Book Bloopers
Page 2 of 4
|
Book Bloopers |
|
|
THE AVENGERS DOSSIER Rarely have I come across a book with so many errors. While the authors have done a decent amount of research and present some intriguing details of the show's history, their work comes up alarmingly short in the accuracy department. Factual gaffes aside, just the sheer number of typographical errors is staggering. And these are just the ones that have been noticed so far—it is quite likely there are many more! Copious thanks are extended to the contributors who spotted and reported most of the bloopers noted herein: Ioan Alun, Darren Burch, Simon Coward, Daniel Frankham, Frankymole, Joseph Lloyd, Tony McKay, David Schleicher, Holger Schmitz, Pete Stampede, Mark Wightman and, in particular, eagle-eyed Caroline. INTRODUCTION Page 3: "We finish with two critical essays on the series." Hmmm... Someone can't count—there are three essays, one by each of the three authors. Not off to a very good start, are we, boys? DAVID KEEL
The Frighteners: They claim that the Doctor's hypodermic is full of lemonade. Actually, the hypodermic is filled with witchazel. CATHY GALE 1
Propellant 23: They say that Steed and Cathy discover Jacques getting drunk in a deserted bakery. It's not deserted—he's drinking with his friend, the baker. They say that, apart from Justine Lord who does put on a French accent, everybody else speaks "Perfect Queen's English." Not so: Laurie, for one, tries to maintain an accent, although she isn't always successful. They say that Curly's hair falls out at the climax, when in fact it happens in the Gale equivalent of the tag scene. Finally, their "60s concern" is listed as "cheap fuel." Eh? Try "secret rocket fuel" or perhaps "arms race" instead. Death of a Great Dane: They say it aired 1 December 1962. Funny, this is the same transmission date they give for Death on the Rocks. A better air date for the former is 17 November. The Sell-Out: They say it was taped 9 September 1962. Unlikely, since Jon Rollason had left the series three months earlier. A more probable date is 9 June. Death Dispatch: They say it was taped 13 December 1962. Cute trick, since they give the same taping date for The Big Thinker. The former was probably taped 23 June. Intercrime: They say this episode ends with Steed in jail for being a suspected member of Intercrime. In fact, it ends in Steed's flat with him and Mrs Gale wondering what to do with the large batch of rifles he's purchased from Intercrime's front company. And they proclaim "uniformed policeman alert!" when there are none, only prison wardresses and Lobb in a fake motorcycle guard uniform. Man in the Mirror: They say "Venus has her cameras and film stolen." It was actually Steed's camera, which he'd lent her. And they say: "One film is missed, however, and when developed..." It wasn't missed—Venus had already had it developed when the camera and films were stolen. CATHY GALE 2
Death of a Batman: They say that Steed quips to a statue of Venus, "That's what you get for biting your nails." Actually he says, "That's what comes with biting your fingernails." Man With Two Shadows: They say Cathy tells Steed to "Cook it and find out" when he asks her what's for breakfast, when she actually says, "Cook it and see." Also, they refer to the "Miss Lovely Legs" competition, when it's actually the "Miss Beautiful Legs" competition. The Golden Fleece: They say "Steed suspects the owner, Mr Lo, of gold smuggling," when the restaurant was owned by Mr Lo's sister, Mrs Kwan. They say "He also seems to be allied with Army types who are smuggling ammunition to support ex-servicemen," whereas the Army types are smuggling gold, disguised as bullets and concealed inside shell casings, for Mr Lo. And finally, they say "Cathy and Steed assure Captain Jason and the others that their ex-colleagues will never discover the illegal nature of the financial support that they received." No such thing... After Jason and the others have left the room, Cathy destroys the records of who benefited from their smuggling operation, but Steed clearly intends for the smugglers to go to "the pokey," in which case the beneficiaries will probably find out the source of their income, even if no one else can identify them. Death à la Carte: They list the transmission date as 12 December 1962. That should read 21 December. The Outside-In Man: They say that Quilpy tells Steed, "Come into the fridge, there's something that needs to be done!" Actually he says, "Well, come into the 'fridge—there's still one or two things to be done." The Charmers: They quote, under Wit, "Breaking and entering is the technical term." "We could go to Holloway." "Do you think that could be arranged?" The last two lines actually read: "We'll both end up in Holloway!" "You think there's a chance?" Esprit de Corps: They say "Steed is given a glass of champagne at his last meal before execution. It's a rotten year (the '56)." But it was the '58 (which we may presume is also a rotten year). EMMA PEEL MONOCHROME
The Town of No Return: They say Steed made Emma stay in the room because it's too dangerous. Actually he suggested he go alone because he is more adept at moving about quietly. The Gravediggers: They say it's Steed versus villain "in the coaches of a model train." That would be a tight fit! Actually, it's atop the gondolas of a model train. The Cybernauts: They claim that Armstrong has no grand ideas. However, he was killing business rivals so he could use the technology to build better computers for the ultimate ambition of creating government by automation. If that's not a grand idea, I don't know what is! The Murder Market: They say Emma plays the tuba on her sofa. Actually she plays it on Steed's sofa. Also, they say it was not networked in the U.S. But it was, on 30 May 1966. (See the "Escape in Time" entry below for a possible reason for this error.) They say that Steed was thirteen months old in his baby picture. Steed says he was eighteen months. Two's a Crowd: They say that Webster models a "champagne-resistant jacket" with "Shirt proof against lipstick." But someone else demonstrates the jacket. They also say "Webster aspires to class, but actually used to be a cashier," when in fact Webster was, according to Vogel, "cashiered" (kicked out), presumably from the RAF. And they claim, under "Kinkiness Factor," that Emma, posing as a shop girl with glasses, is bound and carried away. Were they watching a different episode? She is captured at the reception while she is herself, not in disguise, and she is not "carried" away, but simply taken. Too Many Christmas Trees: They say Emma was referring to attire with her remark, "I've always rather fancied myself in one of these." Actually she was referring to Steed's bed! The Quick Quick Slow Death: They say an agent is found with his head encased in plaster. Actually it's Piedi's assistant, Bernard, not an agent. What the Butler Saw: They say that, in the tag Emma quips, "The butler did it." Actually, Steed said it. EMMA PEEL COLOR
The Fear Merchants: They say Pemberton is "afraid of light." Huh? He's afraid of the dark! Escape in Time: They say it was broadcast in the U.S. on 17 July 1968, which was partway into the Tara King season—but then, they were just repeating the same misinformation that appeared in several other books, which was apparently originated by someone who may have experienced a local preemption of this episode, and recorded the rerun date as the original broadcast date. It was actually networked along with the rest of its own season on 10 February 1967. (Thanks to Margaret Warren, David Schleicher and Andrew Pixley.) Also, they say that after Thyssen remarks on Emma's clothes, she quips, "You should see me in 400 year's time," when she actually says, "You should see me 400 years from now." The Winged Avenger: They quote Emma as noting the presence of "a number of girls in various states of exposure," when she really says they are in various "stages" of exposure. The Hidden Tiger: They say that Cheshire asks Steed about his "faithful pussy." Actually he asks Steed about his "beloved pussy." They say the milk container that rolls toward Emma is labeled "Grade 1 Pasteurised" when, oddly, it actually has the "American" spelling of "Pasteurized." And they also claim Cheshire tells Emma that one of the new arrivals has a "persecution complex" when he actually says "persecution mania." Epic: They say "Emma is tied to a chair and menaced with both buzzsaw and pendulum." Actually, she is strapped to a moving table that inches toward a giant saw, whilst a pendulum swings in the background as a harmless prop. Page 209: They claim that Diana Rigg ditched the leather gear between seasons five and six (that production break in the middle of the color Rigg episodes which marks the onset of a new season). Actually, she requested (or more likely demanded) the change in fashion between seasons four and five (between the monochrome and color seasons). You don't see her wearing leather in any color episodes, right? Well, to be strictly accurate, she does wear leather on one color episode, "You Have Just Been Murdered," but that was very near the end of her tenure and after considerable viewer inquiries. Return of the Cybernauts: They say Steed asks for the ice Emma offers him "In a large whiskey!" Actually he says, "In a glass with a large whisky wrapped around it." Death's Door: They say, under Wit, Emma's premonition is that she'd "run into a tall dark stranger." "And?" "I bumped into your car!" Actually she says, "I ran into the back of your car!" You Have Just Been Murdered: They say, under Wit, that Steed comments, "There were three topics of conversation: money, how to get it, and how to hold onto it..." when he actually said, "there'll be three topics of conversation: money, how to make it, and how to hold onto it..." They say Emma quips, "Take me to your leader, or lead me to your taker, which ever you prefer!" Actually she never says, "...which ever you prefer!" And they quote "Murder is a shocking crime." It's actually a "shocking affair." Murdersville: They say Emma only mentions three children on the phone, "kiss little Albert for me, and Julian and Baby Brian," and claim that Steed adds Gordon at the end. Actually, she names all four children, and Steed mentions none. TARA KING
All Done with Mirrors: They indicate a shooting location as the army barracks in Stanmore; they were actually RAF barracks, now closed. The Interrogators: They say it's "Izzy Pound and His Pound-of-Sound." Actually it's "Izzy Pound and His Incredible Marching Sound." The Rotters: They say that Wainwright (Harold Innocent) shouts, "the whole of Europe will rot! Rot! ROT!" Actually, the unidentified actor playing Wainwright is Charles Morgan; Innocent, who looks like a younger Robert Morley, is in the episode but plays the undertaker from the British Burial Company. The Morning After: They say the location shooting is in St. Albans, Watford, and Old Hatford—the latter should be Old Hatfield. Homicide and Old Lace: They say "the end music is re-done as a 'silent-movie' style honky-tonk piano solo, partly derived from Izzy Pound and His Incredible Marching Sound" (notice they got the name right this time). No such thing. It's not a honky-tonk piano solo, but in fact the actual soundtrack (horn and drum) from Izzy Pound, note for note, which then segues into a version of the Avengers theme done with piano and orchestra. Invasion of the Earthmen: They say, under wit, Steed says, "I'm afraid I'm in the civil service now." And Brett says, "It happens." Actually, Brett says, "Yes, it does happen. Won't you sit down?" Take Me To Your Leader: They quote little Sally Graham as saying, "Good, my susceptibility to bribes is one of my few weaknesses. So let's talk money instead of lollipops!" She really says, "Oh good, frankly my susceptibility to bribes is one of my few failings. So let's talk money, not lollipops!" |
All
materials copyrighted per their respective copyright holders. |