| The Avengers '63 | ||
 The Original Avengers |
Television was coming of age in 1963 as
viewership expanded rapidly in North America and the United Kingdom. The
limited capabilities of TV cameras made high-quality output
from scriptwriters and top-notch performances from actors
essential to a program's continued success. Excellent scriptwriting
and acting propelled the success of the early British television series,
The Avengers. The first volume of this DVD set
features three entertaining episodes from 1963. In the first
episode, a group of corrupt undertakers conspire to help wealthy folks avoid taxes
by arranging early death and change of identity. The conspirators, dressed in black, arrive in phalanx formation to carry away the
next victim. The Undertakers is followed by The
Man With Two Shadows. Using the popular early '60s theme of
"doubles", this episode features a brainwashed agent with
a plan to plant perfect doubles, including a surgically perfected
Steed, in the Ministry of Security. The Nutshell is the suspenseful finale
with a twist ending. Who is behind the infiltration of a secret, allegedly
impenetrable underground high-tech government facility?
Patrick Macnee is the suave John Steed, and Honor Blackman, the brilliant Mrs. Cathy Gale, in this trio of episodes with a total running time of 156 minutes. Producer John Bryce drew on some fine writing talent and enhanced the suspense with music by Johnny Dankworth. |