Episode 1: The New Avengers
Page 167 of 192
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A.K.A.
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Other Viewpoints |
Le
repaire de l'Aigle
Der Adlerhorst
Il
nido dell'aquila
Het Adelaarsnest
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Those nasty Nazis are at it again! While Steed and Purdey follow the trail of a colleague killed by poison-tipped fishing hooks, Gambit attends a lecture on suspended animation given by a Doctor Von Claus—who is promptly abducted right out from under his nose. All trails lead to the island of St. Dorca, where, under threat of his family's death, Von Claus is forced to revive a very special patient: Germany's "greatest treasure"!
IMHO |
It was a promising start for the new series, and exciting to see new faces, new fashion and new fighting—although Gambit is a bit like a Mack truck. The series "pilot" has the benefit of film veteran Peter Cushing as a draw, and it was interesting that he was not cast as a heavy—a nice twist. Fishing lines used as weapons ("set for stun or for kill," no less) is an original device, and there's just enough humor to keep it from slipping into the realm of the generic action TV show, but it does leave one wanting for the wit of the original. Four bowlers for Derek Farr's over-the-top Nazi, and another four for Sydney Bromley's forgetful hermit.
Trivia |
Steed ought to brush up on his driving—as he pulls into a parking space, his left rear tire winds up on the curb.
Frank Gatliff appeared in the Police Surgeon episode, "Man Overboard."
Best Line |
Steed borrows Purdey's lipstick to mark a target on a window and remarks, "What a lovely shade of pink." Purdey: "Pink? It's called, 'Sins of Youth'." Steed: "That's not a color, it's an accusation."
Essential Reading |
- The Avengers Declassified by Alan Hayes
- Mrs. Peel... We're Needed by Piers Johnson