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Patrick Macnee | John Steed | |
Gareth Hunt | Mike Gambit | |
Joanna Lumley | Prudey | |
Gareth Hunt | Mike Gambit | |
Joanna Lumley | Purdey | |
Maurice Marsac | General Gaspard | |
Rocky Taylor | Cybernaut | |
Pierre Vernier | Colonel Martin | |
Charles Millot | Col. Stanislav | |
Terry Wood | Colonel Meroff | |
Paul-Emile Deiber | Toy | |
Neil Hallett | Mark Clifford | |
Christine Delaroche | Jeanine Leparge | |
Sacha Pitoëff | Kerov | |
Jeremy Wilkin | Dr. Tulliver | |
John Paul | Doctor | |
Anthony Bailey | Frederick |
Director |
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Producer |
Ray Austin
Brian Clemens |
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Writer |
Brian Clemens
Sydney Newman |
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Cinematography |
Dennis Miller
James Allen |
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Musician |
Laurie Johnson
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The return of John Steed and The Avengers. Well, not quite. This series introduced the legion of Avenger's fans (termed Avengerphiles by fellow Australian Avengers buff, Geoff Barlow) to two new members of Steed's depattment: Putdey and Mike Gambit. The former (described by producers Albert Fennell and Brian Clemens as 'a girl for the eighties') was a more than worthy successor for the role as Steed's Girl Friday. Soft and feminine (but with a kick like a tornado), she packed as much power into her graceful frame as Emma Peel and Tara King combined - and had a brain to match. A chauvinist pig's dream, Purdey could shoot the pips out of an apple at 20 paces and had a fighting style far-removed from the kung-fu, karate talents of her predecessors (a shoulder-high kicking technique which gave lots of glimpses of her shapely thighs). Mike Gambit, an ex-mercenary soldier, was the quiet member of the team - until aroused, when he would strike with dazzling displays of the martial art technique of kung-fu. Steed's number one boy, an expert with firearms, longbow and all manner of weapons. Gambit was a valuable addition to Steed's team. Steed himself had hardly changed. A little older, true, but with age had come presence of mind. He still believed in honour and duty. Steed retained his charm, but had mellowed slightly and now preferred to spend much of his time at 'Steed's Stud', his large country mansion where he bred horses and entertained an endless succession of beautiful women. As tough and as immaculate as ever (the bowler and brolly were still in evidence), John Steed was back in a series which compared favourably with any of his earlier adventures. |
Disc 01 | |
1. The Eagle's Nest | |
Steed investigates the death of a colleague while Gambit witnesses the kidnapping of Professor Von Claus. Purdey scuba dives to the remote island of St. Dorca, where a monastery hides a secret and Germany's greatest treasure.
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2. The Midas Touch | |
Professor Turner has found the ultimate carrier for a host of deadly diseases, calls him Midas and offers him to the highest bidder in exchange for gold. However, Steed's former colleague Freddie, now a vagrant is on to him and manages to pass over a few hints to the New Avengers before he succumbs to everything.
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3. House of Cards | |
Steed, Purdey and Gambit, aided by a flock of rabid female fans rescue defector Professor Vasil from under the nose of Ivan Perov at an airport. Perov reactivates a group of 13 sleepers known as the House of Cards in order to avenge himself on the Avengers and get Vasil back to Russia.
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Disc 02 | |
4. The Last of the Cybernauts...? | |
Double agent Felix Kane is horribly disfigured while being chased by the New Avengers. A year later, Kane forces Frank Goff to breathe new life into old Cybermen left in storage by Goff's former employer, Dr. Armstrong. Further more, Professor Mason is kidnapped and forced to apply the Cybernaut technology to rebuild Kane's body so he can exact his revenge on Steed, Purdey and Gambit personally.
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5. To Catch a Rat | |
D16 Agent Irwin Gunner was on the trail of a double agents known as White Rat in 1960 when an arranged trapeze accident caused him to suffer amnesia. 17 years later he begins to regain his memory and vows to track down the Rat, who has certainly moved up in the world by now. As Steed, Purdey and Gambit race to catch up with the long lost agent known only to them as 'Flyer', the White Rat and his accomplices do the same in order to silence him.
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6. Cat Amongst the Pigeons | |
The New Avengers investigate the murders of several ecologists who seem to have been attacked by flocks of kamikaze birds. Before long each one of them encounters a feathered foe on their trail.
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Disc 03 | |
7. Target! | |
Ministry agents are dropping dead of natural causes either on leave, or just about to go. Discovering a pattern, all clues lead back to the training range where Purdey has just scored a 99% walk through. Unfortunately for her, it's the one remaining per cent that kills.
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8. Faces | |
The New Avengers uncover an operation that is substituting doubles for politicians and other high ranking members of society. All the lookalikes seem to have been found amongst the drunks and derelicts of The Mission for the Distressed and Needy, so Gambit pretends to be a drunk named Walton, while Purdey infiltrates the organization on her own as 'Lollita'. Meanwhile, is Steed still himself, or is there a replacement in his stead?
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9. The Tale of the Big Why | |
Bert Brandon is released from jail and several parties, including the New Avengers, follow him to get their hands on the information he has been keeping secret, whatever it may be.
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Disc 04 | |
10. Three Handed Game | |
Steed has invented a way of using a triumvirate of agents with photographic memories to memorize top secret information in three parts. Each third being useless without the other two. A brilliant criminal named Juventor plans to use a mind-swapping device to piece all three parts together and sell the combined information to the highest bidder. When he learns The New Avengers are closing in on him, Juventor decides to swap brains completely with one of his victims.
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11. Sleeper | |
The New Avengers are present at a demonstration of a new gas, S-95, that can knock out people instantaneously. Unfortunately a criminal called Brady is also present, steals 2 cannisters as well as the anti-dote and puts the heart of London to sleep the next morning. Now Steed, Gambit and Purdey are the only people left awake and able to stop the criminal gang from robbing all the banks of London. Unfortunately, Steed & Gambit have no way of contacting Purdey, and Purdey has trouble keeping her pajama bottoms up.
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12. Gnaws | |
Scientists Thornton & Carter have discovered a radioactive isotope that causes vegetables and living things to grow exceedingly. Rather than informing the Ministry, they decide to keep the secret for themselves. But when some of the isotope is spilled down the drain, reports soon surface of a monster emerging from the sewers intend on killing man.
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13. Dirtier by the Dozen | |
General Stevens has gone missing while inspecting the 19th Special Commando Division unannounced. Gambit intercepts a canister of combat footage starring the commanding officer of the 19th: Colonel 'Mad Jack' Miller. Purdey has her finds her way into the training area by way of a pub filled with soldiers.
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Disc 05 | |
14. Hostage | |
Purdey is kidnapped and Steed is given instructions to copy some top secret documents in order to get her back. Unable to tell anyone what he's doing, the Ministry begins to suspect Steed has switched sides and Gambit is ordered to follow him.
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15. Trap | |
The New Avengers, with some help from CIA agent Marty Brice, stop a drug deal arranged by Chinese crime lord Soo Choy. To rectify this embarrassment, Soo Choy lures Steed, Purdey and Gambit to his territory in order to exact his revenge in front of his peers.
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16. Dead Men Are Dangerous | |
Steed's friend from childhood attempts to overcome his inferiority complex by taking revenge on him.
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Disc 06 | |
17. Medium Rare | |
A psychic medium makes eerily accurate predictions about Steed's future.
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18. Angels of Death | |
A nefarious crew of health spa workers plot to bring the Empire to its knees by killing off key government workers through "natural causes".
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19. Obsession | |
June 1977. Purdey is confronted with her former fiancée Larry Doomer. She's been avoiding him ever since he attempted to murder a Middle Eastern emissary 7 years earlier. Now it seems he's planning a second attempt by using a brand new RAF rocket.
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Disc 07 | |
20. The Lion and the Unicorn | |
With the help of Gambit and Purdey, Steed manages to capture the ruthless killer known as The Unicorn whom he has been tracking for ten years. The Unicorn's accomplices kidnap a British royal to use as a hostage to swap. Unfortunately they are unaware that their previous rescue attempt left The Unicorn lying dead on the floor.
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21. K Is for Kill: Part 1: The Tiger Awakes | |
In 1945 Russian soldier Stanislav stole the secret of long-levity from a Tibetian monk. He created an army of 252 sleepers that were stationed all over Europe. In 1965 one of them awoke by accident and went on a rampage in Berkshire. 12 years later, the same thing happens to a larger group in France. Only in death do the Russian soldiers show their advanced age. Steed, recognizing the symptoms, takes off for France with Gambit and Purdey.
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22. K Is for Kill: Part 2: Tiger by the Tail | |
250 of the Russian sleeping commandos have been defeated and accounted for. Only the two most dangerous K-agents remain. Colonel Stanislav orders them to assassinate General Gaspard and the French President in order to cause the outbreak of World War III.
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Disc 08 | |
23. Complex | |
The New Avengers fly to Toronto, Canada to learn the identity of KGB assassin X-41, aka Scapina. Unfortunately all their contacts end up dead before they are able to spill the beans. Also, Gambit keeps getting arrested by the Canadian police and Purdey finds herself trapped in a ultra modern building.
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24. The Gladiators | |
Though officially on holiday in Canada, the New Avengers join the search for several missing Soviet and Canadian agents. KGB agent Karl Sminsky has achieved super human strength thanks to a combination of martial arts. Now he is gathering a group of 'gladiators' to teach his secrets to.
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25. Forward Base | |
The New Avengers attempt to intercept a package drop in Canada before it gets to the mysterious Russian outpost called Forward Base. They follow a trail of people dropping valuable machinery in the water and changing clothes during the course of drowning.
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26. Emily | |
On the trail of the elusive agent 'The Fox', the New Avengers find their target has left a palm print on the roof of a car. Borrowing the vehicle, which is called 'Emily' from her owner proves to be easier than getting it safely to the Canadian Secret Service in Toronto.
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