That Hallway Looks Familiar!

The place for general chat about the television series and its characters, from the ABC years through to The New Avengers.
unclefester
Little Wonder
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2023 11:19 pm
Has thanked: 93 times
Been thanked: 37 times

That Hallway Looks Familiar!

Post by unclefester »

I wonder just how many episodes included a scene or two from the well worn "hallway" on the studio set?

I get a kick out of discovering yet another scene in the oh-so-familiar hall, that despite the effort of the crew to change wall paper and colour scheme looks 90 per cent the same.

I'm hoping the two scenes below from Invasion of the Earth Men and The Superlative Seven illustrate my point. Other than Steed's and Emma's flat I suggest this area got plenty of air time.

Do you agree? And can you add any other episodes that also feature this hallway?

HHHHHHallway11.jpg
HHHHHHallway11.jpg (250.16 KiB) Viewed 220 times
HHHHHHHallway22.jpg
HHHHHHHallway22.jpg (263.2 KiB) Viewed 220 times
Online
User avatar
Frankymole
You Have Just Been Posting (a lot)
Posts: 6529
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:33 am
Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
Has thanked: 323 times
Been thanked: 251 times

Re: That Hallway Looks Familiar!

Post by Frankymole »

I guess it is to The Avengers what running down corridors is to Doctor Who!
Last watched: "Mandrake"
User avatar
Allard
The Ministry
Posts: 2283
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:10 pm
Location: The Netherlands
Has thanked: 163 times
Been thanked: 75 times

Re: That Hallway Looks Familiar!

Post by Allard »

Just watched an THE BARON last evening and one of the sets could just as well have been a screenshot from THE AVENGERS (or THE SAINT/DEPARTMENT S/....).
Probably a lot of overlap in set builders and as we know in props.

I just doesn't bother me, because it is not a mistake and why watch to just find faults? I quite like spotting these.
User avatar
dissolute
The Ministry
Posts: 3097
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:03 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 180 times
Been thanked: 195 times
Contact:

Re: That Hallway Looks Familiar!

Post by dissolute »

The hallway with the pointed archways turns up all over the place - Castle De'ath, Too Many Christmas Trees, The House that Jack Built, What the Butler Saw etc.
The exact same creepy old house set is use for The Joker and The Superlative Seven and I remember that the one in Don't Look Behind You turns up again later as well.

Then there's that cast iron spiral staircase...
Mrs Peel, you're needed!
http://www.dissolute.com.au/the-avengers-tv-series/
Every episode from 1961 to 1977 plus more trivia than you can shake a brolly at.
Online
User avatar
Frankymole
You Have Just Been Posting (a lot)
Posts: 6529
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:33 am
Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
Has thanked: 323 times
Been thanked: 251 times

Re: That Hallway Looks Familiar!

Post by Frankymole »

Allard wrote: Sun Apr 28, 2024 8:56 pm Just watched an THE BARON last evening and one of the sets could just as well have been a screenshot from THE AVENGERS (or THE SAINT/DEPARTMENT S/....).
Probably a lot of overlap in set builders and as we know in props.

I just doesn't bother me, because it is not a mistake and why watch to just find faults? I quite like spotting these.
Quite a lot of the furniture seemed to shuttle back and forth in the various Elstree/Borehamwood scene stores, prankster Roger Moore used to hide in wardrobes that were used in The Saint and then jump out of them in the studio for shows like The Avengers (but I presume he hadn't been in there all the time in-between!).
Last watched: "Mandrake"
User avatar
Allard
The Ministry
Posts: 2283
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:10 pm
Location: The Netherlands
Has thanked: 163 times
Been thanked: 75 times

Re: That Hallway Looks Familiar!

Post by Allard »

Its like proto-IKEA where a lot of furniture is the same. :D
mousemeat
They Keep Posting about Steed
Posts: 7066
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:26 am
Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
Has thanked: 84 times
Been thanked: 97 times

Re: That Hallway Looks Familiar!

Post by mousemeat »

ugh....IKEA is the new norm for blandness....lol......then again, there are many who actually like their offerings
User avatar
darren
Diabolical Mastermind
Posts: 2113
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:31 pm
Location: UK
Has thanked: 35 times
Been thanked: 26 times

Re: That Hallway Looks Familiar!

Post by darren »

Elstree studios had a scenery store filled with stock elements (usually built for whatever big budget movie came to film there). Solid sets were expensive to build as they included scaffolding to hold them together - as a result they'd get redressed and repainted and used for a couple of episodes. The Avengers didn't hold on to most sets for longer than 3 or more episodes. Shows like Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) had a house hallway with stairs that appears redressed for pretty much the whole run of episodes.

The above examples aren't the same.

The pub set from The Town of No Return turns up in The Man-Eater of Surrey Green and Silent Dust.

The set reuse is more apparent in the colour episodes as the turnover of production was much quicker due to the rush to meet American airdates.

Examples:

The opening episodes of season 5 designed by Wilfred Shingleton (before Robert Jones took over as permanent designer from The Living Dead up to Bizarre) pretty much all feature the large mansion house lounge with imposing fireplace seen in Escape in Time and used until The Winged Avenger in various configurations.

The house from The Joker is seen again in The Superlative Seven in a ruined state (or the other way round).

A lounge in The Curious Case of the Countless Clues turns up again in Forget-Me-Knot and Split

The church in Thingumajig becomes Happychap's office in Bizarre.

The underground base from They Keep Killing Steed is repurposed as Mother's different offices twice - entered through a manhole in False Witness and through a telephone box in The Interrogators.

There are loads more examples. It was very common for filmed UK TV shows of the time.

It's not unheard of even now. In series 6 of modern Doctor Who, they built a set to represent the Oval Office in the US White House and the same space got reused in every episode that series usually with added stairs.
mousemeat
They Keep Posting about Steed
Posts: 7066
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:26 am
Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
Has thanked: 84 times
Been thanked: 97 times

Re: That Hallway Looks Familiar!

Post by mousemeat »

re using sets, etc...has been going on for eons....Adventures of Superman (1951-1957) did similar stuff, like that as well..Irwin Allen, also reused sets, etc

cinema window dressing ...lol
unclefester
Little Wonder
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2023 11:19 pm
Has thanked: 93 times
Been thanked: 37 times

Re: That Hallway Looks Familiar!

Post by unclefester »

More hallway

From The Joker

The prop department was sure kept busy!

HHHHHallway11.jpg
HHHHHallway11.jpg (350.95 KiB) Viewed 14 times
Post Reply