AVENGERS TIMELINEReturn to TABLE OF CONTENTS

Below is a detailed timeline of the most significant decade in Avengers history: the 1960s. The BLACK BARS indicate production blocks, the BLUE BARS are British broadcast seasons, and the RED BARS are American broadcast seasons. Asterisks (*) indicate what constitute "false starts" in production. More information on organization.

1960

SEPT

   

Police Surgeon premieres in Britain with "Easy Money."

OCT

Police Surgeon is a flop, but Ian Hendry is a hit.

NOV

Producer Leonard White and Sydney Newman turn Police Surgeon into The Avengers. Patrick Macnee joins the cast. READ MORE

DEC

 

 

"Hot Snow" is videotaped on the 30th.

Production block 1

1961

JAN

UK Season 1

The Avengers debuts on the 7th with "Hot Snow."

FEB

MAR

The Avengers finally begins airing in London on the 18th.

APR

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

After "Kill the King" airs on the 2nd, broadcasting halts for 3 months.

 

OCT

"Dragonsfield," the last Dr. David Keel episode, is taped on the 18th. Equity strike shuts down production.

NOV

DEC

?

The last four episodes air, "Dragonsfield" on the 30th, ending the first season.

1962

JAN

After receiving film offers, Ian Hendry decides to leave the series, using the Equity strike as an excuse to break his contract.

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

Production block 2

Equity strike ends. "Dead On Course" with Jon Rollason as Dr. Martin King is taped on the 9th. READ MORE

JUNE

Honor Blackman is signed on as Cathy Gale and "Death Dispatch" is taped.

JULY

"Warlock," intended to introduce Cathy Gale, is taped on the 7th.

AUG

Auditions are held for Venus Smith. Julie Stevens is signed for the role.

SEPT

 

"Mr Teddy Bear" begins Season 2 on the 29th.

UK Season 2

OCT

John Bryce replaces Leonard White as producer.

NOV

DEC

1963

JAN

"Warlock" finally airs on the 26th.

FEB

MAR

"Killer Whale," the last Season 2 episode, airs on the 23rd.

APR

 

"Concerto" is taped on the 26th, beginning production for Season 3. READ MORE

Production block 3

MAY

"Brief for Murder" is taped on the 3rd.

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

 

"Brief for Murder" airs on the 29th, beginning Season 3.

UK Season 3

OCT

NOV

ABC in America expresses interest in the series, but only if it is shot on film.
Broadcast of "The Medicine Men" is delayed due to JFK's assassination.

DEC

American film producer wants to make The Avengers a major motion picture.

1964

JAN

Offered a role in Goldfinger, Honor Blackman decides to leave the series.

FEB

"Kinky Boots" is released.

MAR

"Lobster Quadrille," the last Cathy Gale episode, airs on the 21st.

APR

 

The show remains in limbo for seven months while production plans are sorted out. Eventually the property is turned over to Julian Wintle; Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell become producers. Casting begins for a new female lead. Once filming gets under way, it would be nearly a year before the series finally airs.

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

OCT

 

Elizabeth Shepherd is signed on as Emma Peel. Filming begins on the 29th for "The Town of No Return." READ MORE

*

NOV

Filming begins on the 23rd for "The Murder Market."

DEC

Production block 4

Elizabeth Shepherd is let go. "The Murder Market" is re-filmed with Diana Rigg.

1965

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUNE

Australia is interested in the series, but only if 3 episodes are shot on location.

JULY

"The Town of No Return" is re-filmed.

AUG

John Bates' fashion line is unveiled at the Courtaulds Fashion Theatre, London.

SEPT

UK Season 4

OCT

"The Town of No Return" begins Season 4 on the 28th, after 1½ years off the air.

NOV

ABC in America finally agrees to buy the series on condition of a switch to color.

DEC

Fan favorite "Too Many Christmas Trees" premieres on the 23rd.

1966

JAN

FEB

"A Touch of Brimstone" airs amidst much publicity.

MAR

 

"Honey for the Prince" wraps and airs, ending Season 4 on the 23rd.
"The Cybernauts" launches the series in America on the 28th.

US Season 1

APR

Macnee and Rigg are flown to NYC to help promote the series in America.

MAY

Rigg threatens to leave the show. The producers agree to give her a raise. She also asks to lose the leather gear; Alun Hughes becomes the fashion designer, and he invents the "Emmapeeler."

JUNE

JULY

AUG

"Too Many Christmas Trees" airs in America in the middle of summer!

SEPT

"The Town of No Return" ends the first season in America on the 1st.
Color filming begins on the 5th with "The Fear Merchants." READ MORE

Production block 5A

OCT

NOV

DEC

1967

JAN

"From Venus with Love" airs in Britain and America 6 days apart.

UK Season 5 US Season 2

FEB

MAR

APR

Rigg decides to leave. Production is suspended on the 18th after "Who's Who???" pending further orders for shows from ABC in America.

MAY

"Who's Who???" ends American and British broadcast seasons. The show and Diana Rigg are nominated for Emmys. ABC in America orders more shows. Rigg agrees to remain only to complete the color season. Production resumes with "Death's Door."

 

 

Production block 5B

JUNE

"Death's Door" wraps on the 7th.

JULY

AUG

SEPT

 

Production of the last Diana Rigg episode, "Mission... Highly Improbable," ends on the 22nd. "Return of the Cybernauts" airs in Britain on the 30th.

UK Season 6

OCT

 

John Bryce replaces Clemens and Fennell as producer. ABC in America approves Linda Thorson. "Invitation To A Killing" begins filming. READ MORE

*

NOV

The last Emma Peel episode, "Mission... Highly Improbable," airs in Britain on the 18th. Production of "Invasion of the Earthmen" wraps on the 27th.

Production block 6A

 

Clemens and Fennell replace Bryce as producers. Bryce material reworked.

DEC

1968

JAN

"Mission... Highly Improbable" starts Season 3 in America on the 10th.
Diana Rigg returns to film "The Forget-Me-Knot."

US Season 3

FEB

MAR

"Look - (stop me..." wraps, ending production for American broadcast Season 3. Tara King takes over in America with "The Forget-Me-Knot" on the 20th. "My Wildest Dream" starts production for American broadcast Season 4 with a new title sequence, a new script editor, and other changes.

Production block 6B

APR

Patrick Newell is signed as Mother per orders from ABC in America.

MAY

"Look - (stop me if..." ends American broadcast Season 3 on the 8th.

JUNE

Rhonda Parker is booked as Mother's helpmate.
Linda Thorson is filmed for the first time with her own natural hair.

JULY

Original title sequence for the 6A episodes is replaced with the new one created for the 6B episodes prior to broadcast in the UK.

AUG

SEPT

 

"Game" begins the last broadcast season in America on the 23rd.
"The Forget-Me-Knot" begins the last broadcast season in Britain on the 25th.

UK Season 7 US Season 4

OCT

In the US The Avengers runs opposite Laugh-In, which is (literally) killing it.

NOV

DEC

1969

JAN

"The Great Great Britain Crime" is re-filmed as "Homicide and Old Lace."

FEB

America decides not to order another season.

MAR

All production ends with the completion of "Bizarre" on the 3rd.

APR

"Bizarre" marks the end of The Avengers in America on the 21st.

MAY

"Bizarre" marks the end of The Avengers in Britain on the 21st.

Continue on to the 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond.

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Page last modified: 5 May 2017.

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