Episode 121: Emma Peel Era |
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Production completed: 7 June 1967 When a delegation arrives at a hall for a crucial conference, the key attendant inexplicably turns tail and runs at the last minute. Worse, after he is killed in an automobile accident that he foresaw, his successor begins to exhibit similar behavioral anomalies.
I'm not quite sure why this one so often receives poor reviews among fans—I find very little about which to complain. To me, it is a very clever story, with some great twists and a nice little nail-biter in the middle. If I was forced to make gripe, it would be the lack of a real diabolical mastermind; but the especially effective nightmare-perspective scenes, populated by spooky "faceless dream men," more than make up for that.
Beginning with this episode, we say farewell to the "We're Needed" teasers, as well as the famous two-liners appearing on-screen. Recognize Sir Andrew's newspaper? Mark H. Stevens reports that Emma was reading the exact same paper right before her fight with the bride in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Station." Caroline notes that the stone lions appeared once before in "The House That Jack Built." And do you recognize the big "Thursday the 12th" desk calendar? Steed crawls across it in "Mission... Highly Improbable." (thanks, Alanna) So, what does a real TV script look like, anyway? Here are the cover and first page of this episode's script.
The conference center is actually The Royal Masonic Senior School (which later became Bushey International University), which also appeared as Saint Bodes in "A Sense of History." On Location provides a modern view.
Who could forget Steed trapped behind the shooting target? But then, there's also that affectionate little hair-straightening Emma gives Steed at the end...
Emma: "You know my wavelength." Steed: "I do indeed."
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DEATH'S DOOR |
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Teleplay by |
Philip Levene |
CAST |
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John Steed |
Patrick Macnee 007 |
William Lyon Brown |
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Allan Cuthbertson |
Death at Bargain Prices |
Paul Dawkins |
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Cliff Evans |
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William Lucas |
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Peter Thomas |
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materials copyrighted per their respective copyright holders. |