Take-Over: most frightening ever?

[Johnny O]

Funnily enough, I came across this interesting post from AdamFontaine on the IMDB.

A slight case of recycling

11 February 2010 | by AdamFontaine (Ambrosia)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0680017/

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Originality is not really considered too important in television. All that matters is getting shows on air. Back in the '60's, there was a notorious case of script recycling when an episode of 'The Saint' called 'Lida' later turned up - word for word - as 'Portrait Of Louisa', an episode of 'The Baron'. Terry Nation was stuck for ideas and, with a deadline approaching, decided to borrow from himself and hoped no-one would notice. He might have gotten away with it had not both been shown in America in the same week!

In 1966, Brian Clemens penned the storyline ( the actual script was by Tony Williamson ) for 'A Slight Case Of Reincarnation', the opening episode of Season 2 of 'Adam Adamant Lives!'. A gang of villains are out to extract a secret from Adam by means of a 'Mission: Impossible'-type scam, namely making him think he is back in 1908 and that his adventures in 1966 have been nothing but a dream.

Three years later, Clemens rewrote it as 'Requiem' for the final series of 'The Avengers'. Tara King ( Linda Thorson ) knows the whereabouts of Miranda Loxton ( Angela Douglas ), shortly to give evidence in a Murder International trial. The bad guys firstly involve her in a fake murder attempt ( a bomb goes off in Steed's flat ), and then gently pump her for information.

Four years later, Clemens used the plot a third time, as an episode of I.T.C.'s 'The Protectors', starring Robert Vaughn as 'Harry Rule' and the late Nyree Dawn Porter as 'The Contessa de Contini'. After a pre-credits sequence in which they are seemingly involved in a car crash, Harry wakes up in a fake hospital where Inspector Wilson ( Ian Hendry ) asks him about his latest case. Harry and the Contessa know the location of one Frank Dilling ( Geoffrey Morris ), who is soon to give evidence that will blow apart a ring of corruption that encircles most of Europe. Escaping, he and the Contessa make their way to where Frank is hiding out ( it looks like the movie studio seen in 'U.F.O.' ) and, after a gun battle, come out on top.

I have not seen the 'Adam Adamant Lives' version ( it was wiped years ago ), but have read the script and it looks like being one of that show's best offerings. 'The Avengers' remake made for one of the best Thorson shows, and 'Thinkback', while not quite as good, benefits from snappy direction by Cyril Frankel and a solid performance by guest star Hendry. Like most of 'The Protectors' series, it manages to entertain without necessarily being particularly outstanding. I feel the show was wrong for the half-hour format. Hour-long episodes akin to 'The Saint' and 'The Danger Man' would have improved it no end.

Interesting to see that BC used the A Slight Case Of Reincarnation/Requiem plot a third time in The Protectors' Thinkback

This is very interesting. Thanks for sharing. Considering how Terry Nation's agent would sue even small time fan magazines for daring to put a photo of a Dalek in their (limited distribution) magazines, Terry's free use of other people's work and ideas is quite staggeringly hypocritical.

[Johnny O]

OK, so I'm finally done watching all 45 epsiodes of "Thriller" and the only other Avengers episode that's cribbed is "Sleepwalker", which is somewhat similar to Pandora.

Other connections to TA are vague, but Ian Hendry and Linda Thorson guest star in 'Killer With Two Faces' and 'Lady Killer', respectively. Linda's appearance surprised me as it's well known what Brian Clemens thinks of Linda and what she thinks of him! Many, many TA and TNA guest stars make appearances in almost every episode; sometimes more than once. Both Nyree Dawn-Porter and Gabrielle Drake - two of the 'nearly' girls - pop up as guests in the series.

There is an absolute gem for Avengers fans in one script, which is really lovely. In 'Good Salary, Prospects, Free Coffin', one of the characters complains about the similarity of a certain name. One of the protagonists then points out how names become popular. He highlights that Elizabeth became popular when Queen Elizabeth came to the throne and then goes on to say that a character in a popular TV show can have the same effect. If a show's character is a big hit... "Suddenly there are hundreds of girls called Emma running around". Nice wink to TA by Clemens.

What's puzzling me now is that I know that TNA episodes 'Angels of Death' and 'Complex' are not original storylines. They've been recycled from somewhere else. But not 'Thriller' as I'd thought. So where?

[Frankymole]

OK, so I'm finally done watching all 45 epsiodes of "Thriller" and the only other Avengers episode that's cribbed is "Sleepwalker", which is somewhat similar to Pandora.

Other connections to TA are vague, but Ian Hendry and Linda Thorson guest star in 'Killer With Two Faces' and 'Lady Killer', respectively. Linda's appearance surprised me as it's well known what Brian Clemens thinks of Linda and what she thinks of him!

I thought we managed to dispel those myths before?

There's no issues between Linda and Brian Clemens and weren't as far back as "Thriller". There are photos of them with their arms round each other for goodness's sake!

[Johnny O]

OK, so I'm finally done watching all 45 epsiodes of "Thriller" and the only other Avengers episode that's cribbed is "Sleepwalker", which is somewhat similar to Pandora.

Other connections to TA are vague, but Ian Hendry and Linda Thorson guest star in 'Killer With Two Faces' and 'Lady Killer', respectively. Linda's appearance surprised me as it's well known what Brian Clemens thinks of Linda and what she thinks of him!

I thought we managed to dispel those myths before?

There's no issues between Linda and Brian Clemens and weren't as far back as "Thriller". There are photos of them with their arms round each other for goodness's sake!

Well, apparently not. The last time I saw Brian say anything about Linda he said "I wouldn't have cast her and I wouldn't have cast anyone so young". Not that I've read or seen the full interview, but Linda has described Brian in very nasty terms. Myth? At some point then, they started disliking each other.

[Johnny O]

"But Clemens was not responsible for casting Linda Thorson as Tara King. "I think Linda wasn't very good in the part"

From: TV Times, England, October 22nd 1977"

Odd how these myths get started, isn't it?

[Frankymole]

You don't believe everything you read in the press, I hope - certainly not the BRitish mags - they just make stuff up!

If Linda is so "nasty" about Brian, why'd she appear in his first "Thriller"?

No doubt we'll find out the truth at the 50th anniversary bash in June

[Johnny O]

You don't believe everything you read in the press, I hope - certainly not the BRitish mags - they just make stuff up!

Brian Clemens himself in an in-depth interview in Time Screen number 19...

"I would never have cast Linda Thorson: she was too young and fresh out of drama school, but she was John Bryce's girlfriend... need I say more!"

Shall I keep researching?

[norw27]

I don't think it's so much that Brian Clemens dislikes Linda, I think there is probably a little resentment from that early period in which he was fired then re-hired and left with a new regular he had no input into casting! I think the problem is Brian at times does seem brutally honest, so he wouldn't of cast her, thats not to say he has a problem with her. I've never heard Linda say anything bad about Brian, only about the problems at the beginning.

[darren]

Surely the issue that Clemens had with Linda Thorson was all to do with her being cast as an Avengers girl, nothing to do with her as an actress in general - she was cast in Thriller as he thought she was right for that role.

[Dandy Forsdyke]

I don't think it's so much that Brian Clemens dislikes Linda, I think there is probably a little resentment from that early period in which he was fired then re-hired and left with a new regular he had no input into casting! I think the problem is Brian at times does seem brutally honest, so he wouldn't of cast her, thats not to say he has a problem with her. I've never heard Linda say anything bad about Brian, only about the problems at the beginning.

I agree with norw27 and, as I've said before, had Brian Clemens been involved in the casting he may well have chosen Linda Thorson in the end. I did read somewhere that his choice would have been amongst three or four actress - one of whom was Gabrielle Drake. I'll see if I come across the list, but it's been mentioned before on here I'm sure.

There's a quote from Linda in the 'Look Who's Talking' edition of On Target/Stay Tuned that says "Yes, I took a lot of shit!" to the question 'Were there any noticable changes after Brian was brought back?'

She goes on to say, "They really pushed me around and I didn't appreciate it. Anything that goes into print now, I don't really care. They were really hard on me and I think I survived it pretty well".

None of this reflects how they got on after The Avengers of course and I don't think Clemens meant it as personal - Linda would have a different opinion.

I really think it's admirable how a 20 year old actress put up with the same tough working conditions as Diana Rigg ("I lived like a mole"), living on an extreme diet - including a portion of Speed - having her hair bleached until she was bald and often having bad and unwanted feedback from the producers - Patrick would often go into meetings with her as support.