The Avengers (TV Series) The Girl from Auntie (1966) User Reviews

Another Mrs Peel

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 28 January 2015]

In the opening scenes we see Mrs Peel being attacked by an old woman with a hypodermic needle, the next time we see her is when Steed pops in to see her after returning early from his holiday… except it isn't Mrs Peel, it is an impostor. He learns that she is Georgie Price-Jones; an actress who has been hired to pretend to be Mrs Peel for a few days. Having no idea what has happened to the real Mrs Peel, Steed and Georgie set of to find those involved in getting her the job. In each case they find them dead with a pair of knitting needles in their back. Their investigations ultimately lead to Gregorio Auntie an art dealer who claims to be able to get anything the buyer wants if the price is right… and it turns out somebody wanted Mrs Peel for her knowledge of classified information and knowledge.

This is a quintessential 'Avengers' episode; we have an over the top villain; a series of strange deaths and our heroes acting as if it is all in a day's work… including Mrs Peel who is held in a giant bird cage and Georgie who presumable doesn't find dead bodies most days! Liz Fraser makes a nice addition to the cast as the bubbly Georgie Price-Jones; a likable and amusing character; the scene where she learnt martial arts from a book while fighting was priceless. Bernard Cribbins' appearance as a knitting teacher was a little disappointing as it was a small and as it turned out incidental role. Overall this was a fun episode with good jokes and an enjoyable mystery.

Emma Peel- a pretty bird amongst the knit wits

[kevinolzak · 8/10 · 28 February 2011]

"The Girl from Auntie" really has no connection to THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. except in its satirical title, although the villain's name is revealed as Gregorio Auntie, amusingly played by Alfred Burke, previously seen in "Dragonsfield" and "The Mauritius Penny." Diana Rigg models the skimpiest two piece bikini-type outfit she would ever wear on the show (at least until the harem dance in "Honey for the Prince"), and the episode presents one of the earliest instances of a villain whose obsession with the luscious Mrs. Peel rivaled that of the viewers at home. Kidnapped by Auntie, a dealer in art who dabbles in illegal fantasies that promise to 'obtain the unattainable, she spends what little time she has as a literal 'bird in a gilded cage,' while her partner Steed works on the case with actress Georgie Price-Jones (Liz Fraser), who was hired to portray Mrs. Peel (the villains deliver their merchandise by replacing the originals with clever duplicates, but can't quite succeed with people). Mary Merrall, later seen in "Homicide and Old Lace," steals it as a murderous old lady who kills by knitting needles, stolen from a knitting club run by the innocent Arkwright, played by veteran comic actor Bernard Cribbins, later seen in "Look- (stop me if you've heard this one) But There Were These Two Fellers..." Putting in a brief appearance as Auntie's receptionist, who also guards the captive Mrs. Peel, is Yolande Turner ("How to Succeed....at Murder" and "The 50,000 Breakfast"), while returning is David Bauer (from "The Little Wonders"), as a Russian colonel with a passion for pretty birds. The wonderful Liz Fraser is most endearing as the first character to impersonate Emma Peel (and far from the last). There is also the in-joke regarding John, Paul, George, and Fred (!), since it was at that very instance that The Beatles were honored by the Queen with MBEs (witness the future billing 'Richard Starkey, MBE').

The Girl from Auntie

[guswhovian · 7/10 · 29 July 2020]

When Mrs Peel disappears, Steed teams up with Miss Georgie Price-Jones and investigates Gregorio Auntie, who specializes in obtaining the unobtainable.

Despite not making any sense whatsoever, The Girl from Auntie is a very enjoyable romp. While Liz Fraser does a good job as a replacement Mrs Peel, simply no one can compare to Diana Rigg.

Alfred Burke is wonderful as Auntie, while Bernard Cribbins plays a knitting instructor(!). There's lots of fun jokes in the screenplay: a self-defense book written by stunt arranger Ray Austin, a foursome of characters named John, Paul, George and Fred, and a firm of solicitors named Barrett, Barrett & Wimpole. The climatic fight scene is well staged as well.

For Sale: Mrs Emma Peel!

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 13 September 2011]

Steed returns from a long holiday to find an impostor has replaced Emma. The girl - Georgie Price-Jones ( Liz Fraser ) - is a struggling actress, so she and Steed try to find out who hired her. The trail leads across London. Everywhere they go, they find dead people, all murdered with type Double-O knitting needles. The killer is a sweet old lady ( Mary Merrall ) in the employ of 'Gregorio Auntie' ( Alfred Burke ), head of 'Art Incorporated', a man who can, for a high price, sell you anything you want. He leaves perfect replicas in place of the objects he has stolen ( somehow he managed to swipe the Mona Lisa from the Louvre ), hence the substitution of Mrs.Peel by Georgie. Emma, designated as 'Lot 17', is to be sold to creepy Russian spy 'Ivanov' ( David Bauer ) unless Steed can make a suitable counter-offer...

Wonderful episode of the fourth season of 'The Avengers', boasting a witty Roger Marshall script, stylish direction by the late Roy Ward Baker, and a terrific set of guest performances, particularly from Fraser, Burke ( then established as 'Frank Marker' of I.T.V.'s detective drama 'Public Eye' ), and Bernard Cribbins as 'Arkwright', head of a knitting circle where old ladies make clothes to the sound of American country music. Mary Merrall and Sylvia Coleridge are good too. Some lovely jokes - 'Lady Bracknell' is handed her handbag, four characters are named 'John, Paul, George, and Fred', and 'Ivanov' is named after one of the major figures in the Profumo affair.

Things To Look Out For - a very funny performance by the late Ray Martine as a befuddled taxi driver. He has no lines but is far better here than he ever was in 'Jokers Wild'.

'Carry On' star Fraser twinkles as 'Georgie', and one regrets that she was never used in the show again.

The cherry on the cake is Laurie Johnson's jaunty harpsichord incidental music, which accompanies Steed and Georgie on their investigations.

Am absolute classic.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 7 July 2022]

Steed returns from holiday a few days early, when he visits Mrs Peel, he finds an attractive blond living in her apartment, posing as her.

This is definitely one of the best I've seen so far, an absolute riot. There really is something captivating about this one, it's unique, it's funny, it's unlike any other episode.

If the show is guilty of one thing, it's perhaps the formula, don't get me wrong, it works beautifully, but as an episode develops, you know what's going to come, Mrs Peel is going to get tied up, but will definitely end up overpowering her aggressor, what this episode does, is throw the rule book out of the window.

I absolutely love the idea of a knitting needle wielding granny, that's one of the most curious, outrageous ideas on the show so far.

Liz Fraser admirably steps in for the great Mrs Peel, in her own demure style, she doesn't try to copy, she plays the part incredibly well. Her chemistry with Macnee is very evident.

Fraser apart, great performances from Alfred Burke and David Bauer. Bernard Cribbins and Sylvia Coleridge are an absolute joy to behold, both are hilarious.

A masterclass, 10/10.

Classic Avengers, an ideal starting point for someone who has never seen the show before.

[jamesraeburn2003 · 12 June 2010]

Mrs Peel (Diana Rigg) is abducted from a fancy dress party at dawn by an elderly lady on a bicycle who fakes an accident by falling from it. When Mrs Peel goes to help, this seemingly harmless little old lady sticks a hypodermic into her arm rendering her unconscious. John Steed (Patrick Macnee) returns from holiday to find an imposter in the form of an actress called Georgie Price-Jones (Liz Fraser). Needless to say, Steed realises she is an imposter but it turns out to be an innocent one with no idea as to why somebody paid her to impersonate Mrs Peel. The body count rises as everybody connected with Georgie ends up dead, stabbed with knitting needles wielded by the same little old lady who grabbed Mrs Peel. "Auntie did it" says one of her victims in his dying words. Georgie teams up with Steed to find Mrs Peel and they trace the knitting needles to an eccentric establishment called the Arkwright Knitting Circle presided over by Arkwright (Bernard Cribbins). His office is situated opposite to another eccentric establishment called Art Incorporated, "The unobtainable obtainable", reads the sign on the door. It is here that proves to be the villain of the piece. Gregorio Auntie (Alfred Burke) can get anything for anybody no matter how difficult for a high fee. He has acquired Mrs Peel for an enemy agent called Ivanoff (David Bauer) who wants her for the valuable information she carries in her mind. Steed tries to box clever and arranges for Ivanoff's arrest so that he can buy her instead. However, Auntie decides to put Mrs Peel up for auction and Steed finds himself bidding against several enemy agents for her...

The Girl From Auntie is classic Avengers and it is an ideal starting point for someone who has never seen the show before. It has many of the hallmarks that made the series so popular and has ensured its lasting cult status. It has an imaginative and witty script by Roger Marshall who was a regular writer for this series. For instance, Mrs Peel went to this fancy dress party as a bird so what else does Gregorio Auntie keep her imprisoned in but a giant birdcage. "I'm sure that you would like to spread out your feathers and fly away" he says to her. There is another great moment where Auntie tells Steed (who is posing as an art expert, "I know you wouldn't shoot me stood in front of the Mona Lisa") that he has a client who is a Texan millionaire who wants the Eiffel Tower for his oil well. But the only problem is working out how to transport it out of Paris for delivery to his client. Bernard Cribbins is good as the eccentric knitting fanatic, Arkwright, who presides over his classes as if he is directing ballet. "Fingers nimble, fingers straight, knit to the left and purl to the right" he sings. Alfred Burke is noteworthy as Gregorio Auntie and Liz Fraser does well as Georgie Price-Jones, an innocent who ends up as Steed's sidekick. She has a cracking moment in Mrs Peel's apartment where she is studying one of her self-defense books, which happens to be authored by Ray Austin - the show's stunt arranger. The little old lady with the knitting needle is creeping up behind her about to strike and Georgie is reading the part that says what to do if your opponent is approaching armed with a knife or gun. "Place your arm over your right shoulder and grasp opponents wrist" and she goes to act it out and in a moment of impeccable timing she grabs the little old lady's wrist completely unaware of her presence and manages to throw her to the ground.

Overall, this episode is a good starting place for those who have never watched the show before although I could recommend other episodes that stand out enough for that purpose. There is enough of the show's quirky humour here to keep the fans happy and the episode displays the show's marvelous ability to attract a number of excellent guest stars made up of some of Britain's best character actors. In this case we have Liz Fraser and Bernard Cribbins. The direction is by Roy Baker who was the celebrated director of the classic Titanic movie, A Night To Remember, and throughout the sixties he worked on many of Britain's cult TV shows including several for The Avengers.

A most refreshing change.

[DriftedSnowWhite · 10/10 · 23 November 2020]

As much as I am a fan of the Mrs. Peel character and the usual scripts, this episode is my favorite for it's element of fun, and the wonderful comedic-yet-functional character 'Georgie Price-Jones' performance by Liz Fraser.

As I watch The Avenger's series frequently, it can be difficult not to sink in "droll." Not in this episode. 'Georgi' has talent, and is able to learn sufficient karate moves to defend herself WHILE reading a book on karate. Now that's impressive.

A curious aspect of the episode is that 'Emma Peel' is portrayed, even in her limited story time, here, as an arrogant expletive, with even the closing scenes depicting Peel as completely dismissive - even threatened by - the 'Georgi' character. I have wondered if there was consideration given to replacing the Peel character and story tone with 'Georgi'.

A note on IMBD's note on Liz Fraser: Given the extensive talent and noteworthy performances by Ms. Fraser - and lack of "type-casting," using the identifier for Fraser as "buxom" is intolerable, no matter what era in which it was written.

VERY GOOD EVEN THOUGH EMMA PEEL HARDLY APPEARS

[asalerno10 · 8/10 · 6 June 2022]

There is no doubt that one of the biggest attractions of the series was the presence of Mrs. Peel. Although in this episode it hardly appears at the beginning and at the end, the chapter is very good and entertaining. Everything begins in a very strange way when leaving a party at dawn, Emma is anesthetized by an old woman who appears riding a bicycle. From there she disappears and an impostor adopts her personality, after being discovered by Steed both start an investigation to find the whereabouts of the real Emma Peel who is imprisoned in a cage by an organization that organizes auctions of art objects. . The episode has its own personality, the old woman who murders her victims with knitting needles, the strange imposture of Emma and the bizarre organization of auctions is enough to generate a story full of intrigue.

Beware of Old Ladies Bearing Knitting Needles.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 15 October 2008]

Enjoyable whimsy. Diana Rigg disappears and is replaced by an innocent paid impostor, Liz Fraser, who has no idea why she's been hired for the job. Steed (Patrick MacNee) and Fraser try to track down the villains, who happen to run a knitting circle for elderly female persons. Some of them are programmed to go around stabbing people with their knitting needles. Steed and Fraser, on the trail of Diana Rigg, visit one of their classes where an effete man is instructing them on the rhythm of knitting -- "Worm and parcel with the lay, turn and serve the other way," he sings -- or something like that. The wit is subdued and veddy British. Steed winds up getting coshed with large vases by accident, several times. That's about the closest anyone comes to a pratfall. Some of the quiet gags may get past younger viewers. The trail of clues leads to a team of lawyers called Barret, Barret, and Wimpole. Then to a costumiers led by a team named John, Paul, George -- and Fred. (This is England, 1963.) After Diana Rigg is kidnapped at the start, very little is seen of her. Or -- well, she disappears for most of the film, but it would be inaccurate to say that little is seen of her. She appears at the beginning for a few seconds dressed in the tiniest swimsuit known to man or beast. It's short, but it's a very artistic scene. The whole thing is nonsense but an engaging divertimento.

Amusing episode

[searchanddestroy-1 · 7/10 · 15 February 2019]

Just one thing I want to add to the other comments. Besides it is interesting to have here Steed with a female sidekick else than Mrs Peel, I will also talk about Patrick McNee stunt doubler; even with a simple image of Steed grabbing a man from the back, from the rear, ONLY GRABBING HIM, this is NOT Patrick Mc Nee. he was certainly not Robert Conrad in WILD WILD WEST SHOW....

The girl from Auntie

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 6 December 2023]

Leaving an all-night party, Mrs Peel goes to help an old lady who has falled off her bike, but the old lady drugs and kidnaps her!

Returning from holiday, Steed finds an impostor in Mrs Peel's flat but they team up to find Mrs Peel when they discover everyone involved is being killed off - with knitting needles! They track the needles to Arkwright's Knitting Circle, across the hall from Art Incorporated, who run shadowy private auctions - and Mrs Peel is the next item to go under the hammer. Steed bids for her and wins, but is recognised by the old lady

Emma Peel is missing and Steed looks for with a new Sidekick (Liz Fraser), and encounters six bodies with knitting needles in their back, meets the sweet Aunty of three of the dead men, goes to a knitting school - all will hopefully lead him to Mrs Peel. A barmy episode as usual and quite amusing. Liz Fraser is good as Georgie who doesn't flinch at the sight of nearly a dozen dead bodies!!