the Saint vs Danger man vs the Avengers ?
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mcgill-646-33556 — 11 years ago(April 29, 2014 03:53 AM)
I liked Patrick in Danger Man. it was pretty cool for its time. For some reason I never had much time for ST. I do remember always watching the intro. I did like the smirk and glance toward his halo. And his Volvo P1800.
What about Jason King in Department S? Now that was a great show. -
mcfaddensflats — 11 years ago(May 17, 2014 12:19 AM)
THE AVENGERS went through many changes in the 60s. The early "realistic" episodes of the Venus Smith/Cathy Gale era are a world away from the eccentricity of a lot of the Diana Rigg series from 1965 - 1967. Until the Rigg episodes, the early series was shot on tape rather than film - film is much better for this kind of thing. Early episodes were also shot "live", and are much more like "plays" than movies. They also had better budgets in the later seasons. The character of Steed changes over the seasons, even his fashion style is much more contemporary/conventional in the early shows compared to the dandified semi Edwardian chap he later became. He is also far more cold/ amoral in the early episodes, though a large amount of cold blooded "indifference" to the consequences of the evil going on round him remains a Steed characteristic. This is in contrast to the moralizing and anger we see in Simon Templar of THE SAINT (Templar, unlike Steed or Drake, is not, of course, a professional secret agent).THE AVENGERS changes so radically it all depends on your personal taste really, though I can enjoy any of the seasons for what they are.
DANGER MAN/SECRET AGENT agent is probably my favourite, with the cool, business like, John Drake played by the enigmatic Patrick McGoohan. The hour long episodes allow for better development of the stories and characters than the early 30 minute series does.
THE SAINT is great fun, a role Moore was born to play, much more so than James Bond. There is little humour in DANGER MAN, lots in THE AVENGERS later episodes, and there is a fair amount in THE SAINT too - especially seen in Templar's relationship with his would be nemesis, police inspector Claude Eustace Teal of Scotland Yard. Personally I prefer the early black and white shows, which are a bit grittier. THE SAINT can be all a bit much where the heroics are concerned - like where Templar takes on, and beats, the entire Sicilian Mafia single handed.
As a heroine/ villainess fan, THE AVENGERS is the best from that angle - THE SAINT featured hardly any villainesses in its 8 year run, and is very conventional in its treatment of female characters (innocent victims/eye candy) - THE AVENGERS, of course, was a pioneer in this field.
THE SAINT and DANGER MAN however far fetched lack the truly bizarre plots and characters that feature in later series of THE AVENGERS.
They are all well worth seeing.
Mention has been made of THE PERSUADERS series by others. This is a show I find hard to watch - a purely individual prejudice, I detest the, to me, ridiculous clothes of that 70s period. -
greenbudgie — 11 years ago(February 06, 2015 04:51 AM)
I am presently watching season 4 of 'The Avengers' for the first time. I reckon that it's the best that I've seen of this type of 1960s British action stuff. If you like something quirky, then I recommend this Season 4. I think that 'The Prisoner' borrowed from this quite a lot. The dialogue etc is very similar.
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GSPdude — 11 years ago(February 06, 2015 05:42 AM)
The Prisoner is more like a sequel to Danger Man. Patrick McGoohan starred in both, and, although his characters name is never mentioned in The Prisoner, I always felt it was the same character as in Danger Man.
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greenbudgie — 11 years ago(February 07, 2015 01:33 AM)
I haven't seen 'Danger Man' yet. I have all of 'The Prisoner' series on DVD. I suppose Patrick McGoohan's suave and nonchalant dialogue and behaviour is typical of the various 1960s British TV action heroes and heroines. I take it from what you've said, that perhaps his 'Danger Man' character set the trend for this.
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biffot — 11 years ago(February 16, 2015 03:01 AM)
The Avengers:
Season one (1961 - lost but for just two episodes) starred Ian Hendry & Patrick Macnee as Dr.David Keel & John Steed - the all male Avengers were crime busters in the most serious season, the second season was delayed by an actors union strike, and Hendry opted out for a UK film career
Seasons two & three (1962-64) saw Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale (& Julie Stevens as Venus Smith in season two) partnering Pat Macnee in essentially straight stories getting a bit more escapist, with some scripts already written for two male leads the tough 'Avenger girl' idea was born as Cathy Gale had to fight and beat male villains !
the show was to move onto film but Blackman opted out after season three to film 'Goldfinger'
season four (1965) - the last black & white show sold to the USA by the UK - saw the stylish Diana Rigg as Emma Peel replace Blackman & the show begins to 'swing' with more sci fi aspect & really escapist episodes- for many 'Steed and Emma' are THE Avengers !
the color season five (1967) was even more bizarre but with some more credible episodes too, Diana Rigg opted out after this and went on like Blackman to do a Bond film, O.H.M.S.S. (which had future Avenger girl Joanna Lumley in a cameo role)
season six (1969) the final 'Avengers' season saw young Linda Thorson replace Di Rigg as Tara King - while some episodes are played straight a good few become very comedic (perhaps too comedic)
a 1976-77 revival 'The New Avengers' starred Patrick Macnee as a more mature Steed with Joanna Lumley as Purdey & Gareth Hunt as Mike Gambit - a straighter more 'spy' orientated show, it had a few more surreal aspect episodes that echoed the sixties show. Original Avenger Ian Hendry guest starred in; 'To Catch A Rat' episode, playing an old contemporary of Steed's agent but not Dr. David Keel.
The Saint: - had 76 or so black & white episodes (1962-65) that were mostly adapted from Leslie Charteris books ideas and were international set tales of the adventurer Simon Templar, from 1966-69 the 43 color episodes were more UK & Europe based stories (with the occasional West indies set story too) plus the odd sci fi aspect story too - these were written largely by staff writers, most were crime tales that had a far narrower idiom compared to Charteris more adventuresome set tales
Roger Moore was impeccable as Templar throughout of course (he directed some later episodes too)
The last filmed episode; 'The Ex-King of Diamonds' partnered Simon Templar with a brash American oil millioniare Rod Huston (played by Stuart Damon of 'The Champions' ITC show) in a pilot idea for what then became 'The Persuaders !'(1971) with Roger Moore & Tony Curtis.
Danger Man: - began as 25 minute episodes in 1961 but from 1963 was revamped into a 50 minute episode show with British agent John Drake (Patrick McGoohan) who was opposed to using a gun as much as possible (shades of MacGyver later) - the show was rather low key spy tales but with strong guest cast and plenty of action, it became a firm UK favorite and established McGoohan worldwide, however over time became rather more upbeat with 'Bond style' gadgets appearing (much to McGoohan's displeasure) - the final two 1966 episodes were filmed in color & set in Japan
McGoohan became the highest paid actor on UK TV at the timebut stunned everyone by 'resigning'.then later did 'The Prisoner' which McGoohan insisted had no connection to 'Danger Man' (tho' many of the actors featured appeared in both - one zany Prisoner episode; 'The Girl Who Was Death' was an old Danger Man story idea revamped & made totally surreal) - Some latter Danger Man (aka 'Secret Agent' in the USA) episodes anticipated the surreal style of 'The Prisoner' (notably 'The Paper Chase' & 'The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove') while 'Colony Three' episode (where Drake is sent in undercover to a completely English 'village' somewhere in Russia, where Russian sleeper agents are trained to become totally "English" prior to British infiltration and from which no one can ever leavewas filmed at the, then, new UK town of Welwyn-Garden-City) and closely resembled 'The Prisoner' setting (while the actual 'Prisoner village' in Portmerion, North wales appeared in several episodes of 'Danger Man' too, notably in; 'View From The Villa')
In latter episodes John Drake is dressed in all black just as is 'Number Six' when resigning at the opening of 'The Prisoner' but no real link to the shows is ever established onscreen
All three shows epitomise the swinging sixties and are memorable period pieces.
- for many 'Steed and Emma' are THE Avengers !
