"The New Avengers" (1976) TV series 1976-1977

Writer:

Sydney Newman (characters)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

5 September 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

John Steed and his new accomplices Purdey and Gambit find themselves facing new and deadly dangers in the bizarre world of espionage...

Plot Keywords:

Trio | London England | Martial Arts | Spoof | Great Distinction

Cast

Patrick Macnee	...	John Steed (26 episodes, 1976-1977)
Gareth Hunt	...	Mike Gambit (26 episodes, 1976-1977)
Joanna Lumley	...	Purdey (26 episodes, 1976-1977)

Series Directed by
Ray Austin		(7 episodes, 1976-1977)
Sidney Hayers		(4 episodes, 1976-1977)
Robert Fuest		(2 episodes, 1976)
James Hill		(2 episodes, 1976)
Yvon Marie Coulais		(2 episodes, 1977)
Ernest Day		(2 episodes, 1977)
Don Thompson		(2 episodes, 1977)

Series Writing credits
Brian Clemens		(17 episodes, 1976-1977)
Dennis Spooner		(9 episodes, 1976-1977)
Terence Feely		(2 episodes, 1976-1977)
Sydney Newman		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Brian Clemens	....	producer (22 episodes, 1976-1977)
Albert Fennell	....	producer (22 episodes, 1976-1977)
Ron Fry	....	associate producer (11 episodes, 1977)
Ray Austin	....	coordinating producer: Avengers Film&TV Enterprises (4 episodes, 1977)
Hugh Harlow	....	producer (3 episodes, 1977)
Jim Hanley	....	producer (2 episodes, 1977)

Series Original Music by
Laurie Johnson		(26 episodes, 1976-1977)

Series Cinematography by
Michael Reed		(10 episodes, 1976)
Ernest Steward		(7 episodes, 1976-1977)
Henri Fiks		(3 episodes, 1977)
Gilbert Sarthre		(3 episodes, 1977)
Ian Wilson		(2 episodes, 1976)

Series Film Editing by
Robert C. Dearberg		(7 episodes, 1976-1977)
Ralph Sheldon		(6 episodes, 1976)
Alan Killick		(5 episodes, 1977)
Graeme Clifford		(4 episodes, 1976)
Eric Wrate		(2 episodes, 1977)

Series Casting by
Maggie Cartier		(19 episodes, 1976-1977)
Karen Hazzard		(4 episodes, 1977)
Mamade		(3 episodes, 1977)

Series Production Design by
Syd Cain		(13 episodes, 1976)
Keith Wilson		(6 episodes, 1977)
Daniel Budin		(3 episodes, 1977)
Seamus Flannery		(2 episodes, 1977)

Series Art Direction by
Bob Bell		(13 episodes, 1976)

Series Set Decoration by
Simon Wakefield		(3 episodes, 1976)

Series Makeup Department
Alan Boyle	....	makeup artist (21 episodes, 1976-1977)
Alan Brownie	....	makeup artist (13 episodes, 1976-1977)
Helene Bevan	....	hair stylist / hairdressing supervisor / ... (13 episodes, 1976)
Joyce James	....	assistant hairdresser / hair stylist / ... (9 episodes, 1976)
Mark Nelson	....	hairdresser / hair stylist (9 episodes, 1977)
Ken Freeman	....	makeup artist (4 episodes, 1977)
Jean Murray	....	makeup artist (4 episodes, 1977)
Malcolm Tanner	....	hairdresser / hair stylist (4 episodes, 1977)
Peter Robb-King	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1976)
Neville Smallwood	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1976)
Paul Le Marinel	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1977)

Series Production Management
Ron Fry	....	production supervisor (15 episodes, 1976-1977)
Robert Fennell	....	unit manager (13 episodes, 1976)
Paul Clay	....	post-production supervisor (12 episodes, 1977)
Ron Purdie	....	production manager / unit manager (6 episodes, 1976-1977)
Patrick Danon	....	unit manager (3 episodes, 1977)
Philippe Lefebvre	....	production manager (3 episodes, 1977)
Don Buchsbaum	....	production manager (2 episodes, 1977)
Samuel C. Jephcott	....	production manager (2 episodes, 1977)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roger Simons	....	assistant director / assistant director: second unit / ... (10 episodes, 1976)
Ron Purdie	....	assistant director (9 episodes, 1976-1977)
Al Burgess	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1977)
René Bonnière	....	second unit director (2 episodes, 1977)
Dominic Fulford	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1977)
Jean-Claude García	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1977)
Jean-Michel Lacor	....	second unit director (2 episodes, 1977)
Tony Lucibello	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1977)
Ian McDougall	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1977)
Ian Wilson	....	first assistant director: second unit / second unit director (2 episodes, 1977)
Victoria Plummer	....	third assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Leon Davis	....	construction manager / construction supervisor (13 episodes, 1976)
Bryn Siddall	....	property buyer (10 episodes, 1976)
Simon Wakefield	....	set dresser (10 episodes, 1976)
Michael Ford	....	assistant art director (6 episodes, 1977)
Bill Waldron	....	construction manager (6 episodes, 1977)
Ziggy Galko	....	construction manager (4 episodes, 1977)
Keith Pepper	....	assistant art director (2 episodes, 1977)
Bill Harman	....	construction coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Ken Barker	....	sound recordist (21 episodes, 1976-1977)
Peter Lennard	....	dubbing editor (20 episodes, 1976-1977)
Mike Hopkins	....	dubbing editor (19 episodes, 1976-1977)
Paul Le Mare	....	sound recordist (11 episodes, 1976-1977)
Dennis Whitlock	....	sound recordist (7 episodes, 1976)
Robert C. Dearberg	....	dubbing editor (5 episodes, 1976)
Danny Daniel	....	sound recordist (4 episodes, 1976)
Jack T. Knight	....	dubbing editor (4 episodes, 1977)
Peter Shewchuk	....	sound recordist (4 episodes, 1977)
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound recordist (3 episodes, 1976-1977)
Peter Keen	....	dubbing editor (2 episodes, 1977)
Charlie McFadden	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Alan Bryce	....	special effects (4 episodes, 1977)

Series Stunts
Cyd Child	....	fight arranger (12 episodes, 1976)
Joe Dunne	....	fight arranger (6 episodes, 1977)
Dwayne McLean	....	stunt coordinator (4 episodes, 1977)
Valentino Musetti	....	stunt coordinator (4 episodes, 1977)
Wendy Leech	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Malcolm Vinson	....	camera operator / camera operator: second unit (21 episodes, 1976-1977)
Jimmy Allen	....	lighting camera: second unit (9 episodes, 1976)
James Devis	....	camera operator (6 episodes, 1976)
Herbert Smith	....	camera operator (4 episodes, 1976)
Karol Ike	....	director of photography: second unit (3 episodes, 1977)
Manfred Guthe	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1977)
Gilbert Sarthre	....	lighting cameraman (2 episodes, 1977)
Ian Preston	....	second assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jilly Murphy	....	wardrobe: Joanna Lumley / fashion coordinator (14 episodes, 1976-1977)
Jackie Cummins	....	wardrobe supervisor (13 episodes, 1976)
Betty Jackson	....	wardrobe: Joanna Lumley (6 episodes, 1977)
Margaret Lewin	....	wardrobe supervisor (6 episodes, 1977)
Catherine Buckley	....	Joanna Lumley's costumes designed by / Joanna lumley's costumes designed by (4 episodes, 1976)
Jackie Budin	....	wardrobe mistress (3 episodes, 1977)
Judith R. Gellman	....	wardrobe mistress (3 episodes, 1977)
Jennifer Hocking	....	wardrobe: Joanna Lumley (2 episodes, 1976-1977)

Series Editorial Department
Paul Clay	....	post-production coordinator (13 episodes, 1976-1977)
Rodney Glenn	....	first assistant editor: film (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Don Retzer	....	transport coordinator (4 episodes, 1976)

Series Other crew
Pat Rambaut	....	continuity / continuity: second unit (14 episodes, 1976-1977)
Nick Gillott	....	location manager (12 episodes, 1976)
Renée Glynne	....	continuity (9 episodes, 1976)
Cheryl Leigh	....	continuity (6 episodes, 1977)
Brian Clemens	....	presenter (4 episodes, 1977)
Albert Fennell	....	presenter (4 episodes, 1977)
Eliane Baum	....	continuity (3 episodes, 1977)
Ginette Mejinsky	....	location manager (3 episodes, 1977)
Susanna David	....	continuity (2 episodes, 1977)
Diane Parsons	....	continuity (2 episodes, 1977)
Marie McFerran	....	production secretary (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Avengers Enterprises, The
• IDTV Production
• TF1
• TV Productions

Distributors

• A&E Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1978-1979) (USA)
• Contender Entertainment Group (1998) (UK) (VHS)
• Contender Entertainment Group (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Independent Television (ITV) (1976) (UK) (TV)
• Ironstar Communications Inc. (Canada)
• Lumiere Pictures (1996) (UK) (VHS)
• Optimum Releasing (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• StudioCanal (2008) (France) (DVD) (DVD box set; as "Collection intégrale - Chapeau melon & bottes de cuir") (remastered dubbed version: as "Chapeau melon et bottes de cuir")
• Tring International (1995) (UK) (VHS)
• Télévision Française 1 (TF1) (1976) (France) (TV) (as TF1) (premiere airing) (dubbed version: as "Chapeau melon et bottes de cuir")
• Universal Home Entertainment (1990) (UK) (VHS)
• Universal Video (2007) (France) (DVD)
• Video Gems (1994) (UK) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates

Also Known As:

"The New Avengers in Canada" - Canada (English title) (last season title)

Runtime:

60 min (26 episodes)

Country:

France | UK | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Beckton Gasworks, Beckton, London, England, UK

Company:

Avengers Enterprises, The

Trivia:

Patrick Macnee had difficulty getting back into character as Steed. After being confronted with this by producer Albert Fennell, he found inspiration by watching Benny Hill spoofing The Avengers on his TV show.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Martine: Martine IX (#2.3)" (1977)

I stumbled on this once night in 1978 or so.

Knock me over with a feather! At first I was not sure what I was watching on late night Detroit or Windsor television -- then it dawned. I made it my business every Friday night after the news to catch THE NEW AVENGERS, but probably saw little more than half.

No, it was not the old time religion, because the old chemistry would be impossible to create. This programme stood on its own, suffering in comparison only if one wanted the more of same. THE NEW AVENGERS was "bigger" (which does not make it better), less wacky, and to employ the amorphous, less artistic. The budgets of the 1960s were no doubt modest, forcing more creativity.

None the less, it was well cast with Steed as more of an elder statesman -- not "old" at 54 as another commentator was unkind enough to allege. Purdy was not Rigg or Blackman, but then she created her own viable character as a woman, much distinguished from the "youth market" Tara of 1968-9.

I make no comment upon individual episodes, because it would not be fair given the time elapsed, for me 1980 at latest. Having no cable television, nor being a videophile, I have not seen THE NEW AVENGERS since.