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August 11, 2021

What's So Special About The Original Avengers?

Why is the original Avengers TV series from 1961-1969 still one of the most creative series in television or movies? This project investigates that question.

Note: this series is unrelated to Marvel's Avengers (or its predecessor) which began as a comic book series in 1963. The Avengers TV series pre-dates the comic book Avengers beginning in January 1961.

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Discovering The Avengers

I already had an inkling as a kid that The Avengers might be one of the most imaginative TV series ever. Being a kid, I couldn't really tell because I hadn't seen many movies or TV series. I only got to see two or three episodes of the original Avengers (and a few episodes of The New Avengers). One of the big barriers to discovering The Avengers properly, was that they weren't available for me to watch. (As an aside, I believe that is also currently a hindrance to younger people discovering The Avengers today. They are not available on streaming. Some episodes should be out for free on YouTube to let younger people discover the series). For me, it wasn't until the DVD era that I was able to watch the original Avengers as a series and not just as a few individual episodes. Even then, the Emma Peel episodes were so expensive that I could not afford to buy them all. The discs became more affordable a few years after the Blu-ray discs were out. It was finally possible to see the Cathy Gale episodes and I discovered the Tara King episodes, which I didn't even know existed.

Nothing Compares

I needed to watch a lot of different films and television before I had anything to compare. Old, new, mainstream, surreal, serious, humorous, or just quirky. Hollywood and independent movies in English, and films from around the world in different languages. After seeing many different types of movies and TV series, I began to realise in recent years that the original Avengers still stands out today. That made me wonder why. After all, we are living in a golden age of television. Yes, 50-60 year old TV episodes are going to be dated in some aspects, but in regard to imagination, pure creativity, and especially charm, the original Avengers remain unique.

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A Unique Blend

What I love most about The Avengers are the creative ideas which surprise, delight and intrigue me. The Avengers creates interestingly quirky stories consisting of espionage, fantasy and science-fiction, mixed together with eccentric, charismatic, and charmingly witty characters. The Avengers did not follow formulas without deviating from them. Even when an episode begins by setting up a series of repetitive crimes, the plot will soon take a sharp turn (or many odd turns), and go in a totally different direction. The plots remain interesting because they are unexpected, quirky and surreal.

Keeping It Fresh

Unlike most television series The Avengers changes significantly over time. If someone were only to know the last episode and the very first episode, it might be difficult to imagine that it is the same series. In 1961 the series began with relatively serious characters in a police drama style, but was already adding offbeat and fantastical plot ideas. The acting in the early years is very much the style of stage plays of that period. The actors deliver lines as though they are addressing a theatre audience because that's how early television drama was made. As it progressed, more and more fantasy and science-fiction elements were added. With season four, and the introduction of Diana Rigg as Emma Peel, the series became lighter and more humorous. Television acting by the mid-1960s became like movies instead of theatrical drama. The series shifts from serious stage acting with a dramatic tone, in blurry black and white, to a surreal, fantastical and humorous tone, with elaborate indoor sets and bright colours.

Pioneers

The Avengers did many things first. Saying The Avengers had strong female characters would be an understatement. The writers and producers made a decision that their female lead would be 100% equal to their male lead in every aspect. Emma Peel became an icon because she is a strong, multi-dimensional female character – even from today's perspective. It's debatable whether there are female characters today who portray such a wide range of abilities. Today's characters tend to be very strong in particular aspects, but then lacking in others. They can be physically strong, good at fighting, but lack the sharp intellect, humour and charm of Emma Peel. They might have her mathematical, or scientific skills, or fashion sense, but are not able to fight. One thing none of them possess is her charm and wit. She was the first female character to perform karate on western television, and Cathy Gale was the first to do judo. Of course, martial arts and action stunts have changed hugely in 60 years. We need to remember the time period and that they were the pioneers. Women were not fighting properly in western movies or television at that time, aside from so-called catfights where two women would be pulling each other's hair and scratching each other with long finger nails. Men were not performing martial arts in mainstream western media until the mid-1960s either. The Avengers women were pioneering fighting styles before men were. Steed often stands back to let his female partner do most of the fighting. Even when Emma is captured and Steed has to free her, he often stands back to let her take care of the baddies.

Gentleman Steed

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The character of John Steed is also fascinating. He has been described as an iron fist in a velvet glove. Steed always behaves like a charming gentleman with impeccable manners, but behind that agreeable exterior he is extremely clever and ruthless. He seems to be a mix of spymaster, field agent and security strategist. Clothing plays an important role for Steed, as it does for his female partners. Steed never carries a gun. He will only pick up a weapon he finds or has taken from an adversary. The only weapon he carries is his umbrella, which occasionally conceals some surprising weapons. The chemistry between John Steed and his female partners is another element that makes the series special. Steed's chemistry with Emma Peel is the main reason for many people to rewatch the show – it is that good.

A Surreal World

The world of The Avengers is also unique. It is often surreal with mostly empty streets and country roads. It's a fantastical England of bowler-hatted gents carrying umbrellas, red phone booths, red double-decker buses, and red Royal Mail pillar boxes. By the mid-1960s colour episodes there is a feeling of René Magritte's famous surreal paintings. Steed drives a vintage Bentley through deserted roads in the home counties of England, chasing enemies with eccentric plots. Emma Peel wears custom designed mod fashion in elaborately designed interior sets any high fashion magazine editor would be envious of.

What's So Special?

The big question is what made The Avengers so special? There is a very unique blend of espionage, fantasy, and science-fiction located in its own slightly surreal world. There is the fashion and set design and the remarkable chemistry between Steed and his female partners. An episode might set up a crime or espionage trope, then deviate to completely new territory. Its ability for constant invention is one of the reasons for The Avengers lasting success. There's always a question of "What are they going to do this time?" while watching a new episode. What I want to do in this project is celebrate some of the amazing creativity, but also try to figure out what makes The Avengers so special. In other words, how did they do it?

If you are interested in joining this investigation, I welcome guest contributors to write about an individual Avengers episode or topic together with me. Contact me if you are interested.

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