PR: Avengerworld - The Avengers in Our Lives (Charity Title)

[Andrew Pixley]

Hi Denis

The very good review of the book from Andrew. And nice to hear good words from Alan and Andrew for my essay.

My pleasure. Thank you for the delight of your essay! I think it's a terrific piece of writing and I've been using it as a selling point to try to attract other people into getting the book.

When I first learned that Alan planned to create "Avengerworld", book which will include the memories of fans from around the world, I thought, that despite the fact that there will be subconsciously to arise the question "How many the book will be actually of great value for people who did not participate in the project?" it's a good point for the history of fandom - history of the first generation of fans of the series and those who have started to get acquainted with the series later. The idea to create a diary, which I sure will acquire more value with the passage of time, was the factor that I decided to participate for the first time as a serious writer in the production for the general public. I never considered myself a good writer in all directions at all, but the theme of "TV series in Russia" was one of those that I felt I must to reveal for those interested in the history of the Avengers in the countries where it seemed a little or not fans of the series. For many years I dreamed to study, at the least, part of the series history in Africa, Asia and parts of Europe (Finland, Sweden, Poland, Czechoslovakia ...), etc. and all this led that I decided to write the memoirs in style, how would it looked if I read the author's material from other little-study country in Avengers area. I have seen a sense such material not only as a history of the Avengers, but the development of television production in the country to better understand what was period of time when functioned the series and a group of fans in.
Thus, the first problem of this material was that I could not put such content into a small volume - I consulted with Alan and it was decided that I write material, and in the end there will editing.
In the process, there was a wonderful thing, I discovered the old TV schedules and using them found out that some of the information about foreign products in USSR on the internet and the old printed materials is incorrect. That said, it was important to investigate this topic thoroughly and to post for the first time the correct list of TV products, which was done.
Then, the material about the development of the series and foreign Movie and TV production in Russia began to get so many long that I realized that all of this can to result in a whole book and began to squeeze the narrative maximally. As a result, I was dissatisfied with my work, but Alan conducted the editing in so way that when I read it, I was happy that it was comfortably for learn, and the main thing - the value of information and the meaning has been preserved intact.
I read some of the other essays by Russian authors that are presented in the book, and I must say I got new knowledge. Yes, I'm sure any author in this book will enrich a reader with new knowledge.
For instance, Tatiana Bakova (April Kane), the creator of single Russian the Avengers group (in social network VK), wrote not only about the acquaintance with series and the establishment of the group, but the memories of the unique TV brodcasting of the series in Hungary in 1968, some of the details about a single movie screening the series in Moscow (in a famous cinema club) etc. That is, if I have learned the new material in the essays by Russian writers (which they did not previously told elsewhere), then how many things I'll be able to learn from the essays by writers outside of native country?
I look forward to when the book falls into my hands, to delve into the memories of others.

I'm sure you're going to find the book absolutely fascinating ... and it's good to have this history of fandom recorded in a non-electronic form. Fora such as this can be so ephemeral ... and whole chunks of history can just vanish (unlike the old hard-copy fanzines).

For me - for whom "The Avengers" is just one of many fascinating shows to study - having you put its Russian broadcasts in context with other imported shows was quite, quite fascinating. For example, you refer to "Chimpmates" which was actually a cinema film series in the dying days of Saturday Morning Cinema Clubs in the 1970s and - to the best of my knowledge - never got a UK TV broadcast (although I think it syndicated in the US).

And although the UK-based chapters for me may be covering more familiar ground, they're fun reads and I'm sure you'll get the same kick out of reading them and learning about the different perspectives as I am from discovering more about how Steed and his chums fought diabolical masterminds around the world!

Temporarily diverted by a PhD thesis on British children's television, but hoping to get back to the remainder of this volume very soon.

And thanks again Denis, that was a really, really superb essay!

All the best

Andrew

[denis rigg]

Hi Andrew

My pleasure. Thank you for the delight of your essay! I think it's a terrific piece of writing and I've been using it as a selling point to try to attract other people into getting the book.

It definitely is honor for me to hear these words from you, and more, your enjoyment of the entire book says the content actually deserves attention not only fans of the series The Avengers, as might think, but also people interested in the television history. I truly wanted to see "Avengerworld" as final product in this way - wide view on the subject, affecting not only the events and people's lives with the Avengers, but TV with which they lived. And the proof (at least for me) - except I had the pleasure of pre-study the Russian essays, where authors told of some cognitive things, thanks your "conclusion about book" (Andrew Pixley - TV historian, which always estimates the things like this book from personal view), it becomes enough perceptible that the Avengerworld is well filled with material in this field by other authors, too.

I'm sure you're going to find the book absolutely fascinating ... and it's good to have this history of fandom recorded in a non-electronic form. Fora such as this can be so ephemeral ... and whole chunks of history can just vanish (unlike the old hard-copy fanzines).

For me - for whom "The Avengers" is just one of many fascinating shows to study - having you put its Russian broadcasts in context with other imported shows was quite, quite fascinating. For example, you refer to "Chimpmates" which was actually a cinema film series in the dying days of Saturday Morning Cinema Clubs in the 1970s and - to the best of my knowledge - never got a UK TV broadcast (although I think it syndicated in the US).

And although the UK-based chapters for me may be covering more familiar ground, they're fun reads and I'm sure you'll get the same kick out of reading them and learning about the different perspectives as I am from discovering more about how Steed and his chums fought diabolical masterminds around the world!

Temporarily diverted by a PhD thesis on British children's television, but hoping to get back to the remainder of this volume very soon.

And thanks again Denis, that was a really, really superb essay!

All the best

Andrew

Indeed, I felt some problems with my memoirs while working on the essay. Despite the fact that most of the events and important things I could remember from the corners of past (thanks to the training memory as an actor for a long time), I was happy that at one time kept a diary, which helped me to set the some dates and a certain order of "ancient" events.
To my surprise, I have successfully reproduced all the material about which wrote, though some old events that a few years earlier I remembered very clear, by fragments began to blur. So, I was very enthusiastic to be involved to a desire "to record" all important for the history.

Many thanks for info about "Chimpmates", Andrew. I suspected that this series was not shown on TV in the UK, as I could not find information of it, but was not sure about other countries. It was a moot point for the section "Non-Soviet Television Imports Shown in the USSR (1985-1988)", but I decided to include it as a curious product, shown as a television series in the USSR.
It is interesting that many Russians are search for it, but confused by the memory with other serials about chimpanzees and suppositive years of TV broadcasting in USSR (from the late 1980s to the early 1990s). In some respects it is not surprising, since Chimpmates is not on IMDB and some other major movie and TV bases where usually people are researches for products.
Unfortunately I have not seen it on Soviet television and was thinking "what is at stake?". It was difficult to come to definite opinion, and could was only hope that someone has video tapes in collection. The chances were slim, because many foreign TV series with Russian voice in broadcasting in the Soviet Union were also on the wanted list for many years (this is a great success, that there available, for instance, mini-series The Invisible Man - 1984 from BBC - with original Russian voice). Only through TV schedules that I found while working on an essay, things have come to light.

Wish Good luck, Andrew, for a PhD thesis on British children's television, and new impressions of unexplored material in the Avengerworld.

Again, thanks for your very kind words for large Russian essay.



Some interesting information regarding the Invisible Man in Russia.
Search for the series with Russian soundtrack already became the lead since the end of 1980s (it was shown in the USSR only twice before and never in Russia). With the development of the Internet in main cities of Russia and the emergence of large-scale video market there, it seemed that things have to change dramatically, but actually just started to gain the groups who want to find one or the other rare product in the version that was shown in the USSR. Of course, still functions State Film Fund, but the purchase of such products there is under the control of its (in order to avoid leakage of information to the pirates) and a lot of money, so the ordinary viewers could only throw up the hands to the side and look for collectors or just holders of rare records.
In the mid-2000s to me in the trade pavilion on the Russian video market came a man, an obvious fan of the series. I agreed to help him on the basis to ask some buyers and collectors who come to me for the info of available this film with Russian soundtarck anywhere, except State Film Fund. All was in vain, for the second time fan of the Invisible Man came to me with the information about the series on three sheets, which were printed from the web and gave it to me. I felt that such a pace, the pavilion where I work will turn as a place for Invisible Man fans. I advised the man to order the single-voice translation of series to the translator Andrei Dol'skij (which at the time was the most famous
cheap-translator for the products produced on Russian DVD compilations). After some doubts, he agreed to this option on the basis that the series will be known for the modern Russian audience after the implementation of the product on the market and in RuNet.
The deed was done. Soon wishing to find this project in classical Russian sountrack has increased and someone like the wave of instant magic wand, presented a long-awaited product. It was incredible , but one of the most exciting British mini-series in the USSR was finally available in the desired form.
As for many other foreign series, the number of wishing was not so great that, probably, same a thing could happen - although rarely know when to expect surprises.

[Andrew Pixley]

Hi Denis

In haste ...

I truly wanted to see "Avengerworld" as final product in this way - wide view on the subject, affecting not only the events and people's lives with the Avengers, but TV with which they lived.

The finished volume most definitely achieves this ...

Andrew Pixley - TV historian

As I said to Alan ... that's a strange description. And probably a bit meaningless ... and over-generous. Frankly, it's the sort of thing that Network DVD are kind enough to put on the back of the box to describe me when I've written some viewing notes and they want to avoid the phrase "bloke who watches too much television". But they and Alan have been kind enough to use it ... even although it's a silly part-time hobby that allows a lot of fun rather than a serious career structure of any sort!

Many thanks for info about "Chimpmates", Andrew. I suspected that this series was not shown on TV in the UK, as I could not find information of it, but was not sure about other countries. It was a moot point for the section "Non-Soviet Television Imports Shown in the USSR (1985-1988)", but I decided to include it as a curious product, shown as a television series in the USSR.

My pleasure. As I say, you got me fascinated there. Wasn't one I recalled at all. In fact, I didn't even realise people were still making cinema serials of that sort in the 1970s ... I'd assumed the practice had died out in the 1960s.

Very interesting to read about the BBC version of "The Invisible Man"; fascinating and atmospheric little production and I'm glad it found its way around the world ...

Wish Good luck, Andrew, for a PhD thesis on British children's television,

Just to clarify ... this is something which I'm reading not writing and which has forced me to break off from "Avengerworld" temporarily. The thesis is by a friend of ours and her research is quite superb, confirming a number of suspicions I'd had about the ITV stations' commitment to children's drama in the late 1960s. But her PhD thesis and definitely not mine, She's a smart clever lady and I'd never have the abilities in the academic field to come up with anything half as smart as she's assembled here.

All the best

Andrew

[Alan]

Avengerworld has now broken through the £450 barrier in terms of charity funds raised. Absolutely delighted!

Still hoping for £500 or better by the end of the month.

http://www.hiddentigerbooks.co.uk/aveng ... harity.htm

[Alan]

[Peter Motte]

It's a great collection!
Very amusing to read. Entertaining. Funny. Lots of nice and cherished memories. Diverse opinions and views.

[Alan]

Glad you enjoyed it, Peter. And thanks for being a part of it!

[miller]

I ordered the hardback edition and 16 days in transit and I still have not received the book. I am getting a bit worried now.

[Alan]

Hi Miller,

That does sound a little excessive. I recommend that you go into your account at Lulu and report a problem with the order.

They are very good in these instances, so while they may ask you to wait a few days before they issue a replacement, they WILL help you.

Best,

Alan

[Alan]

Good news!

The first month's revenues for Champion Chanzige will be £612.83 (or thereabouts, depending on currency exchange rates around the middle of March, when they will be paid).

This is a fabulous achievement, and will pay for a water harvesting unit to be purchased and fitted at Chanzige Primary School in Tanzania.

Thanks to everyone who has purchased.