The New Avengers, Series 2 — Episode 3
Medium Rare
by Dennis Spooner
Directed by Ray Austin
Production details
Produced:April, 1977Regional broadcasts
Broadcaster | Date | Time |
---|---|---|
Thames Television | 22/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
ATV Midlands | 23/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Granada Television | 22/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Anglia Television | 22/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Border Television | 23/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Channel Television | 22/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Grampian Television | 23/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Southern Television | 22/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Scottish Television | 22/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Tyne Tees Television | 23/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Ulster Television | 22/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Westward Television | 22/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Harlech Television | 23/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
Yorkshire Television | 23/09/1977 | 8.00pm |
TV Times listing





8.0 The New Avengers
Patrick Macnee
Joanna Lumley
Gareth Hunt in
Medium Rare
By Dennis Spooner
John Steed and his two assistants, the gorgeous Purdey and the resourceful Gambit, are involved with the supernatural.
Purdey takes to believing in the occult after a medium predicts death for Steed and it starts to come true …
Purdey | Joanna Lumley |
Gambit | Gareth Hunt |
Steed | Patrick Macnee |
Wallace | Jon Finch |
Elderly man | Mervyn Johns |
Victoria Stanton | Sue Holderness |
Director Ray Austin
International broadcasts
ABN2 Sydney, Australia | 13/02/1978 | 8.30pm |
---|---|---|
ABQ2 Brisbane, Australia | 13/02/1978 | 8.30pm |
ABV2 Melbourne, Australia | 13/02/1978 | 8.30pm |
ABS2 Adelaide, Australia | 13/02/1978 | 8.30pm |
CBS New York, USA | 26/01/1979 | 11.30pm |
TF1 France | 7/07/1979 | 8.35pm |
Suisse Romande, Switzerland | ||
French title | Steed et la voyante | |
ZDF Germany | ||
German title | Die Wahrsagerin | |
KRO Netherlands | 10/10/1977 | 8.25pm |
Dutch title | Het medium | |
Italy | 26/04/80? | ? |
Italian title | Una medium preziosa | |
Spain | 2/06/81 | 11.05pm |
Spanish title | Una extraña médium | |
CXY Winnipeg, Canada | 12/07/1978 | 8.00pm |
Televisyen Malaysia PR1 | 1/06/1978 | 7.29pm |
TV Singupura 5 | 27/03/1978 | 9.55pm |





Continuity and trivia
There’s a subtle in-joke in having Diana Churchill and Mervyn Johns as an elderly couple worried about a second marriage being blessed by a dead spouse, as they had in fact married each other the year before this, in 1976, and they were widow and widower.

Seeds of The Professionals are strewn throughout this episode; not only was John Finch a potential star of the show (he turned the rôle down) but Steed’s accountant contact at B Complex was called George Cowley. Fennell, Clemens and Johnson — and Austin — were all emeshed in the new series and it débuted in London only a scant fortnight after the last episode of The New Avengers was broadcast.
Steed refers to “Graeme Henry” Wallace at one point, so why does his office have the sign “P. Wallace” on it?
Another Ray Austin episode, so you can expect a lot of familiar but uncreditted faces as he lards the show with his stuntmen friends.
This episode has a video Q&A and commentary with Ray Austin, Sue Holderness and Philip Hawkins on the Lives in the Pictures YouTube channel.
The Transport
Marque | Colour | Number Plate |
---|---|---|
Removals van | beige | ? |
Audi | claret | M-538 423 |
Steed’s Rover 3500 SD1 Automatic | lemon | MOC 229P |
Morris Minor convertible | fawn | ? |
Gambit’s Jaguar XJS | red | NRW 875P |
Purdey’s Triumph TR7 | yellow | OGW 562R |
Ford Cortina | dark brown | UGW 426M |
Who’s Killing Whom?
Victim | Killer | Method |
---|---|---|
Freddy Mason | George Wallace | thrown off bridge |
George Cowley | Richards | thrown over railing and down a ladder |
Derek Wigmore | Richards | silenced pistol |
Courier | (passer-by) | run down while trying to escape Gambit |

The Fashions
- Gambit’s fashions
-
- dark grey double-breasted suit, peak collar, pale gr shirt, gey/blue diagonally striped tie
- grey & white knitted cardigan, dark blue flared jeans
- mustard kid leather jacket wide lapels, white pinstriped shirt, brown tie, beige trousers
- dark olive cord jacket and velvet flared trousers, grey shirt
- grey suit
- Purdey’s fashions
-
- brown checked minidress with peter pan collar, brown vest/sleeveless cardigan
- loose jacket with elasticated hem, cream shirt, brown & cream check mini tie, cream trousers
- red and blue striped dress with orange and yellow detail
- dark blue overalls and white collared shirt
- wavy patterned purple and white jacket, white peasant dress, white ruff/choker/scarf, mustard calf length boots
- black cotton dress, dark brown and black flower brooch
- mustard cord suit, frilled cream blouse
- Steed’s fashions
-
- navy single-breasted suit, pale blue shirt, purple tie, black bowler and umbrella cane handle
- grey single-breasted 3-piece suit, wide lapels, flared trousers, brown tie with wh spot, pale grey shirt, briefly with grey bowler & umbrella
- navy single-breasted suit, pale blue shirt, brown tie with blue diamonds, black bowler and umbrella cane handle
- gold waistcoat, tan/beige jodphurs, white shirt