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The Avengers
1961 · TV series · 50 min episodes · 6 seasons
Created by Sydney Newman
ActionAdventureCrimeScience FictionFantasy
A quirky spy show of the adventures of eccentrically suave British Agent John Steed and his predominantly female partners. Jonathan Steed - an urbane, proper gentleman spy - teams with various assistants throughout the series' run, including Dr. David Keel, Cathy Gale, Emma Peel and Tara King, to repeatedly save the world from diabolical schemes plotted by equally diabolical evil-doers (among them robots and man-eating monsters).
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9 comments on Hacker News
As referenced in an Avengers episode: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0516859/ (season 7 @rwmj)
Even in his appearances in not-so-great movies you could tell Sutherland was trying to rise above the material. Actually, I got that impression of him from all of the really good (or just good) movies he was in. Not to mention all of the TV he did, too. Really enjoyed his turn in an episode of The Avengers called "The Superlative Seven".
The Avengers was so full of great / weird ideas.
(I have a soft spot for series 7, not a very popular opinion! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054518/episodes/?season=7)
there is an episode of The Avengers where the main characters have to run a drive simulator fast enough that they don't get electroshocks https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0516819/ would that count?
Probably off topic but Patrick McGoohan was in a couple of good series for those at home at the moment, apart from The Prisoner, Danger Man was another (A bond like spy), and he also turns up in a few episodes of Columbo. If you like those then try the Avengers - the one with Patrick McNee and Emma peel, there are other series but the Emma Peel one is recognised as the best. Surrealist Spy dramas were at their height in that era, if you want to go further 'The Champions' is another - three spies crash land in Tibet and monks teach them some powers.
Not sure about streaming, but I'm working my way through the reissued Blu-Rays of Avengers Series 5 & 6, and they are superb restorations. (Series 6 with Linda Thorson, not Diana Rigg, is a bit underrated, but IMO the storylines are better)
It's interesting that you get a better experience than the original transmissions. It was all recorded on 35 mm film and broadcast in PAL on the very new, small and highly unreliable TV sets of 1967. The restored versions redigitised from film look incredible.
I had never heard of this show, but speaking about wacky British 70s series that still hold up, I think The Avengers should be up there, for similar reasons: great acting, out of this world plots, mixed with a quaint British attitude.
The Emma Peel era was the best, you can check out all the episodes here: http://theavengers.tv/forever/peel.htm. Almost all episodes are gold, but my favorites are The Cybernauts and Honey for the Prince.
A lesser-known but highly amusing performance, “Never, Never Say Die.” The Avengers, Season 5 Episode 10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azw87CL74Kw
Oh I forgot about Teen Titans. If you liked that you'll definitely enjoy Spectacular Spider-Man, Young Justice, and The Avengers (they were all available on YouTube recently).
Also check out Sym-Bionic Titan, it's the Firefly of animated TV shows.