The Avengers Forever: Frequently Asked Questions

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What's the show about? The most succinct way to categorize The Avengers is as a stylish espionage spoof about a British secret agent who works with various "amateur spies" to solve crimes. READ MORE

Who created the series? Sydney Newman, Director of Drama for the Associated British Corporation in 1960, reworked an unsuccessful half-hour crime drama, Police Surgeon starring Ian Hendry, into a new one-hour thriller. Brian Clemens co-authored The Avengers pilot, "Hot Snow," based on the title and main characters that Newman devised. READ MORE

Where did the name The Avengers come from? Creator Sydney Newman conceived the title before anything else, and is quoted as remarking, "I don't know what the f... it means, but it's a great title!"

Where was it produced and broadcast? The Avengers was produced and broadcast in Great Britain. Beginning with the UK's fourth season (Rigg monochrome) the show was sold overseas, eventually reaching 120 countries, a record that still stands today. In the United States, the series ran for four seasons on ABC. The Cathy Gale seasons were not exported to the US until 1991 when they were seen for the first time on A&E. The New Avengers, produced in Great Britain, France and Canada, enjoyed modest worldwide sales but infrequent repeat broadcasts; it was picked up in the US by CBS two years after it had aired elsewhere.

How long did the series run? The original series premiered in January 1961 and ended on 14 September 1969. It did not run continuously during this span—there were several gaps. The sequel series, The New Avengers, ran from 1976 to 1977. READ MORE

When and why did the series end? Production abruptly came to an unplanned end in February 1969. The principal problem was the fact that the producers relied heavily on ABC (US) for capital. In America the Tara King season ran opposite Laugh-In, which killed it in the ratings, and when ABC declined to order another season, the studio was forced to close. Contributing factors included a major reorganization of production personnel, a change in program format, and the loss of Diana Rigg. READ MORE

Who owns the rights to the series? This is a pretty complicated situation. Canal+Image International owns the rights to all the TV shows themselves, including all of the original series. They dictate who can distribute the videos and where, as well as who can broadcast the shows and where, and who can sell what TV show-related products and where. Patrick Macnee has approval rights for any merchandise bearing a likeness of himself as John Steed, and he gets a cut of profits on such merchandise. However, Jerry Weintraub Productions of Burbank, California (producers of The Avengers Movie) owns The Avengers franchise, so he is the man to see if you want to make a new movie or publish a book based on the characters.

Who did the music for the show? Jazz musician Johnny Dankworth composed the music for the David Keel and Cathy Gale eras. Noted film score composer Laurie Johnson composed the music for all of the Emma Peel and Tara King episodes, with the assistance of Howard Blake for the latter. Johnson composed the music for, and also co-produced, The New Avengers.

Who designed the fashions? Partway into the Cathy Gale era, fashion designer Michael Whittaker was called in to create a wardrobe of snug-fitting leather fighting gear for Honor Blackman, which is reputed to have begun the "leather craze," although this actually came about more to solve a practical problem than make a fashion statement—READ MORE. Regardless of how it started, the trend for kinky clothes continued in a big way as John Bates' fashion designs for the Emma Peel era became a line of clothing that was unveiled at the Courtaulds Fashion Theatre, London, in August of 1965. Alun Hughes then made his fashion mark by inventing the "Emmapeeler," the slinky crepe catsuits first seen when the series went to color. He and Harvey Gould designed the fashions for the Tara King era. Beginning with the first color season, Patrick Macnee's suits were designed by Pierre Cardin.