Episode 117: Emma Peel Era
Page 118 of 192

 

  We're Needed

Emma finds a toy train running on the floor of her flat, and the train carries a placard with, "Mrs. Peel—We're Needed!"

  Tag

Awaiting the arrival of the Prime Minister, Steed and Emma discuss the titles they'll receive for having saved his life—quite prophetic, considering that Diana Rigg would in fact become a Dame!

  Stats ?

  A.K.A.

 OVERKILL

 Une petite gare désafectée

 Diesmal mit Knalleffekt

 Servizio di sicurezza

 Algo extraño sucedió camino a la estación

 Treintje spelen or Ontspoorde geheimen (depending on the broadcaster)

  On the Radio

• Train of Events

  Other Viewpoints

• Visitor reviews
• The GLG Report
• Rodney's Reviews

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE STATION

Steed Goes Off the Rails
Emma Finds Her Station in Life

Production completed: 22 March 1967
UK Premiere (London, Season 5): 14 April 1967
US Premiere (New York, Season 2): 28 April 1967

A train conductor with a serious grudge against the Prime Minister devises a creative assassination scheme involving carefully-timed trains.

 IMHO

This ho-hum episode starts out on the right track but quickly loses steam owing to a paper-thin plot and dialog that carefully explains e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, giving the impression of an introductory episode for viewers somehow not familiar with the spy genre. Certainly not Avengers enough to sustain the hour for this fan. But classically eccentric John Laurie does provide a reason to stick with it.

 Exclusive Content

The original eleven-page scene-by-scene plan, dated 9 January 1967: OVERKILL

Also, writer Roger Marshall has penned an essay about his tenure on The Avengers.

 Trivia

At odds with the direction Brian Clemens was taking the series, scriptwriter Roger Marshall left. Clemens rewrote one of his scripts, and used the pseudonym Brian Sheriff (the Sheriff doing the Marshall's job... get it?).

A scene where the prime minister's coach is inspected opens with a shot of the coach on a siding with a uniformed policeman walking around in front of it. This breaking of the no-policemen rule seemed almost gratuitous, since it was so unnecessary. Thanks to David Schwartz for flagging this one.

Ilsa Blair (the Bride) was the second wife of frequent Avengers guester Julian Glover.

Does the Admiral's office look familiar? Gregory McVey-Russel suggests notes it is also Willows' home in "What the Butler Saw."

Mark H. Stevens asks: "Recognize the newspaper Emma was reading right before her fight with the bride? Sir Andrew was reading the exact same paper in "Death's Door." Well, that's why they call it trivia, no?

Acronym Alert: MAUD is Microfilm And Unencyphered Document.

Steed's Aunties: An unofficial entry. Lucas left behind a photo of his "Aunt Maude" and Steed indicates that this is standard operating procedure. Made it sound as if every agent had an "Aunt Maude."

And, if it's not obvious, the title is a play on the venerable stage play and film, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."

 Best Line

"Diddly-dah, diddly-dum, twiddly-dum, twiddly, twiddly, twiddly, dah; blinkety-blink, blinkety-blink, chaddily-dum, chaddily-dah, boopity-boop." (Emma transcribing Steed's tape recording)

Later, Steed finishes the grinning mastermind's explanation of the bomb plot with, "Pop goes the diesel." Oh, how perfectly droll.

 Essential Reading

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE STATION

Teleplay by
Directed by

Brian Sheriff
John Krish

Full production credits

CAST

John Steed
Emma Peel
Ticket collector
Crewe
Groom
Bride
Salt
Admiral
Warren
Attendant
Lucas
Secretary

Patrick Macnee 007
Diana Rigg 007
James Hayter
John Laurie #
Drewe Henley
Isla Blair
Tim Barrett
Richard Caldicot #
Dyson Lovell
Peter J. Elliott #
Michael Nightingale #
Noel Davis #

UNBILLED/STUNTS

Thug

Jonathan Miller

# DOPPELGANGERS

Richard Caldicot

Wish You Were Here

Noel Davis

The Rotters

Peter J. Elliott

Dead Man's Treasure
You Have Just Been Murdered
Have Guns - Will Haggle
All Done with Mirrors

John Laurie

Death of a Great Dane
Brief for Murder
Pandora

Michael Nightingale

All Done with Mirrors
 

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Page last modified: 5 May 2017.

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