Sadly, it's looks as if Contender's DEFINITIVE DOSSIER will never be complete. After releasing the film episodes and THE NEW AVENGERS, this 7-disc set was the last they released before their licence expired. That leaves all of season two and the extant season one episodes still to receive a region 2 release (although as far as I'm concerned, I'm still without the Tara King episodes as well since disc quality issues made me steer clear of those).

So, for the time being, these are the only examples of the series' early seasons that are available in the UK. Spread over seven discs, this is very much a vanilla release, with no extras (not even subtitles) at all - disappointing, but hardly surprising.

The Steed is these episodes is a long way removed from the Steed of later episodes. In place of the schoolboy we have someone who's devious, ruthless and occasionally lazy (in THE CHARMERS he reacts angrily to the Russians' use of Kim which is pretty much a case of the pot calling the kettle black).

THE CHARMERS is, of course, one of those season three episodes that were later remade (in this case as THE CORRECT WAY TO KILL) in the filmed seasons. The other episodes are DRESSED TO KILL and DON'T LOOK BEHIND YOU, and these episodes help provide a reference point for those unfamiliar with the pre-Emma Peel episodes.

The first three seasons were all made on videotape (except for those which were transmitted live), and are rather different to the ones that followed. Steed and Cathy Gale rarely fight diabolical masterminds, usually being concerned with much more mundane adversaries.

The technicalities of early 1960s television are also apparent, with fluffed lines retained and the occasional boom appearing in shot. However, anyone watching programmes of this age is presumably well aware of the recording limitations - and one or two episodes do display obvious recording defects - so these aren't really a problem.

However, it should be pointed out that these are telerecordings of the episodes, with a fly crawling across the lens on some episodes!

Unfortunately Canal Image haven't seen fit to restore these episodes beyond what was carried out in the early 1990s.

Treating them with VidFIRE would have restored them to their original look, but this has done been done - disappointing perhaps, but nevertheless understandable. On the plus side, the original ABC front and endcaps have been retained, as have the original adcaps.

This review has concentrated more on the technical side than the actual content as there's clearly not enough space here to discuss all twenty six episodes. Suffice to say, fans of the series will find much to enjoy here, but don't expect it to be the same series as the one which starred Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg.

Many episodes do tend towards the mundane rather than the fantastic, but the series is still witty, the fights are great and there's always fun to be had spotting actors in their younger days.

As stated in the opening paragraph, Contender's rights to THE AVENGERS had now expired, so getting hold of this set might be rather tricky. However, it is still available from some online retailers and occasionally pops up in sales in the high street (I picked mine up for a penny short of twenty five quid). The only real drawbacks are the lack of extras and, more importantly, the lack of recent restoration. BACK TO THE TOP

THE AVENGERS:
THE DEFINITIVE DOSSIER - 1963/64

Written by PHILIP CHAMBERS,
BRIAN CLEMENS, TERRANCE DICKS,
REX EDWARDS, MALCOLM HULKE,
JOHN LUCAROTTI, RICHARD LUCAS,,
ROGER MARSHALL,, JAMES MITCHELL,
PHYLLIS NORMAN, ERICPAICE,
LUDOVIC PETERS,
MARTIN WOODHOUSE

Directed by: JONATHAN ALWYN,
BILL BAIN, LAURENCE BOURNE,
PETER HAMMOND, DON LEAVER,
RAYMOND MENMUIR, KIM MILLS

Starring PATRICK MACNEE
and HONOR BLACKMAN

KULT T.V.
(CERTIFICATE PG)

REGION 2 (PAL)


RATING: 7/10


NEXT RELEASE:
1965: FILES ONE AND TWO