Linda Thorson Movies
When leggy, 5'9" brunette actress Linda Thorson replaced Diana Rigg on the long-running British TV adventure series The Avengers, one critic summed up Thorson as "a cute trick, but not in Diana's league." Hold on there! Though Thorson was only 20, she was no mere bubble-headed starlet. The daughter of a Canadian math and physics teacher, she was a trained dancer and an alumnus of London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. She had previously won speaking and singing honors while in school, and was well on her way to a prestigious stage career when she was selected from a field of 200 actresses to play Tara King, the new partner of crimefighter John Steed(Patrick MacNee) on The Avengers. Some fans of the series have a low regard of Thorson's contributions, citing her misguided efforts to inject more sexual tension between Tara and Steed, and her tendency to react more fearfully to dangerous situations than the unflappable Rigg. In point of fact, Thorson was only following orders; the producers of The Avengers were responsible for the questionable "improvements" in their flagging property. After the series' cancellation in 1969, Thorson launched her stage career in earnest, racking up respectable credits on the British stage and in such films as Valentino (1977) and The Great Tycoon (1979). She won a Theatre World Award for her 1982 Broadway debut in Steaming, and proved a superb farceur in the Alan Ayckbourn stage comedy Noises Off. The mature, poised, wryly self-confident Linda Thorson who co-starred on the 1986 TV comedy series Marblehead Manor was a far cry from the slightly awkward, plucked-eyebrowed nymphet who co-starred in the waning days of The Avengers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1965
While searching for a missing agent, Steed and Emma board a fast-moving train. Little do they know that the conductor harbors an intense hatred for the British Prime Minister. Before our hero and heroine reach their destination, they are forced to deal with an assassination attempt, masterminded with considerable élan by the aforementioned conductor. Written by Bryan Sherriff, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Station" was originally broadcast in England on April 15, 1967, and in America on April 28 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg
- 1965
A series of unusual rainstorms have resulted in several deaths. Sent to investigate this phenomenon, Steed and Emma come across an eccentric German scientist named -- believe it or not -- Dr. Sturm (Albert Levien). Before they are able to neutralize Sturm's rainmaking machine, Steed is nearly drowned, and Emma faces a slow and nasty death in a wine press. Written by Colin Finbow, "A Surfeit of Rain" was originally telecast in England on November 26, 1965; curiously, it was never shown on American network television, though it was later included in the series' syndicated package. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg
- 1966
A series of elaborate practical jokes result in humilation for a number of top British and Iron Curtain officials. When one of the jokes turns deadly, Steed and Emma are called upon to investigate. It turns out that the cause of all the trouble is an exclusive organization known as the Hellfire Club, obliging Steed to join up while Emma provides support from the sidelines. Written by Brian Clemens, "A Touch of Brimstone" was originally telecast in England on February 9, 1966. The episode was never shown on American network television, due in great part to the very provocative outfits worn by Emma Peel when she poses as "The Queen of Sin." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg
- 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)
- 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
- 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
- 1962
Discovered lying on the side of a road, an auto crash victim turns out to have a fortune in diamonds hidden in his stomach. Following the trail of evidence, Steed and Cathy discover that the estate of a dying philanthropist is slowly and methodically being stolen and smuggled out of the country. First telecast November 17, 1962, "Death of a Great Dane" was written by Roger Marshall and Jeremy Scott. The episode was broadcast in America on February 5, 1991 -- and, some 23 years earlier, was refilmed as the "Mrs. Peel" episode "The 50,000-Pound Breakfast." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Another classic "Emma Peel" installment, this episode was first telecast in England on December 4, 1965. A series of mysterious deaths in the upper circles of International Finance have caused a great deal of panic among investors. Hoping to locate the source of all the trouble, Steed and Emma go undercover, with Steed posing as a prominent financier. Meanwhile, Emma faces death at the hands of a strange little man with an obsession for clocks. Written by Roger Marshall, "Dial a Deadly Number" was seen in the U.S. on July 24, 1966. ~ 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
- 1969
Accused of treason, an agent cannot rely upon the sole witness to his innocence, who insists upon contradicting every one of his previous statements. The cause of this phenomenon is a chemically altered form of milk, which induces people to lie uncontrollably. Steed and Tara attempt to neutralize the effects of the spiked milk -- and to turn the tables on the villains. Written by frequent Avengers guest star Jeremy Burnham, "False Witness" was first seen in England on November 6, 1968, and was first shown on American TV 19 days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Bennett
- 1969
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
- 1965
Steed and Emma are called on the scene when several members of the British Venusian Society, an astronomical organization, suddenly die of extreme old age. It turns out that all of the dead stargazers had been looking directly at Venus, which, according to "expert" testimony, is poised to invade the Earth. The truth is a bit more prosaic, but no less threatening for our hero and heroine. The first full-color Avengers episode, "From Venus with Love" was also the initial offering of the series' fifth season. Written by Philip Levene, the episode first aired in England on January 14, 1967; six days later, it was seen on American network television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg
- 1969
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
- 1969
Several enemy agents escape from a top-security prison, determined to wreak vengeance against the persons responsible for their arrest. When two of Steed's friends are murdered by the escapees, he decides it is time to end the reign of terror once and for all. But the still-imprisoned leader of the enemy minions calmly informs Steed that he is next on the list -- and that his assassin will be completely invisble. Written by Philip Levene, "Get-a-Way" made its American TV debut on April 24, 1969, and its British TV bow on May 14 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Much of this Avengers episode was comprised of footage from the never-seen installment "Invitation to a Killing," which was to have introduced the character of Tara King. The plot is set in motion by one Colonel Nsonga (Johnny Sekka), who has stolen 3,000 high-tech rifles in hopes of staging a coup in his native country. Posing as an arms dealer, Steed finds himself at a live demonstration of the stolen weaponry -- with Tara as the helpless target. Written by Donald James, "Have Guns -- Will Haggle" was first shown in America on May 1, 1968, and in England on December 11 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Mother regales his two elderly aunts with the thrilling story of "The Great Great Britain Crime." It seems that a group of international criminals planned, Ocean's Eleven-style, to steal all Britain's great treasures simultaneously, using a phony missile attack on London as their cover. Only the two aunties are at all surprised when the villains are thwarted by Steed and Tara. Utilizing generous library footage from the unaired Avengers episode "The Great Great Britain Crime," "Homicide and Old Lace" first aired in America on March 17, 1969, and in England nine days later. The original episode, and its new "wraparound" segments, were written by series stalwart Malcolm Hulke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
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
- Starring:
- Patrick Macnee, Linda Thorson, (more)
- 1969
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
- Starring:
- Patrick Macnee, Linda Thorson, (more)
- 1965
No sooner has Steed inherited an ornate dagger from an unknown benefactor than he is besieged by mysterious characters who offer him enormous sums of money and other tantalizing inducements to hand the dagger over to them. Things go from mildly amusing to highly dangerous when several of the bidders turn up end. It is up to Tara to find out just why the dagger is so valuable -- and the answer, as they say, lies within. Also known as "Falcon" (as in the "Maltese" variety), "Legacy of Death" was written by Terry Nation; it first aired in the U.S. on November 4, 1968, and in England the following November 20. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Steed and Tara investigate when the directors of Project Cupid, a top-secret construction project, are being systematically murdered. The culprit turns out to be a has-been vaudeville comedian, who resents the fact that Project Cupid plans to demolish a number of old music halls. Captured by the comedian and his minions, a bound-and-gagged Tara is subjected to the most hideous torture of all -- having to listen to their wheezy old jokes. John Cleese of Monty Python fame appears in an uproarious guest star role. Written by Dennis Spooner, this capriciously titled Avengers episode debuted in America on May 8, 1968, and was seen in England the following December 4th. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Someone is leaking confidential information from a top-secret missile department. The culprit would seem to be a beautiful woman (Veronica Strong) who has systematically seduced several department members -- all of whom subsequently turned up dead, after displaying some rather bizarre behavior. Upon investigating, Steed and Tara must follow a flimsy trail of evidence, consisting merely of an intoxicating perfume fragrance. Written by actor Jeremy Burnham, "Love All" was first telecast in America on February 3, 1969, then shown in England 16 days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
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
- 1965
Recovering from a broken leg at a private convalescent home, Steed soon learns that he is being stalked by a mysterious assailant. The would-be killer turns out to be an old enemy, who intends to kill Steed exactly seven years after he himself was thrown in jail. Physically unable to repel his enemy, Steed must rely upon Tara for salvation. Blatantly inspired by the American movie classic High Noon, "Noon Doomsday" was written by Terry Nation; it was first shown in America on October 28, 1968, and in England on November 27 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
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
