The Avengers: The Murder Market

The Murder Market (1965)

Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Patrick Cargill, Suzanne Lloyd, Peter Bayless, and Naomi Chance

Directors: Peter Graham Scott and Wolf Rilla

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

When a string of Britain's most eligible bachelors die through misadventure or outright murder, secret agents John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) discover that the dating service they all used is a front for a murder-for-hire operation. Steed doesn't just want to break up the operation--he wants to catch whoever's behind it all. But will he have to sacrifice Mrs. Peel to accomplish that goal?

"The Murder Market" is another excellent episode where drama and comedy coexist in perfect compliment of each other. From the garish, frilly offices of the dating service with its fey and VERY British staff members that are the public face and recruiting arm of the assassination business; through Steed's fake-murdering Mrs. Peel to discover the true identity of the mastermind behind the murder business, which almost turns into a real murder when things go sideways; to the gradual unveiling of who the real operators and masterminds are, this episode is constantly swinging back and forth between dark, hilarious humor, an intriguing mystery, and a sense that the heroes may be in real danger. (And, yes... at one point, it seems perfectly plausible that Steed may have to sacrifice Mrs. Peel's life for real in order to fully unravel the conspiracy. (Watching this episode in the 2020s, it's obvious that Mrs. Peel doesn't die--since Diana Rigg played the character for two seasons of the series--but in 1965, viewers had every reason to believe that she might not make it; until Season Four of the "The Avengers", Steed had worked with a rotating series of partners.)

One thing astute viewers (or those who are binging episodes) may notice is that the character of Emma Peel is not quite as she's been in previous episodes. Her banter with Steed seems out of tune, her mastery of hand-to-hand fighting seems to have declined, and she doesn't seem as cunning and focused as a secret operative as she has been. As amusing as the scene with Mrs. Peel tottering about drunk is, it seems very much out of character with how she's been portrayed previously. In fact, the only major bit that seems in keeping with the character from other episodes, is the scene where she's messing around with a tuba while making plans with Steed. 

The explanation for the sudden change is that the Emma Peel we've gotten to know over the six episodes prior to this one airing didn't yet exist. In fact, the reason the gag with the tuba seems in keeping with the character we know is because it was one of the pieces that brought the character into focus both for the writers and for Diana Rigg.

Although it was the seventh episode aired, "The Murder Market" was actually the first one that was filmed with Diana Rigg. Emma Peel was originally played by Elizabeth Shepherd, but after completing all her scenes on "The Town of No Return" and a few on "The Murder Market", she was suddenly let go and Rigg was hastily hired as a replacement and swiftly put to work in an attempt to get the show back on its production schedule. The reasons for why Shepherd was let go differ, but if Rigg's performance in this episode is any indication, perhaps the Mrs. Peel that was emerging was too similar to Steed's former sidekick, Cathy Gale and the producers wanted something different, both from the character and the actress portraying her. However, after this episode was completed and the producers turned their attention back to "The Town of No Return", everyone had a firm grasp on how to portray the multi-talented, brilliant and charming Mrs. Emma Peel.

 Although I make a big deal out of Emma Peel's character forming in this episode, it really isn't anything that those looking for something to pick at will notice (or, as mentioned, if you're watching several episodes back-to-back). The story here is so strong, and the various supporting characters so amusing and/or well-acted, that Emma's "off-day" is pretty much a non-issue. By the time we get to the obligatory "clowning around tag" at the end of the show, we will have sat through one of the best episodes in Season Four.

The Avengers: The Master Minds

The Master Minds (1965)

Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Laurence Hardy, Bernard Archard, Patricia Haines, and Ian MacNaughton

Director: Peter Graham Scott

Rating; Nine of Ten Stars

After a cabinet minister (Hardy) is nearly killed while stealing state secrets, but claims to have no memory of attempting to do so, secret agents John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) discover his treason may be linked to his membership in RANSACK, a private club for people with exceptionally high IQs. 

"The Master Minds" is another great episode, with another clever script that deftly mixes humor and suspense, and, more importantly, makes the comic book universe within which John Steed and Mrs. Peel exist seem real. While trying to figure out what is causing elected officials and loyal government employees to turn traitor (and even murderous), they have to tread carefully because of the lurking political scandal. This sense of reality is further heightened by Steed behaving in a far more serious fashion than usual, with the scenes of Steed interacting with fellow employees of the Ministry and a government psychiatrist showing that Patick Macnee can bring an intensity to Steed that we rarely see. This more grounded, serious Steed brings a slightly darker atmosphere to this episode, and the grounding make the climactic scenes all the more intense. (All that said, it's also Steed's rebellious flippant approach to life that ends up saving him and Peel both, if in a somewhat roundabout way.)

Mrs. Peel's treatment "The Master Minds" is also interesting, as moreso than ever before, it's spelled out that she is the "total package" with even more brains than she has beauty and enough breeding to shut down lecherous men without causing a scene. In this episode, it's established that Mrs. Peel is not only smarter than Steed, but she is a literal genius. The test administered by RANSACK (which she passes easily) certifies her as such, and she even helps Steed cheat (and yet still has to falsify his results) for him to be considered for admission. 

This episode also keeps up the momentum until the very end, with an exciting and very creatively staged climax where we see Emma Peel and the mysterious figure who's using RANSACK as a vehicle to corrupt Great Britain's greatest minds in silhouette, behind a rear-projection screen upon which military footage is being shown. The only drawback is that nowhere near enough is done with this very interesting villain. In understand why the identity was kept secret until the end, but I feel like this is another one of those minor characters in "The Avengers" who deserved more screen time... and who should have made a reappearance in another episode or two.

The Avengers: Castle De'Ath

Castle De'Ath (1965)

Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Robert Urquhart, Gordon Jackson, and Jack Lambert

Director: James Hill

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Two of Britain's top government agents, Steed & Mrs. Peel (Macnee and Rigg) go undercover to investigate a strange death at an isolated castle and its possible connection to a decline in the fish population off the coast of Scotland.

"Castle De'Ath" is both a great episode and a terrible episode, with the bad outweighing the good (however slightly). 

The good is that it has an excellent cast, with guest-stars Robert Urquhart and Gordon Jackson playing the pair of Scottish brothers who own the castle, and who are as different as night and day, being at the top of the list for well-deserved praise. Either one--or perhaps even both--may be behind a devilish plot to destroy Scotland and England's fishing industry. Of course, they may also just be eccentric and/or greedy; These two characters and their conflict with each other and with our heroes are the main drivers of this episode, with Urquhart and Jackson striking just the right balance between dubious and sincere, restrained and ridiculously over-the-top in their performances to keep the audience unsure as to what's truly motivating either one of them.

The usual amount of praise must also be given to Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee. Their portrayals of their characters are a little less playful this time out, because there's limited opportunity for it; Steed and Peel are both undercover, supposedly don't know each other, and arrive at the castle at different times, so they can investigate from different angles. Interestingly, their cover-stories are reversed from the usual approach; Steed is posing as a writer and Rigg is a tourism executive with an interest in turning Castle De'Ath into an attraction. Rigg also gets to sneak through the castle in a flimsy nightgown, so that's another definite plus for the episode.

The last-minute reveal of the true identity of the villainous mastermind in the show is an exciting moment, as is the battle royal that surrounds it. In several episodes of "The Avengers", the climactic action of an episode is often dragged down by poor staging and badly rehearsed stage fighting; that is not the case here. The action is fluid and fun (well, for the viewers at least... for some of the participants in the fight, it's quite deadly), and the only complaint I can field is that I wish the final fate of one of the Brothers De'Ath was a little clearer.

Speaking of complaints, I have a major one with "Castle De'Ath"--one so big that it almost ruins the entire episode. While the script here was generally well-written and the story constructed well enough to keep the viewer guessing who the real villain in Castle De'Ath is, everything falls apart once the Big Reveal happens. It's not that things don't make sense in the context of the clues that an attentive viewer would have picked up on, it's that the villain's actions both prior to and during the events of the episode are so monumentally stupid that they were certain  to invite circumstances that would almost certainly expose himself and his co-conspirators to discovery. A somewhat smaller complaint is that some of the episode's humor felt forced--such as Steed performing a clownish Scottish dance while Peel plays miniature bagpipes--but when combined with the the botched logical underpinnings of the story, this Avengers outing only rates Six Stars.

The Avengers: Death at Bargain Prices

Death at Bargain Prices (1965)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Andre Morell, T.P. McKenna, John Castor, and Allen Cuthbertson
Director: Charles Crichton
Rating: Ten of Ten Stars

When the mysterious death of a government agent traces back to a department store owned by a reclusive millionaire (Morrel), top secret agents John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) uncover a scheme to wipe London from the map and hold the entirety of Great Britian for ransom.

"Death at Bargain Prices" is another perfect episode of "The Avengers". We get great banter between Steed and Peel; we have a fascinating and highly intelligent villain who very nearly bests our heroes--even after he himself has been defeated; we a talented supporting cast portraying interesting characters among whom it's difficult for both the Avengers and the viewers to tell ally from enemy; and we have the unusual setting of a high-end department store used effectively and to its fullest extent.

From serving as a vehicle for veiled observations on the way British society was changing in the 1960s--with centuries-old class structures and gender roles melting and morphing and melding, something that's also embodied in the styles and characterizations of both John Steed and Emma Peel--to providing a backdrop from the climactic confrontation between the Avengers and the villains who want to blow up London.

As Steed and Peel conduct their investigation--with Steed undercover as an efficiency expert, and Peel (under protest) taking a job there (under protest) as a shop girl--we get to see that some floors are the traditional upscale store, with traditional staff divisions, but others are being renovated and out of service for the time being, as they are being reworked for modern days. The owner of the store, an old-school industrialist brilliantly played by Andre Morrell is living in a private apartment and storage area on the facility's top floor, embittered at a society and peers that have rejected him and are leaving him behind. Peels interactions with her male coworkers, and some of Steed's hilarious but over-the-top sexist jokes illustrate how women's place in society was changing. It's all very clever commentary... and it's delivered wrapped up in a package of light-hearted action and excitement.

And that excitement is at its finest during the episodes climactic moments where there is another spectacular mix of the goofy and the deadly serious, as the Steed and Peel square off against the bad guys in a fight that starts in the toy section and moves through the departments of the store, getting increasingly lethal as it goes. Even after the bad guys have been put down, the heroes still have to deal with the issue of finding and stopping a nuclear bomb from going off. 

From beginning to end, and in every way, this is one of the best episodes from Season Four of "The Avengers".

The Avengers: The Cybernauts

The Cybernauts (1965)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Michael Gough, John Hollis, Frederick Jaeger, Burt Kwouk, and Ronald Lee-Hunt
Director: Sidney Hayers
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

When corporates executives from firms competing to purchase the manufacturing rights to a revolutionary micro-circuit are murdered one after another, secret agents John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) are assigned to catch the killer.

With a story that's part murder mystery, part sci-fi, and industrial espionage caper, "The Cybernauts" is one of the best episodes of the Macnee/Rigg era of "The Avengers". It's got a suspenseful storyline where it feels as though the main characters are in serious danger--and this sense of danger grows right up until the episode's resolution.

The writing on this episode is also excellent in every way. The camaraderie between Steed and Peel is again highlighted by some great banter; the way the investigation into the murders and espionage is portrayed is sensible and logical within the comic-book universe rules that apply to "The Avengers"; and Emma Peel going undercover always adds an interesting aspect to the show--and here, she gets to show off her martial arts skills against an arrogant sensei and his students. The way each of the firms and their executives are portrayed as being distinctly different was also a nice touch--and one that I've found lacking in a couple modern shows I've been watching recently. Were the executives all stereotypes on this episode? Sure. But they were each a different stereotype.

"The Cybernauts" also benefits greatly from the presence of Michael Gough who plays a wheelchair-bound computer genius turned tech mogul. He plays the character with just right mix of excitement over the new world that technology can usher in, arrogance, and outright crazy that he steals every scene he's in. He's so good that I found myself wanting to see more of this character in the future. 

The Avengers: The Gravediggers

The Gravediggers (1965)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Ronald Fraser, Paul Masse, Caroline Blakiston, and Victor Platt
Director: Quentin Lawrence
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

In order to find the source of signals jamming Great Britain's early warning radar systems, secret agents John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) trace mysterious malfunctions at Britain's early warning radar system must first unravel the secret that links a funeral home, a charitable hospital for railway workers, and an eccentric, train-loving nobleman (Fraser).

"The Gravediggers" features an intricate plot that may seem a little odd to anyone who doesn't remember the Cold War. The threat against the early warning system was perceived as an extremely dire one in the world of 1965, so the trouble the enemy agents go through to distribute their network of jammers. The clever way by which they fund and literally power their operation is also well-conceived, so long as one is able to buy into the comic book reality that The Avengers exist in.

As is the case with all the greatest episodes during the Patrick Macnee/Diana Rigg, the serious and the silly co-exist easily in the episode. The eccentric train obsessed nobleman with his sitting room done up to mimic a railcar in motion and the miniature train and tracks he has running throughout his property is amusing, but when it gets used as a send-up of silent movie melodrama (where maidens get tied to the train tracks) and old-time westerns (where the hero battles bad guys atop moving train cars), it becomes absolutely hilarious. Even better--despite the very intentionally ridiculous nature of the episode's climactic action, there is also a real sense that Peel and Steed are in danger of losing the fight and possibly even their lives. It is an expertly written and paced episode.

Adding to the value of this episode is some nice banter between Steed and Peel, as well as another example of Peel's versatility as an undercover operative. Here, she successfully passes for a nurse in order to infiltrate the hospital. 

"The Gravediggers" was the second episode to air in "The Avengers" Season Four, and it kept the momentum going from the debut. 

The Avengers: 'The Town of No Return'

The Town of No Return (1965)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Terrence Alexander, Patrick Newell, Juliet Harmer, Alan McNaughten, and Jeremy Burnham
Director: Roy Ward Baker

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

When several of their collegues vanish while investigating odd happenings in a small sea-side village, top government agents John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) are sent there undercover to determine their fates. 

"The Town of No Return" was the inaugural episode of the fourth season of "The Avengers", and it marked a change in direction and tone for the series. The character of John Steed had been evolving since the second season, from a trenchcoat-wearing tough guy to an eccentric, bowler hat wearing, fey throwback to an earlier age--and that transformation was complete now. With Steed's final metamorphosis also came a lighter tone for the series overall. 

The biggest change to the series, however, is the debut of Diana Rigg as Mrs. Emma Peel, the first steady partner Steed had had since he was made the lead character of the series during the second season. Mrs. Peel was introduced without much fanfare, with a sense that her and Steed had bene acquainted for some time and had possibly even worked together in the past. They seem well aware of each other's strengths and limitations. It's a nice in media res approach that gets things going quickly and gives the sense to viewers that we are about to embark on a dangerous mission with a pair of seasoned, capable secret agents. (And although Mrs. Peel is new to the viewers, we are swiftly introduced to her background and varied skillset through her banter with Steed and the friendly fencing match they engage in, right there in her living room. Not only do we see how physically capable Peel is, but their conversation reveals that she regularly publishes papers in scientific journals.)

We are further introduced to Mrs. Peel's talents for investigation and undercover work once she and Steed arrive in the titular Town of No Return, a strangely sparsely inhabited sea-side village where the inhabitants are decidedly unfriendly and the inn keeper (Terrence Alexander) is entirely too friendly, as she poses as a teacher sent by the Department of Education to help the local school. We also get to see Steed being absolutely coldhearted and brutal--and while he rarely kills on screen, some of his interactions with villains in this episode leaves no doubt that he could do so. All-in-all, this a great introduction to a pair of characters who compliment each other, portrayed by an actor and actress who work well together and have great onscreen chemistry. Macnee and Rigg make Steed and Peel seem absolutely believable as friends and colleagues who are dedicated to each other and their jobs as government investigators and, well, avengers. 

This first episode is also a prime example of what makes this series so much fun. Like all the best episodes, the action and the plot is almost secondary to the witty banter and friendly flirtations between Steed and Peel, and the comedic elements of the show exist easily alongside a growing atmosphere of dark mystery and deadly danger--with each augmenting and heightening the effectiveness of the other. Since this episode is directed by Roy Ward Baker, who was an expert at generating suspense and terror on the screen, it is not surprising that the air is thick with tension and mystery as soon as Steed and Peel arrive in the village. 

Like many episodes in Season Four of "The Avengers"--including some of the best ones--the plot of "The Town of No Return" comes apart if you examine it closely, but the ride you're on is so much fun that you shouldn't feel a need to think about the pure nonsense of pieces that don't quite fit. (At the risk of spoiling the episode for you, I will say that the one part that bothered me is that the fate of the villagers who are replaced by the invaders is not fully explained to my satisfaction. Are they all dead? Are they imprisoned somewhere? It seems reasonable that they're dead, but I would have liked to know one way or the other, even if it might have made the show much darker.)

"The Town of No Return" opens a chapter of greatness for "The Avengers"... and it opens it on a powerful high note. It is a classic bit of 1960s gonzo spy action, and it's well worth checking out.

2021: The Year of the Avengers

Not too long ago, I realized that there were 51 episodes of "The Avengers" that co-starred Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee. So, the decision was made on the spot that 2021 was going to be the Year of the Avengers at Shades of Gray, like 2000 had been The Year of the Hot Toddy.

The flaw in that plan, though, is that 26 of the episodes starring Diana Rigg are in black and white, but the rest are in color, with the episodes for the 1965 season being the last that were shot in black-and-white before the show converted to color in 1966.

Still, starting tomorrow, and then on every other Thursday for the rest of the year, I intend to post my thoughts on an episode of the series that originally aired on television in 1965. On the "off-weeks", there will be a photo-gallery related to "The Avengers" and its cast members.

If things go well, I'll revive my old Watching the Detectives blog and cover the 1966 color episodes over there.

I hope you will come by for my comments on these television classics, as I watch them for the first time. Despite all I've heard about the Patrick Macnee/Diana Rigg-led episodes of "The Avengers", it's just now that I'm getting around to them. (Previously I've only seen a few of the episodes where Honor Blackman played John Steed's partner, Cathy Gale. The promotional photos I'd seen for the 1965/66 seasons, as well as what I've heard, made it clear there was a drastic shift in tone when they gave Steed a permanent partner.)



By way of a warm-up, here's a pre-credit sequence that was added to the series when it was broadcast in the United States. In 1964, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) brought the rights to "The Avengers", and the series aired more or less simultaneously in both the U.S. and its country of origin, Great Britain. It was felt the characters and what they did needed a proper introduction to the Americans, so this very neat little opener was created. 

(I say "neat", even while wondering if the writer wo scripted the voice-over and the executive who approved it had even watched so much as the first episode with Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. It is clear from the outset that, like John Steed, Mrs. Peel is a top, professional secret agent and not a "talented amateur" as she is described... unless they're referring to the fact that she dabbles in several advanced science disciplines? Although, as I typed that sentence, I remembered references here and there during the series that also seemed to hint at Mrs. Peel not being a full-time agent. Personally, I find that notion fantastic, given what Steed involves her in, time and again. I realize that "The Avengers" is basically a live-action comic book, but even with Emma Peel's background as the sole heir to her father's company and fortune--especially because of that background--it taxes my imagination that she is some sort of volunteer or part-time consultant.)



(This opening is NOT included in the DVD collection that is forming the basis of the reviews series. I consider this an oversight. It should have been included as an "extra" or "bonus feature.")

The Avengers: Too Many Christmas Trees

Beginning in January 2021, we'll be featuring bi-weekly reviews of the final batch of episodes of "The Avengers" that were made in black-and white. As a sneak-peek--and because it's Christmas--we present this review!

Too Many Christmas Trees (1965)

Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Mervyn Johns, Edwin Richfield, Alex Scott, Jeanette Sterke, Robert James, and Barry Warren
Director: Roy Ward Baker

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Top-troubleshooter for the secret services of Great Britain John Steed (Macnee) has been having strange Christmas-related nightmares. As he attends a holiday costume party with his partner Mrs. Emma Peel (Rigg), elements of his nightmares seem to be manifesting themselves in the real world.

"The Avengers" was a television series that generally focused on British secret agents working cases where other operatives had failed and been and been captured or worse. It began as a straight spy drama, but by the fifth batch of episodes debuted, with Patrick Macnee as the eccentric life-long soldier and spy for Britain John Steed; and Diana Rigg as the glamorous, multi-talented and independently wealthy Mrs. Emma Peel in the lead roles, the series had followed down the path of the James Bond films by adding more comedy and other fantastic elements into the mix. It was during 1965 - 1967 that the show was at its most popular, and it was also during this time where never quite knew what you would get. Sure--there'd be the witty banter between Steed ad Peel, but beyond that viewers might get a straight-up spy/Cold War story, a murder mystery, a sci-fi adventure, a screwball comedy, a horror-tinged thriller--or a combination of any or all of the above. 

"Too Many Christmas Trees" is part mystery and part supernatural thriller, as Steed and Peel must find the truth about why Steed's dreams seem to be prophetic... and to stop the death and mayhem they seem to predict (with their guillotines and killer Father Christmases). Eventually, the show ends up incorporating what at the time could have been viewed as science fiction: It's ultimately revealed that Steed is under mental attack by psychics working for an enemy power that are trying to weaken his defenses and literally pick his brain for the secrets he knows.

The comment about psychics being at the root of the problem in this episode could possibly be viewed as a spoiler, but it's a minor one at best. Although the enemy psychics are key to the storyline, they are revealed early on... and Steed and Peel (and the viewers) have many more mysteries to solve and threats to confront during this episode and it's virtually impossible to predict where it's going to end up. 

Highlights of "Too Many Christmas Trees" are the sequences showing Steed's nightmares; Peel's discovery of a murder victim under very spooky circumstances and the fight scene that follows shortly afterward; and just the over all flow of the plot that keeps viewers guessing until the end. (The chilling atmosphere in many scenes is not surprising when one considers this episode was directed by Roy Ward Baker, a gentleman who helmed a good number of chillers and thrillers from British production companies such as Hammer Films and Amicus. He directed a total of seven episodes of "The Avengers" with the Macnee and Riggs in the lead roles, and they are among the best of the batch.)

One very funny fourth wall inside joke happens when Steed is going through his Christmas cards and happily remarks on one from his former partner, Kathy Gale, that was sent from Fort Knox, U.S.A.. The character had been played by Honor Blackman, who, at the time this show originally aired had just co-starred in the smash-hit James Bond film "Goldfinger" which featured an attempt to rob the gold depository at Fort Knox.

This is just one of the many very funny moments that exist along side the very dramatic, very high-stakes action of this episode... but this easy co-existence of the goofy and self-referential  or satirical material alongside deadly serious plot elements is among the things that makes "The Avengers" episodes with Macnee and Rigg so much fun.