Where it all started...
1960

ABC TV Co, redeveloped the not-so-popular TV show "Police Surgeon" in 1960 to create, "The Avengers"
It starred Patrick Macnee as John Steed and Ian Hendry as Dr David Keel
The first show sees Keel setting out to avenge his fiance's death, from here Keel is asked to assist the Secret Service by, John Steed
The first show (Hot Snow) aired on 7th January 1961, Ian & Patrick remained as Steed and Keel for 26 episodes until Ian left to further his film career. That was when Steed meets, the original Avengers woman, Mrs Catherine Gale.

1961 - 1965

When Dr Keel left and before Catherine Gale arrived on the scene, a new female partner was to be introduced to the team, enter nightclub singer, Venus Smith
Venus was to begin her Avengers adventure in Episode 27 and alternate on a fortnightly basis with Ian - this didn't happen due to the first successful series being shut down as a result of the actors dispute

The introduction of Venus Smith was put on hold, the door was then wide open for Catherine Gale.
The Catherine Gale character was based on two famous people at the time; Margaret Mead, The Anthropologist and Margaret Bourne-Smith, the photographer for Life Magazine
Honor Blackman was chosen for the part and signed in June 1962
Julie Stevens was signed in August 1962
Dr Martin King (played by Jon Rollason) was brought in to fill in while the production of Mrs Gale and Venus Smith took place

1963 - 1965 facts....

The series started with Mr Teddy Bear
The first Cathy Gale episode was Warlock
The first Venus Smith episode was The Decapod
The first Martin King episode was Mission To Montreal
Cathy Gale's last episode was Lobster Quadrille - Honor left before the 1964 series was finished.

Emma Peel
1965 - 1967

After the departure of Cathy Gale, Elizabeth Shepherd was cast for the role of Mrs Emma Peel, Steed's new partner
Her original name was going to be Samantha, but as the name wasn't liked by everyone they put their heads together and came up with Man Appeal, Emma Peel - thanks to the Production's Press Officer!

Unfortunately, Elizabeth Shepherd didn't fulfil the Producer's needs and was dropped halfway through the filming of The Murder Market
28 year old, Diana Rigg was spotted after starring in an Armchair Theatre Production, enter real Man Appeal!
The first [Emma Peel] episode screened in the UK was Town of No Return
The last black and white episode was Honey For The Prince
The first colour episode was The Fear Merchants
Each episode cost £30,000 to produce and normally took 14 days to finish
They began using outside locations for the first time, which included Radlett and Shenley in Hertfordshire
Then, as we all know, The Forget Me Knot saw the coming-together of two Avengers girls, and as the exit of Emma Peel, after her husband makes a dramatic reappearance from the Amazon Jungle - corny!

The original "introductory" teaser sequence for the American audiences, to promote the fact that the series was now in colour was set on a giant chess board and including narration which stated;

"extraordinary crimes against the people and the state have to be avenged by agents extraordinary. Two such people are John Steed, top professional and his partner, Emma Peel, talented amateur - otherwise known as, The Avengers!"

Enter Tara King
1968 - 1969

After the sad departure of Emma Peel, Steed needed another partner - Mother knew his taste and sent Agent 69, Tara King played by Linda Thorson.
By this time, the show was being aired in over 70 Countries and ABC had become Thames Television
Linda Thorson was chosen by John Huston, also Robert Lennard and Don Boyle (then, Head of the ABC Network in the USA).

The first Tara episode filmed was Invasion of the Earthman, where we see Linda sporting that rather fabulous blond wig! Prior to filming, orders were issued for Linda to dye her hair blonde (using a 90-volume peroxide), unfortunately this damaged her hair quite extensively and it eventually fell out! So during the first 6 episodes she wore wigs and hid from the public until her own hair grew back. As we all know (if you've been to Lower Storpington before), the first episode we see Linda with her own hair was All Done with Mirrors.

The first Tara episode shown on TV was Have Guns Will Haggle, a refilmed version of Invitation to a Killing, originally produced by John Bryce but scrapped due to unsuitability
Tara King's name was chosen by Linda; Tara from Gone with the Wind (The Tara Estate and King from King & Country
Tara was unquestionably in love with Steed and unlike his previous partners she would get a kiss and a cuddle from him at the end of a long day!
Linda never did any of the driving scenes due to the fact that she couldn't actually drive! She failed her test 5 times and crashed Tara's car into a wall on the second day of shooting - good start!

This season of The Avengers saw the introduction of Mother in Forget Me Knot - it was only meant to be a cameo role but ABC called Clemens to demand Newell be put under contract!
Rhonda Parker was first seen in All Done With Mirrors as one of mother's sexy female assistants, sporting only a swimming costume! She was taken on as a permanent fixture due to Patrick Newell, finding it hard to work his wheelchair alone
Tara lived at 9 Primrose Crescent, and the set designers really went to town on her flat - it was a mixture of modern and antique fashion design
The title music was also updated - it started with a frenetic staccato drumbeat and ended up a more enthusiastic version of the original music
The Avengers came to an end due to cost implications on 16th February 1969
"Bizarre" was the last Tara King episode where they are seen leaving earth in Steed's home built rocket!

1971 - The Screenplay

Simon Oates, who played Skelton in "You Have Just Been Murdered" became John Steed in the screenplay adaptation of The Avengers, directed by Leslie Philips

Unfortunately....it wasn't very popular and subsequently closed (shame!)

Was this to be the last we see of our intrepid duo?

1976 - They're Back!

The Avengers returns to our screens in its "New" format with Patrick Macnee, Gareth Hunt and Joanna Lumley as Purdey.

More information on this can be found on our New Avengers page.