Much like the other episodes, this one involves some silly plot to blow up the Prime Minister while he's traveling on British Railways. It's cute and diverting, and it's probably more fun if you're a railroad buff. It's odd how many well-known character actors showed up in this series, but the Brits feel no shame at taking unimportant roles if they like them. They don't feel degraded like most American actors would, were they to appear in a television series. This one has John Hayter as a traitorous train conductor and John Laurie as an eccentric owner of an abandoned station. You may or may not recognize the names but the faces and demeanors may ring a bell. (John Laurie was the mean, jealous farmer in Hitchcock's "The Thirty Nine Steps.") I believe this was the first season the series appeared on TV in the USA. There's a reference to July Fourth, "Independence Day." Kind of fun.
The Avengers (TV Series)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Station (1967)
User Reviews
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John Laurie and James Hayter
kevinolzak25 March 2011
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Station" is an appropriate title for a railway episode, almost as good as "Dressed to Kill." Fellow agent Lucas (Michael Nightingale, "All Done with Mirrors") tips off Steed to a plot to assassinate Britain's Prime Minister with a bomb in a certain compartment (pop goes the diesel!) Once he's taken captive, it's Emma Peel to the rescue, with the help of train enthusiast Crewe (John Laurie, from "Death of a Great Dane," "Brief for Murder," and "Pandora"). A warm moment is when Crewe saves the luscious Emma from being thrown off the train to her death, rewarded with a tip of the hat and a BIG smile, usually reserved only for the lucky Steed! In the end, Steed figures an OBE will be his reward, while assuming Mrs. Peel will soon be called 'Dame Emma'! (coincidentally, the future fate of Diana Rigg in 1994). James Hayter headlines as the Ticket Collector, Isla Blair poses as the Bride, but it's the Groom (Drewe Henley) who gets to perform most of the dirty work. Also featuring Tim Barrett ("A Change of Bait"), Richard Caldicot ("Wish You Were Here"), and Noel Davis ("The Rotters").
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Station
guswhovian9 September 2020
Steed and Mrs Peel stumble upon a plan to assassinate the prime minister onboard a train.
This was a fun episode with plenty of quirky Avengersish touches. Mr. Tebbs himself, James Hayter, is the villainous "ticket collector" (he doesn't even get a name!), and John Laurie gives a wonderful supporting performance as a train enthusiast. The plot doesn't make a lick of sense, but the opening sequence is very well done. Overall, a well executed, entertaining episode.
This was a fun episode with plenty of quirky Avengersish touches. Mr. Tebbs himself, James Hayter, is the villainous "ticket collector" (he doesn't even get a name!), and John Laurie gives a wonderful supporting performance as a train enthusiast. The plot doesn't make a lick of sense, but the opening sequence is very well done. Overall, a well executed, entertaining episode.
Mystery on the Railway
Tweekums25 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
As this episode opens we see a man being chased through a railway yard; he manages to dispatch one of his pursuers and appears to escape on a train bound for London. Believing he is still in danger he leaves an item in the guard's van before disembarking at a minor station; here he is murdered by a man whistling the wedding march. It turns out the man was a secret agent and Steed and Mrs Peel were due to meet him when he got off
only he was tricked into getting off at a disused station. Steed and Mrs Peel manage to discover the item he left on the train then discover his body at the closed station. It turns out he was on the trail of somebody leaking secrets regarding the movements of VIPs; information which could be very useful to anybody wanting to harm the country. They realise something is happening on a certain train but Steed manages to get captured leaving Mrs Peel and an elderly railway enthusiast to save the day.
'The Avengers' is often filled with delightfully silly villains with far out plans but this episode plays in very straight; the basic plot could have come from a spy thriller; we have enemy agents, spies, secret codes and even a plot to kill the Prime Minister. This approach really worked as the story is gripping with a good cast of guest characters; most notably John Laurie, best known as Dad's Army's Pte Frazer, who plays Crewe; the appropriately named Railway enthusiast. Also good are Drewe Henley; who is delightfully sinister as the killer known only as The Groom and Isla Blair is nice as his attractive but dangerous Bride. It was nice to see that the produces filmed the railway scenes with real mainline stock, even if it wasn't on the line they claimed so often TV episodes set on the 'modern railway' feature vehicles that haven't been used in years as it is easier to film on preserved lines. Overall a really good episode which is more believable than usual.
'The Avengers' is often filled with delightfully silly villains with far out plans but this episode plays in very straight; the basic plot could have come from a spy thriller; we have enemy agents, spies, secret codes and even a plot to kill the Prime Minister. This approach really worked as the story is gripping with a good cast of guest characters; most notably John Laurie, best known as Dad's Army's Pte Frazer, who plays Crewe; the appropriately named Railway enthusiast. Also good are Drewe Henley; who is delightfully sinister as the killer known only as The Groom and Isla Blair is nice as his attractive but dangerous Bride. It was nice to see that the produces filmed the railway scenes with real mainline stock, even if it wasn't on the line they claimed so often TV episodes set on the 'modern railway' feature vehicles that haven't been used in years as it is easier to film on preserved lines. Overall a really good episode which is more believable than usual.
Murder on The Knaresborough Express.
Sleepin_Dragon29 July 2022
Steed and Mrs Peel search for a missing agent, who was known to have boarded a train.
It's a very good episode, more in the line of straight up thriller, perhaps doesn't have some of the bolder, more outlandish ideas that some recent episodes have had, but it works, it combines the usual action and energy with some terrific visuals.
I particularly loved the opening sequences, plenty of mystery and intrigue, they spike your curiosity.
Two standout performances in particular, firstly James Hayter, he made such an unusual villain, tonnes of charisma, and secondly John Laurie, if course known as part of The Dad's Army team, but a cracking actor in his own right, he was truly funny here, lovely actor.
A young Isla Blair, she never seems to change with time.
8/10.
It's a very good episode, more in the line of straight up thriller, perhaps doesn't have some of the bolder, more outlandish ideas that some recent episodes have had, but it works, it combines the usual action and energy with some terrific visuals.
I particularly loved the opening sequences, plenty of mystery and intrigue, they spike your curiosity.
Two standout performances in particular, firstly James Hayter, he made such an unusual villain, tonnes of charisma, and secondly John Laurie, if course known as part of The Dad's Army team, but a cracking actor in his own right, he was truly funny here, lovely actor.
A young Isla Blair, she never seems to change with time.
8/10.
One thing very unusual...
searchanddestroy-112 March 2019
I won't add much to what have already written the other viewers. Except that the prologue is very surprising; see for yourself. In this short segment, the villain is killed and the good man gets away. Or audiences may wonder WHO the real villain is after all?
No one seems to have noticed this. very interesting indeed.
INTRIGUE ON THE EXPRESS
asalerno102 June 2022
Steed and Emma try to find the whereabouts of a government agent who mysteriously disappeared while traveling by train carrying a briefcase with valuable information. What most puzzles them about the strange case is that apparently his disappearance occurred inside the express between two stations. The episode is very good, Diana Rigg shines in her role as Emma Peel showing her intuitive intelligence and her effectiveness in hand-to-hand combat when in the final scene she must rescue Steed and at the same time disrupt the villains' pla.
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