The Avengers International Fan Forum

I'm just curious if anyone knows more about the home video distribution of The Avengers in the US.

It appears that A&E Home Video is no longer distributing the series in the US.

Lando wrote:I'm just curious if anyone knows more about the home video distribution of The Avengers in the US.

It appears that A&E Home Video is no longer distributing the series in the US.

I'm thinking (and this is only a guess) that they may be waiting to see what happens with the Optimum release in the UK. Optimum has really gone all out with these releases it seems (Thanks to Jazz and Alan) and I think any new distributions here in the US are going to have to come very close if not equal to the UK release.

Again, this is strictly a guess on my part and is not based on any known fact.

Thank you, kim!

What I would like to see in the USA (if anybody is "in the know" with any DVD companies who happen to be reading this thread):

A complete "origins/Cathy Gale" box set with all the earliest seasons.

The "Complete Emma Peel" set still available (thought at least I got mine in this case)

A "Complete Tara" set

A "Complete New Avengers" set.

It would make things extremely convenient to US Avengers fans to have that as an option.

I think if The Avengers is re-released in the US, it should be done with the US viewer in mind. The black and white Rigg series should have the chessboard intro at the beginning of all episodes (as I believe it was attached to all 26) plus the brief segue from the show to the commercial (it was The Avengers logo, becoming gradually smaller accompanied by brief music, with the reverse for coming out of the commercial). The Tara season should have the half-dozen or so (I'm not sure how many there were) episodes with the studio intro, complete with the sound of the gun being fired (and Steed showing his bowler hat with a bullet hole in it) as originally aired. This kind of catering to the US fan is necessary, I think, to get us to invest in the series again. Bonus features, perhaps a few things exclusive to the US releases, would also have to be included. I am certainly springing for all of the UK Optimum sets, but, yes, it does leave one curious as to what will happen stateside. Will the show next be released in the US on Blu-ray only? Stay tuned.

MRotten wrote:I think if The Avengers is re-released in the US, it should be done with the US viewer in mind. The black and white Rigg series should have the chessboard intro at the beginning of all episodes (as I believe it was attached to all 26) plus the brief segue from the show to the commercial (it was The Avengers logo, becoming gradually smaller accompanied by brief music, with the reverse for coming out of the commercial).

The UK had the advert bumpers too - after all, The Avengers was shown on commercial television (ITV)!

I'm thinking that having a full set will really get people to invest. I just got the new slimcase Space: 1999 set, avoiding all the previous versions... and I bet there would be American fans who would get complete Cathy and Tara sets as opposed to trying to track down the small sets.

Borgus Weems wrote:I'm thinking that having a full set will really get people to invest. I just got the new slimcase Space: 1999 set, avoiding all the previous versions... and I bet there would be American fans who would get complete Cathy and Tara sets as opposed to trying to track down the small sets.

The problem is that it seems as though most of the American public is mainly only aware of the Diana Rigg seasons. They are by far the most popular. We hardcore fans of course are into more than that, but the general public is less enthusiastic, if interested at all. For a considerable number of people in the US to purchase an entire Cathy Gale or Tara King set is probably expecting too much, but then, how else would they come out a second time? A & E did a decent job releasing them gradually as they did, with a glitch or two here and there (the shoddy print of "You'll Catch Your Death" and the persistent fly during "The White Elephant").

Frankymole wrote:

MRotten wrote:I think if The Avengers is re-released in the US, it should be done with the US viewer in mind. The black and white Rigg series should have the chessboard intro at the beginning of all episodes (as I believe it was attached to all 26) plus the brief segue from the show to the commercial (it was The Avengers logo, becoming gradually smaller accompanied by brief music, with the reverse for coming out of the commercial).

The UK had the advert bumpers too - after all, The Avengers was shown on commercial television (ITV)!

I like those advert bumpers. I say bring 'em on! I hope they are in the upcoming Season 4 set.

MRotten wrote:A & E did a decent job releasing them gradually as they did, with a glitch or two here and there (the shoddy print of "You'll Catch Your Death" and the persistent fly during "The White Elephant").

The fly was the fault of whoever transferred the original videotape (or negs - whatever it was) to film, possibly the poor print of YCYD - although I've not seen the A&E version.