Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie 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 WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards 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
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
The Avengers
S4.E9
All episodes
All
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Hour That Never Was

  • Episode aired Apr 25, 1966
  • 51m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
339
YOUR RATING
Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
  • Action
  • Comedy
  • Crime
On their way to a closing down party at an air base the Avengers' car crashes when they swerve to avoid hitting a dog. The air base proves to be deserted and Steed is knocked out. When he re... Read allOn their way to a closing down party at an air base the Avengers' car crashes when they swerve to avoid hitting a dog. The air base proves to be deserted and Steed is knocked out. When he recovers he is back at the car but minus Mrs. Peel and the party, when he gets there, is in ... Read allOn their way to a closing down party at an air base the Avengers' car crashes when they swerve to avoid hitting a dog. The air base proves to be deserted and Steed is knocked out. When he recovers he is back at the car but minus Mrs. Peel and the party, when he gets there, is in full swing. It would seem that he has gone back an hour in time.
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
339
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Gerry O'Hara
  • Writers
    • Roger Marshall(teleplay by)
    • Sydney Newman(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Patrick Macnee
    • Diana Rigg
    • Gerald Harper
Top credits
  • Director
    • Gerry O'Hara
  • Writers
    • Roger Marshall(teleplay by)
    • Sydney Newman(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Patrick Macnee
    • Diana Rigg
    • Gerald Harper
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 10User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos14

    Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Patrick Macnee and Roy Kinnear in The Avengers (1961)
    Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Roy Kinnear in The Avengers (1961)
    Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Dudley Foster and Gerald Harper in The Avengers (1961)
    Patrick Macnee and Roy Kinnear in The Avengers (1961)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Patrick Macnee
    Patrick Macnee
    • John Steed
    Diana Rigg
    Diana Rigg
    • Emma Peel
    Gerald Harper
    • Geoffrey Ridsdale
    Dudley Foster
    • Philip Leas
    Roy Kinnear
    Roy Kinnear
    • Hickey
    Roger Booth
    Roger Booth
    • 'Porky' Purser
    Daniel Moynihan
    Daniel Moynihan
    • Corporal Barman
    David Morrell
    • Wiggins
    Fred Haggerty
    • Driver
    Jack Armstrong
    • Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Ray Austin
    Ray Austin
    • Dead Milkman
    • (uncredited)
    Valerie Cockx
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Harold Coyne
    • Unconscious RAF officer
    • (uncredited)
    Cliff Diggins
    • Thug
    • (uncredited)
    Royston Farrell
    • Officer
    • (uncredited)
    George Holdcroft
    • Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Leonard Llewellyn
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Dickey Luck
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Gerry O'Hara
    • Writers
      • Roger Marshall(teleplay by)
      • Sydney Newman(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Steed and Emma are walking across the base when Emma halts and says,' Look right, look left and look right again'. When they resume walking, the camera pulls back to reveal massive white stripes on the tarmack. An inside English joke. Airbases use those enormous stripes to help approaching pilots see the begining and end of the runways. In English cities pedestrian street crossings are marked with much smaller white stripes (called zebra crossings). Every schoolchild it taught to look both ways before using a zebra crossing.
    • Goofs
      At about 43 mins, after Steed has rescued Mrs Peel from the dentist's chair and he picks up the nitrous oxide gas jet, she says ' Don't play around with that, Steed, it's nitr-i-ous oxide, laughing gas'.
    • Quotes

      John Steed: I've driven across this road, ooh, hundred times during the war.

      Emma Peel: Well, since you know it so well it's remarkable you couldn't stay on it.

    • Soundtracks
      Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out the Barrel)
      Written by Jaromir Vejvoda

      Performed by a Player Piano

    User reviews10

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Unusually gloomy
    It is interesting to notice the different amount of seriousness (or nonsense if you prefer to look at it from this angle) that went into each episode. Some do contain many ridiculous moments and unrealistic characters.. Some are more funny than scary and others like this one follow a much darker path.

    At the beginning our team has no case to investigate, only a small dog running over meadows and causing Steed's car to have an accident. Steed and Mrs. Peel are unhurt and have their usual kind of witty dialog but as the story unfolds we see more and more strange and gloomy images. If this would not be The Avengers you would think this is some clever made thriller playing with paranoia and amnesia.

    The story line reminds one of Town of no Return but the execution is more serious and for an unusual long time we get no clue what this is all about. I was very impressed how late the plot is revealed. It is one of a few episodes where you really don't know what is going on and which generates a good amount of suspense. The idea might not have been new but the way it is developed is absolutely entertaining.
    helpful•19
    2
    • slabihoud
    • Feb 17, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 25, 1966 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • RAF Bovingdon, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, England, UK
    • Production company
      • ABC Weekend Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      51 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Top Gap
    What is the English language plot outline for The Hour That Never Was (1965)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    Editors' Picks: What to Watch Now on Netflix
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.