The Avengers Return as The New Avengers
The New Avengers: The TV Series and how it returned:
Actress Linda Thorson (Tara King) was the final partner for John Steed in the original, classic Avengers series which ended in 1969.  While American (and to some extent British viewers) had not taken to the character, the French loved her.
The story goes that French TV producer Rudolf Roffi employed Thorson and Patrick Macnee (John Steed) to make a TV commercial for champagne (although no evidence of this commercial seems to exist).
Roffi had been a fan of the show and now realizing that it was no longer in production, asked Macnee why. He explained that there was no financial backing and even if some was forthcoming, he felt a remake would never recapture the special qualities of the original.
Undaunted, Roffi approached Brian Clemens (one of the producers of the original series) who confirmed the financial predicament, but expressed his desire to do another series if the money could be found.Â
Roffi acted quickly and contacted Clemens again - this time with backing worth £2 million. Within three months Clemens and Albert Fennell (his co-producer) had teamed up with Avengers theme composer Laurie Johnson to form Avengers (Film & TV) Enterprises Ltd. In association with French company IDTV, plans to bring John Steed back to television in 26 new episodes were almost complete.
Of course, this all hinged on Patrick Macnee's agreement. He, thankfully, changed his mind and ultimately declared his enthusiasm for the project. The updated show, broadcast in the UK in 1976-77, would be called The New Avengers, but there would be notable differences to its classic predecessor...
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1975 ~ Reprising The Avengers
As mentioned above a champagne commercial, with Patrick Macnee and Linda Thorson reprising their Avengers roles, was supposedly made in 1975.
This commercial was reputedly the driving force for the return of the series to television screens. Until recently, there was speculation that the commercial even existed. It has now come to light and can be viewed above in two versions.
The New Avengers Theme
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The New Avengers: The Opening Credits
Cool New Avengers Intros
The New Avengers...And Then There Were Three...
The Avengers Become A Trio
One major change with the new show was that the Avengers would now be a trio. Actor Gareth Hunt was chosen to take the part of Mike Gambit. Brian Clemens felt that there should be a younger man to cover the aging Steed, as Patrick Macnee was obviously older and was apparently suffering some arthritis in his knees.However, the most difficult part of any Avengers series had always been trying to find the right female player. Hundreds of actresses applied for the much-coveted role, before Clemens and Fennell decided on Joanna Lumley. Originally her character was to be known as Charley, but as there was a perfume on the market of the same name at the time, an alternative had to be found. Joanna herself came up with Purdey: the name of the world-renowned shotgun.
Joanna was a 29-year-old ex-model who'd appeared in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service and had had a small part in the soap opera Coronation Street.
35-year-old Gareth Hunt had previously been seen in Dr. Who in 1974 and as Frederick the footman in the final season of Upstairs Downstairs.
Both Joanna and Gareth were put through physical training exercises prior to filming to get them in shape. Joanna's fighting style was to take on the form of balletic, but devastating, high-kicking actions. Gambit was a martial arts expert. And...the stars themselves did the action shots. Both Joanna and Gareth were to do much of their own stuntwork, with only the more strenuous scenes being left to stunt doubles Cyd Child (who had previously doubled for Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson) and Joe Dunne.
Joanna Lumley's Purdey was an amalgamation of the best elements of the characteristics and personalities of her predecessors. She had the sophistication of Cathy Gale; allure, athleticism and humour of Emma Peel but also the softness and feminity of Tara King.
Gambit, on the other hand, remained much of a mystery. Before joining Steed and Purdey he had been a Major in the Paras and had had a career as a racing driver. He now resided in a high-tech flat in London decorated in ultra-modern furnishings. A very tough, but usually quiet man, he enjoyed a good rapport with his partners, particularly Purdey.
The New Avengers Pot Pourri
The New Avengers On Video
The New Avengers Sleeper
Security guard gets knocked out
Joanna Lumley as Purdey. Great New Avengers Deals
Find Your New Avengers Bargains
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The New Avengers: Full Theme Music
The New Avengers Episode Guide
The New Avengers ~ Season 1
The Eagle's Nest: When a spy is found dead on the Scottish Isles, all the clues seem to lead to a very unusual group of monks, and somehow appear to be tied to the kidnapping of a prominent scientist.
The Midas Touch: A group of terrorists have gained control of a technique that allows them to turn a man into a deadly and undetectable killing machine who can kill just by touching his victim.
House of Cards: A number of normal people suddenly become assassins killing off various members of a spy team. Who is behind the attacks and will the assassins be able to kill Steed before he finds the controller?
The Last of the Cybernauts...?: A crook is nearly killed when he crashes into a fuel tanker which explodes. Later, he reactivates the Cybernauts and sends them after Steed to enact his revenge for making him a cripple.
To Catch a Rat: 17 years after losing his memory, an agent recalls the identity of a double agent, The White Rat, now a ministry official. The Avengers become involved.
Cat Amongst the Pigeons: Prominent government officals are killed in mysterious circumstances, although they appear to be accidents. It is discovered that birds have been responsible for the accidents, but who is controlling them?
Target: Agents die following a visit to a training centre, just before going on leave. Steed and Gambit realise that Purdey is visiting the training centre and try to save her from the same fate as the others.
Faces: Gambit and Purdey are trained to impersonate themselves, and are instructed to kill their "real" counterparts.
Tale of the Big Why: Purdey and Gambit engage in multiple cross-country chases while Steed plays cards with a traitor.
The Three-Handed Game: A mind-transfer device, a mission-critical document and three operatives involve The Avengers in a race against time.
Sleeper: Sleeping gas is stolen leading to part of London being looted.
Gnaws: Is there really a huge beast in the sewers and how did it get there?
Dirtier by the Dozen: Suspicion falls on a Commando unit based at an army base when a general disappears.
Joanna Lumley as action-girl Purdey from "The New Avengers".
Joanna Lumley
11x14 Wall Photograph
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The New Avengers Episode Guide
The New Avengers ~ Season 2
Hostage: Purdey is kidnapped while on her way to a weekend with her mother and Mike Gambit is ordered to capture Steed.
Trap: The Avengers intercept a drug drop and are kidnapped as revenge.
Dead Men Are Dangerous: Parts of Steed's property are destroyed and it is clear that someone has a personal vendetta against him. Clues point to a double agent that Steed shot more than ten years ago. Could it be that he is still alive?
Medium Rare: Steed begins to believe a medium, but can she help him unravel a web of deception before he is arrested for murder.
Angels of Death: When a colleague is recommended to visit a health farm, Steed decides to take his place and investigate it, but is he walking into a trap?
Obsession: Dark goings on in the Buckinghamshire countryside bring Purdey and an old flame back together.
The Lion and the Unicorn: Heading to Paris the Avengers capture an assassin and hold him hostage, but when he gets shot by accident by one of his own men, they have to keep his death secret to stop dangerous recriminations.
K is for Kill, Part 1: The Avengers try to prevent the assassination of France's President -and the start of World War III!
K is for Kill, Part 2: The story continues..
Complex: The Avengers travel to Canada in pursuit of a superspy.
The Gladiators: A KGB agent is planning to break into Canadian Security and smash the computers, thereby setting Canadian intelligence back twenty years!
Emily: A double agent's palm print lead the Avengers on a cross country chase.
Forward Base: A tip-off that an agent is delivering stolen technology to an enemy base leads the Avengers to Canada.
The New Avengers: Target
This is Patrick Macnee & Joanna Lumley
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Patrick Macnee
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Patrick Macnee is probably best remembered for his role as the urbane super sleuth, John Steed, in the Sixties television series, The Avengers. While he will be forever identified with this role, Macnee has also carved out a successful career as a t...
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Joanna Lumley
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Joanna Lamond Lumley was born on 1 May 1946 in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. Her parents were Major James Rutherford Lumley, who served in the 6th Gurkha Rifles, a regiment of the British Indian Army, and Thya Rose Weir; they married in 1941. After the...
The Joanna Lumley Picture Gallery
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Gareth Hunt: Obituary
Alan Leonard Hunt was born on February 7 1943 at Battersea, south London. His father, a coalman, was killed during the war when Alan was two and he was brought up by his mother, Doris, and his stepfather. The Argentine-born actress Martita Hunt, who played Miss Havisham in David Lean's film of Great Expectations, was his aunt, and he was keen on acting from his earliest years.
He arrived at The New Avengers in 1976. Playing Mike Gambit, the action-man sidekick to Macnee's Steed and Joanna Lumley's Purdey (with whom, despite persistent efforts, Gambit never got anywhere), was the high point of his career.
"If you make a series as popular as the Avengers in America, then there always seems to be work waiting around the corner," he complained. "But I'm afraid that here you're simply banging your head against a wall. So 1979 means proving Gareth Hunt can act." But after two seasons the series ended, and decent film or television roles eluded him thereafter.
Hunt did not disappear from the screen, though. For several years he appeared with Liza Goddard and Una Stubbs in a series of Nescafé coffee commercials, in which he would shake his fist and then open it to reveal "three types of the finest coffee beans". He remained a popular sex symbol, a fact of which he took advantage. "In many ways I'm like a cat on a hot tin roof," he admitted, describing how he was once approached on a beach by a bikini-clad blonde who spoke no English. "We finished up making love on that beach. Then we just waved and parted. It was incredible. Like a dream. At times of stress I often think of that moment."
More recently he appeared in a cameo role as the crime boss Ritchie Stringer in EastEnders.
Hunt suffered mixed health in recent years; in 1992 he collapsed shortly before appearing in a thriller at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, and he had a serious heart attack in December 1999 and had to pull out of panto at Malvern.
Gareth Hunt married three times. He is survived by his third wife, Amanda, and by a son from each of his marriages.
Courtesy: The Daily Telegraph.
The New Avengers
The New Avengers: Benny Hill Style
Joanna Lumley
30x24 Fine Art Photograph
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A New Avengers Spoof
French & Saunders (1988)
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Your Thoughts on The New Avengers
Thank you for visiting this site dedicated to The New Avengers. Your comments are appreciated!
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Reply
- Brian R Brian R Mar 2, 2009 @ 1:42 am
- All of them!!!!.....The New Avengers though was what i grew up on, and yes Purdey was my big crush...OXXOXO lov'ya Jo....Brian R.
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- marsha32 marsha32 Oct 6, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
- intriguing lens
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- Kotz Kotz Aug 14, 2008 @ 7:26 am
- AH, the memories. Wish a network would rerun this series - I'd watch!
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- Jezzzz Jezzzz Jun 4, 2008 @ 8:00 am
- Once again great lense. Also visit: Auction car salvage.
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- Jezzzz Jezzzz Jun 4, 2008 @ 7:58 am
- The avengers was a great series. Great lense. Also visit: Watch movies online.
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The Avengers: A Sixties TV Cult Classic
Join Steed, Emma Peel, Cathy Gale and Tara King - the original Avengers - by clicking the links below.-
Linda Thorson
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Linda Thorson (born 18 June, 1947) came to international attention in 1968, when she won the role of Tara King in the 60s cult classic TV show, "The Avengers". Only 20-years-old at the time, she had the daunting task of replacing Diana Rigg's Emma Pe...
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Diana Rigg
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Mention the name of Diana Rigg (born July 20, 1938) to most people and they conjure up a picture of the sexy, leather clad agent, Emma Peel, of the 1960s TV series, The Avengers. However, there has been so much more to the acting career of...
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Honor Blackman
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British actress Honor Blackman (born August 22, 1925) is probably best remembered for her roles as Cathy Gale in the cult TV series, The Avengers, as well as Pussy Galore in the James Bond movie, Goldfinger.
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The Avengers: The TV Series
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T he TV series The Avengers is a blend of espionage, fantasy and sometimes science fiction that has appealed to those who enjoy witty, off-beat television. While this British programme (produced by ABC-TV in the UK) acquired a huge...
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