4.01 - The Murder Market

[dissolute]

A recent update to the trivia for this episode on my website:

Series 4 — Episode 7
The Murder Market
by Tony Williamson
Directed by Peter Graham Scott
Read the draft script (PDF 1.55MB)
Production No E.64.10.2
Production completed: December 18 1964. First transmission: November 9 1965.

Production
Production dates: 23/11–4/12/1964 & 16–18/12/1964

This episode started filming on November 23rd 1964 under the direction of Wolf Rilla, still starring Elizabeth Shepherd as Mrs. Emma Peel. Being one of the early episodes, the heavily annotated draft script alternates between calling Mrs. Peel “Emma” and “Mantha” – short for Samantha, and aren’t we all glad they changed it? Filming was official stopped on December 3rd although it actually continued with the second unit until the 4th. Elizabeth Shepherd later reported she was simply told “We’re letting you go”, then told the newspapers a short time later “I don’t want to say anything just now”. An ABC spokesman was quoted by the Daily Express as saying:

It was mutually agreed that Miss Shepherd should relinquish the role. The company admires her talent, but her interpretation of the role did not coincide with that envisaged by us.
With Elizabeth Shepherd gone, the studio had to hurriedly screen-test a replacement and called in twenty actors, eight of whom were short-listed for a second round. Diana Rigg had attended the original auditions in October when Elizabeth Shepherd had been cast as Mrs. Peel and did not take part. Casting director Dodo Watts however suggested the producers watch a recent episode of Armchair Theatre she had worked on, titled The Hothouse. The producers were impressed with Diana’s acting and comedic timing and added her to the short-list.

Opinion was divided as to the best candidate, Brian Clemens preferring Moira Redmond over Diana Rigg, Rosemary Martin and Shirley Eaton but Julian Wintle – or perhaps Howard Thomas – backed Rigg as she was a new face for the general public. Diana Rigg was announced as the new Mrs. Peel on December 14th with a television interview and photoshoot. The next day, the Daily Express reported she had turned down a £60,000, 3 year contract and instead committed to just one year. (Whether that figure was correct, being the equivalent of £477,560 a year in today’s terms, is open to debate, given that a year or so later Rigg demanded a pay rise as she was being paid less than the camera man.)

Filming recommenced immediately, with Rigg on set on December 16th onwards. Wolf Rilla had declined to return for the refilming and the versatile Peter Graham Scott stepped in to complete principal filming in only two days. Diana’s performance as Mrs. Peel is more abrasive and Cathy Gale-like in this episode, as she came to grips with the role.

[Frankymole]

According to the Bank of England inflation calculator, £20,000 in 1964 is worth £338,970.18 in 2023. Yes, seems a lot for a cameraman. Perhaps she meant the director

[mousemeat]

Franky, I do believe you're right...i.e. monies for the cameraman...and not the actors, etc...for some reason, I keep thinking the actress who played in that rare 3 minute teaser, that announced the show in Color, was apart of that group, that was strongly considered to be one of the actresses chosen to replace Elizabeth

and of course, didn't Diana object, when she found out she was earning less than the camera operators

[dissolute]

According to the Bank of England inflation calculator, £20,000 in 1964 is worth £338,970.18 in 2023. Yes, seems a lot for a cameraman. Perhaps she meant the director

Thanks Franky, I think I might switch to the Bank of England calculator, the one I had been using also uses ONS data from 1988 onwards but seem to over-estimate current year and pre-1988 figures.

(5.5% vs 4.9% average inflation)

[mousemeat]

been thinking of Liz's brief tenure as Mrs. Peel...and why it didn't work out...for me, from what I saw, was on a visual level, it didn't seem to clic...of course, there's more to this, than my assumption..I'm sorta interested that the parting was mutual...as I've always thought that she was comfortable in the role, etc...and the series powers, felt otherwise...

[dissolute]

Oh, I don't think there was anything mutual about Liz's departure at all; she just put on a brave face after being told to get lost.

[mousemeat]

maybe so..told to hit the road..but she did get paid...so that wasn't too brutal..

[Allard]

Fascinating that Rigg wasn't Clemens' first choice. He never let on to that in any interviews I saw or read.

[Frankymole]

Second choice at best, surely... his first was Liz Shepherd

[mousemeat]

wondering what he saw in Liz ? and then when they did come to the conclusion that she wasn't working out ?