Patrick Macnee Movies

During the excavation of an old Norman church, several top archeologists are killed. Upon further investigation, Steed and Tara discover that the dead men had been sapped of all their energy. The cause of this phenomenon is a tiny black box containing a deadly supercharge of electricity, which in turn has spawned a race of omniverous pure-energy creatures, bent on destroying all of England. Written by Terry Nation, "Thingumajig" first aired in America on March 24, 1969, then in England on April 2 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A sneezing epidemic claims the lives of several prominent ear-nose-throat specialists. The only clue tying the deaths together is an empty envelope, found at the scene of each tragedy. Steed and Tara manage to trace this slim lead to a sinister nursing school. Written by Jeremy Burnham (a frequent guest actor on the series), "You'll Catch Your Death" was first shown in America on October 7, 1968, and was seen in England on October 16; the episode is also known as "Atishoo, Atishoo, All Fall Down." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Made for TV, Mister Jerico stars Patrick Macnee as smooth con artist Dudley Jerico. Marty Allen, the brillo-haired member of the Allen and Rossi comedy team, is good for a few laughs as Jerico's sidekick. The pair are in Malta to pull off a spectacular scam. Millionaire Herbert Lom is covetous of the mate for his priceless "Gemini diamond," and Jerico drops subtle hints suggesting he's the man to supply the elusive gem. The publicity packet for Mister Jerico assured that we'd see "a comic run of fake and real gems, mixed identities, and pell-mell chases." What we never saw was the weekly series for which Mister Jerico was so obviously the pilot film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Steed pays a visit to some friends at their country estate, only to discover that the house has been taken over by enemy agents, and the homeowners are being held prisoner. It soon develops that an important peace conference is scheduled to be held next door. Despite the villains' heavy aritillery, Steed plans to prevent them from sabotaging the conference. One of the series' few "serious" entries, "Take-Over" was written by Terry Nation; the episode debuted in America on April 14, 1969, and was shown in England nine days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Several seemingly unrelated ex-military men are murdered, each while assembling a jigsaw puzzle. Steed and Tara soon discover that the victims all presided over the court-martial of one of their comrades, now presumed dead. Since Steed himself was also part of the court-martial tribunal, he rightly concludes that he's next on the elimination list, but that doesn't stop him from indulging in a little puzzle-playing himself. Written by Richard Harris, "Game" first aired in England on October 2, 1968, some two weeks after its September 23 American TV debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The seventh and final season of The Avengers is distinguished by major changes in the series' cast, production crew and format; it is also the series' longest season, running 33 episodes rather than the standard 26 at the behest of The Avengers' American distributors. With the defection of Diana Rigg in the role of part-time secret agent Emma Peel, the time had come once again to find a new female partner for the series' male star Patrick Macnee, who stayed on in the role of bowler-hatted professional spy John Steed. (It will be remembered that, three years before, Rigg had replaced Honor Blackman.) At the same time, longtime series producers Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell were replaced by John Bryce. It was Bryce's contention, backed up by executives at both Britain's ITV and America's ABC, that Steed's new partner should be younger, cuter, less resourceful, and more vulnerable than the maturely attractive and totally self-reliant Mrs. Peel. Thus, 20-year-old Linda Thorson was added to the cast as wide-eyed "trainee agent #69" Tara King (which was another break from Avengers tradition: Steed's previous partners had all been talented amateurs rather than spy-school alumni). Inasmuch as Tara required rescuing far more often than Mrs. Peel, many of the series' loyal fans felt that the character was detrimental to the series' effectiveness. These same fans also bemoaned the introduction of Steed and Tara's new boss, a portly, wheelchair-bound gentleman known only as "Mother" (Patrick Newell), who pops up in the unlikeliest places to issue orders in the most imperious and obstreperous manner possible. Although forcing the two protagonists to answer to a government bureaucrat may have be more "true to life," it robs the characters of the carefree, insouciant independence that had long been an Avengers trademark.

On the plus side, most of the sixth-season episodes avoid the outrageous campiness prevalent in the three previous seasons -- which, though very enjoyable, sometimes tended to undercut the intricate plotlines and witty dialogue. Put simply, the final season of The Avengers marks a return to the relatively sober and serious ambience that the series had sustained in its earliest episodes. This provides at least some compensation for the overall unevenness of the season's output -- an unevenness due mainly to a series of backstage shakeups culminating in the dismissal of John Bryce and the rehiring of Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell, and partially to the show's ever-diminishing production budget. Three of the season's episodes deserve special attention: "The Forget-Me-Knot," in which Mrs. Peel primly and somewhat sardonically hands over her responsibilities to newcomer Tara King; "Have Guns -- Will Haggle," a 60-minute cut-down of the 90-minute "Invitation," which had been intended as Tara's debut episode; and "Split!," based on a script originally tailored for Diana Rigg but hastily revised to accommodate the talents of Linda Thorson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While visiting an antique shop, Tara is waylaid and chloroformed. Upon awakening, she finds that she has gone back in time to 1915, and that her name is Pandora (hence the episode's title). It is all part of a scheme hatched by a pair of avaricious nephews to discover the hidden location of their rich uncle's vast fortune. In the course of events, John Steed harks back to previous adventures with his former partners Cathy Gale and Emma Peel. Written by Robert Fuest, "Pandora" first aired in America on March 10, 1969, and in England the following April 30th. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Despite the security implicit in its name, the Ministry of Top Secret Information is the site of a brutal murder. This leads Steed and Tara to the inescapable conclusion that the Ministry harbors a traitor in its bosom. There's only one problem: The most logical suspect is a man whom Steed killed several years earlier. Written by Brian Clemens, "Split!" was first telecast in America on April 10, 1968; its British TV debut was delayed until October 23 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mother suspects foul play when several of his best agents are found dead -- and neatly gift-wrapped. The villain of the piece is named Remak, an acronym for Remote Electro-Matic Agent Killer. With Tara on vacation, Steed must rely upon the assistance of glamorous agent Lady Diana Forbes-Blakeney (Jennifer Croxton) to help him track down the elusive Remak. Written by Tony Williamson, "Killer" first aired in England on January 22, 1969, after its world premiere on American television on December 30, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A legendary Jack the Ripper-type killer named the Gaslight Ghoul has apparently returned from the dead. Using the London fog as his cover, the Ghoul is systematically bumping off members of a world disarmament conference. Steed and Tara investigate this phenomenon, only to find themselves on the venerable murderer's hit list. Written by frequent Avengers guest star Jeremy Burnham, "Fog" made its British TV bow on March 12, 1969; it had previously aired in America that same year, on February 17. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Several board members of the Acme Precision Corporation are murdered, and Steed is on hand to witness each killing. The culprit appears to be a sleepwalker, but that's only part of the story. Investigating, Steed and Tara trace the clues to a demented psychologist -- who, in yet another twist, may not be the principal villain. Written by Philip Levene, "My Wildest Dream" first aired in America on January 6, 1969, and was subsequently seen in England on April 9 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmed in late 1967, this episode wasn't seen on British television until January 15, 1969, and even then it was beaten by its American TV premiere on March 27, 1968. The plot is motivated by an unusual school, designed to train civilian astronauts. When one of the "students" is found murdered, Steed and Tara enroll in the school, only to find themselves in the vanguard of a widespread extraterrestrial invasion. "Distinguished" by some of the worst special effects in the history of television, "Invasion of the Earthmen" at least benefits from a clever script by Terry Nation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide