Overrated classic episodes

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:37 am

Frankymole wrote:"A Touch of Brimstone". Always nice to see Jeavons, but this episode is truly appaling in so many ways. Awful!

I agree also on "Brief For Murder" - it's not bad, as such, but there are plenty of better Cathy episodes.

Yes!

I agree that Brief For Murder isn't the worst the season had to offer, but we're going for episodes lauded above their station, and this one always seems to be on "best of" lists. I feel as though Steed and Cathy are guest stars on their own series, while the two old lawyers spend all their screentime drinking and praising their own brilliance. Not scintillating television.

Dandy Forsdyke · Post by **Dandy Forsdyke** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:12 am

What was the PZEV episode - Two's A Crowd. Talk about boring ...

I'll upset someone else on here but ...

Obssession. We don't need to go back to 1971 and see Purdey in a daft wig, acting so out of character in an apallingly slipshod made episode - they couldn't even get the opening right - the stock footage they used from the RAF - had they thrown in the towel by then? And to put the tin hat on it also features the loathesome smug Martin Shaw.

Mararaboomdiay · Post by **Mararaboomdiay** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:49 am

Johnny O wrote:Too Many Christmas Trees! I just haven't a clue why this is so popular. I just don't get it. Sorry.

My pick exactly - I find the plot for that episode rather boring I'm affraid. I don't get why the Avengers Forever listed it as one of the highlights of the series.

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:Obssession. We don't need to go back to 1971 and see Purdey in a daft wig, acting so out of character in an apallingly slipshod made episode - they couldn't even get the opening right - the stock footage they used from the RAF - had they thrown in the towel by then? And to put the tin hat on it also features the loathesome smug Martin Shaw.

Loathesome smug Martin Shaw?! I'd say Obsession is one of my favourite episodes, and possible my favourite when it comes to TNA, so be careful here.

I agree with you on the wig, but the episode does show Purdey's character so well, and it gave Jo a chance to show some real acting instead of the high kicks...

Dandy Forsdyke · Post by **Dandy Forsdyke** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 12:22 pm

Re: Obsession. I can see why some like it, but - for me - a big part of the joy of The Avengers is the never-never land feeling of the show. It's set in Avengerland after all; a fantasy, exaggerated version of England. This added background/realism just makes it like any other series and removes it's uniqueness.

It's a bit like the council houses we see in one of the Tara episodes. I sit there and think, "Ah that's not right ...

"

SteedMonk · Post by **SteedMonk** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 1:01 pm

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:Ugh! Pandora - a complete bloody irritation from beginning to end.

I totally agree! Pandora is one of the worst episodes ever made!

I also think, that too many Christmas trees a strange episode is, I can't understand why the episode so popular is.

cyberrich · Post by **cyberrich** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 6:00 pm

SteedMonk wrote:
Dandy Forsdyke wrote:Ugh! Pandora - a complete bloody irritation from beginning to end.
I totally agree! Pandora is one of the worst episodes ever made!

I also think, that too many Christmas trees a strange episode is, I can't understand why the episode so popular is.

Too many Xmas trees doesn't get nearly enough plaudits. It is superb!!!!

However Girl from Auntie and especially Who's who are very overrated on this forum. Very silly and not enough plot or substance to get your teeth into. Both of these made the top 10 in the polls, which astounded me. Rich.

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 6:07 pm

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:Obssession. We don't need to go back to 1971 and see Purdey in a daft wig, acting so out of character in an apallingly slipshod made episode - they couldn't even get the opening right - the stock footage they used from the RAF - had they thrown in the towel by then? And to put the tin hat on it also features the loathesome smug Martin Shaw.

It was 1970, actually, Dandy.

And I'll respectfully disagree--I think it's a wonderful character sketch, and quite brave from the series. To portray the Avengers girl in a potentially abusive relationship is something the original never would have touched. And Purdey never seems terribly out of character at all. She's only in her early twenties, naive and idealistic. I think it works to explain Purdey's character better than any other story, actually--I always felt that Purdey was the Avengers character with the most visible "issues," and this explains a lot of them. TNA was all about giving the characters a little depth--that was what was meant to make it so different from the original. Dead Men are Dangerous did pretty much the same thing with Steed.

I agree about the terrible wig, though.

I'll also chip in that I've always found Too Many Christmas Trees overrated, too. It's not a terrible episode by any means, but it doesn't grab me the way it should for a "classic." (Ditto The Cybernauts).

MRotten · Post by **MRotten** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 5:14 am

Timeless A-Peel wrote:
Frankymole wrote:"A Touch of Brimstone". Always nice to see Jeavons, but this episode is truly appaling in so many ways. Awful!

I agree also on "Brief For Murder" - it's not bad, as such, but there are plenty of better Cathy episodes.
Yes!

I agree that Brief For Murder isn't the worst the season had to offer, but we're going for episodes lauded above their station, and this one always seems to be on "best of" lists. I feel as though Steed and Cathy are guest stars on their own series, while the two old lawyers spend all their screentime drinking and praising their own brilliance. Not scintillating television.

I think "Brief for Murder" is great. Love Cathy Gale in the black wig. The Avengers episodes that bother me most are the ones in settings I don't care for, such as the circus settings in "Girl on a Trapeze" and "Conspiracy of Silence", although it's hard to criticize the former, as it is one of only two complete Ian Hendry episodes we have. I also don't care much for "The Decapod" and "Killer Whale" because of the wrestling & boxing.

Dandy Forsdyke · Post by **Dandy Forsdyke** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:07 am

Timeless A-Peel wrote: It was 1970, actually, Dandy. And I'll respectfully disagree--I think it's a wonderful character sketch, and quite brave from the series. To portray the Avengers girl in a potentially abusive relationship is something the original never would have touched. And Purdey never seems terribly out of character at all. She's only in her early twenties, naive and idealistic. I think it works to explain Purdey's character better than any other story, actually--I always felt that Purdey was the Avengers character with the most visible "issues," and this explains a lot of them. TNA was all about giving the characters a little depth--that was what was meant to make it so different from the original.

Of course it was 1970 - why did I say '71?

Perhaps I still had that clip of It's Awfully Bad For Your Eyes Darling? in my head!

But by Purdey's 'out of character' I meant the latter hysterical scenes with the

[SPOILER]

death of Larry, not the flashback scenes. Perhaps it wasn't a case of 'out of character', but rather 'too much character' for my personal taste - I dunno. I think I prefer a more 'stiff upper lip Avengers'. For me, it was another case of copying what the more emotive American cop shows were doing. But each to their own.

darren · Post by **darren** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 4:45 pm

Anyone who doesn't rate Brief for Murder is just plain wrong, there's no two ways about it!

Roll on the DVD and commentary.

I don't understand the fuss of Too Many Christmas Trees. It's an ok episode but not a pinnacle. I find the whole Dickens obsession stuff rather tedious.

Man-Eater of Surrey Green is dire with only Athene Seyler to give it any joy.

Murdersville is a horrid, nasty episode.