Topic: ITV's The Avengers, The New Avengers, The Saint, Return Of The Saint
There are quite a few connections between cinematic James Bond and
ITV's iconic tv show universes of The Avengers and The Saint.
So I find it fitting to have those shows open for discussion and celebrating them.
I will start by saying that I have regularly watched all four of them since I was a young teenager. In case of The Saint even in my single-digit age range. I am very passionate about what I love most and therefore I will post short or longer reviews regularly of single episodes. As a side effect it will be fun to see if and which links there are to James Bond.
As I have some reviews ready I'll start immediately.
The Town Of No Return (2nd October 1965) Series 4, Episode 1
James Bond Connection: Robert Brown appearing in this episode.
This is the first episode with Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. The famous tune also appears for the first time, composed by Laurie Johnson, one of the truly greats.
It was also the first episode to use true motion picture film instead of the unsatisfying video tape-transfer to film which was used up to now for the series. The show went outdoors so to speak, with various location shootings.
The Avengers 1965 onwards looked and felt more realistic than ever therefore.
I have always loved this episode, maybe because it introduced me to the series, maybe because it's the first one with Emma Peel.
But even besides those facts, objectively I find this one to be Top 10 worthy of the 26 series four episodes.
The story takes place in a mysterious coastal town. Several agents have disappeared and the locals seem to be a bit on the strange side.
The opening immediately grabs you with a bizarre scene. Highly memorable and setting the tone for the many bizarre things that would arrive in series 4 and 5.
Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee have the perfect screen chemistry. One would think they had already worked together for years.
Absolutely love the little things to discover like the boiling tea kettle that Steed provides from a bag that's just sitting on the seat in the train Steed and Peel are travelling to the village of Little Bazeley. Props like this make The Avengers going into Sci-Fi territory and of course later "Sci-Fi" episodes will be a fact.
I also find this episode quite Noir-ish.
It is a personal favourite of mine, that I can re-watch as often as I like. Little Bazeley may be a town of no return, but I will return to there, regularly.
Enter: Emma Peel, her very first scene:
The Avengers: Series Four on breathtakingly restored HD on Blu-ray:
Last edited by BondJasonBond006 (17th Aug 2017 17:24)