Series 3 promotional brochure
Stills gallery for featured episodes
PDF material (4 x scripts, 3 x TV Times features and ?Meet the Avengers?
book)
Disc 2 Death a la Carte
Man with Two Shadows
Don?t Look Behind You
The Grandeur That Was Rome
Special Features Audio commentary by Don Leaver on Man With Two Shadows
Stills gallery for featured episodes
PDF material (4 x scripts)
Filmed introduction to Don?t Look Behind You taken from the Avenging
the Avengers interviews that went with the Channel 4 repeats of episode
Disc 3 The Undertakers
Death of a Batman
Build a Better Mousetrap
November Five
Special Features Stills gallery for featured episodes
Behind the scenes shots from The Undertakers
PDF material (5 x scripts, including 2 x versions of Death of a Batman)
Filmed introductions to The Undertakers, Death of a Batman and
November Five taken from the Avenging the Avengers interviews that
went with the Channel 4 repeats of episode
Disc 4 Second Sight
The Secrets Broker
The Gilded Cage
The Medicine Man
Special Features Stills gallery for featured episodes
PDF material (4 x scripts and Psychology Magazine)
Episode Reconstruction ? Double Danger
Filmed introductions to the Second Sight, The Gilded Cage and Medicine
Man taken from the Avenging the Avengers interviews that went with the
Channel 4 repeats of episode
Disc 5 The White Elephant
Dressed to Kill
The Wringer
The Little Wonders
Special Features Stills gallery for featured episodes
PDF material (4 x scripts)
Episode Reconstruction ? A Change of Bait
Filmed introductions to The Wringer and The Little Wonders taken from
the Avenging the Avengers interviews that went with the Channel 4
repeats of episode
Disc 6 Mandrake
The Trojan Horse
The Outside-In Man
Special Features Audio commentary by Roger Marshall for Mandrake
Audio commentary by Jonathan Alwyn for The Outside-In Man
Armchair Theatre ? The Importance of Being Earnest ? starring Patrick
Macnee ? Act 3 only (only surviving footage) 18 mins
Stills gallery for featured episodes
PDF material (4 x scripts)
Disc 7 The Charmers
Esprit de Corps
Lobster Quadrille
Special Features Avenging the Avengers (main programme ? 25:03)
Avenging the Avengers ? Extended Interviews: (Macnee/ Blackman/
Thorson (09:43) ? on Avenging the Avengers VHS release
Newsreel footage (Honor Blackman?s Judo book)
Gale Force part 2 (Honor Blackman interview)
Filmed introductions to The Charmers and Esprit de Corps taken from
the Avenging the Avengers interviews that went with the Channel 4
repeats of episode
Stills gallery for featured episodes
PDF material (4 x scripts)
