mccabed
The box set of New Avengers '76 (season one) has the following episodes: The Eagle's Nest, The Midas Touch, House of Cards, The Last of the Cybernauts...?, To Catch a Rat, Cat Amongst the Pigeons, Target!, Faces, The Tale of the Big Why, Three Handed Game, Sleeper, Gnaws, and Dirtier By the Dozen. A favorite of mine when new, I now give this rejuvenated Avengers series four stars out of five. I have heard Patrick MacNee did not like the way Steed takes a back seat in the new format, but I like the team's new balance. Steed has matured into a team leader with two young field operatives, Mike Gambit (Gareth Hunt) and Purdey (Joanna Lumley, later of Absolutely Fabulous). Wild plots and flirtatious banter abound as the three save the world every week, with high style, good looks, and great wardrobes.Sound and picture quality are fine, although clearly not remastered. Extras are minimal: three "production stills" per episode.There was a second season, cofinanced by France and Canada, with episodes in those countries as well as the UK. When that box set comes out, I will buy it.
edval24
Loved the 60's version a real mind trip and lots of fun with Steed and Emma...the only reason I viewed The New Avengers was to watch the resourceful, witty, beautiful and ultra-feminine Purdey played by Joanna Lumley, plain and simple.
roulette-4
The idea of The New Avengers was to combine the idiosyncrasies of the old show, yet update it to compete with the then current cop show genre. Thereby capture the audience of middle America.Ultimately it failed commercially and where The Avengers, with Steed and Emma Peel, led The New Avengers followed. The strengths were some cracking stories and performances from the three lead actors (special mention to Joanna Lumley - a worthy successor to Emma Peel). Weaknesses were some rushed and hurried plots and a continued lack of funding.By following the trends of the 1970s it became far more dated than it's more stylish predecessor.
gmr-4
Knock me over with a feather! At first I was not sure what I was watching on late night Detroit or Windsor television -- then it dawned. I made it my business every Friday night after the news to catch THE NEW AVENGERS, but probably saw little more than half.No, it was not the old time religion, because the old chemistry would be impossible to create. This programme stood on its own, suffering in comparison only if one wanted the more of same. THE NEW AVENGERS was "bigger" (which does not make it better), less wacky, and to employ the amorphous, less artistic. The budgets of the 1960s were no doubt modest, forcing more creativity.None the less, it was well cast with Steed as more of an elder statesman -- not "old" at 54 as another commentator was unkind enough to allege. Purdy was not Rigg or Blackman, but then she created her own viable character as a woman, much distinguished from the "youth market" Tara of 1968-9.I make no comment upon individual episodes, because it would not be fair given the time elapsed, for me 1980 at latest. Having no cable television, nor being a videophile, I have not seen THE NEW AVENGERS since.