Episode 128: Emma Peel Era
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Production completed: 22 September 1967
UK Premiere (London, Season 6): 17 November 1967
US Premiere (New York, Season 3): 10 January 1968
"It's a dream... a dream... a tiny dream." People and objects—like
limousines and armored tanks—are disappearing into thin air at an army base, where an absent-minded
professor has accidentally invented the next great weapon, which naturally falls into
the hands of some dastardly types with visions of large-scale takeovers...
IMHO |
The title (which is obviously a variation on Mission: Impossible) says it all—check your brain at the door and just have fun! There are some neat Land of the Giants sets and props. Shaffer (Ronald Radd, who appeared twice in the Cathy Gale series) is a much more tolerable imbecile than Brodny. And is it me, or does Francis Matthews sound vaguely similar to Cary Grant? At any moment I expected him to burst out with, "Judy, Judy, Judy!"
The only negative thing to say, really, is that this marks the last bona
fide Emma Peel episode.
Trivia |
Although "The Forget-Me-Knot" is often included in the Emma Peel era because it features Diana Rigg, "Knot" was actually the third episode completed in the Tara King era, and since these pages follow production order, FMK is not the next one. Sorry if this seems confusing. You can always click here and pretend...
Some clever fans have noted what they believe to be a continuity problem: Chivers steps on broken glass after Gifford breaks a window, and because Gifford punches the glass in from the outside of the building, it leads one to conclude that the broken glass must have gone inside. However, shattering glass can fly in unexpected directions, and upon careful frame-by-frame examination of the scene, there is indeed a large shard of glass that flies out of the window and onto the sidewalk. Not only that, it is the very same shard that Chivers steps on. Therefore, despite what some people say, this is not an error.
William Nedblake, who confesses to having entirely too much spare time, notes that both Nicholas Courtney and Kevin Stoney appear together in both of Courtney's roles in Doctor Who. In 1965's "The Dalek Master Plan," Courtney portrayed Space Security Agent Bret Vyon, who was senselessly killed off in Episode Four (of Twelve!) by Jean Marsh's Sara Kingdom. And Stoney is the central villain in the story (aside, of course, from the Daleks), as Mavic Chen, the Guardian of the Solar System, who orders Vyon's death and generally causes mischief for the Doctor and company. Sadly, only fragments of Courtney's performance in those first four episodes survive, victims of the BBCs short-sightedness of the 70s. Three or so years later, they would return, this time with Courtney reprising his role as the newly promoted Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (he was a Colonel in "The Web of Fear"), and with Stoney as the Cyberman-friendly villain Tobias Vaughan in "The Invasion." While the story is slow in places, the footage of Cybermen marching about in front of St. Paul's and emerging from the sewers of London is truly ominous.
Stephen Brooke of Australia notes that footage of the Saracen FV603 was used in the Department S episode, "Who Plays The Dummy?" It appears towards the end of the episode, set in a rather wet and English winter looking "Spain." The footage was used, rather interestingly, during a "technical demonstration" of the vehicle to some NATO top brass. Not too dissimilar to the Avengers episode! Another point of interest was that Avengers doppelganger Alan MacNaughtan, the fake Mark Brandon in "The Town of No Return," was the diabolical mastermind in this episode.
Mark Wightman, who seems to have way too much spare time, reports that there is something nasty going on at the telephone exchange. Shaffer's telephone clearly has the telephone number 01-325-471, which is a valid number for the time. But when Steed calls Mrs. Peel, he is seen dialing 6296291. Now, if this were another London number, then he could dial it omitting the national code (01 for London), but that would leave him with a six digit number. Sometime in the late 60s London numbers did acquire an extra digit to become 01-XXX-XXXX format, which remained for twenty odd years until the 01 was spilt into 071-081. I know it may seem a bit odd staring at old videotapes to detect phone numbers, but I think that often the actors just dial their own numbers (or a friend's) out of habit. Douglas Adams in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy once famously used the telephone number of flat he used to rent—only for the poor woman who now lives there to be swamped with calls from curious people like me "just checking if the number was real." I may have to do some more research to try and find out when London switched to the seven number format, just to confirm which number is the wrong length.
However... Duncan Hill of Aylesbury, Bucks states that this "...is incorrect. London numbers were always seven figure at least as far back as the '20s/30s, however before the late '60s, they were dialled as EXC-1234 where EXC was the exchange name to make it easier for the numbers to be remembered."
Do you recognize the big "Thursday the 12th" desk calendar Steed crawls across? It was the "nightmare calendar" from "Death's Door." (Thanks, Alanna)
Daniel Frankham notes that the thug guarding Mrs. Peel is reading the book Emma by Jane Austen.
Jane Merrow (Susan) was one of several actresses screen-tested to replace Diana Rigg.
Car talk: The disappearing Rolls is a Silver Cloud III
standard-steel saloon, but the miniaturised version is actually a Silver Cloud III HJ
Mulliner-Park Ward Coupe (the "Chinese Eye" design) in model form made by Dinky
Toys (done, no doubt, as there were no really good toy versions of SCIII saloons at the
time). — John Shostrom, resident auto expert.
On Location |
Rabley Park, Ridge, served as Shaffer's house.
Best Scene |
When Emma has been restored to normal size, she double-checks
with Steed by doing a 180 and asking, "Everything?" After
obliging her—and clearly enjoying it—Steed enthusiastically replies,
"Everything!"
Best Line |
Emma is carrying Steed around in a little sack and comments,
"I'm not sure I shouldn't keep you like this. After all, it's one way to bag a
man."
Tag |
Steed is relegated to moving the furniture around in Emma's apartment. A storm is brewing, and as they leave, he offers her his miniaturized 'brolly.
