the Female part of the Team

[mousemeat]

..what a series..been thinking about Steed's many partners...From Mrs. Gale, to Venus, (unofficially) to Mrs. Peel...and finally Tara King..of course, can't forget Purdey.....of course, it started with Honor's rendering of Mrs. Gale, and she no doubt, laid the groundwork for Peel, King, etc...but her chemistry was slightly off with Steed....then again, who knows what went on, after crime fighting hours......and I like Cathy Gale, ....Honor, nailed her....but then there's probably my all time favorite female partner, Emma Peel...Jeez O'petes, what a package...smart, sexy, resourceful...could banter with the best of em..of course, in the States, she was a huge favorite, and help the series gain a foothold, in the fickle american market......as for Thorson's Tara King, I have mixed feelings....and I've slowly warmed up to her, a lot....she was a great actress, and the character had the misfortune, of following Emma Peel...but somehow, the chemistry between Steed and Tara, was 'off'...at least in my opinion...I'm sure many of you, will have a whole different opinion on this thread

[Frankymole]

Cathy has a more abrasive relationship with Steed, she doesn't suffer fools gladly either. I think she would've loved the gentlemanly Steed of the film years, but he was a more tricksy character in the old days. He seemed much more willing to put people in danger, but in Mrs Gale's case she could more than take care of herself, at least physically.

Sometimes emotionally it was more difficult, in Conspiracy of Silence she is visibly suffering at the end, because she actually cared for Steed's life being in danger and he's flippant about it. She also had a hard time with her beau played by Guy Doleman turning out to be a baddie (in Six Hands Across A Table, which David K Smith gave the maximum marks to, and these days I concur). But Cathy does what has to be done, that's her strength.

The stories could go a little deeper emotionally before the action-packed film series took over from the more cerebral videotaped ones. Both have their attractions, so I am glad of the variety.

And by The New Avengers, Steed was much more avuncular and more openly caring of his younger colleagues, so I hope you do a thread on the male partners because his interactions with Drs Keel and King, and Gambit and even Mother, are all very different.

[mousemeat]

True, the early Steed, around the time of Cathy Gale, was a bit of a cad..and clearly full of himself...but as the series progressed from the final episodes of the Gale era, to the beginning of Emma, you could clearly see him growing/changing..and for the better..and yeah, by the time of the New Avengers, he was more like a mentor...but the engine that sparked Steed's growth, (besides the writers,lol) was his partner, Emma Peel...

[J.Mac3]

.......as for Thorson's Tara King, I have mixed feelings....and I've slowly warmed up to her, a lot....she was a great actress, and the character had the misfortune, of following Emma Peel...but somehow, the chemistry between Steed and Tara, was 'off'...at least in my opinion..d

I agree. There are a many great episodes in the Tara series but, for me, her relationship with Steed was too different for me to ever really warm up to the series. The all too obvious age difference between Thorson and Macnee's ages (25 years) changed the relationship entirely. Although the gap between Macnee's and Diana's ages was still a significant 16 years, their relationship in the Peel series was much more one of equality. And yet. . I can understand why the producers needed to change the relationship when Tara replaced Diana. Macnee (or perhaps it was Clemens) commented that they didn't want Steed to come across as a "dirty old man" with Tara. Diana began the series as an equal with Steed while Tara was a recruit when she joined Steed, with Steed more often than not clearly in charge. Creating some sexual tension in the show was easy when the two were equals but as soon as the power relationship changed--with Tara being more dependent on Steed–-the producers had a very fine line to tread to preserve some sexual tension without it seeming predatory, or at least inappropriate. Of course, when I was 13 years old watching the series years and years ago, all that was completely over my head. I preferred Emma's relationship to Steed over Tara's but wouldn't have been able to explain why.

[Frankymole]

And then you have Purdey chatting him up.... 24 year age gap?

[mousemeat]

I couldn't stated it ,any better, Jmac....and I always thought that Tara, was really too young..and the whole atmosphere around them, (at times) sorta had a mild creep-zola feel....of course, I reflect in those 30 plus episodes. how the Steed / Tara relationship, ( on all levels ) progressed...up to the final scenes, when the accidentally got launched into space...but I digress, The relationship was dicey...more like a favored mentor..than equal partner..

[mousemeat]

Franky, true.....wow. 24 yrs....but there's seems to be a different type of tension, or relationship between the two, than from Tara..

[Andrew Pixley]

I think what I like about "The Avengers" and "The New Avengers" is that it changes and is different. As such, I do like all of the combinations of leads for different reasons... all the different dynamics. I'm not sure that I have a "favourite" combination of characters; I think that for me it's more about how they work in the story... and that I'd rather watch a good episode with Pairing A than a bad episode with Pairing B, or a good episode with Pairing B than a bad episode with Pairing A.

All the best

Andrew

[mousemeat]

Andrew, you're pretty much spot on....and the combinations do play a huge role..i.e. story/plot etc

[Allard]

One could almost say that The Avengers got a revamp every season and what makes a season worth watching differs.

Gale has by far the most interesting relationship with Steed and has the most interesting personality as well. The live videotaped electric atmosphere gives these episodes a raw urgency that is unmatched.

Rigg and Macnee had a unique chemistry that dazzles to this day and never tires with even the Xth rewatching.

In the Tara King era the formula was kinda perfected and has some of the best episodes even if they lack what I described above.

TNA has its own 70s vibe with Lumley who is as natural with Patrick as Diana was despite the greater age differential.

Don't watch episodes for what they lack, watch them for what they are great at. I like the reviewing we do here and finding its shortcomings as well, but when it's Sunday evening (my usual Avengers slot) an hour before bedtime, I hear the Dankworth or Laurie J. theme and the thrill ride begins again and I love it.