The Avengers Forever: AvengerNews Archive

	AvengerNews Archive: 1999 Page 1 of 9

31 December. According to the Black Star internet video store, The Avengers—The Journey Back documentary is finally to be released on 10 January 2000, in the UK at least. See the Merchandise page for ordering info. (Thanks to Darren A. Burch)

25 December. Actor Peter Jeffrey, 70, died at his home on Christmas Day of prostate cancer. His wife and his seven children were with him when he died. One of the more memorable guest actors on The Avengers, he appeared in "Room Without a View," "The Joker," "Game" and "House of Cards."

23 December. Desmond Llewelyn, a.k.a. "Q" from James Bond, died in a head-on car crash as he was returning home from a book signing. The irony is that he had just retired from the film series. John Cleese will be replacing him in upcoming films. Also, Baba Majos de Nagyzsenye, Patrick Macnee's wife, recently fell and broke her hip. And Gareth Hunt recently suffered a heart attack, but is reported to be recovering.

11 December. Pete Stampede provides a highly detailed report on the National Film Theatre event.

9 December. Advance orders are being taken by some European vendors for Volumes 5 and 6 of the Celebrity Guest Collection, due for shipment on 27 December.

6 December. Volume 7 of Agente Speciale has been released. This tape features three episodes: "The Danger Makers," "How To Succeed....At Murder" and "The Hour That Never Was." Marco Giangualano reports that the Italian title of the second episode is wrong, as it often happens. It's "Complotto," but should be "Scuola di danza per delitto." Marco had a chat with Yamato, the video supplier, but says they insist they have the right titles! (Gee, is Yamato owned by Canal+ by any chance?)

20 November. Pete Stampede reports that, regarding the National Film Theatre special, "The Avengers Oddities" (Thursday, 2 December, 8:45 NFT1), it looks like it'll be largely made up of contemporary news reports on the fashion shows and the color location shooting at Beaulieu (for "Escape in Time" amongst others), alternate title sequences, foreign versions, parodies from latter-day comedy shows, as well as the items mentioned in the NFT booklet. Veronica Taylor, who is the NFT's TV Projects Organizer, reports that Canal+ is now saying they haven't got the Elizabeth Shepherd material at all, and that in fact it may not have been preserved in the first place. Bummer. The FAQs have been updated with this information, as well as the latest video news from A&E.

18 November. A&E will be making the Cathy Gale second season episodes available in early 2000 (a precise release date to be announced). They're keeping the same naming, pricing and configuration conventions as those for the Emma Peel videos and DVDs. "The Avengers '64" video and DVD sets will be released at the same time.

6 November. Italian fans have cause to rejoice as Volume 6 of Agente Speciale has been released. Thanks, Paola!

30 October. I understand that the National Film Theatre is preparing "The Avengers Oddities" (Thursday, 2 December, 8:45 NFT1), a program to feature "flotsam and jetsam from that wonderful world of The Avengers," which is slated to include the original version of The Strange Case of the Missing Corpse. My correspondent from across the pond, Pete Stampede, tells me that the event's organizer, Dick Fiddy, wanted to show the version of The Murder Market with Elizabeth Shepherd. Lumiere assured him it exists, then started claiming they can't find it!

15 October. Avengers fans are urged to dash out and pick up the 16 October 99 issue of TV Guide. Emma Peel is rated #8 out of the fifty most memorable TV characters, according to the magazine. It also features a very fine image of her—one that I'd never seen before (and I thought I'd seen them all). Must have been from their archives. Worth the $1.79. It is worth repeating here that Diana Rigg was rated #1 "Top Ten Hottest Stars of All Time" in the 7 August 1999 issue. I think it's a safe bet there's a few big-time baby-boomer Avengers fans on the TV Guide editorial staff...

18 September. The fourth volume of Agente Speciale is available and a fifth will be along shortly.

15 September. Very sorry to announce the death of Charles Crichton, director of some of the finest Avengers episodes, including "Death at Bargain Prices," "The Danger Makers," "The Correct Way to Kill," "False Witness" and "The Interrogators." He was 89.

5 August. TV Guide (7 August 1999) ranks Diana Rigg #1 in their "Top Ten Hottest Stars of All Time." They write: "As Emma Peel on The Avengers (1966-68), she had "M" appeal—as in men appeal. No one filled a cat suit better."

25 July. The 24 July issue of TV Guide has a wonderful editorial on Hollywood's habit of turning TV classics into big-screen disasters. While "Leave Our Classics Alone!" focuses on Wild Wild West, which has some remarkable parallels to the Avengers movie, there are also some direct references to the latter that are right on target.

14 May. Exciting news! An intact color film copy of "The Strange Case of the Missing Corpse" has been found. Now it's just a matter of time before it will (hopefully) be distributed on video.