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The Avengers
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The Master Minds

  • Episode aired Jul 11, 1966
  • TV-14
  • 52m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
330
YOUR RATING
Patrick Macnee and Patricia Haines in The Avengers (1961)
ActionComedyCrime

Government minister Sir Clive Todd is wounded as he and other ministers try to steal top secret documents. He has no idea why he did it and hypnosis is suggested. All concerned belonged to a... Read allGovernment minister Sir Clive Todd is wounded as he and other ministers try to steal top secret documents. He has no idea why he did it and hypnosis is suggested. All concerned belonged to a club for people with high I.Q.s called RANSACK, who are about to meet at a school. The Av... Read allGovernment minister Sir Clive Todd is wounded as he and other ministers try to steal top secret documents. He has no idea why he did it and hypnosis is suggested. All concerned belonged to a club for people with high I.Q.s called RANSACK, who are about to meet at a school. The Avengers join the club in order to expose the mastermind behind the next heist - the theft o... Read all

  • Director
    • Peter Graham Scott
  • Writers
    • Robert Banks Stewart
    • Sydney Newman
  • Stars
    • Patrick Macnee
    • Diana Rigg
    • Laurence Hardy
  • See production, box office & company info
    • IMDb RATING
    8.0/10
    330
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Peter Graham Scott
    • Writers
      • Robert Banks Stewart
      • Sydney Newman
    • Stars
      • Patrick Macnee
      • Diana Rigg
      • Laurence Hardy
    • 7User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro

    • Photos25

    Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg in The Avengers (1961)
    Patrick Macnee, Ian MacNaughton, and Manning Wilson in The Avengers (1961)
    Patricia Haines in The Avengers (1961)
    Nigel Lambert in The Avengers (1961)
    Martin Miller in The Avengers (1961)
    Laurence Hardy in The Avengers (1961)
    Laurence Hardy in The Avengers (1961)
    Ian MacNaughton in The Avengers (1961)
    Harry Hutchinson in The Avengers (1961)
    Georgina Ward in The Avengers (1961)
    Patrick Macnee and Georgina Ward in The Avengers (1961)
    Elizabeth Reber in The Avengers (1961)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Patrick Macnee
    Patrick Macnee
    • John Steed
    Diana Rigg
    Diana Rigg
    • Emma Peel
    Laurence Hardy
    Laurence Hardy
    • Sir Clive Todd
    Patricia Haines
    • Holly Trent
    Bernard Archard
    Bernard Archard
    • Desmond Leeming
    Ian MacNaughton
    • Dr. Fergus Campbell
    • (as Ian McNaughton)
    John Wentworth
    • Sir Jeremy
    Georgina Ward
    • Davinia Todd
    Manning Wilson
    • Major Plessy
    Jack Cooper
    • Gymnast
    • (uncredited)
    Raf De La Torre
    • Egghead
    • (uncredited)
    Joe Farrar
    • Henchman
    • (uncredited)
    Harvey Hall
    Harvey Hall
    • Guard #1
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    George Holdcroft
    • Member of Parliament
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Hutchinson
    • Sir Clive Todd's Butler
    • (uncredited)
    Nigel Lambert
    • Lt. Hardcastle
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Mandeville
    • Egghead
    • (uncredited)
    Martin Miller
    Martin Miller
    • Professor Spencer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Peter Graham Scott
    • Writers
      • Robert Banks Stewart(teleplay by)
      • Sydney Newman(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Among the military aircraft shown in the training films is the Avro Vulcan, a jet-powered tailless delta wing high-altitude strategic bomber operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. It was made famous in the James Bond film "Thunderball" which premiered in the same year, 1965, as this episode.
    • Goofs
      In the opening scene, a member of the cast is photographing documents with a Minox 9mm subminiature spy camera. He is correctly looking through the camera viewfinder but foolishly covering the lens with his fingers, making it impossible for document images to reach the film. Also the photographer is positioned at an angle to the documents. Instead he should be positioned directly over the documents, the document lighting should be at an angle.
    • Quotes

      Dr. Fergus Campbell: Your facetiousness, Mr. Steed, covers an edgy temperament. In fact, I'd say your nerves mostly jangle like wires in the wind.

    User reviews7

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Classic Avengers.
    Government Minister Sir Clive Todd is injured whilst trying to steal important papers, when he comes round, he had no recollection.

    I'll be honest, I absolutely loved this episode, series four has been a rather thrilling ride so far, and this is yet another gem.

    I loved the plot, genuinely a masterclass of writing, plenty of twists and bold ideas. The whole concept was genius, and I loved the idea of the face behind the screen, brilliant cloak and dagger.

    I mentioned previously that I thought the fight scenes were getting better with each episode, and true enough, there is an absolute classic here.

    Wonderful faces again to enjoy, Patricia Haines is fantastic, as is Bernard Archard, an actor with so much presence, he played the bad guy part so well, fondly remembered for his role in Doctor Who's Pyramids of Mars.

    Macnee and Rigg once again are an absolute joy to behold.

    Classic, 9/10.
    helpful•0
    0
    • Sleepin_Dragon
    • Jul 3, 2022

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 11, 1966 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Production companies
      • ABC Weekend Television
      • ABC Weekend Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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

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