Guide Note

The Avengers was a British secret agent television show starring Patrick Macnee. Over the course of the show's run, his partner would be played, at turns, by Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson.

The show is typically divided into eras based on who John Steed's female partner was at the time. The most popular era features Diana Rigg as "Mrs. Emma Peel."

The show's popularity in France spawned a new series, The New Avengers, in 1975. Patrick Macnee reprised his role as John Steed for The New Avengers. In 1998, a film version of The Avengers was released, starring Ralph Fiennes as John Steed and Uma Thurman as Emma Peel

Fast Facts

1. Original Run: 1961 - 1969
2. Original Network: ITV
3. Number of Episodes: 161

• The show's only constant was the presence of John Steed played by Patrick Macnee. His partner was played by a variety of actors over the course of the show's run including:

• 1961: Dr. David Keel played by Ian Hendry
  • Keel was a medical doctor investigating the murder of his wife Peggy when Steed appeared on the scene. Steed was initially a secondary character, but the two eventually became co-stars with Steed carrying the final episode of the season solo.

• 1962-1964: Cathy Gale played by Honor Blackman
  • Gale was a widowed anthropologist, skilled in judo and prone to wearing leather clothes. She was written as a "talented amateur" who aided Steed out of a desire to serve her nation.

• 1965-1968: Emma Peel played by Diana Rigg
  • The most popular of Steed's partners, Emma Peel (a verbal play on "man appeal") brought a lighter touch to the show. Peel and Steed were wittier than Gale and Steed, and many of the episodes from these years feature sci-fi storylines.

• 1968-1969: Tara King played by Linda Thorson
  • Unlike the "talented amateurs" that proceeded her, Tara King was a full-fledged agent working for the same organization Steed did. There was more open flirtation between King and Steed than there had been between Steed and his previous partners. The show was cancelled after it failed to compete in the U.S. market.