Should Patrick Macnee have stepped down?

ricardomartins · Post by **ricardomartins** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:55 pm

Of course not! Patrick MacNee was an important piece in the making of The Avengers!

Dandy Forsdyke · Post by **Dandy Forsdyke** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:18 pm

*Playing devil's advocate*

I wonder if Diana Rigg had stayed til the end (bizarre as that may sound), would people have said the same - particularly in the US, who had never seen Dr. Keel or Cathy Gale?

Rodney · Post by **Rodney** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:35 pm

Steed/Macnee is the only connection which unites the show and when the actor passes away - hopefully many years from now - a shadow will cross every episode.

Dandy Forsdyke · Post by **Dandy Forsdyke** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 5:03 am

Rodney wrote:Steed/Macnee is the only connection which unites the show and when the actor passes away - hopefully many years from now - a shadow will cross every episode.

Hope not. Don't fancy sending 'em back for yet more replacements ...

frank · Post by **frank** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 5:23 am

Another issue to consider if MacNee had left when Honor Blakman did and they did create a new character or re-cast, it's unlikely Diana Rigg would have been on the show. Rememeber she was not the original Mrs Peel to begin with. What's more they would have casted someone that gelled with the new male lead

It really is a tricky issue. With soemthing like Bond they gambled and it paid off since Bond was too much of a money maker to stop after Connery. With Dr Who changing actors ultimately gave the show its longevity. However as stated MacNee helped evlove and create Steed. Some shows need the central figure for the shwo to survive. Bringing a new actor or a new lead can brutally hurt a show

Johnny O · Post by **Johnny O** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 9:03 pm

frank wrote:Another issue to consider if MacNee had left when Honor Blakman did and they did create a new character or re-cast, it's unlikely Diana Rigg would have been on the show. Rememeber she was not the original Mrs Peel to begin with. What's more they would have casted someone that gelled with the new male lead

It really is a tricky issue. With soemthing like Bond they gambled and it paid off since Bond was too much of a money maker to stop after Connery. With Dr Who changing actors ultimately gave the show its longevity. However as stated MacNee helped evlove and create Steed. Some shows need the central figure for the shwo to survive. Bringing a new actor or a new lead can brutally hurt a show

I may just be pedantic, but I don't think Bond or Doctor Who are comparable roles. Bond existed in fiction and although drawn well via the writing, the film makers could put him into a number of different bodies. He had after all already appeared in radio and on TV before the movie franchise began. Replacing the actor wasn't the issue, it was replacing the actor with the RIGHT actor that was key. Doctor Who was an alien being in a sci-fi based show, so they really had carte blanche to do whatever they wanted with him and the genius of the regeneration kept the show going indeed.

But Macnee created Steed. He didn't exist in fiction or in any other genre before he stepped onto the screen. To recast the character might indeed have worked, but it's unlikely. Had Macnee left, I think Steed would have had to go to! If they decided to continue, then Mrs Peel would have to have teamed up with... well, whatever name they could come up with. That's the only way it could have continued. And we can only conjecture if that would have worked. But had they recast Steed, I honestly believe that series 4 would have been the last. But again, just conjecture.

Dandy Forsdyke · Post by **Dandy Forsdyke** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 9:18 pm

frank wrote:Another issue to consider if MacNee had left when Honor Blakman did and they did create a new character or re-cast, it's unlikely Diana Rigg would have been on the show. Rememeber she was not the original Mrs Peel to begin with. What's more they would have casted someone that gelled with the new male lead

A moot point, but can you elaborate why you think Pat leaving would have had an effect on Diana Rigg being cast?

Rodney · Post by **Rodney** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:50 pm

What isn't conjecture is that Rigg would have left before the colour season had it not been for her affection and admiration for Macnee.

Johnny O · Post by **Johnny O** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 1:26 am

Rodney wrote:What isn't conjecture is that Rigg would have left before the colour season had it not been for her affection and admiration for Macnee.

Well, no actually. That is conjecture too. Had someone been cast to replace Macnee that Diana respected and admired (possibly even MORE than Macnee) she may well have stayed. Who knows? Any guesses on a hypothetical scenario will always be conjecture, no matter which way you cut it!

frank · Post by **frank** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 2:37 am

My point about Diana Rigg is simply that if MacNee had left after the Gale series a lot of variabilities open up about the direction of the show and therefore the casting. We are talking about a major contrafactual being proposed.

Diana Rigg was cast to replace Elizabeth Sheppard-she wasn't the original choice. That casting was in part due to the undeniable and rare chemsitry Rigg had with MacNee. What aree the odds she could connect to the new actor to a comparable degree? Or Sheppard may had remarkable enough chemistry with the new guy that Clemens et al might have been willing to stick out with her. But then there is the issue if Sheppard would have even been cast in the first palce with this different actor playing the male lead.

The showrunners would want to cast 2 people who are not only suitable for the part but connect well with and play off each other as effectively as possible. A different actress who was in the running might have end up being the winning candidate. That actress may have worked out splendidly and there would then be no reason to bring in a replacement for the role of Mrs Peel.