The Avengers Forever: Detail Point

	Trivia Overload

Max Pemberton writes: [Patrick] Macnee appears in The Return of the Man From UNCLE as the new head of UNCLE, Sir John Raleigh, replacing the late Alexander Waverley (Leo G. Carrol). Sir John Raleigh is not unlike John Steed and, in an alternate universe, it would be nice to think that this was Steed's next role, leaving the British Secret Service to become the head of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (but having to change his surname for reasons of security of course). The Return of the Man From UNCLE also featured a character in a gadget-laden silver Aston Martin DB5 and wearing a tuxedo during the daytime, as you do. Known only as "JB" he arrives on the scene to assist Napoleon Solo in eluding his pursuers. The character is played by George Lazenby, who, as James Bond, married Tracy Di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg) in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, a film which also featured future Purdey, Joanna Lumley. The cast also included Anthony Zerbe, who played the ill-fated Milton Krest in Licence to Kill. "Solo" incidentally was the original title for TMFU, and created by Ian Fleming. As there was a character in Goldfinger, which featured Honor Blackman (Cathy Gale), called Mr. Solo (the gangster who ended up in the car compactor and played by another Avengers stalwart, Martin Benson) the UNCLE producers were prevented from using it, so the title was changed to The Man From UNCLE. Small world isn't it?

Caroline believes she has spotted several Man from U.N.C.L.E. references (aside from the title): the event Emma attends is the "MFU Charity Costume Ball"; Emma is dressed as a bird, a possible THRUSH reference; and the alarm that comes on when Steed flips a switch on the control console sounds like an U.N.C.L.E. alarm.

Did you catch the sly reference to the Beatles? (Four of the bodies: John, Paul, George and Fred.) Also... The "Bates and Marshal Advertising Agency" is no doubt reference to author Roger Marshall and story editor Richard Bates. And did anyone notice the self defense book Georgie is reading?—written by Ray Austin, the series' stunt arranger par excellence (see image).

According to Elaine Smith (no relation), "some of the dead bodies belong to the firm of solicitors called Barrett, Barrett & Wimpole. In case you didn't already know, this must be a reference to The Barretts of Wimpole Street, originally a play by Rudolph Besier and a 1934 movie starring Norma Shearer, Frederic March and Charles Laughton. It is based on the true story of poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning who married in the face of her father's disapproval, and who, I believe, had an unusually equal partnership for their day."