The Avengers Forever: Quote, Unquote

	Quote, Unquote: Season 1 Page 1 of 7

Leonard White, Producer, sells The Avengers: "Emphasis will be on vigorous, fast-moving stories. The locations of the stories will be familiar to viewers but not familiar to them on television. We are doing everything to avoid clichés."

Ian Hendry, Actor, on his role as Dr. David Keel: "Keel is a most attractive character. He combines just the right amount of toughness and compassion. Keel will be a kind of extended version of the police surgeon, because he will be more directly involved with fighting crime. And as he tangles with the villains himself, he will have more action. Frankly, I thought twice when I was asked to start out on another series as a doctor, but as I know that the accent in the scripts is on authenticity, I think it will do me a lot of good. And I know it will be a lot of fun."

Patrick Macnee, Actor, on his role as John Steed: "John Steed is a wolf with the women and he revels in trouble. He doesn't think so much about saving hoodlums as just getting them out of the way. By the same token, he doesn't follow the Queensbury rules, and although he works indirectly with the police, he is not too popular with them."

Berkely Mather, Writer, on researching criminal characters: "I have a working arrangement with a former Scotland Yard Superintendent and a Chief Inspector, who arrange for me to meet underworld characters from time to time. Usually, I pop up to Soho for a drink with them. These tough types are astonishingly frank - when they know they are talking in front of former policemen."

Ingrid Hafner, Actress, on Ian Hendry: "He is intelligent and hard-working, and easily upset when things go wrong. But on the surface, he's a great clown, not a bit like Keel. He loves practical jokes. ... Things were held up for something or other. The set was an old furniture shop and the place was cluttered with ancient furniture. Suddenly, there was a great rumpus among the props. And there was Ian crashing through a huge picture frame with a ridiculous Victorian fireman's helmet on his head, and a false moustache. Another time, we had a hairdressing salon set and there he was mincing around in a filthy old overall brandishing a pair of scissors and a comb."

Patrick Macnee, Actor, on himself: "Let's say Steed is a slightly exaggerated version of myself. Somebody once said to me, 'You should have lived in the 18th century'. I agree. Like Steed, I'm a great pretender. Anybody who loves the good life like I do has to be a pretender."

Ingrid Hafner, Actress, on Patrick Macnee: "Pat is a more mature person than Ian in many ways. Unlike Steed, Pat has a quiet personality. He is controlled, modest and easy going. At rehearsals, if he's not busy poring over his script or holding incredibly intense conversations with the director, he will be tucked away in a remote corner of the room reading masses of magazines."

All quotes sourced from TVTimes magazine, 1961
Compiled by Alan Hayes