Which Avengers characters deserved a spin off series

[anti-clockwise]

I just loved Legacy of Death. Those would be wonderful characters. Also the episode where there was a city underground. Forgive the amnesia for I can't recall the name right now. The woman villain who acted so nervously initially was hilarious. Also the reverend in Mandrake was quite memorable.

[Frankymole]

That must be "The Living Dead" - was the woman Mandy of FOG (Friends of Ghosts)?

It'd be amusing to see more contretemps between the Scientific Measurement of Ghosts (SMOG) and the FOG people.

[anti-clockwise]

That must be "The Living Dead" - was the woman Mandy of FOG (Friends of Ghosts)?

It'd be amusing to see more contretemps between the Scientific Measurement of Ghosts (SMOG) and the FOG people.

Perfect. Yes that's the one. Yes that is a great gag with the SMOG and Fog people.

[paulpdjh]

yeah, Gale would have interesting to ponder.....but I still will suggest venus smith..as the hoots and catcalls begin to rise in loudness...

It would have been fun if Venus Smith had been introduced in series one as, I think (?), was planned when it was proposed to extend the run to 39 episodes. I'd loved to have been Steed, Dr Keel and Venus in the same episode almost as much as I'd liked to have seen Steed, Mrs Gale and Venus together in series two.

The Avengers history seems to be full of what might have been, which (for me at least) adds to the series appeal.

[mousemeat]

yeah, Gale would have interesting to ponder.....but I still will suggest venus smith..as the hoots and catcalls begin to rise in loudness...

It would have been fun if Venus Smith had been introduced in series one as, I think (?), was planned when it was proposed to extend the run to 39 episodes. I'd loved to have been Steed, Dr Keel and Venus in the same episode almost as much as I'd liked to have seen Steed, Mrs Gale and Venus together in series two.

The Avengers history seems to be full of what might have been, which (for me at least) adds to the series appeal.

i feel the same way.

[Timeless A-Peel]

yeah, Gale would have interesting to ponder.....but I still will suggest venus smith..as the hoots and catcalls begin to rise in loudness...

It would have been fun if Venus Smith had been introduced in series one as, I think (?), was planned when it was proposed to extend the run to 39 episodes. I'd loved to have been Steed, Dr Keel and Venus in the same episode almost as much as I'd liked to have seen Steed, Mrs Gale and Venus together in series two.

The Avengers history seems to be full of what might have been, which (for me at least) adds to the series appeal.

Me, too. I think her character would have fit into the plotlines better if she'd been used as she was intended. She was never written to be a standalone partner, and her character probably wouldn't have come in for as much criticism if she'd been given her intended function.

[anti-clockwise]

The sad part is that in hindsight we can see the foibles in the series but back then they probably were under pressure to write the script and did not have the fore thought that we do. but I agree. Wish we could go back and have them write it all over for us.

[Frankymole]

Me, too. I think her character would have fit into the plotlines better if she'd been used as she was intended. She was never written to be a standalone partner, and her character probably wouldn't have come in for as much criticism if she'd been given her intended function.

It would have from me. The thing I criticise (can't stand) is the bloody musical breaks and her awful songs. She can sing, but the songs are trite and useless (far from swinging 60s or Julie's usual repertoire) and the screech of the plot brakes slamming on is almost audible... even villains of the calibre of Edwin Ritchfield stand around with a simpering smile while she and the dreadful jazz trio "perform".

Just imagine if Venus and Steed had sat down to watch Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Laine do a proper jazzy musical break instead. Bliss. In fact just chuck away the Avengers plot and have a decent jazz evening.

[anti-clockwise]

Me, too. I think her character would have fit into the plotlines better if she'd been used as she was intended. She was never written to be a standalone partner, and her character probably wouldn't have come in for as much criticism if she'd been given her intended function.

It would have from me. The thing I criticise (can't stand) is the bloody musical breaks and her awful songs. She can sing, but the songs are trite and useless (far from swinging 60s or Julie's usual repertoire) and the screech of the plot brakes slamming on is almost audible... even villains of the calibre of Edwin Ritchfield stand around with a simpering smile while she and the dreadful jazz trio "perform".

Just imagine if Venus and Steed had sat down to watch Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Laine do a proper jazzy musical break instead. Bliss. In fact just chuck away the Avengers plot and have a decent jazz evening.

I haven't seen her episodes yet. But they are that bad?

[Timeless A-Peel]

Me, too. I think her character would have fit into the plotlines better if she'd been used as she was intended. She was never written to be a standalone partner, and her character probably wouldn't have come in for as much criticism if she'd been given her intended function.

It would have from me. The thing I criticise (can't stand) is the bloody musical breaks and her awful songs. She can sing, but the songs are trite and useless (far from swinging 60s or Julie's usual repertoire) and the screech of the plot brakes slamming on is almost audible... even villains of the calibre of Edwin Ritchfield stand around with a simpering smile while she and the dreadful jazz trio "perform".

Just imagine if Venus and Steed had sat down to watch Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Laine do a proper jazzy musical break instead. Bliss. In fact just chuck away the Avengers plot and have a decent jazz evening.

It does feel a bit like the show's gone on intermission, doesn't it? They don't mesh them into the plot very well, I agree, but I actually don't mind them. They could have just let the action run on with her singing in the background more often, or found creative ways to sneak them in. Venus singing and playing the piano in an attempt to put herself at ease while being held at gunpoint comes to mind. I can imagine the songs were a godsend in terms of buying time to get things together between scenes, though.

I haven't seen her episodes yet. But they are that bad?

They've taken a bit of abuse, mostly because Venus isn't a karate-chopping force of nature Avengers girl--her skill set isn't too conducive to giving her much to do. Steed basically lies and manipulates his way into getting her to do things for him, and she generally only realises she's been dropped in the deep end when she's got a gun pointed at her. The character was conceived as an addition to the Keel era--she would have been Steed and Keel's eyes and ears in seedy nightclubs, bringing them intel as needed--so she was never meant to be a full-on partner, which explains why she seems ineffective (she's probably about as effective as any of us would be in the same situation. Venus at least manages to stay alive, despite some pretty daunting odds!). She's also criticised for repeatedly trusting Steed despite his habit of manipulating her into some pretty bad situations, but if you read her backstory in her character profile--she comes from a big family that she misses quite badly, and she has lots of older brothers, so she sees Steed as kind of a surrogate big brother, and cuts him a lot of slack as a result. She does start to tell him where to get off by the end, though. So I love her--she's sweet, young, and upbeat, and if you listen to Julie Stevens on the commentary, she's just as lovely in person. I suggest watching her episodes for yourself and giving her a chance for what she is. Just don't expect another Cathy or Emma.