The New Avengers (8 Disc Collector's Edition Box Set) [DVD]

Ace crime fighter and protector of the realm, John Steed, returns with two new all-action assistants - Mike Gambit and Purdey, and an awesome new car - a beefed-up Broadspeed Jaguar V12 coupé, in British racing green of course.The New Avengers are an impressive trio - original Avenger Patrick Macnee reprises his role as the dapper and dashing John Steed with his trademark brolly and bowler, Gareth Hunt (who sadly died in March 2007) is the pistol-packing, wise-cracking action man, Mike Gambit and (my personal favourite) Joanna Lovely (sorry, I mean Lumley) is the sexy, karate-kicking super woman, Purdey - she knows how to make a fine herb omelette and field strip an automatic pistol in a matter of seconds (these are the two main qualities I've always looked for in a woman)!All the three leads are extremely good in their roles but, for me, Joanna really stands out. Not only is she incredibly gorgeous, and looks good from every camera angle, she is also a very fine actress with a remarkable CV. Prior to starring in The New Avengers she was a Bond girl (in On Her Majesty's Secret Service), a Hammer Horror heroine (she played Jessica Van Helsing in The Satanic Rites Of Dracula a.k.a. Count Dracula And His Vampire Bride) and appeared in Coronation Street and the classic sit-com Steptoe & Son. She has also starred in another cult 1970s TV series - Sapphire & Steel, has made numerous films and is unforgettable as the champagne-drinking party girl Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous.The Avengers and The New Avengers creator Brian Clemens was also associated with Hammer Horror through the films Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter and Dr Jekyll And Sister Hyde and it is good to see some Hammer Horror actors and actresses making guest appearances in this show - look out for Peter Cushing, John Carson, John Forbes-Robertson, Jon Finch, Melissa Stribling and Caroline Munro to name a few.Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) briefly appears in `K Is For Kill, Part One - The Tiger Awakes' and Only Fools And Horses fans will be able to spot `Boycie' (in the `Dirtier By The Dozen' episode) and `Marlene' (in the `Medium Rare' episode). Lewis Collins and Martin Shaw, the two stars of The Professionals (also created by Brian Clemens), appear in the `Obsession' episode but this time they are on the wrong side of the law. By the way, in the `Medium Rare' episode, there is a character called George Cowley- this was also the name of Bodie & Doyle's boss in The Professionals!This is a very entertaining DVD set. I remember watching all of these episodes when they were first shown on television and it is marvellous to own them on DVD and be able to watch them again. My favourite episode is probably `Sleeper' - I love the scene where Purdey has to pretend to be a fashion dummy in a shop window to avoid being caught by two pursuers and her pyjama bottoms keep falling down!

The simplest thing that can be said about this series is that it forms a stepping stone between the original Avengers and Brian Clemmens' next famous series The Professionals. There is a lot to recommend both the Avengers and the Professionals but they also cater to differing audiences: The Emma Peel/Tara King Avengers years showcased gentlemanly adventures and extraordinary plots, while the earlier Avengers series and The Professionals showed gritty encounters between the main protagonists and either the criminal or spy fraternity. The New Avengers offers the best of both for those who can admire both templates.If you can enjoy its mixture of the extraordinary Avengers plots and setups, and the darker, hard-edged style of The Professionals, then there is a lot for you to admire. The writing is frequently very good, the more-grounded plots genuinely engrossing, and the banter between Steed, Purdey and Gambit will often raise a smile. Steed remains the same, albeit with a little more development when around his companions, and more is shown of his stake in the delicate espionage scene. Purdey is both a fusion of previous female characters' traits and her own character. Gambit is a tougher character, foreshadowing The Professionals, and his (ultimately useless) flirting with Purdey is priceless. That, together with a smattering of recognizable guest stars and willingness to take up subjects that were likely taboo in the original Avengers years (just watch the first episode), generally makes this a wonderful collection to own, even if it's a little scant on the special features.

The first series is an outstanding piece of TV history resurrecting the Avengers as a team of three starting with the superb Eagle's Nest where Steed, Gambit and Purdey foil an attempt to clone Hitler, guest-starring Peter Cushing. This set the stage for what was to be a mostly great first season. There are plenty of good episodes including "Gnaws" and "The Return of the Cybernauts", "The Midas Touch" and even a cameo role by Ian Hendry one of the original Avengers in "To Catch a Rat" which I remembered very well. Others I didn't recall much about and viewing them 30 years on (yes I know.......) it's easy to see why they didn't stand out as much as the classic episodes above. On the whole though the first series was a great success.Series 2 is a terrible disappointment, apart from "Angels of Death". There is a VERY weak 2 part tale involving inept Russian sleeper soldiers waking up in (what was) modern day France. The series really starts to move down the drain when the characters all moved to Canada, because of the involvement of French and Canadian production companies. There are some clumsy, almost forced, attempts to inject humour, a fight between Gambit and a backwoods moonshine brewer particularly fails to stand out. The humour that had come so easily in the first series due to great writing and acting seems to peter out and hardly makes any attempt to re-appear in the later episodes of the second series. The earlier scripts were far better and the cast's hearts were probably more with it. The involvement of these new production companies miserably backfired. On the plus side the chemistry between Steed, Gambit and Purdey is well handled throughout the whole of the run.It is still an interesting mid 70's show with some great humour but it's a shame it was eventually ruined by production pressures. On the whole it might have been better not to have made the second series rather than produce something so, well.....mediocre. The closing episode "Emily" is particularly uninspiring, and what a true low to go out onIt is just about worth 4 stars, largely on the strength of the brilliant first series though. A classic example of how not to interfere with a successful formula.