Linda Thorson Movies

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

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

The title refers to a special course for secret agents, designed to determine how much brutal interrogation the candidates are able to withstand. Tara King is summoned to undergo the course, willing if not eager to subject herself to its exacting rigors. What Tara doesn't know is that every agent who successfully completes the course ends up murdered a few days later. Christopher Lee guest-stars in "The Interrogators," which was written by Richard Harris and Brian Clemens; the episode debuted in England on New Year's Day 1969, and in America on January 20. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

This exotically titled Avengers episode is a working of the 1962 "Cathy Gale" installment "The Big Thinker." The title character is a highly advanced computer that is "murdered" by a shotgun blast. The perpetrator of this outrage would seem to be the creator of the computer, but Steed thinks otherwise; as a result, Tara poses as the creator's American niece, in hopes of rooting out the actual culprit. Written by Tony Williamson, "Whoever Shot Poor George Oblique Stroke XR40?" made its TV debut in America on October 30, 1968, followed by its British TV bow on December 9 of that same year. ~ 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

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

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

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

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