Price: $34.25 as of 11/21/2009 02:30 EST
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: A&E
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
EAN: 9780767018746
Format: Box set, Black & White, DVD, NTSC
ISBN: 0767018745
Label: A&E Home Video
Languages: EnglishOriginal LanguageDolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
MPN: AAED70028D
Number Of Items: 2
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Publisher: A&E Home Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: August 31, 1999
Running Time: 340 minutes
Studio: A&E Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: March 28, 1966
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Join the dashing duo john steed and mrs. Emma peel for the season they first made history as the avengers. With chaptering interactive menu and a sensational gallery of production stills from the archives of the series its the bestselling hit now with digital clarity. Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 01/29/2008 Starring: Patrick Macnee Diana Rigg Run time: 340 minutes Rating: Nr
Amazon.com essential video:
A toast to A&E for releasing this two-volume set of vintage episodes from the fourth season of The Avengers. The Avengers debuted in Great Britain in 1961 (predating the James Bond films), but it was not until the late 1960s that it found a welcome home in the United States. Unlike other baby-boomer-era series, The Avengers was not widely syndicated or officially released on home video. This may be one reason why these rarely seen episodes seem as cool as when they first aired. Another reason, of course, is Diana Rigg in her signature role as the ravishing Emma Peel, partner to Patrick Macnee's urbane, umbrella-toting spy John Steed who is every bit his equal in dispatching villains or engaging in provocative banter. What makes this collection of particular interest is that these episodes introduced Mrs. Peel. Steed and Mrs. Peel were the Mulder and Scully of their time; they investigated extraordinary goings-on in the most ordinary locales, such as a seaside town populated by sinister imposters, in "The Town of No Return" or a department store that has been rigged with a nuclear bomb, in "Death at Bargain Prices." Also included is "The Cybernauts," which was the first Avengers episode to be broadcast in America. It is representative of the series' best, with its automated assassins and a colorful madman who plots to install an electronic dictatorship. Other episodes are the haunting "Castle De'ath," "The Gravediggers," and "The Master Minds." All are in glorious black and white and highly recommended. --Donald Liebenson
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
I always enjoyed the ETV series back in the sixties. Now I can see it again. Good action, good subtle humor and lots of that indomitable British flavor. It also helps one to see how he has changed. I find it to be good light entertainment. It's clean and the only hints of evil are normally the evil the 'Avengers' are fighting and defeating.
Rating: -
If you're old enough to remember British TV of the 60's, the Avengers is a great collection to own. Brings back a lot of fond youthful memories. It was one of my favorite shows to watch on a Friday evening.
Rating: -
This is the first half of the 1965 series -- if you're looking for the second half of the '65 entries, go here:
Avengers '65 - Set 2, Vols. 3 & 4
Diana Rigg's career really launched in 1965 from this fine series and in her role as Mrs. Emma Peel, the sexy and lively partner to the refined secret agent Englishman, John Steed, shrewdly played by Patrick Macnee. In fact, in the U.S., most of us didn't even know about Honor Blackman and Macnee's other (earlier) partners until many years later.
Diana Rigg can probably claim about 60% of the credit for the vast number of U.S. audience members who were glued to their TVs when "The Avengers" finally hit here. The other 40% (not forgetting Macnee's fine performances) had to do with the presentation of the series. Starting in 1965, with Rigg, the filmscore was notably updated and played more prominently throughout the story, enhancing the action and suspense. Also, the action itself was boosted. Never a dull moment with Steed and Mrs. Peel. And these episodes were all FUN -- one embraced a sense that Macnee and Rigg were having a great time in making these films. Now that I've seen episodes from "The Avengers'" earlier years, I can see that they dragged quite a bit and were much more soap opera-ish.
Each episode is futuristic and on the cutting edge of excellent television productions. I know of no series, "The Original Star Trek Series" excepted, which has remained as timeless as "The Avengers". You'll encounter, in these episodes, every nemesis ranging from killer robots to mass hypnosis to mendacious merchant marines.
Here, we're talking about six enjoyable, action-packed, black-and-white episodes: "The Cybernauts" (written by Phillip Levine); "Death at Bargain Prices" (written by Brian Clemens); "The Town of No Return" (written by Brian Clemens); "The Gravediggers" (written by Malcolm Hulke); "Castle De'ath" (written by John Lucarotti), and; "The Master Minds" (written by Robert Banks Stewart). A trivia point, "The Town of No Return" was actually filmed twice, the one you WON'T see here having Elizabeth Shepherd in the role that became Diana Rigg's, who replaced her.
It's difficult to evaluate which is the "best" episode in this set. I think that they're all just excellent. The entire series is sort of crazy like "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." but with the great British ambiance of "Doctor Who". If you've never seen "The Avengers" before, you're in for a real treat!
Rating: -
I grew up watching these black and white Emma Peel Avenger episodes in the UK. But when I came to search for them on Amazon.co.uk I could only find entire collections that were both expensive and rare. I was really surprised when I found exactly what I was looking for here on the American version. Obviously it's the American market where the Avengers is popular enough to get the all-star treatment in these relatively cheap and good quality dvd sets spanning the entire Avengers archive. This, off course, was my 1st purchase- the introduction of (cross her at your peril!) Mrs. Emma Peel.
While these 6 Avenger missions can veer into the ridiculous and times have obviously changed since 1965, amazingly these stories are still completely valid, yet surreal investigations into the under-belly of criminal Britain. You couldn't reproduce the magic of the show for a modern audience, as the Avengers movie certainly proved, but thankfully you can still watch the original episodes as if no time had passed and be thoroughly immersed in the strangeness that is the Avengers' world.
My impression of this 1965 set (beginning the Steed-Peel partnership) is that these are not the best of their collaborations (obviously the best is yet to come and I'll definitely be acquiring those very soon). But this isn't because Diana Rigg takes time to adjust to the part (far from it- right from the outset she makes her role as Steed's equal partner in crime-solving her own)- it's more that my personal episode favourites come later on in her tenure. Although that's not to say that these episodes aren't inventive, thrilling and involving, because they are- VERY much so and I would definitely advise you to begin your Avengers DVD collection with this little gem that has weathered the past 40 years incredibly well indeed.
Episode (1) 'The Town of No Return'
A great Cold war-influenced story with a horror-movie feel- 8/10
Episode (2) 'The Gravediggers'
Peppered with quintessentially English set peices, it's funny and inventive!- 8/10
Episode (3) 'The Cybernauts'
A mad inventor, an unstoppable fighter and high-kicking action from Emma!- 9/10
Episode (4) 'Death at Bargain Prices'
A department store conspiracy, but light on originality and tension- 6/10
Episode (5) 'Castle De'Ath'
Atmospheric and intriguing (if somewhat plodding)- the under-cover routine is still proving a winner (plus, the ending is pure Avengers class!)- 7/10
Episode (6) 'The Master Minds'
Emma in a nurse's costume along with hypnosis and anarchy in the aristocracy- interesting/confusing/amusing, but a bit slow- 6/10
Rating: -
Episodes in Volume 1 & 2 - 1965 introduce the dazzling and vivacious Mrs. Emma Peel. Most people know Mrs. Peel, but they little recall Dr. Katherine Gale (1962-64), played by Honor Blackman, she followed Steed's original partner - a male Dr. David Keel (Ian Hendry 1961-62). Blackman had left to be a Bond gal in "Goldfinger". Over the year, Steed (Macnee) proved he could hold "The Avengers" down while a parade of partners waltzed in and out of the series. But none made the impression Mrs. Peel did. She was a thorough, self-contained woman. She was smart, able to fight like a man and was beautiful, what the women of the late 70s would be aiming for, so you might say, she was the first really strong figure on telly for women to use as an idol.
You are introduced to Mrs. Peel in six great episodes in this series.
1) "The Town of No Return" - Mrs. Peel and Steed must travel to Little Bazely-by-the-Sea. (Note of interest is Mr. Smallwood, a character in this episode, goes on to play "Mother" in the Tara King ear). This episode was originally filmed with Elizabeth Sheppard as Steed's partner Mrs. Emma Peel. She was immediately replaced with Diana Rigg and the rest is history! Steel and Mrs. Peel are sent to uncover a conspiracy of a small sea side town, when it's actually a launching spot to take over all of Britain
2) "The Gravediggers" is a very jolly episode - a fault develops in Britain's radar. it ends with Emma tied to a miniature railroad in the manners of the old "Perils of Pauline" and Steed must ride to the rescue
3) "The Cybernauts" is the best episode (in the B&W) and the only one to have sequels - "The Return of the Cybernauts" with Peter Cushing, filmed in color and "The Last of the Cybernauts with Purdey", Steel and Gambit in the
New Avengers. Veteran horror actor Michael Gough plays a man confined to a wheel chair who has perfected the radio controlled Cybernaut. Then tension in this episode is amazing. Rigg really comes into her own in this one.
4) "Death at Bargain Prices" has Emma going undercover in the women's lingerie where they discover the whole store is not as it would seem
5) "Castle De'ath" is a great episode where the past and present collide in a medieval chamber of horrors, forcing the dashing Steele and delectable Emma to fight a modern menace with dirk and claymore.
6) "The Master Minds" has public servant running amok, pity that, Steed and Mrs. Peel go undercover at a school for intellectuals. They must face hypnosis and fight to save the say
They are just a delight to enjoy in the sharp DVD format. With writing and directing from names like Brian Clemens and Roy Baker.
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