The Complete Avengers: 50th Anniversary Edition (39 Discs)

anti-clockwise · Post by **anti-clockwise** » Wed May 22, 2013 3:22 am

Interesting. How were the actors not treated so well? I know of Riggs complaints but not for the actors in general. Did most of them have a theatre background? I cannot believe Diana did theatre at night. that does not even sound physically possible!
Well I can't wait to get the DVD set! Hope my DVD player cooperates. I read Sony DVD's are fickle with programming. Either that or I will fly to the UK to watch!

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Wed May 22, 2013 1:13 pm

anti-clockwise wrote:Interesting. How were the actors not treated so well? I know of Riggs complaints but not for the actors in general. Did most of them have a theatre background? I cannot believe Diana did theatre at night. that does not even sound physically possible!

Just a general impression from what I've read, mainly working long hours for less than they really should have gotten given overseas sales and merchandising and the like. Lots of long days where they'd supposed to be churning out an episode every 10 days to 2 weeks, but would inevitably get behind, and wind up shooting two, three, sometimes four episodes simultaneously. Honor Blackman didn't get a single solitary day off all the way through when she did season 2. If she wasn't shooting or rehearsing, she was doing costume fittings, or press interviews, or training for her fights. As Diana said, it was the life of a mole--you went into the studio before the sun came up, and left when it was dark, never having seen the daylight. They just worked incredibly hard, though generally they seemed to take it pretty cheerfully. I have no idea how Diana managed the double-duty at the theatre--she used to nap in her dressing room during her lunch hour, so I suppose that helped.

A lot of actors did theatre at one point or another. Gareth had a lot of theatre behind him when he did TNA (he also pulled a Diana Rigg-style double shift during the early part of TNA's first season). Linda was fresh out of drama school when she did the show, but went on to do a lot of theatre, and Patrick, Honor, and Joanna have been on the stage quite a bit over the years.

anti-clockwise · Post by **anti-clockwise** » Wed May 22, 2013 2:03 pm

wow being an actor then was not very glamorous. Not like today a million an episode. Somewhere in between the 2 sounds more fair. But i guess it's not the money at the time but the fame later that has paid off for them. Wonder why they did not fight for more money if the show was so successful?

Speed Six · Post by **Speed Six** » Wed May 22, 2013 2:36 pm

I think Diana did fight for a pay rise after the first season, but generally speaking actors aren't paid a great deal for their work over here. There are quite a few to chose from as well !

Regarding the situation where actors might appear on stage in the evening while acting in a TV show during the day - it's not so much of a problem in the UK where the West End theatres and the main film studios aren't that far from each other.

anti-clockwise · Post by **anti-clockwise** » Wed May 22, 2013 3:48 pm

But in this day and age the famous ones must get paid well? I live in California and what Charlie Sheen made over a million an episode on his show? Don't quote me on it but they are ridiculous salaries. THey are just actors.

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Wed May 22, 2013 4:02 pm

Speed Six wrote:I think Diana did fight for a pay rise after the first season, but generally speaking actors aren't paid a great deal for their work over here. There are quite a few to chose from as well !

Regarding the situation where actors might appear on stage in the evening while acting in a TV show during the day - it's not so much of a problem in the UK where the West End theatres and the main film studios aren't that far from each other.

I can see that. I was reading an old interview with Patrick from the Rigg era, and he was commenting on how geography made it quite easy to have a play, a movie, and a TV series all going at once, and commute in-between, whereas in North America everything's much farther apart. It still must put a strain on them after awhile, though--if you're up at 5:30 to catch your ride to the studio, and your play doesn't close until late in the evening, that really doesn't leave much time for sleep and the other necessities of life. Diana looks visibly more tired throughout the colour episodes as it starts to take its toll.

I suspect there was a certain degree of, "We're giving you a regular job, don't complain" going on as well. Diana had some leverage in that the show was doing well internationally, but not everyone would have had that advantage.

anti-clockwise · Post by **anti-clockwise** » Wed May 22, 2013 5:58 pm

It is a very different life for an actor in the UK vs. in North America and I guess still is. Sounds a bit overwhelming but rather exciting. This board is so informative as it really is international!

supersimon · Post by **supersimon** » Wed May 22, 2013 7:29 pm

Frankymole - I just love that picture of Tara that you have - could it be made available in good quality resolution?!!

TIA

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Wed May 22, 2013 9:55 pm

supersimon wrote:Frankymole - I just love that picture of Tara that you have - could it be made available in good quality resolution?!!

TIA

This is the highest resolution that I found it in:

http://www.wrekers.nl/Season7.htm

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Thu May 23, 2013 4:00 pm

Frankymole wrote:
supersimon wrote:Frankymole - I just love that picture of Tara that you have - could it be made available in good quality resolution?!!

TIA
This is the highest resolution that I found it in:

http://www.wrekers.nl/Season7.htm

PURRR to the rescue (not exactly the same picture, but from the same shoot):

http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy19 ... 513_01.jpg