The New Avengers (8 Disc Collector's Edition Box Set) [DVD]

Great dvd

The simplest thing that can be said about this series is that it forms a stepping stone between the original Avengers and Brian Clemmens' next famous series The Professionals. There is a lot to recommend both the Avengers and the Professionals but they also cater to differing audiences: The Emma Peel/Tara King Avengers years showcased gentlemanly adventures and extraordinary plots, while the earlier Avengers series and The Professionals showed gritty encounters between the main protagonists and either the criminal or spy fraternity. The New Avengers offers the best of both for those who can admire both templates.If you can enjoy its mixture of the extraordinary Avengers plots and setups, and the darker, hard-edged style of The Professionals, then there is a lot for you to admire. The writing is frequently very good, the more-grounded plots genuinely engrossing, and the banter between Steed, Purdey and Gambit will often raise a smile. Steed remains the same, albeit with a little more development when around his companions, and more is shown of his stake in the delicate espionage scene. Purdey is both a fusion of previous female characters' traits and her own character. Gambit is a tougher character, foreshadowing The Professionals, and his (ultimately useless) flirting with Purdey is priceless. That, together with a smattering of recognizable guest stars and willingness to take up subjects that were likely taboo in the original Avengers years (just watch the first episode), generally makes this a wonderful collection to own, even if it's a little scant on the special features.

As a kid I always looked forward to my fix of The New Avengers on a Friday evening. I loved the cars, Purdy's Mg and the two Jags used by Steed and Gambit. It just seemed so stylish. I loved the speeded up running sequences, watching Gareth Hunts body double despatching the bad guys with aplomb. There is much to enjoy in this box set. Face spotting all the british actors past and present the lush countryside locations and some utterly preposterous acting and accents from the guest stars. Watching this box set was a great trip down memory lane for me, some episodes I recalled better than others. In one we see Joana Lumley tackling an army assault course, I think out of the three stars she was the only one who could actually run. I was a bit disappointed at the absence of extras in the set. However thats a very minor quible. In terms of value for money this an excellent buy.Avengers purists may not like these episodes as much as the originals but I for one loved them. So if you take your nostalgia seriously then you cant miss out on this box set. A great reminder of what fun TV used to be.

Ace crime fighter and protector of the realm, John Steed, returns with two new all-action assistants - Mike Gambit and Purdey, and an awesome new car - a beefed-up Broadspeed Jaguar V12 coupé, in British racing green of course.The New Avengers are an impressive trio - original Avenger Patrick Macnee reprises his role as the dapper and dashing John Steed with his trademark brolly and bowler, Gareth Hunt (who sadly died in March 2007) is the pistol-packing, wise-cracking action man, Mike Gambit and (my personal favourite) Joanna Lovely (sorry, I mean Lumley) is the sexy, karate-kicking super woman, Purdey - she knows how to make a fine herb omelette and field strip an automatic pistol in a matter of seconds (these are the two main qualities I've always looked for in a woman)!All the three leads are extremely good in their roles but, for me, Joanna really stands out. Not only is she incredibly gorgeous, and looks good from every camera angle, she is also a very fine actress with a remarkable CV. Prior to starring in The New Avengers she was a Bond girl (in On Her Majesty's Secret Service), a Hammer Horror heroine (she played Jessica Van Helsing in The Satanic Rites Of Dracula a.k.a. Count Dracula And His Vampire Bride) and appeared in Coronation Street and the classic sit-com Steptoe & Son. She has also starred in another cult 1970s TV series - Sapphire & Steel, has made numerous films and is unforgettable as the champagne-drinking party girl Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous.The Avengers and The New Avengers creator Brian Clemens was also associated with Hammer Horror through the films Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter and Dr Jekyll And Sister Hyde and it is good to see some Hammer Horror actors and actresses making guest appearances in this show - look out for Peter Cushing, John Carson, John Forbes-Robertson, Jon Finch, Melissa Stribling and Caroline Munro to name a few.Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) briefly appears in `K Is For Kill, Part One - The Tiger Awakes' and Only Fools And Horses fans will be able to spot `Boycie' (in the `Dirtier By The Dozen' episode) and `Marlene' (in the `Medium Rare' episode). Lewis Collins and Martin Shaw, the two stars of The Professionals (also created by Brian Clemens), appear in the `Obsession' episode but this time they are on the wrong side of the law. By the way, in the `Medium Rare' episode, there is a character called George Cowley- this was also the name of Bodie & Doyle's boss in The Professionals!This is a very entertaining DVD set. I remember watching all of these episodes when they were first shown on television and it is marvellous to own them on DVD and be able to watch them again. My favourite episode is probably `Sleeper' - I love the scene where Purdey has to pretend to be a fashion dummy in a shop window to avoid being caught by two pursuers and her pyjama bottoms keep falling down!

Never got to see The Avengers when they were on the TV many years ago, but watching this series now does put one back in time. The story lines are definately a bit different to, lets say, a detective series. These guys are not unlike The Saint (Ian Ogily), from about the same time, they are not really detectives, not spies either, more like well connected freelance agents, who somehow find themselves in a mystery whodunnit story. Steed seldom ruffles his appearance, Gambit gets all the gritty work, and Purdy gets to kick ass, wears some strange clothes, lives in a psycadelic appartment (no doubt all appropriate at the time ) but she does always look great.Seldom do the storylines get over serious or over complicated, and most of them are set in the UK. However its still interesting to see the styles, settings, vehicles etc of the day, even if I was only a kid at the time ! Easy to watch and follow, some of the bad guys do get killed along the way but nothing gets too gorey. Recommended, especially if you were around at the time.