Season 4: A creative idea

[Rodders]

I'd prefer to write about ones that no-one else wanted to write about. Perhaps I should get a cast-off, unloved (or less-loved) one...

I like the sound of that. An appreciation of the underappreciated Classic episodes like A surfeit of H2O never receive the plaudits they deserve. Rich.

Rich, you have to do The Cybernauts chapter, please. You have championed this wonderful episode for so long. If you are happy to offer Surfeit as well then brilliant.

[Rodders]

Ah, Deadline! And not a http://deadduck.theavengers.tv/deadduck.htm

Rodney's idea is marvellous, though I wouldn't know where to start. I certainly couldn't bid for an episode - I'd prefer to write about ones that no-one else wanted to write about. Perhaps I should get a cast-off, unloved (or less-loved) one...

Come on, then, Frank, choose one or two unloved, lost souls. A Sense of History? Two's A Crowd?

[cyberrich]

Rich, you have to do The Cybernauts chapter, please. You have championed this wonderful episode for so long. If you are happy to offer Surfeit as well then brilliant.

I'll be very happy to write The Cybernauts chapter Rodney. I hope I can find original and interesting enough words to do this wonderful episode justice I will try and find time to write the Surfeit chapter as well, but I've started rehearsing for Run for your wife this week so won't have too much free time over the next 3 months. I can always find time for those pesky robots though. Rich.

[Timeless A-Peel]

It is a 'definite'. So which episode/s can I sign you up for?

It's so hard to choose! I've been going through the list, and there are so many great episodes in there. My all-time favourite is Death at Bargain Prices, and I think it's quite possibly the best episode of the series. But I'd actually prefer to write for lesser-known episodes that I enjoy, as opposed to some of the usual suspects, like The Cybernauts or The Hour That Never Was, not because they're not good, but because they've been written about so exhaustively in so many other places, that I feel I have little left to add. So I'd like to pick The Quick-Quick Slow Death, which I've always thought was fun, but which never seems to get much love, and The Thirteenth Hole, if you'd like me to do a second. They both tend to get lost in the shuffle, so they're fresh territory to explore. But I could quite literally write about just about any of them.

I've put you down for those two. You are a star.

Cheers, Rodney. I'll get started on them in a month or so, once I finish writing some other things that are non-Avengers-related but, sadly, have to take precedence.

I'd love to see someone give Two's a Crowd a reevaluation. I've always enjoyed it, and it was one of the final four I narrowed my choices down to, but went for these two instead.

[Frankymole]

Ah, Deadline! And not a http://deadduck.theavengers.tv/deadduck.htm

Rodney's idea is marvellous, though I wouldn't know where to start. I certainly couldn't bid for an episode - I'd prefer to write about ones that no-one else wanted to write about. Perhaps I should get a cast-off, unloved (or less-loved) one...

Come on, then, Frank, choose one or two unloved, lost souls. A Sense of History? Two's A Crowd?

Anything but that bl**dy Brimstone... actually I do rather like "Two's A Crowd". I've never been bothered by Brodny.

"Small Game for Big Hunters" is a difficult one, unusually for a Philip Levene story, with the imperialist elements to the fore; and so may be interesting to tackle (it breaks the Avengers "rule" about black actors in speaking roles). "How To Succeed....At Murder" is problematical in several ways, not least overtones of sexism, but Angela Browne makes just about anything worth watching.

"Quick-Quick Slow Death" I find rather boring these days... it'd be tricky to bring to mind what made it seem fresh on the first watch.

Are you going to tackle your father's "The Girl From Auntie"? An Emma-lite episode, and a challenging one to write about, I'd wager. I find it difficult to get a handle on.

I could do "A Sense of History" but found it fairly annoying last time so would probably want to do a hatchet job on it!

Perm any two (or one) from the above... (not "Quick-Quick Slow..." as Timeless is doing it.)...

[Timeless A-Peel]

Ah, Deadline! And not a http://deadduck.theavengers.tv/deadduck.htm

Rodney's idea is marvellous, though I wouldn't know where to start. I certainly couldn't bid for an episode - I'd prefer to write about ones that no-one else wanted to write about. Perhaps I should get a cast-off, unloved (or less-loved) one...

Come on, then, Frank, choose one or two unloved, lost souls. A Sense of History? Two's A Crowd?

Anything but that bl**dy Brimstone... actually I do rather like "Two's A Crowd". I've never been bothered by Brodny.

"Small Game for Big Hunters" is a difficult one, unusually for a Philip Levene story, with the imperialist elements to the fore; and so may be interesting to tackle (it breaks the Avengers "rule" about black actors in speaking roles). "How To Succeed....At Murder" is problematical in several ways, not least overtones of sexism, but Angela Browne makes just about anything worth watching.

"Quick-Quick Slow Death" I find rather boring these days... it'd be tricky to bring to mind what made it seem fresh on the first watch.

Are you going to tackle your father's "The Girl From Auntie"? An Emma-lite episode, and a challenging one to write about, I'd wager. I find it difficult to get a handle on.

I could do "A Sense of History" but found it fairly annoying last time so would probably want to do a hatchet job on it!

Perm any two (or one) from the above... (not "Quick-Quick Slow..." as Timeless is doing it.)...

I was pretty much in the "anything but Brimstone" mindset, too...

Small Game is another one that slips through the cracks, and really does deserve more attention than it gets. And Two's a Crowd should probably be done by someone who likes Brodny if it's going to get a fair shake (I think he's lots of fun, but I'm spoken for already ). But I'd be interested in reading your take on any of them.

[Frankymole]

"Small Game..." and "Two's A Crowd" would be my choices then, but if there are plenty of volunteers then I don't mind doing either one, and giving the other up...

I look forward immensely to reading your thoughts on "The Thirteenth Hole" and "QQS Death" . "...Bargain Prices" is hard to describe without reverting to a string of superlatives, so those two could well be more interesting anyway.

Now I just need an "angle" - is this more a personal appreciation, a literate critique or an Andrew Pixley-style research-fest?? That is, should I know what was going through the creators' minds or give my opinion of what I think of their minds Facts about locations and production can be gleaned (with appropriate credit) from the works of McKay, Pixley, Hayes et al but there has to be more to an original book than a collection of facts from the net.

[darren]

It's a great idea.

I would have loved to have contributed but I know I'd just end up repeating myself and ramble to meet the word count.

[Frankymole]

Don't talk yourself out of it Darren! I'm sure there will be some editing and suggestions, not just a first draft. It's always good to have another pair of eyes which will point out any repetition and rambling so you can find a way round it

[Timeless A-Peel]

"Small Game..." and "Two's A Crowd" would be my choices then, but if there are plenty of volunteers then I don't mind doing either one, and giving the other up...

I look forward immensely to reading your thoughts on "The Thirteenth Hole" and "QQS Death" . "...Bargain Prices" is hard to describe without reverting to a strong of superlatives, so those two could well be more interesting anyway.

Now I just need an "angle" - is this more a personal appreciation, a literate critique or an Andrew Pixley-style research-fest?? That is, should I know what was going through the creators' minds or give my opinion of what I think of their minds Facts about locations and production can be gleaned (with appropriate credit) from the works of McKay, Pixley, Hayes et al but there has to be more to an original book than a collection of facts from the net.

Thanks! I can't wait to see what you do with Small Game/Two's a Crowd, too. These are all episodes that never get much written about them, so there are plenty of fresh avenues to explore. I'm sure Rodney will provide us with plenty of guidance as to how to approach the chapter.

And Darren, I'm sure you'd write a great chapter. If you're interested, I encourage you to sign up.