'60s Icons in The Avengers

[Dandy Forsdyke]

Roger was always onset. There are several pictures of him with Linda and Patrick on the set of different episodes. He was quite the practical joker, I believe--hiding in cupboards, and coming through the door during one of Linda's scenes (as mentioned). I wonder why they never had him do a cameo? Although I suppose the rights issues would've gotten in the way.

Rights be hanged! What a great idea. And Patrick could have repaid the idea in the Saint....

They could've done a double crossover--you know, Roger as Simon in an Avengers ep, and then Patrick and maybe even Linda could return the favour in a Saint story. It'd be fun to see how Steed dealt with the competition.

And if Steed and Simon knew each other from way back, it'd explain that "Mrs. Peel" reference in one of the episodes!

I have too many ideas.

Pity there weren't other British '60s icons in the show as guest stars or cameos - Paul McCartney, Twiggy, Kenneth Williams, Joe Orton, Terence Stamp, David Bailey....

Any other screen icons you'd like to see in The Avengers?

[DiVicenzo]

I think it would make it too real.

Sorry to be a stick in the mud.

However, there photo-shoots with Patrick as Steed and Twiggy; Diana as Emma and Billy Walker (boxer); Diana as Emma and Graham Hill (racing driver) and with a jockey and some body-builders who may ahve been famous back then.

But, to actually be in the programme.....

[Dandy Forsdyke]

You're probably right - and I may have had that Pathe Newsreel with Graham Hill and co. at the back of my mind when I wrote that, but I think little cameos (as well as London icons such as Carnaby Street) would still have been a good idea...

[Rodney]

I think that it was key to the show's success that it didn't brush with the real world in which it was written. We know that the backdrop is the 1960s but it worked far better not using 'celebrities' such as Twiggy etc. Kenneth Williams was offered a part in one of my father's episodes but I'm glad he turned it down. He would have been OTT and would have played it as Kenneth Williams, not as Carter who was beautifully played by Philip Latham. The stars of the day all watched the show, which is far more cool than having them in it. The Beatles watched Dial A Deadly Number at Newcastle City Hall and many other celebrities refused to go out when the show was on.

[Artanis]

While it would have been nice to see more celebrities in the show, I agree with Rodney. I like how the show stayed its own little universe and rarely strayed outside of it into the real world.

[Sam]

The Beatles were mentioned in an episode. I believe it was in Season 3, either The Charmers or Concerto.

[Dandy Forsdyke]

The Beatles were mentioned in an episode. I believe it was in Season 3, either The Charmers or Concerto.

They were certainly mentioned by Brodney in The See-Through Man, when he says he has tickets for a Beatles concert (in reality the Fab Four had long finished touring... )

[Sam]

The Beatles were mentioned in an episode. I believe it was in Season 3, either The Charmers or Concerto.

They were certainly mentioned by Brodney in The See-Through Man, when he says he has tickets for a Beatles concert (in reality the Fab Four had long finished touring... )

That's the one! I remembered it was a Russian agent that had mentioned it.

[Rodney]

To be fair to the writer, the late Philip Levene, although they had finished touring by the time the episode was transmitted they had not when it was written. I prefer the series to stay detached from the banality of the real world.

[kim]

If the Avengers had stayed "true" to the real world, it wouldn't have been the Avengers as we know and love it now and we probably wouldn't be having these wonderful discussions today.