6.09 - Whoever Shot Poor George Oblique Stroke XR40?

[peabody]

Discuss, review and rate Whoever Shot Poor George Oblique Stroke XR40?.

Written by Tony Williamson
Directed by Cyril Frankel

[Spaceship Dispatcher]

This is a bit of a non-episode plot wise, but there are great performances from the likes of Clifford Evans and Champions regular Anthony Nicholls to make up for that. The absurd surgical scenes of George in the operating theatre are nonsense fun typical of the era and create a lighter tone that for me excuses the lack of action or real tension. A highlight of the story is Linda playing Tara playing Pelley's neice, with a fairly terrible accent that slips between North American and BBC English at random - obviously an intentional piece of characterisation, that Tara can't hold the accent, as Linda demonstrates how comfortable she is doing a NA accent in her Return of the Saint episode. Overall, an episode that is the sum of its parts - not much goes in so not much comes out - but its an enjoyable enough 50 minutes. 6/10

[Frankymole]

The surgery scenes hark back to the operating theatre work on the jamming gadgets in "The Gravediggers".

[mousemeat]

This is a bit of a non-episode plot wise, but there are great performances from the likes of Clifford Evans and Champions regular Anthony Nicholls to make up for that. The absurd surgical scenes of George in the operating theatre are nonsense fun typical of the era and create a lighter tone that for me excuses the lack of action or real tension. A highlight of the story is Linda playing Tara playing Pelley's neice, with a fairly terrible accent that slips between North American and BBC English at random - obviously an intentional piece of characterisation, that Tara can't hold the accent, as Linda demonstrates how comfortable she is doing a NA accent in her Return of the Saint episode. Overall, an episode that is the sum of its parts - not much goes in so not much comes out - but its an enjoyable enough 50 minutes. 6/10

the script was the problem...and yeah, Thorson's accent was hit and miss...
overall. a so so 50 minutes worth of the tara era

[Spaceship Dispatcher]

A highlight of the story is Linda playing Tara playing Pelley's neice, with a fairly terrible accent that slips between North American and BBC English at random - obviously an intentional piece of characterisation, that Tara can't hold the accent, as Linda demonstrates how comfortable she is doing a NA accent in her Return of the Saint episode...

and yeah, Thorson's accent was hit and miss...

Not quite the point I made - I said that Linda's accent is fine and that's Tara's hit and miss accent was imo intentional on Linda's part (that her character can't hold a North American accent) and was a highlight in a good performance. But yes, the script was lacking an extra something.

[Lhbizness]

I enjoyed this one by and large - not the best of the best, but good fun. Love the way they treated George as a human being, and the humor of the surgery sequences. The villains were pretty obvious from the start and the action lagged somewhat (shame there wasn't a nice final fight). But I found this diverting and not lacking in enjoyment - it was fun to see Dennis Price. I couldn't tell if Tara's accent is intentional on Thorson's part, but it is pretty terrible - I feel like if it was intentional, it would have been more pronounced, but that's me. It seems a feature of some episodes that The Avengers not actually have an effect on the outcome of the plot - Tara here does pretty much nothing. Same thing happens in You Have Just Been Murdered: outcome would have been the same if The Avengers never got involved.

[Spaceship Dispatcher]

I couldn't tell if Tara's accent is intentional on Thorson's part, but it is pretty terrible - I feel like if it was intentional, it would have been more pronounced, but that's me.

Yes, it is pretty impossible to tell from what's on screen! My guess that she's putting the awful accent on as part of her performance of Tara is based mostly on Linda's appearance in Return of the Saint where she is fairly spot on with the accent...

It seems a feature of some episodes that The Avengers not actually have an effect on the outcome of the plot - Tara here does pretty much nothing. Same thing happens in You Have Just Been Murdered: outcome would have been the same if The Avengers never got involved.

Interesting point! I hadn't really noted that one, but you're right. Its as though the writer had a good plot that could be submitted to any series that needed a story at short notice and could be dressed up in whatever style was needed. It doesn't rely specifically on Steed or Tara as you say, the plot works by itself. Stripped of all the comedy scenes of the robot surgery etc, would the basic electronics and espionage premise fit most chic adventure series of the time? It might have worked just as well in The Champions perhaps...

[Rhonda]

5 from me. Like the sound effects.

[Brigadier Q]

What a cast! I am constantly surprised by this, but this show keeps pulling amazing guest stars effortlessly out of thin air! Dennis Price being the standout coup.

Amusing story with very dated ideas about computers, as one might expect. Mostly set-bound, but doesn't suffer too much - great to see Tara doing some proper Secret Agent stuff without Steed. One of her best so far.

[highflyingbird]

I couldn't tell if Tara's accent is intentional on Thorson's part, but it is pretty terrible - I feel like if it was intentional, it would have been more pronounced, but that's me.

Yes, it is pretty impossible to tell from what's on screen! My guess that she's putting the awful accent on as part of her performance of Tara is based mostly on Linda's appearance in Return of the Saint where she is fairly spot on with the accent...

Seeing as Linda is Canadian and didn't move to the UK until 1965, and few TV viewers in most territories would be able to tell the difference between the American and Canadian accents anyway, Linda could easily have played the role with her native accent. It seems unthinkable to me that her native accent would 'slip' unless she wanted it too. What's interesting is that the American accent Tara affects as Prunella is clearly not her native canadian accent. Everything about the performance seems like a considered choice, further evidence if we needed it of what an underrated actress Linda Thorson is in the world of Avengers fandom.