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A World Of True Colors?
The
UK-USA association that, since then, would arise between both ABC TV companies,
granted an additional touch to a series reaching the top of its popularity.
In 1967 the American audience was the first to find out that Steed's eyes
were deeply gray, and Emma Peel's wavy hair was seductively auburn. The
color era had finally arrived, to paint a decade in which, however, no
further tonalities were needed, because it already had them all.
The new polychromatic stage caught Mrs. Peel wearing miniskirts or body-hugging
outfits (those catsuits that would make history) and Steed sporting ultra-fine
Pierre Cardin's creations. That was the outbreak of glamour right in the
middle of a more glamorous time of the apogee of The Beatles and The Rolling
Stones, "Swinging London," psychedelia, pop art.
And so, through the "The Avengers" window, one was able to
look at original models of expression for the power of electricity and
the novel laser beam, exploitation of phobias, regression therapy, mind
transfer, cold war, blackmail, and even the eternal permanence of comic
strips.
Nevertheless, the huge iron foundations of Avengerland, seemed to crumble
like a house of cards when Diana Rigg decided to book a one-way ticket
and leave her place to a new partner. This was the end of a stage which
would fill a whole individual volume in the history of "The Avengers"
by itself.
Mrs. Peel's departure opened a hollow hard to be filled, not only in
the heart of the audience, but also in John Steed's. But once again, our
striking gentleman who by now was getting more mature and less solemn,
stood firm and with a smile welcomed his new partner, the juvenile Tara
King, an unmarried wild card, played by Canadian actress Linda Thorson.
Tara King would hero-worship Steed as none of her predecessors had done,
giving an almost paternal look to that image of unscathed dandy. Although
the most ardent fans of Emma Peel would deprive Tara of any plaudit at
the time, claiming that the "chemistry" between her and Steed
had been simply reduced to a mixture of two immiscible characters, it
was not for that reason this era would be left without its own spell.
The eccentricities not only continued, but also expanded. Empty envelopes
that would cause anyone who opened them to sneeze and then choke to death;
reputable citizens becoming liars just because they drank a glass of milk;
enigmatic books that made their readers fall in love suddenly, or deadly
small mobile black boxes which, like modern vampires of the 20th century
suck electric current. These were some of the peculiarities converging
on a vortex full of frenzy. Also our heroes were trapped in the most unimaginable
thing, from Tara in a giant butter pat, to Steed in an exotic fight in
which his opponent emerged with a different disguise whenever Steed knocked
him out.
As always, the unique Avengerland Seal remained stamped through the particular
way the diverse topics were approached, ranging from cyphers and super-computers,
to the power of the sun, schizophrenia and psychological interrogation,
plastic surgery, arms smuggling to Third World dictatorships, and even
a tribute to the times of Jack the Ripper. And perhaps, as a prediction
of what was still to come, this series being one step ahead of its time,
showed us through an episode more bizarre than its own title, that death
can also have its enchantment, since paradise seems to be within reach
of everyone...
But the last months of the 60s were already running out by now, and the
alarm of their imaginary clock was on the verge of going off sharply,
as an unequivocal sign that there was time to wake up from a long dream.
Sure, reality was much less glamorous. Conflicts, pressures, interests,
and the inexplicable maneuverings around the TV business, became potential
murderers of our "Avengers," and aiming their guns with no mercy,
they shot violently against a series that ironically, had become the emblem
of non-violence.
Scapegoats were instantly found, and this was nothing but a smokescreen
to hide the true reasons for the show's demise. That was how, at the gates
of the 70s, which brought other time, other world, other figures, other
markets, other tendencies, other aesthetics, "The Avengers"
was consigned to memory. There was no complaint, no remorse. After all,
it only was the end of another TV-series, which surely would be replaced
by many others. And that was of little concern in this new scene the 70s
offered, at a time in which everyone looked into the future. But the numbers
stayed behind 161 episodes produced in 9 years, and 130 countries
where the series was sold, constituted a record that up to this day, has
not been beaten.
Years later however, when video still was a mission... highly improbable
but not impossible, and "The Avengers" rested languidly in the
memory of more than one nostalgic, a few high value -added yet low-creative-
spirit businessmen, agreed at least once to try a revival of the series.
Again the original production team was there; the musician who made the
tune of the show known all over the world was there; Patrick Macnee, the
only actor capable of playing John Steed as we like, was there.
Along with two young soon-to-be stars, Joanna Lumley and Gareth Hunt,
who in their respective roles of Purdey and Mike Gambit would form a trio
for the first time, "The New Avengers" came in to land on British
TV in 1976. It was the new version of the glorious series of the 60s.
Soon after, however, it became obvious that this sequel wouldn't follow
the magic steps of its predecessor. Too much couldn't be expected either
if there's something that characterized the 70s, that was the lack
of magic, enchantment, fascination. There was no longer a time of ecstasy
anywhere... let alone in that dreamy England, whose contours the original
series had carefully drawn. This was a world of violence, manifest sex,
worrying distrust. A world where one no longer could run away from reality
so easily, like the fantasies at "QQF" or "Escape in Time"
suggested.
With its evident lack of the tongue-in-cheek humor that had outlined
other times, and its cruder and less sophisticated stories, "The
New Avengers" did what it could to stay on through twenty-six episodes
impeccably made and even furtively pleasant, as long as one watched them
with a different slant and other intentions. But nobody could deny that
the glamour of the old show, had become into a somewhat uncommon ingredient
of the show's basic recipe.
By 1978, "The New Avengers" was a thing of the past. Once again,
the history of a series that just had added a new chapter to its huge
187-episode volume, fell into the most ignominious oblivion.
Though, on second thought, rather than an oblivion, it was a prolonged
lethargy.
Came the 90s and due to those brilliant technological advances in film
restoration, "The Avengers"and even "The New Avengers"rose
like a phoenix from the ashes. Thanks to digital restoration, video, cable
television and cinema, they flooded the screens around the world with
an unusual impetus. Perhaps it was the awakening of this sleeping giant
that made us understand why nowadays, when speaking about "The Avengers",
we make an undeniable reference to a cult-classic.
This
is the way those great creations that not only kept pace with their time,
but also were ahead of it, are really valued by us having the chance
of watching them several years later. This is perhaps, the moment at which
one realizes that in the fragile colloidal television of our time, the
true values pour off without ever being diluted, whereas the light products
keep eternally floating through the swings of changing fashions.
A collection of concurrent factors is what becomes the key element at
the time of deciding why "The Avengers" was such a special series.
A series that moved around a virtually non-existent England, full of contrast
between the Victorian era and a futurist universe. A series that painted
a London in which its "real" inhabitants were rarely shown,
where there were no children nor police officers, where blacks were rarely
summoned, and where blood was never seen. It wasn't a matter of racism
or snobbery, but an effort to avoid any contact with social problems,
which would have conspired openly against the fairy-tale world the scripts
were trapped in.
But in that fairy-tale world, the different faces of human behavior were
reflected with undeniable clarity. It was essential to read between the
lines, sure, yet not too hard, so as to appreciate that one of the scriptwriters'
goals did indeed lie in analyzing and ridiculing particular obsessions
well settled in the conscience of certain people, like greed, revenge
and the lust for power. All told by means of the most outlandish characters
and scenes, and sharpest sense of humor.
An archetype of a definitively egalitarian world for the only two sexes
living in it, "The Avengers" proved, for the first time in a
TV-series and when the mere idea was still regarded fairly distrustfully,
that there is much more to women than being irremediably destined to pull
pretty faces, wash the dishes, raise children or start screaming if frightened
or under pressure. Ironically, none of these qualities were granted to
the Avengers girls, true experts in self-defense, showing superior intelligence,
having an absolute independent lifestyle... and not necessarily deprived
of beauty, sensuality nor seduction.
How a series with all these particularities, was not going to be exquisitely
doomed to open footpaths, establish landmarks, set trends, mark eras,
to last for good in the implacable timescale?
Forty years ago, when The Avengers was still a sketch, someone said to
Patrick Macnee in a moment of singular confusion: "Patrick, dear
boy, from what you've told me of this lunatic series, everything apears
[sic] to be back to front, upside down and inside out." ("Blind
In One Ear," Mercury House, Second Printing, 1989, p. 209).
Yes, that was "the upside-down kingdom," something like the
Argentine composer Maria Elena Walsh sang at the time of our childhood,
way back in the 60s.
Perhaps, an upside-down kingdom that without making a point of it, tried
its best to straighten a very small portion of the world which we live
in. And if it didn't succeed, at least gave us a multifaceted crystal
to look at it much better.
Terylene, June 2001
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