The New Avengers, Series 1 — Episode 12
Dirtier by the Dozen
by Brian Clemens
Directed by Sidney Hayers
Production details
Produced:October, 1976Regional broadcasts
Broadcaster | Date | Time |
---|---|---|
Thames Television | 5/01/1977 | 8.00pm |
ATV Midlands | 21/01/1977 | 7.30pm |
Granada Television | 21/01/1977 | 7.30pm |
Anglia Television | 5/01/1977 | 8.00pm |
Border Television | 9/03/1977 | 8.00pm |
Channel Television | 21/01/1977 | 7.30pm |
Grampian Television | 9/03/1977 | 8.00pm |
Southern Television | 21/01/1977 | 8.00pm |
Scottish Television | 9/03/1977 | 8.00pm |
Tyne Tees Television | 9/03/1977 | 8.00pm |
Ulster Television | 21/01/1977 | 7.30pm |
Westward Television | 21/01/1977 | 7.30pm |
Harlech Television | 19/12/1976 | 7.50pm |
Yorkshire Television | 9/03/1977 | 8.00pm |
TV Times listing




8.0 The New Avengers
Patrick Macnee
Joanna Lumley
Gareth Hunt in
Dirtier by the Dozen
By Brian Clemens
Old soldiers never die … or do they? Steed’s looking for a lost General. Gambit joins the Army, and Purdey faces one alone.
Steed | Patrick Macnee |
Purdey | Joanna Lumley |
Gambit | Gareth Hunt |
Col. Miller | John Castle |
Sgt. Bowden | Shaun Curry |
Travis | Colin Skeaping |
General Stevens | Michael Barrington |
Capt. Tony Noble | Michael Howarth |
Terry | Brian Croucher |
Keller | John Labonowski |
Major Prentice | Stephen Moore |
Harris | Alun Armstong |
Freddy | Francis Maughan |
Doctor | John Forbes-Robertson |
Col. Elroyd Foster | Ballard Berkley |
Orderly | David Purcell |
Turner | Richard Derrington |
Soldier | John Challis |
Director Sidney Hayers; Producers Albert Fennell, Brian Clemens
International broadcasts
ABN2 Sydney, Australia | 13/04/1977 | 8.35pm |
---|---|---|
ABQ2 Brisbane, Australia | 13/04/1977 | 8.35pm |
ABV2 Melbourne, Australia | 13/04/1977 | 8.35pm |
ABS2 Adelaide, Australia | 13/04/1977 | 8.35pm |
CBS New York, USA | 22/12/1978 | 11.30pm |
TF1 France | 5/03/1977 | 9.47pm |
Suisse Romande, Switzerland | 3/05/1977 | 8.20pm |
French title | Commando très spécial | |
ZDF Germany | ||
German title | Das dreckige Dutzend | |
KRO Netherlands | 6/01/1977 | 8.25pm |
Dutch title | De verdwenen generaal | |
Italy | 24/08/1978 | 10.05pm |
Italian title | Jack li pazzo | |
Spain | 13/09/81 | 7.40pm |
Spanish title | Comando especial | |
CXY Winnipeg, Canada | 12/05/1977 | 10.00pm |
Televisyen Malaysia PR1 | 2/02/1978 | 7.25pm |
TV Singupura 5 | 3/08/1977 | 8.25pm |
Sleeper is listed in nearly every single Australian broadcast schedule against both April 13 and May 4, 1977. It appears to have been pre-empted in its original broadcast by Dirtier by the Dozen as there are daily listings (as opposed to weekly guides) that show the switch — the daily listings normally did not indicate the episode title so having these do so seems to confirm the late schedule change. To confuse the issue, however, The Bananacoast Opinion printed a lengthy exposé of the plot for Dirtier by the Dozen in their May 4 edition. Did the Far North Coast have a different schedule? It seems unlikely, as Victoria and other states seem to have had the same change. Perhaps the editor noticed the repetition of Sleeper and thought it a mistake by the ABC, and ran the other plot line as being from the only apparently unaccounted for episode.









Continuity and trivia
Purdey’s favourite drink is gin, measure of orange, dash of bitters and ginger ale.
The Transport
Who’s Killing Whom?
Victim | Killer | Method |
---|---|---|
Guerilla | Colonel Miller | sten gun |
Guerilla | Sergeant Bowdon | sten gun |
Travis | Corporal Keller | bowie knife |
Freddy | (disease) | tropical disease caught while in Africa |
Harris | Colonel Miller | sentenced to death by firing squad |

The Fashions
- Gambit’s fashions
-
- light brown cord jacket with elasticated waist, epaulettes on shoulders, matching cord jeans, cream rollneck
- light brown checked single-breasted 3-piece suit, light yellow shirt with white collar and placket, metallic mustard tie
- Scottish regiment dress uniform with khaki coat,and kilt
- camouflage British Army uniform, black beret
- camouflage British Army uniform, black beret, khaki jumper instead of camo jacket
- Purdey’s fashions
- Steed’s fashions