Keel ( Word of God is that some of her early scripts were actually written for Hendry), proved to be the more popular and Venus was quietly dropped. Cathy, who was mostly written similarly to Dr. He was followed up by stories that alternately paired Steed up with nightclub singer Venus Smith (played by Julie Stevens, who has never appeared in a Bond film) and female spy Catherine "Cathy" Gale (arguably TV's first true Action Girl, and played by Blackman, who, as noted already, would later appear in a Bond film). King, a blatant Suspiciously Similar Substitute of Keel. The first, lasting just three episodes, was Dr. Steed subsequently became the show's definitive central character and the production team started to explore other partnerships. The ensuing first season (featuring Keel and Steed as rotating co-protagonists and collaborators more than a regularly-partnered duo) was generally a grim-and-gritty (and decidedly low-budget) crime melodrama, centring around cases such as drug smugglers, arms dealers and urban gang warfare, often within the confines of a realistically-presented early-'60s London.Ī TV strike delayed the start of the second season, so Hendry left to pursue a film career. In the pilot, his character, the subdued and pragmatic practitioner Dr David Keel, was recruited by charming-but-hard-edged spy John Steed (Macnee) as a part-time expert assistant in return for Steed's help capturing the murderers of Keel's fiancée this was pretty much the last time in the series any actual avenging took place. The series was originally created as a vehicle for Ian Hendry (who would not-quite appear in a not-quite Bond film), to capitalise on the popularity he had developed during his previous show, the social realist drama Police Surgeon. In earlier seasons (1962-1964), the female co-star was Honor Blackman ( who would later appear in a Bond film). While the series generally centred on the escapades of John Steed (played by Patrick Macnee, who would later appear in a James Bond film) and a revolving series of co-stars, its most famous incarnation, between 19, paired Macnee with Diana Rigg (who would later appear in a Bond film) as Emma Peel. The series aired a total of 161 episodes across six seasons and singlehandedly started the Spy Catsuit trope. It was created by Sydney Newman (a few years before he created Doctor Who) and produced by Associated British Corporation (or ABC, unrelated to the identically-abbreviated American TV channel) for ITV. The Avengers is a very popular British Spy Fiction series that ran during most of The '60s (from 1961 to 1969). From beginning to end, this has been cool, snappy Mod-style fun."Always keep your bowler on in times of stress, and a watchful eye open for diabolical masterminds." The great chemistry between the Caped Crusaders and Steed and Peel is evident until the end, and some last minute twists spark new interest after a few lesser installments. Overall: A good ending to a series that started out great. If nothing else it has brought attention to a lesser known series, and proves that Batman and Robin are best when the character chemistry is just right. Even with diminishing returns, the Dynamic Duo’s adventure with Steed and Peel has, on average, been really good. Any Batman ’66 is a welcome respite, and the pedigree of this one made it a ripping yarn for a time. There isn’t much left to say about this series. Never did I think I’d be unsettled by Batman ’66, but here we are. Some of the imagery borders on being akin to a horror, but it still feels tonally consistent with the series. Rest assured that it’s a logical twist that has shades of Star Trek‘s classic episode “The Menagerie”, at least visually if not narratively.Ĭredit should go to Smith and Broome for the work they’ve done here. I’m being coy, of course, so nothing is spoiled. Sure, it made me enjoy this chapter more than the previous few, but it was still too little too late. My interest was greatly revitalized upon learning the truths of Gough, her father, and the Cybernauts, but it came too late in the game to make any real impact. It’s a shocking, welcome revelation with some disturbing undertones, and one I wish had been revealed earlier in the narrative. The action and dialogue both come fast in chapter twelve, with the heroes taking on the menacing Cybernauts only to discover the true nature of Michaela Gough. Unfortunately, the story began to wear out its welcome in recent weeks, spinning the narrative wheels and making one question whether this should have been a few installments shorter. Batman’s latest crossover comes to a close with a chapter that is incredibly interesting, which is to both its detriment and benefit.įrom the beginning I’ve really enjoyed the snappy, whip-smart dialogue and unique visual style of this book.
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