The New Avengers - ITV4

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:56 am

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:Thanks. That's how I remember it.

I remember being quite surprised when I saw the live action opening credits.

I've got the 2000s French releases somewhere, it would be interesting to see how they handle it - whether they're all animated or have some of the filmed titles (the title captions have to be different anyway - French episode title and the series is called by its original name the same as the 1960s series - no New/Nouveaux!).

Alan wrote:The film montage sequences were definitely produced before the animated ones. The clue is in the end title sequences, which were made to fit in with the opening sequence. The end titles on the early episodes are green, the later ones red (to fit in with the animated sequence). These were not changed when the animated sequence was grafted onto the episodes in question.

I don't think there's any argument that this was done prior to first broadcast.

The only thing that seems odd is that on the current releases, series 1 has green end titles backgrounds and series 2 has red...

It's strange that Joanna Lumley's long brunette hair screen test is in there; and such a preponderance of scenes from a tiny handful of episodes (mostly The Midas Touch!); so these live action titles must have been prepared early on, not after production for later USA showings.

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:58 am

Whiskers wrote:I wish I'd decided to record some of the episodes now they're looking so much better. Hope it stays that way and I'll juust record a few of my favourites. Of course, I'd buy the DVDs if the "sunnier" version was released.

The Midas Touch didn't look as good as The Eagle's Nest, to me, but I haven't dubbed it to DVD yet to compare; maybe The Midas Touch official release looks tattier.

Dandy Forsdyke · Post by **Dandy Forsdyke** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:49 am

Timeless A-Peel wrote:
Dandy Forsdyke wrote:
Johnny O wrote:On the original broadcasts, the animated titles appeared on every episode. The film montages for episodes were added much later for repeats. I suspect they were considered more dramatic for the American market where the broadcasts started much later. The first time they were seen in the UK were on the 1985 ITV/Thames repeats. Before then, only the original animated titles were seen in the UK. Clearly the masters now only contain the montage openings as that's what's always repeated and what's on the DVDs.
Thanks. That's how I remember it.

I remember being quite surprised when I saw the live action opening credits.
I had never heard this before. I'd always assumed that the live action titles were created as a placeholder for the first few episodes, until they could make the live-action ones. This is new!

I thought I'd mentioned it before but perhaps not. Both series 1 and 2 were originally broadcast with the animated titles. I would have remembered any live action, especially the audition piece of Joanna as a brunette. They may well have been made but they were never shown until the repeats as Johnny O says.

Johnny O wrote:As I wrote earlier, I'm wondering if the film montage titles were the originals and were intended to be the titles for the entire series, but somebody decided to change them into the graphic titles. This would have meant that the first 6 shows needed to be updated to include the animation, but the master tapes were retained. Or it's the other way round and the filmed titles were added later. Either way, they're rubbish! I wish they'd ditch them and restore the animated titles for the entire run; as they were originally broadcast.

I think I would probably have preferred the live action (film montage) back then. Although the brunette Purdey would have confused the life out of me with no background info. The animated opening has dated faster than Space Invaders.

Neither the computer generated or montage clips compare to the stylish opening of the Rigg/Thorson opening credits and, like Timeless, I'd love to see the original idea.

Interesting to read the tweets #TheNewAvengers
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TheNewAvengers

darren · Post by **darren** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:52 pm

The Midas Touch looks consistent with the contender DVD quality.

Oh how I'd love to see this show get the restoration it deserves. Space 1999 looks stunning the last time ITV4 repeated it from the new remasterings.

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 2:29 pm

Yes, UFO had a tremendous clean-up too. And on DVD, even Strange Report did (by BBC resources) - ITC shows have done very well with some now restored and released in BluRay quality (Persuaders!, Prisoner). But TNA is owned by Studio Canal who just don't seem as interested in looking after their properties.

It's very odd when TNA gets repeated so often and Joanna Lumley has never been more famous. You'd think it had wider appeal than UFO.

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 2:32 pm

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:Neither the computer generated or montage clips compare to the stylish opening of the Rigg/Thorson opening credits and, like Timeless, I'd love to see the original idea.

Computer generated?

Dandy Forsdyke · Post by **Dandy Forsdyke** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 3:20 pm

The opening animated thing, whatever it was. I always thought of them as very primitive computer generated things.

Sam · Post by **Sam** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 3:27 pm

Timeless A-Peel wrote:
Dandy Forsdyke wrote:
Johnny O wrote: Anyone ever happen to see those supposedly-filmed live action titles with Purdey, Gambit, and Steed walking around an empty landscape? They printed the script in The Avengers and Me and claimed it was filmed, but I've always wondered if it actually was.
I remember seeing them on some of the episodes broadcast over here on CBS back in the 70's.

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:53 pm

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:The opening animated thing, whatever it was. I always thought of them as very primitive computer generated things.

I don't think so. I always thought it was simply animated and matted.

Just taken a look at the opening of House of Cards. Good gracious, remastered or not, it just looks a different type of horrible. First one I've taken a look at, so don't know how it compares to the first two.

This series is crying out for a proper restoration - it's criminal that no-one with the power to sanction one can be bothered to.

mousemeat · Post by **mousemeat** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:43 pm

Alan wrote:
Dandy Forsdyke wrote:The opening animated thing, whatever it was. I always thought of them as very primitive computer generated things.
I don't think so. I always thought it was simply animated and matted.

Just taken a look at the opening of House of Cards. Good gracious, remastered or not, it just looks a different type of horrible. First one I've taken a look at, so don't know how it compares to the first two.

This series is crying out for a proper restoration - it's criminal that no-one with the power to sanction one can be bothered to.

studio canal needs to let someone do this