Should Patrick Macnee have stepped down?
- ricardomartins
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- Dandy Forsdyke
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- Dandy Forsdyke
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- Winged Avenger
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Another issue to consider if MacNee had left when Honor Blakman did and they did create a new character or re-cast, it's unlikely Diana Rigg would have been on the show. Rememeber she was not the original Mrs Peel to begin with. What's more they would have casted someone that gelled with the new male lead
It really is a tricky issue. With soemthing like Bond they gambled and it paid off since Bond was too much of a money maker to stop after Connery. With Dr Who changing actors ultimately gave the show its longevity. However as stated MacNee helped evlove and create Steed. Some shows need the central figure for the shwo to survive. Bringing a new actor or a new lead can brutally hurt a show
It really is a tricky issue. With soemthing like Bond they gambled and it paid off since Bond was too much of a money maker to stop after Connery. With Dr Who changing actors ultimately gave the show its longevity. However as stated MacNee helped evlove and create Steed. Some shows need the central figure for the shwo to survive. Bringing a new actor or a new lead can brutally hurt a show
I may just be pedantic, but I don't think Bond or Doctor Who are comparable roles. Bond existed in fiction and although drawn well via the writing, the film makers could put him into a number of different bodies. He had after all already appeared in radio and on TV before the movie franchise began. Replacing the actor wasn't the issue, it was replacing the actor with the RIGHT actor that was key. Doctor Who was an alien being in a sci-fi based show, so they really had carte blanche to do whatever they wanted with him and the genius of the regeneration kept the show going indeed.frank wrote:Another issue to consider if MacNee had left when Honor Blakman did and they did create a new character or re-cast, it's unlikely Diana Rigg would have been on the show. Rememeber she was not the original Mrs Peel to begin with. What's more they would have casted someone that gelled with the new male lead
It really is a tricky issue. With soemthing like Bond they gambled and it paid off since Bond was too much of a money maker to stop after Connery. With Dr Who changing actors ultimately gave the show its longevity. However as stated MacNee helped evlove and create Steed. Some shows need the central figure for the shwo to survive. Bringing a new actor or a new lead can brutally hurt a show
But Macnee created Steed. He didn't exist in fiction or in any other genre before he stepped onto the screen. To recast the character might indeed have worked, but it's unlikely. Had Macnee left, I think Steed would have had to go to! If they decided to continue, then Mrs Peel would have to have teamed up with... well, whatever name they could come up with. That's the only way it could have continued. And we can only conjecture if that would have worked. But had they recast Steed, I honestly believe that series 4 would have been the last. But again, just conjecture.
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frank wrote:Another issue to consider if MacNee had left when Honor Blakman did and they did create a new character or re-cast, it's unlikely Diana Rigg would have been on the show. Rememeber she was not the original Mrs Peel to begin with. What's more they would have casted someone that gelled with the new male lead
A moot point, but can you elaborate why you think Pat leaving would have had an effect on Diana Rigg being cast?
Well, no actually. That is conjecture too. Had someone been cast to replace Macnee that Diana respected and admired (possibly even MORE than Macnee) she may well have stayed. Who knows? Any guesses on a hypothetical scenario will always be conjecture, no matter which way you cut it!Rodney wrote:What isn't conjecture is that Rigg would have left before the colour season had it not been for her affection and admiration for Macnee.
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- Winged Avenger
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My point about Diana Rigg is simply that if MacNee had left after the Gale series a lot of variabilities open up about the direction of the show and therefore the casting. We are talking about a major contrafactual being proposed.
Diana Rigg was cast to replace Elizabeth Sheppard-she wasn't the original choice. That casting was in part due to the undeniable and rare chemsitry Rigg had with MacNee. What aree the odds she could connect to the new actor to a comparable degree? Or Sheppard may had remarkable enough chemistry with the new guy that Clemens et al might have been willing to stick out with her. But then there is the issue if Sheppard would have even been cast in the first palce with this different actor playing the male lead.
The showrunners would want to cast 2 people who are not only suitable for the part but connect well with and play off each other as effectively as possible. A different actress who was in the running might have end up being the winning candidate. That actress may have worked out splendidly and there would then be no reason to bring in a replacement for the role of Mrs Peel.
Diana Rigg was cast to replace Elizabeth Sheppard-she wasn't the original choice. That casting was in part due to the undeniable and rare chemsitry Rigg had with MacNee. What aree the odds she could connect to the new actor to a comparable degree? Or Sheppard may had remarkable enough chemistry with the new guy that Clemens et al might have been willing to stick out with her. But then there is the issue if Sheppard would have even been cast in the first palce with this different actor playing the male lead.
The showrunners would want to cast 2 people who are not only suitable for the part but connect well with and play off each other as effectively as possible. A different actress who was in the running might have end up being the winning candidate. That actress may have worked out splendidly and there would then be no reason to bring in a replacement for the role of Mrs Peel.