The Avengers

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  • TV-14
  • 1961
  • 6 Seasons
  • 8.3  (9,061)

The Avengers is a British television series that originally aired on ITV from 1961 to 1969. The show follows the adventures of suave secret agent John Steed, played by Patrick Macnee, as he investigates various crimes and plots often involving eccentric villains and their henchmen.

The first season featured Ian Hendry as Dr. David Keel, an amateur detective who becomes involved with Steed after his fiancée is murdered. Together, the two investigate crimes and solve cases, with Steed providing the cool-headed expertise and Keel bringing a more emotional edge.

In the second season, Steed is paired with Cathy Gale, played by Honor Blackman. Gale is a martial arts expert and strong-willed woman who provides a more combative counterpart to Steed's suave charm. The duo tackles a variety of cases, including complex espionage plots and international conspiracies.

Diana Rigg joined the show for the fourth season as Emma Peel, who quickly became a fan favorite. Peel is a brilliant scientist and martial artist, often seen in leather catsuits and fighting off bad guys with her umbrella. She and Steed have an easygoing rapport and enjoy witty banter as they solve mysteries together.

The final season introduced Tara King, played by Linda Thorson. She joins Steed after Peel leaves the show and is a younger, more innocent sidekick. While the season was met with mixed reviews, some fans enjoyed the more lighthearted tone of King and Steed's relationship.

Throughout the show's run, Steed's bowler hat and umbrella became iconic symbols of his character, and the show's style and fashion were often parodied and imitated. The villains were equally memorable, including the likes of the diabolical Mastermind, the cybernetic Cybernauts, and the mysterious, almost supernatural Mother.

One interesting aspect of the show is its departure from procedural police dramas. Instead of following a strict formula of crime scenes and forensics, The Avengers embraced the surreal and the absurd. Episodes sometimes featured science fiction or horror elements, and the show was not afraid to experiment with different genres or visual styles.

Another unique feature of the series is its use of independent episode arcs. Each episode stands on its own as a full story, but there are often threads of continuity and character development woven throughout the series. This allows viewers to enjoy The Avengers as individual episodes or as an ongoing saga with longer stories and character arcs.

Overall, The Avengers is a classic television series that has left a lasting impact on popular culture. Its blend of action, humor, and style helped to define the spy genre and paved the way for future shows and movies. With a rotating cast of talented actors, memorable villains, and innovative storytelling, The Avengers remains a beloved and influential classic of British television.

The Avengers is a series that ran for 6 seasons (254 episodes) between January 7, 1961 and on ITV

The Avengers
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Seasons
Bizarre
33. Bizarre
May 21, 1969
Found wandering in a snowy field Helen Pritchard claims to have seen a man who was supposed to have been a corpse but was very much alive. This leads Steed to investigate the Happy Meadows funeral parlour and the cheery Mr. Bagpipes Happychap. Unfortunately the undertakers seem unable to keep their 'stiffs' from walking and Steed has to arrange his own funeral in order to find out more, though ultimately he and Miss King do get a send-off that is out of this world!
Get-A-Way
32. Get-A-Way
May 14, 1969
Two invincible foreign agents escape from the ultimate prison, a monastery run by the security services. They resume their mission, to kill one important person each. Steed and Tara set out to catch them, and to find out how they escaped, before their leader follows suit.
Pandora
31. Pandora
April 30, 1969
Miss King is abducted whilst visiting an antique shop and wakes up in a room beautifully furnished in a style from fifty years earlier. She is addressed as Pandora. Steed follows a lead which takes him to retired World War One agent Lasindell, the love of whose life was called Pandora and bore a strong resemblance to Miss King. It is a plot by his greedy relations to make him divulge the location of his fortune or else Pandora, alias Miss King, comes to harm.
Take-Over
30. Take-Over
April 23, 1969
Three men and a woman called Circe politely call on the country home of Steed's friends, married couple Bill and Laura Bassett. Unfortunately their visit turns sinister as they plan to implant explosives into the throats of the couple and send them off to destroy a nearby peace conference. Happily for the Bassetts - and the conference - Steed is coming to visit for the weekend, and he knows what to do.
Requiem
29. Requiem
April 16, 1969
Coming home from a costume party Miranda Loxton witnessed a killing by a member of Murder International and Steed is assigned to protect her until she gives evidence at the trial. Only Miss King knows that he has taken her to a boyhood haunt but then she is caught and wakes up in a sinister hospital where she is pumped for information about Miranda's hideaway.
My Wildest Dream
28. My Wildest Dream
April 7, 1969
Following a tip-off Steed and Miss King are present when a member of the Acme Precision Combine is stabbed, seemingly by a sleep-walker who has no recollection of the murder. This leads the Avengers to a clinic run by Dr. A. Jaeger who may or may not be programming deadly sleep-walkers.
Thingumajig
27. Thingumajig
April 2, 1969
The vicar of a Norman church asks the Avengers' help when a team of archaeologists excavating a site underneath the church are all killed and their bodies rendered completely devoid of any energy. This is due to a little black box which sends out deadly charges of electricity. Furthermore its charges are nurturing a race of thingumajigs, pure energy creatures which will eat anything and must be stopped before they do great harm.
Homicide And Old Lace
26. Homicide And Old Lace
March 26, 1969
To celebrate his birthday 'Mother' goes to visit two elderly aunts to whom he tells a story from the Avengers' case files. It involves a criminal caper to steal art treasures. The treasures were to be held for safe keeping in an underground vault in the event of a national emergency but the criminals aimed to squirrel them away once in the vault. It is a hair colour changing story indeed.
Who Was That Man I Saw You With?
25. Who Was That Man I Saw You With?
March 19, 1969
An ingenious mastermind makes Tara look like a traitor as part of a diabolical plot to start WW III.
Fog
24. Fog
March 12, 1969
The Avengers must identify a modern day "Jack the Ripper," targeting members of an international disarmament conference.
Take Me To Your Leader
23. Take Me To Your Leader
March 5, 1969
Steed and Tara follow a chain of couriers passing a sophisticated briefcase that's carrying a large payoff for an unidentified traitor within the government.
Stay Tuned
22. Stay Tuned
February 26, 1969
With whole weeks missing from his life and evidence of actions that he simply cannot remember, Steed finds himself in an endless series of 'deja vu' situations. In reality he is slowly being hypnotised and the aim is to mesmerise him into killing 'Mother'.
Love All
21. Love All
February 19, 1969
Responsible old government bureaucrats are suddenly falling madly in love with the homely office charwoman - and they can't wait to tell her all of their secrets.
Wish You Were Here
20. Wish You Were Here
February 12, 1969
A holiday resort has a strict "no check out" policy for certain guests, including Tara King, in this clever parody of Patrick McGoohan's "The Prisoner."
The Curious Case of the Countless Clues
19. The Curious Case of the Countless Clues
February 5, 1969
With Miss King out of action nursing a broken ankle Steed goes it alone when Scotland Yard colleague Sir Arthur Doyle brings him in on a murder enquiry, with an abundance of clues, each one pointing to an illustrious suspect. In fact bogus cops Earle and Gardiner are operating a racket whereby they deliberately incriminate worthies as murder suspects and then blackmail them. Their latest target is Steed and his supposed victim is Miss King.
The Morning After
18. The Morning After
January 29, 1969
Having been rendered unconscious by knock-out gas in his pursuit of rogue agent Jimmy Merlin, Steed awakes to find that London is deserted and under martial law, headed by Brigadier Hansing. Under cover of a supposed evacuation, the Brigadier, incensed that he is to be retired from the army, has planted an atom bomb to destroy the capital. All Steed has to do is find it.
Killer
17. Killer
January 22, 1969
A succession of British agents have been killed in different ways but each one has been carefully wrapped in polythene before being dumped in a graveyard. With Miss King on her holidays Steed is joined by Lady Diana Forbes- Blakeney to investigate a sinister factory which houses the deadly computer REMAK - Remote Electro- Matic Agent Killer, which must be destroyed.
Invasion of the Earthmen
16. Invasion of the Earthmen
January 15, 1969
Following up a clue found on a dead agent Steed and Miss King pose as a married couple ,enabling them to infiltrate the Alpha Academy, where they claim they wish to enrol their 'son'. The academy is run by Brigadier Brett and is supposedly for youngsters who possess super-intelligence but it is in reality a training ground for a force who seek not global but extra-terrestrial domination.
The Rotters
15. The Rotters
January 8, 1969
Members of the Institue of Timber Technology have been killed to prevent them from standing in the way of a dastardly plot hatched by WormDoom Ltd, a pair of assassins who have perfected a chemical which destroys all kinds of wood and which they plan to release from pillar boxes around the country... unless Steed and Miss King can stop them.
The Interrogators
14. The Interrogators
January 1, 1969
A foreign agent in the guise of a Colonel Mannering has found an ingenious method of extracting secret information from British agents.
They Keep Killing Steed
13. They Keep Killing Steed
December 18, 1968
Enemy agent Arcos has invented a form of instant plastic surgery and he uses it to imprison Steed and create a double, who is sent to throw a spanner in the works at an important peace conference at a country house. Although Steed overpowers his jailer and escapes, Miss King still has to deal with the matter of more than one doppelganger for her colleague though none seem to survive for very long. Until Steed arrives she is assisted by a dashing blond German count.
Have Guns- Will Haggle
12. Have Guns- Will Haggle
December 11, 1968
The spectacular theft of 3,000 top-secret FF70 rifles from a Government establishment brings Steed and Tara. Steed meets an old 'friend' and is invited to an auction. Tara has other reasons for being there.
Look- (stop me if you've heard this one) But There Were These Two Fellers...
11. Look- (stop me if you've heard this one) But There Were These Two Fellers...
December 4, 1968
The directors of the Capital Land and Development Company are being murdered and the only clues Steed and Tara have are a massive footprint and a red nose.
Noon Doomsday
10. Noon Doomsday
November 27, 1968
Tara visits Steed in a special hospital following an injury to his leg. This is just the backdrop needed by Gerald Kafka, ex-head of Murder International, as he plans his revenge against Steed, who sent him to prison exactly seven years ago. At noon, Steed will die.
Legacy of Death
9. Legacy of Death
November 20, 1968
Steed and Tara King are on the trail of the world's most precious pearl with only an ornate dagger as a clue to its whereabouts.
All Done With Mirrors
8. All Done With Mirrors
November 13, 1968
Somebody is leaking secrets from the Caradoc research institute and suspicion falls upon Steed, who has been spending some time there. He is accordingly put under rather luxurious house arrest at Mother's, whilst Miss King and her somewhat incompetent new partner Watney unmask the real traitor.
False Witness
7. False Witness
November 6, 1968
Witnesses and agents investigating upper class blackmailer Lord Edgefield can't seem to tell the truth.
Whoever Shot Poor George Oblique Stroke XR40
6. Whoever Shot Poor George Oblique Stroke XR40
October 30, 1968
A Top Secret computer accusses about everybody of treason.
Split!
5. Split!
October 23, 1968
Security agents are being murdered, and the clues point to notorious foreign agent Boris Kartovski. The only problem is that Steed killed Kartovski five years earlier.
You'll Catch Your Death
4. You'll Catch Your Death
October 16, 1968
Steed and Tara King investigate the death of a number of ear, throat and nose specialists.
Super Secret Cypher Snatch
3. Super Secret Cypher Snatch
October 9, 1968
Secrets are leaking out of Cipher HQ like a sieve, but all of the employees insist that everything has been "perfectly normal." However, The Avengers find a link between the stolen information and a window cleaning service.
Game
2. Game
October 2, 1968
Tara and Steed try to put the pieces together when people begin showing up dead in unique locations with jigsaw puzzle pieces on their person.
The Forget-Me-Knot
1. The Forget-Me-Knot
September 25, 1968
Steed's colleague Sean Mortimer comes to see him in a very confused state. He knows there is a traitor in the organization but he has been drugged to put him in an amnesiac state and he can remember little else. Mrs. Peel investigates but she too falls prey to the drug as she and Sean are abducted by bikers. It is down to trainee agent 69, Tara King, to whom Steed is introduced by spymaster 'Mother' to help him save the day.
The Avengers 601
601. The Avengers 601
September 25, 1968
Steed becomes a traitor, Emma passes the torch to Tara.
The Avengers 602
602. The Avengers 602
October 2, 1968
Steed plays super sleuth, Tara is the prize.
The Avengers 603
603. The Avengers 603
October 9, 1968
Steed plays what's wrong with this picture, Tara becomes a file clerk.
The Avengers 604
604. The Avengers 604
October 16, 1968
Steed shops for stationery, Tara goes for a check-up
The Avengers 605
605. The Avengers 605
October 23, 1968
Steed thaws out an old adversary, Tara is his next brain trust.
The Avengers 606
606. The Avengers 606
October 30, 1968
Steed seeks the equation for a murder, Tara becomes an American.
The Avengers 607
607. The Avengers 607
November 6, 1968
Steed isn't double-crossed by a colleague, Tara doesn't find the secret in the milk.
The Avengers 608
608. The Avengers 608
November 13, 1968
Steed is under arrest, Tara is all wet.
The Avengers 609
609. The Avengers 609
November 20, 1968
Steed inherits a large extended family, Tara reveals her foot fetish.
The Avengers 610
610. The Avengers 610
November 27, 1968
Steed and Mother share a handicap, Tara faces Steed's nemesis.
The Avengers 611
611. The Avengers 611
December 4, 1968
Steed becomes a vaudeville comic, Tara takes up silly walking.
The Avengers 612
612. The Avengers 612
December 11, 1968
Steed makes a bid to buy arms, Tara comes with the package. LOOK - (stop me if you've heard this one) BUT THERE WERE.
The Avengers 613
613. The Avengers 613
December 18, 1968
Steed is the spy who would not die, Tara has too many of him.
The Avengers 614
614. The Avengers 614
January 1, 1969
Steed acquires a new musical taste, Tara gets grilled for a recipe.
The Avengers 615
615. The Avengers 615
January 8, 1969
Steed gets a piano lesson, Tara dodges the axe.
The Avengers 616
616. The Avengers 616
January 15, 1969
Steed takes Tara as his second wife, Tara takes a giant leap for mankind.
The Avengers 619
619. The Avengers 619
February 5, 1969
Steed encounters an old flame, Tara is sidelined.
The Avengers 620
620. The Avengers 620
February 12, 1969
Steed wonders where Tara's got to, Tara takes an endless holiday.
The Avengers 623
623. The Avengers 623
March 12, 1969
Steed becomes a Gaslight Ghoul, Tara sees right through him.
The Avengers 625
625. The Avengers 625
February 19, 1965
Steed becomes a sex idol, Tara falls for the enemy.
The Avengers 626
626. The Avengers 626
May 14, 1969
Steed questions the loss of his friends, Tara finds the answer in a bottle.
The Avengers 627
627. The Avengers 627
April 2, 1969
Steed tackles a high-tension terror, Tara plays her own theme.
The Avengers 629
629. The Avengers 629
April 16, 1969
Steed hides out with a young lady, Tara learns Mother has died.
The Avengers 630
630. The Avengers 630
April 23, 1969
Steed celebrates Christmas in February, Tara tries to set him straight.
The Avengers 631
631. The Avengers 631
March 19, 1969
Steed is framed by Tara, Tara breaks through his defences.
Description
Where to Watch The Avengers
The Avengers is available for streaming on the ITV website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The Avengers on demand at Amazon Prime, Vudu, Google Play and Apple TV.
  • Premiere Date
    January 7, 1961
  • IMDB Rating
    8.3  (9,061)