THE AVENGERS: The Emma Peel Years (1965-1968)

Introduction

The first three seasons of the ITV spy series The Avengers aired from 1961-1964. It was very popular in the UK, but because it didn’t air in the United States, it had no name recognition at all with television audiences on that side of the pond.

In late 1963, ITV devised a plan to change that and bring awareness of the show to an American audience. The plan was to make a feature film, whereby the two main characters – John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman) would team up with two CIA agents in a James Bond-like adventure.

This plan was foiled not by nefarious evil-doers, but by Bond producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman who had just recently hired Blackman to portray “Pussy Galore” for the 1964 James Bond adventure Goldfinger, causing her to leave The Avengers for good.

A New Lead

When Blackman left the series, producers were faced with two problems: finding a new lead actress and breaking into the American market.

The second problem was solved when the series was sold to ABC for $2,000,000. This infusion of cash allowed the production to switch from videotape to film starting in Season Four. The show also switched to a single-camera shoot, which allowed the flexibility to film on location.

As for the new female lead, the directive was that she needed to be sexy, and have “man appeal.” When that phrase was used in a production meeting, they decided to incorporate the phrase into the name of the character, which was originally “Samantha Peel” and eventually became “Emma Peel.”

Over sixty actresses auditioned for the role of Ms. Peel, and eventually, British character actress Elizabeth Shepard was hired for the role. After being deemed to be “extremely boring” by producers, she was let go after only filming a little over one episode.

Dame Rigg

Twenty new actresses were brought in to audition for this coveted role. Yet none seemed right. Casting director Dorothy “Dodo” Watts recommended to the producers that they audition unknown actress Diana Rigg. Watts had worked with her on an episode of The Sentimental Agent the prior year. Upon meeting Rigg, the producers deemed her perfect for the part, and she was hired.

The key change Peel brought to the series was the chemistry between Steed and his partner. The earlier partnership between Steed and Gale was more serious. However, the dynamic of this new pairing was playful, fun, and filled with witticisms.

This playfulness between the two is exhibited in the opening credits of The Avengers which were used for American broadcasts. The credit sequence is filled with smirks, glances, and a glass of champagne.

Another aspect of the series that shaped the Peel character was her sense of style and fashion. In her first season, she typically wore leather suits and “Mod” fashions. Designed by John Bates, they made her look like she would be right at home hanging out with The Kinks. This look contrasted drastically and perfectly with Steed’s upper-class Edwardian look.

Fashion Icon

In the episode “A Touch of Brimstone” Peel finds herself in a corset and a spiked collar. This look was the inspiration for the Black Queen in the Uncanny X-Men story “The Dark Phoenix Saga” which was published fifteen years later.

When the series switched to color in Season Five, Peel wore a lot of brightly colored ensembles. They were designed by Alun Hughes, who designed clothes for Rigg in her personal life.

While the stories in Season Four were mostly serious, Season Five had its tongue firmly planted in its cheek. This was due to a mixture of parody, like the episode “The Winged Avenger,” and a penchant for acronyms. With such names as “FOG” (Friends of Ghosts) and “SMOG” (Scientific Measurement of Ghosts).

Behind the scenes, things were often less fun. After filming wrapped for Season Four, Rigg threatened to quit. This was after she learned that she was one of the lowest-paid people working on the show, making less than even the cameraman.

Rigg would wind up leaving the show a year later in 1967 when the opportunity presented itself for her to return to the stage, with the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as star in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969). At the time she stated:

“Playing in The Avengers is a commercial thing. Appearing in Shakespeare means more than money.”

Conclusion

Although Rigg had left the show, and her experiences on The Avengers were not the happiest of her career, behind the scenes, Rigg and Macnee had remained close friends, until his death in 2015.

Rigg was replaced in Season Six with “Tara King” played by Linda Thorson, who was hired because she was the girlfriend of producer John Bryce. He was subsequently fired after his bosses watched early cuts of the first three episodes featuring her character.

King was unpopular with American audiences as well, and when the series went up against Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In the ratings cratered. It was canceled by ABC soon thereafter, and since this was a major source of revenue for the production, it was canceled in Britain as well.

Dame Diana Rigg has enjoyed a long and distinguished acting career; whether on stage, in film, or on television. The range of her roles was tremendous, ranging from serious drama to high camp. She was also the only Bond girl to get the Commander to the alter. Her work will live on forever.

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