Series 2 — Episode 19
The Golden Eggs
Teleplay by Martin Woodhouse
Directed by Peter Hammond
Production No 3518, VTR/ABC/2321
Production completed: January 31 1963. First transmission: February 1 1963.
Production details
Episode 45
Production Number : 3518
VTR/ABC/2321
Teddington Studio 1
Wednesday 30th January 1963
| Camera rehearsal | 10.00–12.30 |
| Lunch break | 12.30–13.30 |
| Camera rehearsal | 13.30–18.00 |
| Supper break | 18.00–19.00 |
| Camera rehearsal | 19.00–21.00 |
Thursday 31st January 1963
| Camera rehearsal | 10.00–12.30 |
| Lunch break | 12.30–13.30 |
| Camera rehearsal | 13.30–15.30 |
| Tea break, Line up, Normal scan, Makeup |
15.30–16.15 |
| Dress rehearsal | 16.15–17.30 |
| Notes | 17.30–18.00 |
| Line up | 18.00–18.30 |
| VTR | 18.30–19.30 |
Equipment
| Cameras: | 5 Pedestals — one to be on rostrum. |
|---|---|
| Telecine: | A.B.C. symbol, 35 mm dubbed sound sequence. caption scanner and slides. |
Running time
Expected: 51′25″
Actual running time with bumpers: 51′21″
The bumpers between the acts are generally 10 seconds from fade in to the “End of Act” bumper to the end of audio before the commercial, a 10 second still without audio, then cut to the next act bumper. This would play with the theme for around 10 seconds. Accordingly, with the episodes being in 3 acts, the running time of the action is approximately a minute less than listed above, minus the opening and closing credits (normally 0′16″, with a 2" fade, and anywhere from 0′41″ to 1′20″, hard cut or 1" fade or mix, respectively).
Regional broadcasts
| Broadcaster | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| ATV London | 3/02/1963 | 10.35pm |
| ABC Midlands | 2/02/1963 | 10.05pm |
| ABC North | 2/02/1963 | 10.05pm |
| Anglia Television | 2/02/1963 | 10.05pm |
| Border Television | - | - |
| Channel Television | 2/02/1963 | 10.35pm |
| Grampian Television | 3/02/1963 | 10.35pm |
| Southern Television | 2/02/1963 | 10.05pm |
| Scottish Television | 23/05/1963 | 10.45pm |
| Tyne Tees Television | 2/02/1963 | 10.05pm |
| Ulster Television | 3/02/1963 | 10.35pm |
| Westward Television | 3/02/1963 | 10.35pm |
| Television Wales & West | 3/02/1963 | 10.35pm |
| Teledu Cymru (WWN) | 1/02/1963 | 10.45pm |
International broadcasts
| Broadcaster | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| ABN2 Sydney | 24/02/1964 | 7.30pm |
| ABQ2 Brisbane | 11/05/1964 | 7.30pm |
| ABV2 Melbourne | 17/09/1964 | 7.30pm |
| ABS2 Adelaide | 23/10/1964 | 9.05pm |
Coverage of the Tokyo Olympics moved evening programmes back about half an hour in Adelaide.
TV Times listing
10.35 The Avengers
starring
Patrick Macnee
in
Bullseye
Teleplay by Eric Paice
Also starring
Honor Blackman
Cast
| Dr. Ashe | Donald Eccles |
| Elizabeth Bayle | Pauline Delany |
| DeLeon | Gordon Whiting |
| John Steed | Patrick Macnee |
| Catherine Gale | Honor Blackman |
| Diana | Irene Bradshaw |
| Hillier | Robert Bernal |
| Redfern | Peter Arne |
| Campbell | Louis Haslar |
| Hall | Charles Bird |
The Avengers theme composed and
played by Johnny Dankworth
Settings by Douglas James
Directed by Peter Hammond
Produced by John Bryce
Steed and Cathy hunt for two eggs that must never be allowed to hatch
ABC Television Network Production
Episode availability
- Video — original footage held by Studio Canal, available on the Studio Canal series 1&2 DVD set
- Script — Tony Pelly’s copy of the camera script and scene breakdown
- Publicity Stills — at least 21
Murders
| Victim | Killer | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Campbell | Hillier | causes car to run off road |
| Hall | Hillier | causes car to run off road |
| DeLeon | Hillier | causes car to run off road |
| Rankin | Franks | stabbed |
Transport
| Marque/type | Plate |
|---|---|
| Austin ambulance | UXP 633 |
Continuity and trivia
- 2:22 — Blatant product placement: Steed is cutting a cowboy off the back of a packet of “Wild West Cornflakes” as the titles dissolve — Cathy joins him for breakfast, but the whole scene is played for product placement, the packet taking up the entire screen for several seconds, and remains clearly in view for nearly a minute, until Steed has demolished the box and thrown cornflakes everywhere. It’s not a last-minute inclusion either, as it’s in the camera script.
Box back, Box front, Steed with box - 5:45 — Dr. Ashe lives at Albermarle House, number 96.
- 7:20 — The cameraman makes a fast, clumsy pan from Dr. Ashe to Cathy, it looks like he missed his cue and rushed to catch up before Cathy spoke.
- 8:34 — the painted backdrop behind the scrap yard is well illuminated but it doesn’t disguise its nature.
- 13:40 onward — you can see the shadow of the boom microphone in these scenes with Elizabeth.
- 20:08 — the strobing CU of Hillier continues under the “End of Part 1” caption for a second
- 23:33 (21:00) — Steed accidentally calls Leo ‘Leon DeLeon’ then later correctly refers to him as Leo.
- 25:15 — The cameraman pans upwards as Cathy and Mrs. de Leon struggle, and we see the lamps in the studio ceiling for a moment. You can see some of the lights again behind Cathy when she’s at the top of the stairs (27:06)
- 32:49 (32:16) — the closeup of the case hidden in the drain reveals all too clearly that the snow is balls of polystyrene. The snow effect for the rest of the scene (from 33:02) is video mixing of a loop over the action.
- 36:40 — Act 3 starts with a thread stuck to the transfer plate in the bottom righthand corner, it remains until the end of the episode.
- 38:40 — the cameraman pans from the projector screen to Cathy and Dr. Ashe, but misses completely and goes straight past them, then pans back to them.
- 39:30 — Verity Prime is highly infectious and resistant to chlorine, so can be transferred in the water supply — and can survive in dead tissue for up to four weeks.
- 43:41 — the boom microphone dips into shot, making sure it gets the telephone ring loud and clear.
- 45:38 — the lights are dimmed and the whole picture goes black for a moment — it seems like the effect they use at 46:14 when Cathy turns off all the power is used at the wrong time.
