Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersIndependent Spirit AwardsWomen's History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Avengers

  • TV Series
  • 1961–19691961–1969
  • TV-14TV-14
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
8.2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,215
59
The Avengers (1961)
The Avengers: A Touch Of Brimstone
Play trailer1:45
16 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionComedyCrime
A quirky spy show of the adventures of eccentrically suave British Agent John Steed and his predominantly female partners.A quirky spy show of the adventures of eccentrically suave British Agent John Steed and his predominantly female partners.A quirky spy show of the adventures of eccentrically suave British Agent John Steed and his predominantly female partners.
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
8.2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,215
59
  • Creator
    • Sydney Newman
  • Stars
    • Patrick Macnee
    • Diana Rigg
    • Honor Blackman
  • Creator
    • Sydney Newman
  • Stars
    • Patrick Macnee
    • Diana Rigg
    • Honor Blackman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 65User reviews
    • 30Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys
      • 1 win & 4 nominations total

    Episodes161

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Videos16

    The Avengers: A Touch Of Brimstone
    Trailer 1:45
    Watch The Avengers: A Touch Of Brimstone
    The Avengers: Dead On Course
    Trailer 1:16
    Watch The Avengers: Dead On Course
    The Avengers: Death Dispatch
    Trailer 1:03
    Watch The Avengers: Death Dispatch
    The Avengers: Traitor In Zebra
    Trailer 1:06
    Watch The Avengers: Traitor In Zebra
    The Avengers: The Removal Men
    Trailer 1:03
    Watch The Avengers: The Removal Men
    The Avengers: The Mauritius Penny
    Trailer 1:05
    Watch The Avengers: The Mauritius Penny
    The Avengers: Season 5
    Trailer 2:06
    Watch The Avengers: Season 5
    The Avengers: Season 4
    Trailer 2:32
    Watch The Avengers: Season 4
    The Avengers: Propellant 23
    Trailer 1:07
    Watch The Avengers: Propellant 23
    The Avengers: Death Of A Great Dane
    Trailer 1:08
    Watch The Avengers: Death Of A Great Dane
    The Avengers: Death On The Rocks
    Trailer 1:06
    Watch The Avengers: Death On The Rocks
    The Avengers: The Sell-Out
    Trailer 1:09
    Watch The Avengers: The Sell-Out

    Photos1483

    Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Honor Blackman in The Avengers (1961)
    Derek Newark and Gary Watson in The Avengers (1961)
    George Innes in The Avengers (1961)
    Morris Perry in The Avengers (1961)
    Rhoda Lewis in The Avengers (1961)
    Douglas Muir in The Avengers (1961)
    Honor Blackman, David Garth, and Walter Hudd in The Avengers (1961)
    Robert Harris and Veronica Strong in The Avengers (1961)
    Patrick Macnee and Philip Madoc in The Avengers (1961)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Patrick Macnee
    Patrick Macnee
    • John Steed…
    Diana Rigg
    Diana Rigg
    • Emma Peel…
    Honor Blackman
    Honor Blackman
    • Catherine Gale
    Linda Thorson
    Linda Thorson
    • Tara King
    Ian Hendry
    Ian Hendry
    • Dr. David Keel
    Patrick Newell
    Patrick Newell
    • Mother…
    Ingrid Hafner
    • Carol Wilson
    Douglas Muir
    Douglas Muir
    • One-Ten…
    Terence Plummer
    Terence Plummer
    • Executioner…
    Valentino Musetti
    • Ali…
    Richard Neller
    • Board Member…
    Julie Stevens
    Julie Stevens
    • Venus Smith
    Edwin Richfield
    Edwin Richfield
    • Alex…
    Norman Chappell
    Norman Chappell
    • Fleming…
    Frank Maher
    • Barman…
    Terry Richards
    Terry Richards
    • Cybernaut…
    Philip Madoc
    Philip Madoc
    • Ivan…
    Robert James
    Robert James
    • Ronnie Vance…
    • Creator
      • Sydney Newman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The New Avengers
    7.2
    The New Avengers
    The Saint
    7.5
    The Saint
    The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
    7.7
    The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
    The Persuaders!
    8.0
    The Persuaders!
    Mission: Impossible
    7.9
    Mission: Impossible
    The Avengers
    3.8
    The Avengers
    Space: 1999
    7.3
    Space: 1999
    The Prisoner
    8.5
    The Prisoner
    The Invaders
    8.0
    The Invaders
    My Partner the Ghost
    7.6
    My Partner the Ghost
    The Wild Wild West
    8.1
    The Wild Wild West
    The Time Tunnel
    7.5
    The Time Tunnel

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During her first season, Diana Rigg was dismayed to find out that the cameraman was being paid more than she was. She demanded a raise, to put her more on a par with her co-star, or she would leave the show. The producers gave in, thanks to the show's great popularity in the U.S.
    • Goofs
      Steed was an officer during World War Two, but episodes involving his past disagree as to whether he served in the Army or the Royal Air Force.

      In Game (1968) Bristow had a list of Army officers he was targeting, including Major John Steed.

      In The Hour That Never Was (1965) Steed reminisces about life at RAF Hamelin.
    • Quotes

      [repeated line]

      John Steed: Mrs. Peel, we're needed.

    • Crazy credits
      American broadcasts of the 1965 season were preceded by an introduction showing Emma Peel and John Steed walking across a giant chessboard as a narrator says: "Extraordinary crimes against the people and the state have to be avenged by agents extraordinary. Two such people are John Steed -- top professional, and his partner, Emma Peel -- talented amateur. Together they are -- The Avengers!"
    • Alternate versions
      Starting in the summer of 2004, the BBC America Channel aired prints of fifth and sixth season episodes with the humorous tag sequences at the end of episodes deleted. During the autumn of 2004, the prints were further altered, with the original closing credits sequence with shadowy images of Steed and Mrs. Peel against a blue background replaced by credits rapidly rolled past a plain black background. In early 2005, the same channel aired seventh season prints with the same changes.
    • Connections
      Featured in Television: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1985)

    User reviews65

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    "One of British television's finest hours."
    The adventures of a suave British agent John Steed and his sexy female sidekicks...

    This highly popular and long running spy show was the brainchild of Canadian born producer Sidney Newman. It began life as a medical crime drama called "Police Surgeon" starring Ian Hendry as Dr David Keel a pathologist working for the London police. When this failed to take on with the public, the character called John Steed was created. In the first episode of the revamped show renamed "The Avengers", John Steed helps Dr David Keel to avenge the death of his wife because he happened to be after the same man. Steed and Keel would collaborate many more times to rid the streets of criminals. The new show took on much better but Ian Hendry departed after the first series and was replaced by Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale, the first of the better known sexy sidekicks that would put the show firmly on the British TV show map. Blackman lasted two series and was then replaced by Diana Rigg as Emma Peel, a sexy auburn haired leather cladded woman who was expert at karate as well as having skills in a wide range of subjects such as chemistry. By now John Steed's English gentlemen image had been fully opened up, his bowler hat and umbrella was inspired by the film "Q-Plains". Steed's image also consisted of suave suits and he drove vintage cars, first a 1927 4 and a half litre Bentley and occasionally a speed six Bentley (circa 1926) and later a 1927 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost in the Linda Thorson series. In one or two episodes, Steed could be seen driving a 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom One. Emma Peel drove a 1966 Lotus Elan and Tara King was often seen behind the wheel of a Lotus as well.

    By now the show had cracked the American market and it's success lead to the use of colour film for the last two series. Diana Rigg left in 1967 and her replacement was a young Canadian actress called Linda Thorson who played a young agent called Tara King. There was initial doubts about her suitability to the part, but the script writers modelled the character as a young agent who Steed was grooming and her skills developed as the series progressed. The series was a tremendous success in the UK, but in America it was less so. Therefore in 1969 the show was cancelled. However, in 1976, a revival series entitled "The New Avengers" surfaced co-produced by original producers Albert Fennell and Brian Clemens and a French production company (see separate review). Alas, financial problems saw the show cancelled after a year.

    "The Avengers" is without doubt one of British TV's finest hours. In almost every episode superb character actors were drafted in to support Macnee and his co-stars. The plots were usually tight and the combination of fantasy and a unique brand of British humour rose the show well above the average sixties spy show. The most representative segments of the show are without doubt the Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson series. The Honor Blackman series has dated badly because the primitive video tape production techniques are less effective than the later filmed episodes and the style of the show was never really opened up until Diana Rigg joined the show. The writers most associated with the look of the programme are Brian Clemens and Philip Levene. There is only one episode of the Ian Hendry series left in existence and the majority of these were transmitted live.

    Finally, here is a list of my recommended episodes, all are available on DVD.

    Diana Rigg series: "The Gravediggers", "The Master Minds", "What The Butler Saw", "Room Without A View", "Epic", "The Living Dead" and "The Forget Me Knot" (in which Emma Peel left and Tara King joined).

    Linda Thorson series: "Love All", "Requiem", "The Morning After", "The Rotters" and "Bizarre" (the very last episode in the series saw Steed and Tara take off in a rocket).
    helpful•34
    3
    • jamesraeburn2003
    • Aug 18, 2004

    FAQ3

    • Who besides me remembers closing credits where an unseen person performs "card tricks?" Fanning a deck open, then snapping it shut, etc. I have looked and looked for this sequence, followed, I believe, by a final ABC (Associated British Corporation).
    • Why doesn't Steed use a gun?
    • What's the difference between The Avengers and The New Avengers?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 28, 1966 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Mit Schirm, Charme und Melone
    • Filming locations
      • 31 Ennismore Gardens Mews, Knightsbridge, London, England, UK(John Steeds house)
    • Production company
      • Associated British Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 4:3

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Avengers (1961)
    Top Gap
    What is the Japanese language plot outline for The Avengers (1961)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit pageAdd episode

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.