Series 2 — Episode 25
Six Hands Across a Table
Teleplay by Reed R. de Rouen
Directed by Richmond Harding
Production No 3524, VTR/ABC/2508
Production completed: March 15 1963. First transmission: March 16 1963.
Production details
Episode 51
Production Number : 3524
VTR/ABC/2508
Teddington Studio 1
Thursday 14th March 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 |
Friday 15th March 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. Mole crane for VTR insert. |
---|---|
Telecine: | A.B.C. Symbol, pos.35mm. film. cap.scanner |
VTR: | 3-VTR INSERTS of approx.dur; 1 min.30secs.; 30secs; 30secs. |
VTR INSERTS:
- Scene 3: Reniston’s boardroom — pre-titles teaser (00:31–1:52) following the telecine insert of a pan up the “high building” and zoom in to one of the windows (00:19–00:32)
- Scene 23: Brian rests in the draughting room after being struck by the block and tackle (20:49–21:26)
- Scene 42: Draughting Room — Cathy is attacked by an unknown assailant (improvised by the director) (34:42 – 35:27)
Running time
Expected: 50′25″ + 2 commercial breaks
Actual running time with bumpers: 50′43″
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 | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
ABC Midlands | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
ABC North | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
Anglia Television | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
Border Television | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
Channel Television | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
Grampian Television | 24/03/1963 | 10.35pm |
Southern Television | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
Scottish Television | - | - |
Tyne Tees Television | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
Ulster Television | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
Westward Television | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
Television Wales & West | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
Teledu Cymru (WWN) | 16/03/1963 | 10.05pm |
International broadcasts
Broadcaster | Date | Time |
---|---|---|
ABN2 Sydney | 23/03/1964 | 7.30pm |
ABQ2 Brisbane | 15/06/1964 | 7.30pm |
ABV2 Melbourne | 22/10/1964 | 8.00pm |
ABS2 Adelaide | 27/11/1964 | 8.40pm |
TV Times listing





10.5 The Avengers
starring
Patrick Macnee
in
Six Hands Across a Table
Teleplay by Reed R. de Rouen
Also starring
Honor Blackman
Cast
Julian Seabrook | Philip Madoc |
Sir Charles Reniston |
John Wentworth |
George Stanley | Campbell Singer |
Oliver Waldner | Guy Doleman |
Butler | Ian Cunningham |
Brian Collier | Edward de Souza |
Lady Reniston | Freda Bamford |
Catherine Gale | Honor Blackman |
Rosalind Waldner | Sylvia Bidmead |
Miss Francis | Gillian Barclay |
Draughtsman | Stephen Hancock |
Bert Barnes | Frank Siemen |
John Steed | Patrick Macnee |
Receptionist | Ilona Rodgers |
The Avengers theme composed and
played by Johnny Dankworth
Settings by Paul Bernard
Directed by
Richmond Harding
Produced by John Bryce
Cathy moves in high society and Steed goes shipbuilding to find a murderer
ABC Television Network Production
Episode availability
- Video — original footage held by Studio Canal, available on the Studio Canal series 1&2 DVD set
- Script — clean archive copy of the camera script and scene breakdown
- Publicity Stills — at least 7
Murders
Victim | Killer | Method |
---|---|---|
Herbert Collier | thug? | sabotaged car |

Transport
Marque/type | Plate |
---|---|
Cathy’s car (prop) | - |
Continuity and trivia
- Reed de Rouen previously appeared in series 1 as the Mexican police chief Luis Garcia in The Far Distant Dead and, in series 2, as Jack Dragna in The Removal Men. He was also one of the story editors for series 1, having replaced Patrick Brawn in May 1961. He left his editor rôle in October 1961, probably due to the Equity Strike. He wrote this episode under the name Reed R. de Rouen — his middle name was Randolph.
- 4:21, 43:41, 45:23 and throughout — visual interference, which is repeated sporadically for the rest of the episode.
- 5:18 — Stanley’s character says he’s “more interested in what is than what was” in response to learning that Cathy is an anthropologist, and clearly mistakes it for archaeologist, but Cathy doesn’t disabuse him on it.
- 8:16 — Reniston moves to the foreground in front of Stanley and Waldner, but the camera remains focused on Stanley until 8:22.
- 10:15 — Brian is pleased when Steed observes that the propulsion unit of the new ship is no larger than that of a nuclear submarine, despite hauling twenty times the tonnage.
- 13:13 — Electra syndrome or fluffed line? Waldner, being close and intimate with Cathy when asking her if she’d like to live with him, calls her ‘Roz’ by mistake. No wonder Cathy looks so astonished!
- 14:46 — the boom microphone is briefly visible when the director switches to the wide shot after Seabrook enters the boardroom.
- 15:05 — the cameraman completely loses focus for ten seconds when Stanley asks Seasbrook id he has “stoomach trooble”. He seems to be focused on Seabrook’s left shoulder; when the actors move up stage a bit they spring into focus.
- 18:41 — a vertical white band appears near the centre of the picture and remains on screen until the end of the first reel (20:40). At 20:35, it moves across, three-quarters toward the right hand side.
- 19:06 — through the window of Brian’s office, you can see the boom microphone that was just in place for the previous shot before it slides out of shot.
- 20:41 — Act 2 starts with the dramatic crescendo music instead of the usual theme.
- 22:20 — Philip Madoc stumbles over the phrase “unsatisfactory working conditions”.
- 31:28 — There is a scene where Steed gets into Cathy’s car, but the ‘car’ is so obviously just a couple of seats, roof, a steering wheel and backdrop — i.e. a set and not a car at all.
- 34:42 — the script identifies the assailant as Seabrook, but it’s clearly a stand-in (Val Musetti) and the audience never learns it was supposed to be Seabrook. Just as well, as it makes no sense given later developments in the script.
- 39:18 — Stanley references the General Strike of 1926; the Jarrow March of 1936; and the launches of the RMS Queen Mary in 1936, and RMS Queen Elizabeth in 1938. Interestingly, Cunard orderd the Queen Elizabeth II in 1964, not long after this episode. She was laid down in July 1965 and completed in 1968.
- 43:17 — Waldner’s safe, hidden in the fireplace, has the combination: 16 clockwise, back to 2, forward to 33 again.