The Avengers Dossier (Cornell/Topping/Day)

[PaulGreaves]

Hmm. I'm halfway through this and although it has some interesting points made on occasion, it generally feels like the newsletter of the "We Hate Tara and Brian Clemens But LOVE Emma Peel" club.

It's getting quite irritating as they call the character "Em" all the time, as though she's a close friend or something. I don't see them chummifying the names of other characters like Johnny and Mum...

Every opportunity they get to point out BCs (perceived) inadequacies they do. His episodes are by turn; silly, bland, dull, time-wasting and pointless. Interestingly, when they DO find a Clemens episode they quite like, the Notes section (where they normally have a go) is notable by it's absence...

They even have a dig at the Tara stories (and Tara) in the reviews of Cathy Gale episodes!

I'm no BC apologist (and I'll be the first to admit that not all his stuff is great) but all the bashing does feel a bit unneccesary. I have no problem with them having opinions that don't match my own, it's just that they don't feel particularly well thought through. It also feels like they haven't watched the episodes in a long time and are going by memory, which seriously damages their judgements.

I'd be interested to see if their opinions have changed all these years down the line - and with the benefit of actually being able to watch the episodes properly!

Onwards and upwards, still half of it to go...

[Dandy Forsdyke]

It's certainly an opinionated book - that adds to it's fannishness, it would make a very good personal website or blog. I am always happy to read people's opinions, even if they differ from mine.

My favourite bit is "Steed covers Emma with herbicide and feeds her to the plant - bastard!" I read the latter bit in a 'Gene Hunt' voice.

[PaulGreaves]

Yes, it is opinionated - and there's nothing wrong with that per se. However I would argue that it's a little too opinionated - to the point where each dig/complaint is becoming a bit tiresome.

Why are there no real policemen? Why are there no black people? Why is it all so un-PC?

These three complaints have cropped up time and again in the first half of the book. I get it. Enough already. Considering the authors wrote a similar book on Doctor Who I'm surprised they don't know the answers... If you want to have a dig at treatment of black people, look no further than 60's Who!

Some of it feels like moaning for the sake of it and several times I've wondered if they like the programme at all.

I agree that it would make an excellent blog, as it doesn't seem to have had an editor reigning them in from some of the more excessive comments - or a proofreader!

I'm still enjoying some of things they have to say but whereas this format worked for the Doctor Who DisContinuity Guide, it feels rather forced here. Wit, Kinkiness Factor, Champagne etc, all feels a bit puerile and an attempt to fill some space. More detailed reviews of the episodes would have been preferable (for me anyway).

[Frankymole]

Hmm. I'm halfway through this and although it has some interesting points made on occasion, it generally feels like the newsletter of the "We Hate Tara and Brian Clemens But LOVE Emma Peel" club.

It's getting quite irritating as they call the character "Em" all the time, as though she's a close friend or something. I don't see them chummifying the names of other characters like Johnny and Mum...

That's so they could do the poor "S and Em" (sadism and masochism/Steed and Em[ma]) joke for an essay title at the end.

[Halfhide]

I too find some bits in it funny, and other bits really annoying. Some episodes are hardly touched upon (especially the Cathy Gale episodes) which makes me wonder if they saw all the episodes.....

Incidentally, how can you differentiate the first edition from the second one? (Apart from hunting from the libellous quote of course ) This is what's on the cover I've got:-

[Cybernowt]

Here is a little bit on both books from The Avengers Forever site.

http://theavengers.tv/forever/king-prod3.htm

[Jasper Groat]

Incidentally, how can you differentiate the first edition from the second one? (Apart from hunting from the libellous quote of course ) This is what's on the cover I've got:-

Different title, different cover.

[Halfhide]

Ah it all makes sense now

[Dandy Forsdyke]

I think that's meant to be Cathy Gale on the cover with Steed.

[Frankymole]

Hardly!

It's meant to be Emma with her early season 4 "flick" hairstyle.

The inside of the second edition calls it (in the acknowledgements) "The Avengers Unpulped".