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John Steed is the common thread of the series, during the course of which he had six different partners. When the series premiered, his partner was physician Dr. David Keel (Ian Hendry). Then came two seasons of anthropologist Catherine Gale, played by Honor Blackman (perhaps best known by Americans as Pussy Galore of 007 fame). She was not always Steed's partner during the show's second season; occasionally he was accompanied by physician Dr. Martin King (Jon Rollason) or jazz singer Venus Smith (Julie Stevens).
The Cathy Gale episodes were not seen in the U.S. until 1991 when A&E ran them on cable, and so very few Americans are familiar with them. They contrast markedly with those of the filmed seasons to come--Steed was quite a different fellow, and he came across as much more "raw." So, too, did the episodes themselves, as they were shot on videotape and almost entirely on studio sets. While sprinkled with wry humor, the stories were generally more serious as compared with the purely fanciful shows to come.
It wasn't until his third full-time partner, the brilliant Mrs. Emma Peel, that Steed became the highly sophisticated, ultra-British gentleman spy for which he is best known. And while some regard Steed as something of a James Bond knock-off, The Avengers in fact predated the 007 films. (Macnee has remarked that he hated Ian Fleming's stories, in particular the way James Bond treated women.)
Of course, there is no question that (Dame) Diana Rigg was a strong draw, especially for male viewers, but there's much more to appreciate than the eye candy she provides. Mrs. Peel is highly intelligent, strong, capable, cool and sophisticated, all of which makes her intensely interesting and an ideal role model for like-minded women. And considering the era of the show, she was way ahead of her time--somewhat ironic since, after leaving the show, both she and Honor Blackman went on to appear in Bond films.
Following the incomparable Emma Peel came Tara King. Endless debate surrounds Linda Thorson's attempt to fill the shoes of her predecessor; while some blame a young and inexperienced actress for the show's loss of popularity in some quarters, it is probably fairer to say that the producers failed to maintain the "magic formula." But despite the fact that there were plenty of Tara fans, particularly in France, the Americans essentially killed the series by placing it against mega-hit Laugh-In, and without vital American financial support, the series was doomed.<snip> http://theavengers.tv/forever/profile.htm
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