Patrick Macnee Movies
British actor Patrick Macnee barely had time to earn his Eton school tie when he began training for his career on a scholarship to the Webber Douglas School of Dramatic Art. While serving with the Royal Navy during World War II, Macnee made his first film appearance with a small role in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (43). He continued essaying such featured roles as Young Marley in the 1951 Christmas Carol before coming to Broadway with the Old Vic troupe in 1954. He decided to stay in Hollywood a while, appearing in several TV shows and such films as Les Girls (57). He would later describe most of his roles during this period as "villainy in a tri-corner hat." In 1960, Macnee traded his period duds for a bowler and three-piece suit when he began his long run as sophisticated secret agent John Steed on the British TV series The Avengers (incidentally, the murder that Macnee was "avenging" in the early episodes was that of a woman played by his then-wife Kate Woodville). He remained the one permanent fixture on The Avengers until its demise in 1968, appearing opposite three different jumpsuit-clad leading ladies: Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson. Macnee also showed up as a supervisor of sort in the 1977 "retro" series The New Avengers, leaving the karate and gunplay to Joanna Lumley and Gareth Hunt. In America, Patrick Macnee appeared regularly on the TV series Gavilan (82), Empire (84), and Lightning Force (91). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1969
The original Avengers series came to an end with this episode. It all begins when a woman clad only in a nightgown is found wandering around a snowy field insisting that she's seen a "live dead man". Steed and Tara follow this lead to a cemetary, where all the coffins are empty. In order to get to the bottom of things, Steed must offer himself up as a candidate for premature burial. The episode's final scene suggests that there may well be additional Avengers installments in the near future; as it turned out, the series would not be revived until 1976. Written by Brian Clemens, "Bizarre" made its American TV debut on April 21, 1969, and its first British TV appearance one month later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Steed is held on suspicion when several secrets are smuggled out of a tightly secured communications facility. While Steed is under "house arrest" at the luxurious digs of his superior Mother (Patrick Newell, making his series debut), Tara tries to trap the real traitor. She is "assisted" by an incredibly incompetent operative named Watney (Dinsdale Landen). Written by Leigh Vance, "All Done with Mirrors" first aired in England on November 13, 1968, and in America on December 2 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Macnee, Linda Thorson, (more)
- 1968
Filmed during the production break between the sixth and seventh season of The Avengers, this episode served as the swan song for Emma Peel (Diana Rigg). . .and as an introduction to novice secret agent Tara King (Linda Thorson) (Though, technically, it was not the first episode in which she appeared). On this occasion, Tara assists Steed and Emma as they try to flush out a traitor in their midst. The episode's "gimmick" is a drug which induces amnesia -- and also a loose tongue. The final scene, in which Emma turns over the reins to Tara, is a classic. According to some sources, "The Forget-Me-Knot," written by Brian Clemens, was first shown in England on September 25, 1968, while other sources list January 12, 1969, as its first airdate. Be that as it may, the episode actually debuted on American television on March 20, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Having written a book on bridge, Emma is invited to the country home of a fellow bridge enthusiast. It soons becomes painfully obvious that Emma has been lured into a trap, instigated by someone who has a major grudge against her. Brian Clemens' teleplay includes echoes of such earlier episodes as "Don't Look Behind You" and "The House That Jack Built." First telecast in England on April 29, 1967, "The Joker" made its American TV debut 13 days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The plot of this episode is set in motion by the intense rivalry between FOG ("Friends of Ghosts") and SMOG ("Scientific Measurement of Ghosts"). When representatives of the two organizations head to a country church to investigate the sudden reappearance of a man long thought dead, Steed and Emma are called in to help. It isn't long, of course, before murder rears its ugly head. Scripted by Brian Clemens from a story by Anthony Marriott, "The Living Dead" originally aired in England on February 25, 1967, and was first seen in America six days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Invited to an airborne costume party, Steed and six other guests find themselves stranded on a desert island. The castaways then learn that there's a highly trained assassin in their midst. As the festivities degenerate into a campy replay of Ten Little Indians, Emma tries to figure out a means of rescuing her partner. As was the case with many fifth-season episodes, this one benefits from a superb guest-star roster, including Donald Sutherland, Brian Blessed, and Charlotte Rampling. Written by Brian Clemens, "The Superlative Seven" first aired in England on April 8, 1967, and made its American TV bow on April 21 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
This time around, Steed and Peel come up against an "invisible man." Actually, he only feigns invisibility, but his deception is enough to nearly bankrupt the British government, as the villain merrily steals important documents on behalf of a pair of sinister foreign agents. Roy Kinnear, best known for his work in director Richard Lester's films, guest stars as Quilby. Written by Philip Levene, "The See-Through Man" was first telecast in England on February 4, 1967 -- one day after its American TV debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The Avengers' fifth season came to a rousing finale with this episode. Steed and Emma are impersonated by a pair of enemy agents named Basil and Lola (Freddie Jones, and Patricia Haines). Things get hairier when the two imposters utilize a futuristic brain-transfer device to swap their minds with the genuine Steed and Emma. Written by Philip Levene, "Who's Who???" first aired in England on May 6, 1967, and in America on May 19 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
A spoof of the superhero craze of the late 1960s, this episode gets under way when several businessmen are found clawed to death. All evidence seems to point to a comic-strip character called The Winged Avenger -- but that's impossible, isn't it? While trying to get to the truth of the matter, Steed and Emma find themselves besieged by characters who seem to have sprung full-grown from the American series Batman (there's even a "BANG! POW!" fight sequence, performed with cardboard cutouts of comic-strip "balloons"). Written by Richard Harris, "The Winged Avenger" first aired in England on February 18, 1967 -- the day after its American TV debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
An organization specializing in extortion manages to extract money from nervous millionaires by demonstrating how easy it would be to commit murder. The mastermind behind these simulated killings is Nathaniel Needle (George Murcell), who makes it plain that he's just as capable of pulling off the "real thing." Steed and Emma dedicate themselves to stopping Needle's nasty little protection racket -- if they can avoid being murdered themselves. Written by Philip Levene, "You Have Just Been Murdered" premiered in England on October 28, 1967, and in America on January 24, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
A top-secret government project to broadcast electricity on radio waves is suddenly cancelled. Even so, several people are found burned to death, apparently the results of the aborted project. It's all the handiwork of a disgruntled -- and artificially superpowered -- scientist, whom Steed and Emma hope to neutralize before he can "shock" again. Written by Tony Williamson, "The Positive Negative Man" was originally telecast in England on November 4, 1967, and in America on January 17, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Steed and Emma are summoned to investigate when several businessmen and a few prize bulls are found mauled to death. The culprit would seem to be a "big cat" of some sort, obliging Steed to go on a safari to find the answers. But it is Emma who finds herself in the thick of it, thanks to a curious organization called the Philanthropic Union for the Rescue, Relief and Recuperation of Cats (or PURRR). Ronnie Barker, of Two Ronnies fame, is among the guest stars. Written by Philip Levene, "The Hidden Tiger" was first seen in England on March 4, 1967, and in America 13 days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg
- 1967
X-rays of a car crash victim reveal that the man had a stomach full of valuable diamonds. Naturally, Steed and Emma are called in to investigate. They follow clues all the way to the prestigious Litoff Organization, a group of financiers with an agenda all their own. First telecast in England on October 14, 1967, "The 50,000 Pound Breakfast" was a remake of the 1962 episode "Death of a Great Dane." Both were written by Roger Marshall. American viewers didn't get to see this one until February 28, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg
- 1967
Steed and Emma attend an auto rally where they participate in a car treasure hunt. But it isn't all fun and games: our hero and heroine are searching for a valuable object, hidden in one of the cars by a murdreed agent. This is the one with the deadly "thrill-ride" sequence, with Emma as the unwilling participant. Written by Michael Winder, "Dead Man's Treasure" originally aired in England on October 21, 1967; its American debut followed on March 13, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg
- 1967
Despite the silliness of its premise, this Avengers episode is a winner all the way, thanks in no small part to its top-drawer supporting cast. Lured to a deserted movie studio, Emma finds herself at the mercy of demented producer Z.Z. Von Schnerk (Kenneth J. Warren) and washed-up film idols Damita Syn (Isa Miranda) and Stewart Kirby (Peter Wyngarde). The terrible trio intend to use our heroine as "star" of their latest cinematic masterpiece: "The Destruction of Mrs. Emma Peel." This time around, Steed must rescue Emma from a buzzsaw, a sequence invoking fond memories of the tied-to-the-tracks denoument in the second-season installment "The Gravediggers." Written by (who else?) Brian Clemens, "Epic" was first broadcast in England on April 1, 1967, and in America on April 14 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg
- 1967
Several notorious criminals have disappeared without a trace. Assigned to get to the bottom of this mystery, Steed and Emma discover that the miscreants have escaped capture with the aid of a time machine. This is the episode in which Emma, dressed in the "latest" 17th century garb, finds herself imprisoned in the stocks. Written by Philip Levene, "Escape in Time" was first seen in England on January 28, 1967, and in America on February 10 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg
- 1967
Steed is accused of masterminding the murders of several enemy agents. Calling a truce with the "other side," Steed tries to unmask the actual culprit (who is a member of an organization appropriately called The Third Party), with the assistant of statuesque Russian agent Olga (the always delightful Anna Quayle). The trail of evidence leads to a training school for gentlemen, appropriately named "SNOB". A reworking of the "Cathy Gale" episode "The Charmers," "The Correct Way to Kill" was written by Brian Clemens; it was originally telecast in England on March 11, 1967, and was first seen in America 13 days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg
- 1967
The Avengers' sixth season opened with an exciting harkback to the classic third-season episode "The Cybernauts." The plot is set in motion by the brother of the man whose earlier attempt to use robotic technology to take over the British economy was foiled by Steed and Emma. Thirsting for revenge, the villain conspires with a trio of shady scientists to transform the Avengers into "living puppets." Horror-film perennial Peter Cushing guest stars as the deceptively charming Paul Beresford. Written by Philip Levene, "Return of the Cybernauts" made its British TV debut on September 30, 1967; its first American telecast was delayed until an open timeslot was found on February 21, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
An apparent security leak takes on bizarre dimensions when the suspected traitors begin behaving like little children. It turns out that each of the persons involved apparently had the same nanny in childhood. With this clue in hand, Steed and Emma infiltrate a nanny training school, where they discover that the faculty is moonlighting in espionage. Written by Philip Levene, "Something Nasty in the Nursery" was first seen in England on April 22, 1967, and in America on May 5 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The title sets the tone for what may well be the most incredible episode in the history of The Avengers. Steed and Emma are summoned to investigate when several people and a number of huge objects (including an armored tank) seemingly vanish. The cause of these disappearances is a newly developed shrinking machine, which villains intend to use to "miniaturize" their enemies. The silliness reaches its summit when a teeny-tiny John Steed rescues a normal-sized Emma. Written by Philip Levene, "Mission. . .Highly Improbable" was the final episode of the series' sixth season, making its British TV debut on November 18, 1967. Curiously, it was chosen as the first entry in the third American season of The Avengers, on January 10, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, (more)
- 1967
Horror-film icon Christopher Lee guest stars in this Philip Levene-scripted Avengers episode. When British scientist Professor Stone (Lee), supposedly killed in an auto accident, suddenly shows up alive and healthy, Steed and Emma want to know why. Their curiosity is peaked when Stone subsequently survives 100,000 volts of electricity and an exploding artillery shell. The clues lead to a hush-hush government facility called the Neoteric Research Unit, whose director is that selfsame Professor Stone -- or is it merely his robotic duplicate? First broadcast in England on March 18, 1967, "Never, Never Say Die" was shown in America 13 days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
A motor excursion with a childhood friend turns deadly for Emma when she arrives at the remote community of Little Storping in the Swuff. It soon turns out that every one of the local residents is a professional assassin. Assuming that Emma has been brought to the village as a potential victim, the locals obligingly get "down to business." Despite its grim overtones, "Murdersville" is essentially a comic episode, culminating in old-fashioned pie fight. Written by Brian Clemens and first shown in England on November 11, 1967, this episode made it to America on February 7, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, (more)
- 1967
During an important conference, a key delegate suddenly runs out of the building and into the street, where he is promptly killed by an automobile. It turns out that the dead man had had premonitions of just such a tragedy, and all the other delegates have had similar premonitions. It's up to Steed and Emma to find out just what's been going on. . .and to prevent what seems to be the grim inevitable. Written by Philip Levene, "Death's Door" was originally broadcast in England on October 7, 1967; its first American telecast took place on January 31, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
A golf course turns into a killing ground for an unfortunate British agent. Investigating, Steed and Emma discover that the course is actually a front (or, technically, a "top") for an enemy espionage base. The foresighted villains use satellite technology -- then very much in its infancy -- to relay secret information, obliging Steed and Emma to follow through for a few well-placed chip shots. Written by Tony Williamson, "The Thirteenth Hole" premiered in England on January 29, 1966, and in America on August 18, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Steed infiltrates a school for butlers in order to unmask a traitor. While he is being drilled in the finer points of silent servitude, Emma attempts to charm her way into the heart of a suspected turncoat who is also a notorious lecher. If any doubts still lingered that The Avengers was not intended to be taken seriously, this episode would dispell them instantly. Written by Brian Clemens, "What the Butler Saw" first aired in England on February 26, 1966; it was subsequently shown on American network television on July 28, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
