List of The Avengers (TV series) episodes
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Television |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, United States |
| Products | Television episodes |
| Parent | ABC Weekend TV (initially), Associated British Productions, ABC Television Films, Thames Television |
This article provides a comprehensive episode guide for the 1960s British television series The Avengers, which was broadcast on ITV between 1961 and 1969.
The initial four series were created in black-and-white. Series 1 through 3 mainly utilized videotape with occasional filmed segments. From series 4 onward, production transitioned entirely to film using a single-camera technique. Beginning with series 5, episodes were produced in colour. Significantly, the sixth series premiered in the United States prior to its UK broadcast.
Series overview
| UK series / episodes | First UK broadcast | US season / episodes | US air dates | Principal characters | Production format | Production company | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||||||||
| 1 | 26 | 7 Jan 1961 | 30 Dec 1961 | — | Dr. Keel and Steed | black and white video | ABC Television (UK) | ||||
| 2 | 26 | 29 Sep 1962 | 23 Mar 1963 | — | Steed, Venus Smith and Catherine Gale | ||||||
| 3 | 26 | 28 Sep 1963 | 21 Mar 1964 | — | Steed and Catherine Gale | ||||||
| 4 | 26 | 28 Sep 1965 | 22 Mar 1966 | 1 | 26 | 28 Mar – 1 Sep 1966 | Steed and Mrs. Emma Peel | black and white film | Associated British Productions for ABC (UK) and ABC (US) | ||
| 5 | 24 | 16 | 9 Jan 1967 | 3 May 1967 | 2 | 16 | 20 Jan – 19 May 1967 | colour film | ABC Television Films for ABC (UK) and ABC (US) | ||
| 8 | 27 Sep 1967 | 15 Nov 1967 | 3 | 15 | 10 Jan – 8 May 1968 | ||||||
| 6 | 33 | 25 Sep 1968 | 17 May 1969 | Steed and Tara King | ABC Television Films for ABC (US) and Thames | ||||||
| 4 | 26 | 23 Sep 1968 – 21 Apr 1969 | |||||||||
Series 1 (1961)
Note: Only a limited number of episodes from the inaugural series survive in their entirety: "Girl on the Trapeze," which does not include John Steed, "The Frighteners,” and "Tunnel of Fear.” Furthermore, the first fourteen minutes of the debut episode "Hot Snow” have been recovered and made available on DVD. The most recent complete episode discovery was "Tunnel of Fear” in the year 2016.
Cast: Unless otherwise specified, all episodes in the first series star Ian Hendry as Dr. David Keel alongside Patrick Macnee portraying John Steed.
The initial three series were developed internally by ABC Weekend TV at their Teddington Studios facilities.
After the conclusion of series one, a prolonged Equity actors' strike caused delays in producing series two, resulting in Ian Hendry’s exit from the show. When production resumed, Patrick Macnee assumed the primary lead role, supported by a rotating cast of male actors and predominantly female co-stars.
Series 2 (1962–1963)
Cast: In the second series, Patrick Macnee portrayed John Steed across all 26 episodes. His co-stars included Jon Rollason as Dr. Martin King in three episodes, Julie Stevens playing Venus Smith in six episodes, and Honor Blackman as Mrs. Cathy Gale for seventeen episodes. Every episode from this series has been preserved in its entirety.
Note that the episode titled "Death of a Great Dane" was later reimagined during series 5 under the name "The £50,000 Breakfast".
Series 3 (1963–1964)
Cast: The third series featured Patrick Macnee continuing his role as John Steed alongside Honor Blackman as Mrs. Cathy Gale. This series marked the final production phase utilizing "as live" videotaping techniques.
{{Episode list EpisodeNumber = 63 EpisodeNumber2 = 11 Title = The Golden Fleece DirectedBy = Peter Hammond WrittenBy = Roger Marshall, Phyllis Norman Aux2 = Warren Mitchell, Tenniel Evans, Michael Hawkins, Robert Lee, Barbara Yu Ling OriginalAirDate = 1963-12-07 ProdCode = 3603 ShortSummary = An illicit gold smuggling ring connected to support for needy ex-servicemen is uncovered.
LineColor = #FDC31F
}} {{Episode list
EpisodeNumber =64 EpisodeNumber2 =12 Title =Don't Look Behind You DirectedBy =Peter Hammond WrittenBy =Brian Clemens Aux2 =Kenneth Colley,Janine Gray,Maurice Good OriginalAirDate = ProdCode =3606 ShortSummary =A deluded criminal sets a trap for Cathy. LineColor =#FDC31F
}} {{Episode list
EpisodeNumber =65 EpisodeNumber2 =13 Title =Death a la Carte DirectedBy =Kim Mills WrittenBy =John Lucarotti Aux2 =Robert James,Gordon Rollings,David Nettheim,Valentino Musetti,Henry Lincoln,Ken Parry OriginalAirDate = ProdCode =3604 ShortSummary =Steed and Cathy protect an Emir during a diplomatic visit; despite efforts, an assassination occurs. LineColor =#FDC31F }}
{{Episode list
EpisodeNumber =66 EpisodeNumber2 =14 Title =Dressed to Kill DirectedBy =Bill Bain WrittenBy =Brian Clemens Aux2 =Leonard Rossiter,Richard Leech,John Junkin,Anneke Wills,Alexander Davion,Leon Eagles OriginalAirDate = ProdCode =36017 ShortSummary =A false alert activates multiple nuclear early-warning systems; Steed and Cathy investigate at a train event where guests die mysteriously. LineColor =#FDC31F }}
{{Episode list
EpisodeNumber =67
EpisodeNumber2 =15
Title =The White Elephant
DirectedBy =Laurence Bourne
WrittenBy =John Lucarotti
Aux2 =Godfrey Quigley, Edwin Richfield, Judy Parfitt, Martin Friend
OriginalAirDate =
ProdCode =3616
ShortSummary =Following the theft of a rare albino elephant, an investigation into illegal ivory trafficking ensues.
LineColor =#FDC31F
}}
{{Episode list
EpisodeNumber =68
EpisodeNumber2 =16
Title =The Little Wonders
DirectedBy =Laurence Bourne
WrittenBy =Eric Paice
Aux2 =Kenneth J. Warren, David Bauer, Lois Maxwell, Harry Landis, Tony Steedman, Christopher Robbie, Mark Heath
OriginalAirDate =
ProdCode =3619
ShortSummary =Steed and Cathy penetrate a criminal organization disguised as clergy members.
LineColor =#FDC31F
}}
{{Episode list
EpisodeNumber =69
EpisodeNumber2 =17
Title =The Wringer
DirectedBy =Don Leaver
WrittenBy =Martin Woodhouse
Aux2 =Peter Sallis, Gerald Sim, Barry Letts, Paul Whitsun-Jones, Terence Lodge
OriginalAirDate =
ProdCode =3618
ShortSummary =Steed probes agent killings along an Austrian escape route and confronts false accusations of betrayal.
LineColor =#FDC31F
}}
{{Episode list
EpisodeNumber =70
EpisodeNumber2 =18
Title =Mandrake
DirectedBy =Bill Bain
WrittenBy =Roger Marshall
Aux2 =John Le Mesurier, Annette Andre, Philip Locke
OriginalAirDate =
ProdCode =3620
ShortSummary =Suspicious deaths among businessmen near a Cornish tin mine prompt an investigation.
LineColor =#FDC31F
}}
{{Episode list
EpisodeNumber =71
EpisodeNumber2 =19
Title =The Secrets Broker
DirectedBy =Jonathan Alwyn
WrittenBy =Ludovic Peters
Aux2 =Patricia English, John Ringham, Jack May, Ronald Allen, Valentino Musetti
OriginalAirDate =
ProdCode =3613
ShortSummary =A murder tied to blackmail and espionage unfolds around a wine shop front.
LineColor =#FDC31F
}}
Note: The episode "Don't Look Behind You" was subsequently remade as "The Joker", "The Charmers" was reworked into "The Correct Way to Kill", and "Dressed to Kill" was adapted as "The Superlative Seven" during Series 5. At the conclusion of Series Three, Honor Blackman departed The Avengers to take on a leading role in the James Bond film Goldfinger.
Series 4 (1965–1966)
Cast: The fourth series featured Patrick Macnee portraying John Steed alongside Diana Rigg as Mrs. Emma Peel. This was the final series filmed in black-and-white and marked the transition to shooting entirely on 35mm film rather than videotape, significantly improving image quality for overseas audiences, particularly in the United States. This change placed The Avengers alongside other prominent ITV exports such as Danger Man and The Saint.
Episodes initially premiered on Scottish Television on Tuesdays, with subsequent broadcasts by ABC Weekend TV on Saturdays.
From this series onward, the budget saw a notable increase, allowing for more extensive use of location filming. Initially, actress Elizabeth Shepherd was cast in the role of Emma Peel; one episode titled "The Town of No Return" was shot featuring her before production was halted to recast the character. The footage with Shepherd has never been aired and is considered lost, although promotional photographs from that period still exist.
For the American audience, each episode included a distinctive introductory sequence showing Steed and Mrs. Peel walking across a large chessboard accompanied by narration that introduced both characters and the show's premise. This introduction was not broadcast in the UK until it appeared on DVD releases.
The closing credits displayed "Associated British Productions Limited," which was the film division of ABC Weekend TV’s parent company operating out of Elstree Studios. The ABC Weekend TV logo also appeared at the end of episodes.
"The Strange Case of the Missing Corpse," filmed in colour on the set used for "Honey for the Prince," was created as a promotional feature exclusively for the US market to preview upcoming colour episodes. A planned introduction featuring Macnee and Rigg either was never filmed or has been lost. The surviving three-minute segment functions as a trailer for the colour episodes and did not air outside North America.
Series 5 (1967)
Cast: This series continued to star Patrick Macnee as John Steed and Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. All episodes from this series onward were produced in colour; however, UK audiences continued to view them in black-and-white until ITV commenced colour broadcasts in November 1969.
Production was divided into two segments. The initial 16 episodes were broadcast in both the UK and US from January through May 1967. The remaining eight episodes aired in the UK between September and November 1967 but were postponed in the US until January 1968, where they were included as part of a new season.
January to May
{{Episode table |background=#F391C2|overall=3em |overallT= |series=3em |seriesT= |title= |director= |writer= |aux2= |aux2T=Guest cast |airdate= |airdateT=First UK broadcast |altdate = |altdateT = US air date |country=UK |aux4= |aux4T= |prodcode= |episodes=
{{Episode list | EpisodeNumber = 110 | EpisodeNumber2 = 6 | Title = The Winged Avenger | DirectedBy = Peter Duffell, Gordon Flemyng | WrittenBy = Richard Harris | Aux2 = Nigel Green, Jack MacGowran, Neil Hallett, Colin Jeavons, John Garrie, Donald Pickering, William Fox (actor), Ann Sidney, Roy Patrick | OriginalAirDate =
Series 6 (1968–1969)
Cast: Every episode features Patrick Macnee portraying John Steed alongside Linda Thorson as Tara King. In the seventeenth episode, "Killer," Tara makes a brief appearance before departing on holiday; during this episode, Steed teams up with Jennifer Croxton playing Lady Diana Forbes-Blakeney.
The opening episode, "The Forget-Me-Knot," marks the final appearance of Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. Patrick Newell, in the role of "Mother," appears across twenty episodes, with his silent assistant "Rhonda" (played by Rhonda Parker) introduced for the last eighteen installments.
Broadcast order varied between UK ITV regions and the US, with most episodes airing earlier in the United States.
John Bryce took over production duties from Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell at the commencement of this series. Due to production challenges and American contractual requirements, three early episodes—"Invitation To a Killing," "The Great Great Britain Crime," and "Invasion of the Earthmen"—underwent significant editing. These were reworked into "Have Guns — Will Haggle," "Homicide and Old Lace," and a slightly modified version of "Invasion of the Earthmen," respectively. Unfortunately, the original versions are no longer available.
This season was produced in two distinct segments: an initial group of seven episodes (mostly excluding Patrick Newell's "Mother" and Rhonda Parker's "Rhonda") combined with the final eight episodes featuring Diana Rigg were broadcast as ABC's third American series in spring 1968. These episodes retained the original 'Shooting Gallery' title sequence showcasing Tara in a tan outfit accompanied by gunshot effects filmed by Harry Booth. The seven initial episodes were interspersed sporadically among the subsequent 26 to create a continuous 33-episode run in the UK.
Most episodes featured the standard 'field/suits of armour' opening and 'playing card' closing titles—filmed by Robert Fuest for ABC's fourth US series—except for "The Forget-Me-Knot," which preserved its original credit sequence.
By the time of UK transmission, ABC Weekend TV had merged with Thames Television; however, all episodes still credited A.B.C. Television Films.
Additional details:
- In "Killer," Tara King's screen time is minimal; Lady Diana Forbes-Blakeney assumes Steed's partnership.
- The US version shortened the 'field/suits of armour' opening to allow for commercial breaks.
- German-language dubs utilized the armour-themed opening but kept the 'Shooting Gallery' closing titles.
- French dubs featured a modified opening theme with different sound effects.
- The initial 'Shooting Gallery' theme incorporated gunshot sounds; contemporary releases replace these with standard music omitting gunfire effects.