The New Avengers, Series 1 — Episode 7
To Catch a Rat
by Terence Feely
Directed by James Hill
Production details
Produced:June, 1976Regional broadcasts
| Broadcaster | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Thames Television | 30/11/1976 | 8.00pm |
| ATV Midlands | 3/12/1976 | 8.00pm |
| Granada Television | 3/12/1976 | 8.00pm |
| Anglia Television | 30/11/1976 | 8.00pm |
| Border Television | 3/12/1976 | 8.00pm |
| Channel Television | 3/12/1976 | 8.00pm |
| Grampian Television | 3/12/1976 | 8.00pm |
| Southern Television | 3/12/1976 | 8.00pm |
| Scottish Television | 3/12/1976 | 8.00pm |
| Tyne Tees Television | 3/12/1976 | 8.00pm |
| Ulster Television | 3/12/1976 | 8.00pm |
| Westward Television | 3/12/1976 | 8.00pm |
| Harlech Television | 14/11/1976 | 7.50pm |
| Yorkshire Television | 3/12/1976 | 8.00pm |
This episode was shown in the Netherlands before it was broadcast on any ITV region in the UK, see below.
TV Times listing
8.0 The New Avengers
Patrick Macnee
Gareth Hunt
Joanna Lumley in
To Catch a Rat
By Terence Feeley
with Ian Hendry
A man pushed from a trapeze … a radio message that’s 17 years late … and suddenly Steed and Gambit are fighting the Cold War of the ’Sixties again. While Purdey faces a rat that carries a gun.
Patrick Macnee and all the gorgeous Avengers girls … meet them in a special TVTimes Souvenir Colour Extra. Read about it on page 30.
Jeremy Hawk — waiting for something wonderful: See page 79 and In View
| John Steed | Patrick Macnee |
| Mike Gambit | Gareth Hunt |
| Purdey | Joanna Lumley |
| Gunner | Ian Hendry |
| Cromwell | Edward Judd |
| Quaintance | Robert Fleming |
| Cledge | Barry Jackson |
| Grant | Anthony Sharp |
| Finder | Jeremy Hawk |
| Operator | Bernice Stegers |
| Nurse | Jo Kendall |
| Farmer | Dallas Cavell |
| Mother | Sally-Jane Spencer |
Director James Hill; Producers Albert Fennell, Brian Clemens
International broadcasts
| ABN2 Sydney, Australia | 9/03/1977 | 8.30pm |
|---|---|---|
| ABQ2 Brisbane, Australia | 11/05/1977 | 8.30pm |
| ABV2 Melbourne, Australia | 9/03/1977 | 8.30pm |
| ABS2 Adelaide, Australia | 9/03/1977 | 8.30pm |
| CBS New York, USA | 16/02/1979 | 11.30pm |
| TF1 France | 15/01/1977 | 9.32pm |
| Suisse Romande, Switzerland | 30/11/1976 | 9.30pm |
| French title | Pour attraper un Rat | |
| ZDF Germany | 23/03/1978 | 9.45pm |
| German title | Die weiße Ratte | |
| KRO Netherlands | 4/11/1976 | 8.25pm |
| Dutch title | Ratten vangen | |
| Italy | 22/06/1978 | 10.05pm |
| Italian title | Caccia al topo | |
| Spain | 23/08/81 | 7.35pm |
| Spanish title | Coger una rata | |
| CXY Winnipeg, Canada | 24/03/1977 | 10.00pm |
| Televisyen Malaysia PR1 | 8/12/1977 | 7.25pm |
| TV Singupura 5 | 13/07/1977 | 8.25pm |
Brisbane viewers had to wait two extra months to see this episode as it was pre-empted on March 9 by the Rod Stewart concert film Rod the Mod Comes of Age.
This episode was shown in the Netherlands on November 4 1976, ten days before it was broadcast on any ITV region in the UK.
Continuity and trivia
The little girl who accidentally hits Gunner in the head with the swing is played by Ian Hendry’s daughter, Corrie. You can see them enjoying a rare moment of family togetherness on set during the scene.
Steed’s call sign was ‘the new doberman’ or the ‘new d’ for short — and he was called ‘the nudie’, naturally!
Karen Cooper and Anni Preston do not seem to appear in the final footage of the episode — they played two of the operators at the security headquarters and has been identified through the props of Karen’s ID card and Annie’s ID card.
The Transport
| Marque | Colour | Number Plate |
|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Beetle 1200 [Typ 1] 1967 | white | 6/7 214 |
| Ford Cortina Mk III 1971 | pond green | JMD 347K |
| Gambit’s Range Rover Series I 1976 | white | LOK 537P |
| Steed’s “big cat” Jaguar XJ12 C Broadspeed 5.3 Litre Coupe Automatic 1976 | british racing green | NWK 60P |
| Rover 2000 TC P6 1971 police car | white | ? |
| Triumph Stag Mk 2 1974 | burgundy | NHP 16M |
Who’s Killing Whom?
| Victim | Killer | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Cledge | Gunner | shot by his own revolver during struggle |
The Fashions
- Gambit’s fashions
-
- dark brown single-breasted 3-piece suit with flared trousers, brown tie with diamond motif, beige shirt with brown pinstripes
- brown suede jacket, cream rollneck, brown trousers
- light brown checked single-breasted 3-piece suit with flared trousers, slit breast pocket, tailored with darts,pale yellow shirt, brown tie
- Purdey’s fashions
-
- pink dress with white cardigan
- black leather bomber jacker with fleece neck, blue & white scarf, pale grey rollneck, blue jeans, short black boots
- purple & white hooped t-shirt with purple cardigan, white piping, khaki plus fours (or culottes?), long purple boots
- orange and black Japanese print wrap-around dress
- purple velvet suit single-breasted with wide lapels, 3 buttons, pink pinstriping, white and grey thick striped shirt with French cuffs, wide white silk tie
- Steed’s fashions
-
- slate grey 3-piece single-breasted suit, purple tie with white spot, cream shirt
- grey suit single-breasted 3-piece, grey shirt, green-gold metallic tie
- grey suit single-breasted 3-piece, with blue tie with white spot, white shirt
- grey suit single-breasted 3-piece, grey shirt, green-gold metallic tie
- dark green waistcoat, cream shirt, brown tie, beige riding trousers
- navy suit, blue shirt, brown tie with white spot, black bowler hat