The Avengers Forever: Videos

Background

The Avengers video market has always been, and likely always will be, a jungle. The reason for this is unknown; it has, however, been informally dubbed "The Avengers Curse." It's as if the producers' original lack of good fortune (particularly the color seasons) carried over into the present-day video releases.

Consider these oddities: The first official videotapes for this British series were released in the United States (July 1998). The first DVDs of the series were also released in the U.S.; in fact, they were being released in other countries as well before they finally arrived in the United Kingdom!

It took A&E in the U.S. seven years to release the entire series on DVD. Contender, the first license holder in the U.K., never finished the series before their license expired. Canal+, the series' copyright holder, authored defective DVD masters, which required some of the sets sold in the U.K. to be re-released.

And so on, and so on. And it continues today: the new license holder in the U.K. is having a great deal of trouble getting their re-mastered Avengers project off the ground. It could be delayed by months, or it could even be canceled. Only time will tell.

What's Available

In the meantime, you're wishing I'd shut up already and just tell you what's available right now, and where to buy it. In short: Everything has been released on DVD by someone at some time, including the very rare two and one-third surviving first season episodes and even the American color promo short. However, everything is not necessarily always available. And because this information is in a constant state of flux, it's provided with the caveat that it might be incorrect or out of date.

Arts & Entertainment in the U.S. have released the entire series, including The New Avengers, on R1 NTSC DVD.
Canal+Image International have released all episodes, some with French and English soundtracks and subtitles, in France on R2 PAL DVD.
The Contender Entertainment Group was the original license holder in the U.K. Their (incomplete) product line has been discontinued, although some of the items are still available used or from resellers' old stock.
2|entertain is the new license holder in the U.K. No products have been released yet.
Optimum Releasing have released The New Avengers on R2 PAL DVD.
Yamato Video have released the Emma Peel episodes, with Italian soundtracks only, in Italy on R2 PAL DVD.
Universal Home Video have released the Emma Peel episodes in Australia on R4 PAL DVD.
A-Film in the Netherlands have released all of the Emma Peel episodes and is in the process of releasing the Cathy Gale episodes, all with Dutch subtitles, on R2 PAL DVD.