Who gave the best performance?

[Timeless A-Peel]

The crew all called her "Diana" half the time anyway, so it wouldn't have made a difference.

Don't quite buy that, I think Joanna was just having a joke there!

I don't think she was! She said it tapered off eventually. I believe that more than her well-polished anecdote about having to beg for an audition.

[KennyG]

King seemed a lot grumpier and less cooperative than Keel. I like the way he quickly gets fed up over his three episodes (Venus Smith seems to vary with the wind).

It's unclear how he got involved in crimefighting - inveigled by Steed somehow, no doubt - but he seems a lot less fervent about it than Keel who, after all, had something eprsonal to avenge against the underworld.

King was probably the least co-operative of Steed's partners: he would get stuck in but he needed some initial persuading. Keel strikes me as being a lot more gung-ho than his successor.

It strikes me that King is probably an old friend of Steed's - in The Sell-Out, he only really becomes involved when he realises that Steed's life is in danger. That probably explains why he's so fed up of Steed's antics.

[Dandy Forsdyke]

It just seems odd to me that professionals would accidently call Joanna 'Diana' - especially when you consider the 10 year gap between Diana and Joanna's episodes. Not to mention no whisper of apparent confusion between Diana and her immediate successor, Linda Thorson.

It also interests me that Brian Clemens disagreed with Joanna's version of the story of her audition; that she had apparently begged the producers for a chance for The New Avengers "That couldn't be more wrong! I had always wanted Jo", according to BC, adding that he had met, and got to know, JL a couple of years before when she had a small part (deleted) in one of the Dr. Phibes movies.

[Timeless A-Peel]

It just seems odd to me that professionals would accidently call Joanna 'Diana' - especially when you consider the 10 year gap between Diana and Joanna's episodes. Not to mention no whisper of apparent confusion between Diana and her immediate successor, Linda Thorson.

It also interests me that Brian Clemens disagreed with Joanna's version of the story of her audition; that she had apparently begged the producers for a chance for The New Avengers "That couldn't be more wrong! I had always wanted Jo", according to BC, adding that he had met, and got to know, JL a couple of years before when she had a small part (deleted) in one of the Dr. Phibes movies.

Joanna claims that a lot of the crew had worked on the Emma episodes, and it just sort of slipped out. Although you're right--most of them would likely have been on the Thorson episodes as well.

Joanna has admitted that she's "polished" the audition story up a bit and that it's not strictly accurate. Still, there are a lot of versions floating around. Clemens, as you say, says he spotted her on the set of The Abominable Dr. Phibes and liked her instantly--"She looked great in a fur hat."--and that he wanted her all along, only submitting to the auditions because they were a) good publicity, and b) to persuade Laurie Johnson and Albert Fennell that she was right. He also claims he wanted Gareth right off the bat because he'd seen him in Upstairs, Downstairs, whereas Gareth seemed to be under the impression that Patrick Mower was a shoe-in (even though he never seems to have been tested, oddly enough). There's something inherently suspicious about the fact that Gareth and Joanna screentested together, though. Some sources say he was cast first, but if that was right he would have read with a bunch of actresses, and I think I read somewhere he only audtioned with Joanna and one other. It's entirely possible the sceptics Joanna mentions were Fennell and Johnson, and Brian Clemens just sort of maneuvered them together for the audition process without ever telling them he had them in mind--otherwise they never would have been so disheartened when they broke that table.

[Dandy Forsdyke]

Sounds good to me. I think Gareth also auditioned with Gabrielle Drake, which makes me think she was next in line if Joanna didn't get the part. Just a guess ...

I get a buzz from seeing unsuccessful Avenger girls get other parts in the show. I think it shows that they're good nature and it's interesting for us, as viewers, to see them.

[Timeless A-Peel]

Sounds good to me. I think Gareth also auditioned with Gabrielle Drake, which makes me think she was next in line if Joanna didn't get the part. Just a guess ...

I get a buzz from seeing unsuccessful Avenger girls get other parts in the show. I think it shows that they're good nature and it's interesting for us, as viewers, to see them.

He may well have done. He did the screentest with Joanna, but there were a couple of other auditions, too, and I don't think he did an original reading with her. Poor Gabrielle Drake, always the Avengers girl that never was. I love her in Dead Men are Dangerous--she sparks off Gareth pretty well.

Trudi Van Doorn, from The Eagle's Nest, auditioned for Purdey as well, as did Geraldine Moffat from House of Cards, so there were a lot of consolation prizes going around.

[Charlie Parker]

I remember reading somewhere that there were a number of scripts already written for Keel when Hendry decided to leave, and a number of them were re-written for Cathy Gale. Dr King only came about because the storylines of those three episodes required that character to be a medical doctor. If this is true, does anyone know which of the Cathy episodes may have been originally been Keel stories?

Leonard White states on his commentary that part of the reason they created Dr. King was because they were keeping their options open. Honor was initially signed up for six episodes (which I guess are the ones where Steed is central to the titles), Julie was signed up for six and they wanted a woman so it seems that Dr. King's invention was purely a safe guard. Of course memory isn't the most reliable of things so it may of been misremembered.
Still begs the question, why create a new character instead of just simply recasting Dr. Keel? Shame they got rid of Ingrid though.

[Timeless A-Peel]

I remember reading somewhere that there were a number of scripts already written for Keel when Hendry decided to leave, and a number of them were re-written for Cathy Gale. Dr King only came about because the storylines of those three episodes required that character to be a medical doctor. If this is true, does anyone know which of the Cathy episodes may have been originally been Keel stories?

Leonard White states on his commentary that part of the reason they created Dr. King was because they were keeping their options open. Honor was initially signed up for six episodes (which I guess are the ones where Steed is central to the titles), Julie was signed up for six and they wanted a woman so it seems that Dr. King's invention was purely a safe guard. Of course memory isn't the most reliable of things so it may of been misremembered.
Still begs the question, why create a new character instead of just simply recasting Dr. Keel? Shame they got rid of Ingrid though.

Recasting is generally not a very good idea. I think it's smarter to move forward with a new character instead of trying to revive an old one, and I think they were probably of that opinion, too--move forward, not back.I doubt the audience would have accepted anyone other than Hendry in the role.

[Johnny O]

Sounds good to me. I think Gareth also auditioned with Gabrielle Drake, which makes me think she was next in line if Joanna didn't get the part. Just a guess ...

I get a buzz from seeing unsuccessful Avenger girls get other parts in the show. I think it shows that they're good nature and it's interesting for us, as viewers, to see them.

I don't know if Gabrielle was next in line, but I know Louise Jameson (who went on to play Leela in Doctor Who) was also one of the final shortlisted actresses. She has often said she got down to the "final 6", but again, she may be exaggerating. I'd have to think she'd have done a screen test had she really got that close!

[Dandy Forsdyke]

Still begs the question, why create a new character instead of just simply recasting Dr. Keel? Shame they got rid of Ingrid though.

They never recast an established Avengers character and I'm pleased about that. Brian Clemens once said, had Patrick been younger, he would have recast Emma Peel with Joanna Lumley, which I think would have been courting disaster.

I don't know if Gabrielle was next in line, but I know Louise Jameson (who went on to play Leela in Doctor Who) was also one of the final shortlisted actresses. She has often said she got down to the "final 6", but again, she may be exaggerating. I'd have to think she'd have done a screen test had she really got that close!

I agree. It's a bit like Bond. Not a year goes by when someone says, "I was nearly Bond". Peter Purvis (ex Blue Peter presenter was a recent - and surprising - one). Thank heavens Louise Jameson never got the role, I disliked her intensely in Doctor Who.

I think it sounds better in interviews and looks better on your CV if you say you got closer to a choice role than you actually did.