The Avengers and The New Avengers OOP on DVD. The Saint and The Persuaders!? (1 Viewer)

[Jack P]

FYEO was actually "adult" oriented, I would point out, moving back in that direction after "Moonraker". My point is that Connery's persona as Bond has always come off as the kind of man who isn't discriminating in the least when it comes to an opportunity.

I think just because one actor is successful as Bond in one kind of Bond film it's not going to be a given that he's going to be successful in another kind of film. Connery knew how to play the classic Bond template best, but I still remain unconvinced he could be credible on-screen with this new dimension. Lazenby I think pulls the job off very well to the point where I really don't miss Connery in this film at all.

And also, the approach to Bardot and Deneuve began after they started their search for a new Bond. They were not being approached with an eye toward pairing them with Connery. In fact the reason why Bardot was ruled out was beacuse she signed to appear with Connery in "Shalako".

Last point re: Dalton is that Licence represented the worst box office drop off for a Bond film ever and nearly killed the whole franchise. To me, that was the ultimate comment on how appeasing the Fleming purists too much was not a good thing for the Bond movie franchise (OHMSS at least showed how to do it right).

 

[smithbrad]

All I can add is my personal opinion, and that is that while Connery is my favorite overall Bond, OHMSS is my favorite of all the Bond films. I like the story the best and Diana Rigg was perfect for this particular role in that she could stand toe to toe with Bond. Maybe the Story, Savalas, and Rigg were necessary to help prop of Lazenby's participation a bit, but I think he did a credible job. I also think he had the best physical presence of all the Bond's before and after. Could a different Bond done better in OHMSS, maybe or maybe not, but in my mind I wouldn't touch a thing. It just might be that perfect storm of a film where Lazenby was the best man for that particular film.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

This Bond discussion is one serious tangent on a link about The Avengers, but I enjoy it. My two cents is that it's such a unique character because it almost is entirely generational for preference. For us Boomers, no one will ever top Connery, but my friends who hit adolescence in the 80's love Roger Moore (ick). And my son swears by Pierce Brosnan. But where's the love for Barry Nelson, who first originated the role on television in the 50's? Also, my two cents again, OHMSS is easily the best script of the Bonds, whether Lazenby stacks up or not. And, man, it's true, no other woman could've actually given Bond a heart and than stole it besides Rigg.

 

[Osato]

Any official reviews on the A&E reissue set then?

I'm glad I ordered the 50th Anniversary set from the UK.

All of the episodes have been remastered in this set.

Has anyone picked up the re-issued set?

 

[Darby67]

I think you'll really enjoy them, Darby. The Diana Rigg episodes are, for me anyway, the highlight of the series. Great, great fun.

Thanks for the recommendation, JohnMor. I did purchase the Emma Peel Megaset rerelease from Lionsgate and I am loving this show. I would love to purchase a complete series release in the future.

Darby

 

[JohnMor]

Thanks for the recommendation, JohnMor. I did purchase the Emma Peel Megaset rerelease from Lionsgate and I am loving this show. I would love to purchase a complete series release in the future.

Darby

Very glad to hear it, Darby.

 

[JeffT.]

Mrs. Peel, you're needed!

It sounds very much like this is a rerelease of what exactly has been made available before. For those who initially missed out this is a good buy. The original (and now out-of-print) sets were made available in blocks and each volume cost almost as much as the entire Emma Peel collection being made distributed now.

As said before by myself (somewhere in this discussion thread) I wouldn't mind a reissue of the Linda Thorson episodes in a similarly better priced proposition.

We are still a far cry from a full (or improved upon) restoration (utilizing today's much more advanced technology) and as has already been addressed in this discussion thread the possibility of a widescreen presentation encompassing the entire shot-on-35mm film image may well be a distinct possibility.

I think at this point one should focus exclusively on a bluray release as classic tv series in particular being generally made available on "standard" DVD and marketed in the "open" retail market at competitive prices is steadily becoming a thing-of-the-past and the movement seems to be in the direction of supporting the superior bluray medium. Which is fine.

Jeff T.

 

[Osato]

Mrs. Peel, you're needed!

It sounds very much like this is a rerelease of what exactly has been made available before. For those who initially missed out this is a good buy. The original (and now out-of-print) sets were made available in blocks and each volume cost almost as much as the entire Emma Peel collection being made distributed now.

As said before by myself (somewhere in this discussion thread) I wouldn't mind a reissue of the Linda Thorson episodes in a similarly better priced proposition.

We are still a far cry from a full (or improved upon) restoration (utilizing today's much more advanced technology) and as has already been addressed in this discussion thread the possibility of a widescreen presentation encompassing the entire shot-on-35mm film image may well be a distinct possibility.

I think at this point one should focus exclusively on a bluray release as classic tv series in particular being generally made available on "standard" DVD and marketed in the "open" retail market at competitive prices is steadily becoming a thing-of-the-past and the movement seems to be in the direction of supporting the superior bluray medium. Which is fine.

Jeff T.

It's too bad that A&E did not get the remastered versions of the episodes. Disappointing really as the US market is being shut out.

I ordered the UK Avengers 50th Anniversary DVD set, which contains all of the series episodes, in February. I am really glad I did as they look so much better than the A&E transfers.

It appears the UK set may now be out of print as well.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Avengers-50th-Anniversary-Edition/dp/B00485D7WQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385314704&sr=8-1&keywords=avengers+50th

Maybe a blu ray release is on the way?

 

[JoeDoakes]

Last point re: Dalton is that Licence represented the worst box office drop off for a Bond film ever and nearly killed the whole franchise. To me, that was the ultimate comment on how appeasing the Fleming purists too much was not a good thing for the Bond movie franchise (OHMSS at least showed how to do it right).

Personally, I really liked License to Kill and thought that it was one of the best Bond films ever when I saw it. IMO the real problem with License had nothing to do with it, but with the film that preceded it, The Living Daylights. I saw The Living Daylights after seeing License and thought it was the worst Bond film ever. My theory is that audiences stayed away from License after being extremely disappointed with The Living Daylights.

 

[Sam Favate]

Personally, I really liked License to Kill and thought that it was one of the best Bond films ever when I saw it. IMO the real problem with License had nothing to do with it, but with the film that preceded it, The Living Daylights. I saw The Living Daylights after seeing License and thought it was the worst Bond film ever. My theory is that audiences stayed away from License after being extremely disappointed with The Living Daylights.

I have to disagree. Living Daylights was a return to the kind of Bond films that started the series, like From Russia With Love. Dalton is very good in it. Licence to Kill plays like a generic 80s revenge thriller, with more implausible moments than I can count (M is really going to welcome 007 back in the fold when all is done? Come on.). Also, LTK is the dividing line in the Bond series; every film since has used the "this time it's personal" angle for Bond, whereas prior to LTK, Bond was a man doing his job - often passionate, but with a professional detachment. LTK has little of the elements that made the series great - the villain is weak, and not very bright. Cary Lowell's Bond girl may be a professional, but she's not very endearing. I lost count of how many people Bond killed in the movie, but it was much higher than the previous films. The film is grisly and grim; there is barely any levity -- and very little fun. I think LTK is one of the worst Bond movies, despite the fact that I like Dalton very much in the role. (Of course, the series would hit its lowest points 10-12 years later with The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day.)

All that aside -- Where's The Avengers on blu-ray?!? It needs to happen.

 

[Osato]

I have to disagree. Living Daylights was a return to the kind of Bond films that started the series, like From Russia With Love. Dalton is very good in it. Licence to Kill plays like a generic 80s revenge thriller, with more implausible moments than I can count (M is really going to welcome 007 back in the fold when all is done? Come on.). Also, LTK is the dividing line in the Bond series; every film since has used the "this time it's personal" angle for Bond, whereas prior to LTK, Bond was a man doing his job - often passionate, but with a professional detachment. LTK has little of the elements that made the series great - the villain is weak, and not very bright. Cary Lowell's Bond girl may be a professional, but she's not very endearing. I lost count of how many people Bond killed in the movie, but it was much higher than the previous films. The film is grisly and grim; there is barely any levity -- and very little fun. I think LTK is one of the worst Bond movies, despite the fact that I like Dalton very much in the role. (Of course, the series would hit its lowest points 10-12 years later with The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day.)

All that aside -- Where's The Avengers on blu-ray?!? It needs to happen.

I agree with many points here as well. I really liked Dalton too, but LTK just didn't work for me. It was entertaining, but even to this day I only watch it occasionally compared to the other films of the series. I actually liked Lowell and Davi in the film, but yes the drug story-line wasn't really a big world threat. Agreed it was much too violent as well.

On the plus side the tank chase finale sequence is very cool.


1962-1989 is kind of the end of the original Bond run for me. I loved Goldeneye when it came out and still enjoy it, but I watch the older films much more than the newer ones.

I have enjoyed the Craig films and I thought the first 2 Pierce ones were great.

Not sure on when The Avengers on blu ray will happen. Network UK was going to release The Saint on blu ray and that has not happened yet. They did a big announcement a few years back when The Persuaders! series came to blu ray. It's been a thorn in my side that Network locks their blu rays to region B too.

At any rate, maybe A&E is doing this DVD release of the same 90's video transfers to see if consumers are still interested in the series?

 

[Osato]

The 50th Anniversary UK DVD set is back in stock at Amazon..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Avengers-50th-Anniversary-Edition/dp/B00485D7WQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385920699&sr=8-1&keywords=the+avengers+50th

 

[JeffT.]

I mentioned this before but until the (hopefully) eventual move into bluray I wonder if it is in mind to rerelease the Linda Thorson aka Tara King (1968-69) episodes of THE AVENGERS (ABC 1966-69)?!

I'd like very much to secure a backup set to the original A&E Home Video DVD release.



Jeff T.

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

On the subject of whether the show had six or seven seasons, I asked around on IMDB, and this is exactly what I have been told. The person is pretty much right on the money to say the least.

I think the confusion comes from how the shows were broadcast originally, because the Thorson series was not seen in England with it's concurrent American telecasts. From what I can see, based on press releases of the time, the Diana Rigg black and white shows were seen as a single season in the U.S., then the bulk of Rigg's color shows were shown as second season. THEN, however, a sort of third color Rigg season was shown, which was the very last of her shows PLUS the very first of the Thorson episodes. In other words, ABC in America created a hybrid season, half Rigg/half Thorson. AFTER that, the remaining Thorson series was aired. This accounts for the higher than usual number of Thorson episodes, and why there are more episodes with Tara in color than there are with Emma.

Since this unusual telecast history was limited to America, it makes sense that everywhere else in the world treats Emma's color shows as a single season, and Tara's as well, but it was not how they were broadcast originally. It does make me wonder, though, why any of the color Rigg shows would have been held back in the first place - maybe they weren't completed in time for transmission dates in America, or maybe the producers were hoping Diana Rigg would stay and film enough episodes to complete a true second color Rigg season?

 

[DVDvision]

Every Avengers Emma Peel season was produced in two halves, with a small break between each. The Rigg color shows was 16 episodes, a break of a couple of weeks, then the last 8.

All the Thorsons shows were produced in one go, sometimes with several episodes shot at the same time.

The 7 seasons thing was just a bunch of hack writers who did a forgetable book on The Avengers, wanting to debunk Dave Rogers books and research, in order to promote themselves and their book.

Their argument was that the 8 last Rigg shows count as one season.

They went viral, and it stuck, as stick anything said online when it's repeated over and over, no matter how wrong it is. (Witness how despite Bob efforts, some Blu-rays are still released in wrong ratios for example).

It has nothing to do with the fact that the US had this extra hybrid season made up of half Rigg shows, half Thorsons. That's unique to the US.

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

Exactly which "Forgettable book" was it? And when did Dave Rogers' book first come out? 1983?

 

[DVDvision]

No need to go further on this Just to say that 8 episodes seasons of series that ran for 26 episodes in the sixties, just don't exist. The Avengers history is 26 or so episodes by seasons, for all four seasons prior to season 5 (shows were sold to european channels by bunch of 13). So Season 5 is the full 24 Rigg episodes + you might add the additional cross over episode with the Thorsons. Diana Rigg still remains owing one episode to the production team, as she was contracted to 26, or so I read

Thorson is more because of the US networking thing (they were then financing the show, they needed a quick extra 13 or so episodes season, so it happened with half Rigg / half Thorson episodes, most of them in production order, then they did the full 26 episodes Thorson season.

Note that before all these books, the Avengers was always syndicated worldwide as 6 seasons, not seven.

 

[DVDvision]

The Avengers season 5 is in HD on iTunes US

http://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/the-avengers-season-5/id850568044

It includes both stereo and 5.1 remixed tracks. There's no original mono you would have to buy the optimum DVDs for that.

EDIT. It seems the 1080p do have now the 5.1 option. However not one of the episode is at an exact ratio, they vary from 1.31 to 1.32 to 1.34 format

 

[mongosito]

It's been revealed in the UK that the B&W Rigg season will be released on Bluray in November although this comes from a journalist source and its not yet clear if November is for France , the UK or both.
It's also a possibility that Network may handle any UK release as part of their ongoing huge deal with Studio Canal.
Studio Canal have a rather poor reputation for reliability so if Network were put in charge there's a good chance the releases may even be right first time .

 

[Darby67]

I would love to see a Region 1 complete series release on DVD. The Emma Peel Megaset is fantastic.

Darby