Great excellent news, Alan, release of Police Surgeon book.
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
The origins of the Avengers who beckoned me from the youth. There was an article in the well-known Russian TV magazine Seven Days from October 1996, which did an excellent intrigue for many Avengers fans in Russia.
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Bit later for it.
http://steedumbrella.ru/russian_publica ... page4.html
I've just been on Lulu and read the preview of your book.
http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_78/207 ... review.pdf
Wow, this is filled with a lot of new information.
I remember I read somewhere many years ago, in the early 2000s, that the production of the series began in 1959, I was so intrigued by it, that began to unsuccessfully search for materials on the series.
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Finally, I thought things will probably remain a mystery forever, until recent event.
It's exciting to find out in book preview about production order of Police Surgeon episodes, which was different from aired order. Unexpectedly see that Dr. Jeffrey Brent in early working scripts had a different name. Have a broader view of the little-known episode Diplomatic Immunity. And many other.
A pleasant factor for reading is the structure of the book, which repeats the construction of Alan and Richard's Avengers guide of the first season of series. Content is done in detail and as usual everything is written with fascination that I read from "cover to cover" (well, as a mini-book). Definitely preview is little for full picture, will buy a whole book.
Here, translate for Russian article about The Avengers and Police Surgeon from magazine Seven Days (october 1996), from which many Russian fans first learned about this series:
The Avengers
The first episodes of the TV detective show appeared in 1961 under the title Police Surgeon. His main hero was Dr. Jeffrey Brent. Actor Ian Hendry was shining in this role. He plays Dr. David Keel in the Avengers. When a gang of drug dealers kills his favorite girl, he goes to agent John Steed to avenge. Hence the name The Avengers. In the initial series, Steed had abundance of collegues. Then there remained only one - Cathy Gale, anthropologist and judoist. But soon actress Honor Blackman left and was replaced by the famous Diana Rigg.
With the appearing of Miss Peel, The Avengers have become much more dynamic. In 1970, the tape was resumed. Steed had a new partner - blue-eyed beauty Tara King (actress Linda Thorson). Actor Patrick Macnee was already 50 years old. But he was still charming, penetrating and ironic.
Yes, so in Russia seems we all believed in the state of things according to this magazine article, until 1998, when there was released August number magazine Premiere. I have to admit, I sometimes even imagined that Steed had at first about 50 assistants before Cathy Gale was left alone.
Many thanks, Alan, for wonderful gift for Avengers fans as Police Surgeon book, The origins of the Avengers. Cheers.