retro-the-best....: [New post] The Avengers :The Mauritius Penny (1962)

Thursday, June 16, 2011

[New post] The Avengers :The Mauritius Penny (1962)

The Avengers :The Mauritius Penny (1962)

dailypop | June 16, 2011 at 9:16 am | Tags: avengers 60's, avengers steel peel king gale, cult tv uk, patrick macnee honor blackman | Categories: Cult TV | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-2K3

The Mauritius Penny

Written by Malcolm Hulke and Terrance Dicks
Transmitted - November 1962
Steed suffers a toothache
Cathy takes up stamp collecting *

An iconic television program and national institution, the Avengers began rather inauspiciously as Police Surgeon in 1960 starring Ian Hendry. It wasn't until Patrick Macnee was introduced as co-star playing John Steed that the program took off and was transformed into what would later become the Avengers. Created by Sydney Newman (who later introduced the world to Doctor Who), the program is a witty and intelligent adventure series that presents a very English and absurd vision of a world in constant danger, protected by two agents working for the enigmatic 'Mother.' The bowler hat-wearing Steed is the epitome of the English gentleman, but isn't above fisticuffs where needed. Played by veteran actor Patrick Macnee, the part has become a symbol of cult TV in general and of the charismatic adventurer.

I am a fan of cult TV, especially of the British variety, but I have to admit that when it comes to the Avengers I am most familiar with the Emma Peel and Tara King eras and have little knowledge of what came before. As a stateside fan of the Avengers, the Cathy Gale episodes weren't even shown on TV until the 1990's when A&E revived the program with prime-time showings. When I visited the UK back in the day, a flat mate told me that while Mrs. Peel is great, I simply had to watch a few episodes starring Cathy Gale played by Honor Blackman who preceded Diana Rigg as Patrick Macnee's co-star. I have only seen a few of the Cathy Gale stories (a set is forthcoming in the post), but I can already see what he was getting at. Mrs. Peel is slick and sexy and charming to perfection, but Cathy is attractive, self-sufficient for a female TV personality of the 60's and tough as nails to boot that she makes a strong impact on the viewer.

Seemingly at random, I picked the Mauritus Penny as a suitable episode to watch late last night and I was enthralled. A murder mystery involving rare coins and stamps is the innocent start to the unraveling of an underground movement to take control of the free world. As Steed and Gale delve deeper into the case they are witness to violence and gun running, but remain in the dark as to the ulterior motives of their foes until the very end.
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Steed is interrogated

Written by two of Doctor Who's most prolific contributors (Malcolm Hulke-The Silurians, Frontier in Space and Terrance Dicks- Robot and State of Decay), the script is excessively smart and full of little details such as the coin collecting market and the insidious dentist deducing that Steed is an imposter based on his dental records.

I also quite enjoy the scenes with Steed's dalmatian Freckles. Having lost my dog recently, I was deeply touched by the affection that the canine had for his master and vice versa.

The lead actors shine and give off a stylish elan that is sadly no longer present on modern television. From sharing a bottle of champagne to standing side by side armed with tommy guns, they are quite a pair. Steed's austere poise is countered by Gale's apparent glamour hiding a formidable fighting spirit. Her karate maneuvers come straight out of the blue, but are pitch perfect.

Watching this episode reminded me why the Avengers has such a cult following. Starting from the most innocent of details, the story develops into an a dangerous and explosive story in the most absurd manner.

For more Avengers information, I highly recommend TheAvengersForever.com (* which is where the subtitle came from).

Additionally, there is a special anniversary gathering celebrating 50 years of the Avengers on the 25-26th June. For more information, please visit the official website.