The Avengers International Fan Forum

MikeR wrote:Could someone tell me where does the information regarding John Dankworth providing a new Avengers theme with a vocal by Cleo Laine for John Bryce actually come from?

Apparently it was something that Dave Rogers mentioned in one of his old Avengers book but no one has ever been able to back it up.

It's always sounded to me like a fan invention but it's a fun myth - maybe we'll never know unless Mr. Rogers (wherever he now is) comes out with it.

Thanks Darren

As far as I know Dave Rogers is in Istanbul, Turkey and I exchanged emails with him several weeks ago.

However, like yourself I'd really like to see some proof of this new theme for John Bryce statement.

MikeR wrote:Thanks Darren

As far as I know Dave Rogers is in Istanbul, Turkey and I exchanged emails with him several weeks ago.

I hope he's well, I'll always be very fond of his "The Complete Avengers" book. In my formative fan years, I spent many an hour poring over that book devouring the episode guide.

Darren wrote:

MikeR wrote:Thanks Darren

As far as I know Dave Rogers is in Istanbul, Turkey and I exchanged emails with him several weeks ago.

I hope he's well, I'll always be very fond of his "The Complete Avengers" book. In my formative fan years, I spent many an hour poring over that book devouring the episode guide.

same here....eye balled the heck outta that stuff!

Goodness. Watched HOMICIDE & OLD LACE tonight and honestly cannot believe that it was worse before they reframed it with the Mother/Aunts narration. At least the restoration looked beautiful. Every cloud has a silver lining, eh?

Strangely, I just finished rewatching Homicide and Old Lace as well, and for the first time ever enjoyed it.

It remains a train-wreck of an episode though. Poor Johnny Hough is credited as the director despite much of the footage not being his; I must say I wouldn't want my name associated with the frequent intrusion of the boom microphone - it looks like they were trying to return to the filmed live days of Season 2 at times, it's so slap-dash.

I think Brian did a good job at trying to make anything out of it; if you give in to the conceit that it's pure fiction, made up by Mother to entertain his aunts, then it's not too bad.

I've never understood why The Great Great Britain Crime was completed in this fashion, but at the very least it is unique. Whether that is something to credit it for or something to breathe a sigh of relief at, I'm not really sure!

As for the 'slapdash' boom microphone intrusions, they are all within the cropping area for television, so the error is more with the modern transfers, which show too much of the frame, than with the productions themselves. (Note the early B/W Emma Peel episodes where in the new transfers you can see the top of the set of her apartment, for instance.)

It's one of those Avengers episodes that not only do I not enjoy, but also that I wish had been dropped from the run entirely. If Mr Clemens felt so adamantly that his predecessor's work was under par, it seems wrong to have treated it like this, with such public disdain.

Alan wrote:I've never understood why The Great Great Britain Crime was completed in this fashion, but at the very least it is unique. Whether that is something to credit it for or something to breathe a sigh of relief at, I'm not really sure!

As for the 'slapdash' boom microphone intrusions, they are all within the cropping area for television, so the error is more with the modern transfers, which show too much of the frame, than with the productions themselves. (Note the early B/W Emma Peel episodes where in the new transfers you can see the top of the set of her apartment, for instance.)

Yes unfair to say "slapdash" boom intrusions, they would not have been seen on broadcasts then. It is only with the modern tech that we have now things like this are being picked up. Particully if your watching the DVD's on a computer. When I watch them back on an Old TV none of this is visable. Watching one episode on a PC, I even spoted the directors knee in the bottom of screen complete with script sat on it. Don't recall which episode it was though. (Think it may have been a Black and White Peel episode)

why bother wrote:

Alan wrote:I've never understood why The Great Great Britain Crime was completed in this fashion, but at the very least it is unique. Whether that is something to credit it for or something to breathe a sigh of relief at, I'm not really sure!

As for the 'slapdash' boom microphone intrusions, they are all within the cropping area for television, so the error is more with the modern transfers, which show too much of the frame, than with the productions themselves. (Note the early B/W Emma Peel episodes where in the new transfers you can see the top of the set of her apartment, for instance.)

Yes unfair to say "slapdash" boom intrusions, they would not have been seen on broadcasts then. It is only with the modern tech that we have now things like this are being picked up. Particully if your watching the DVD's on a computer. When I watch them back on an Old TV none of this is visable. Watching one episode on a PC, I even spoted the directors knee in the bottom of screen complete with script sat on it. Don't recall which episode it was though. (Think it may have been a Black and White Peel episode)

amazing how some of these 'glitches', now turned up..thru digital processing...