The black and white Emma Peel DEFINITIVE DOSSIER concludes with the seven remaining episodes of season four, again spread over two discs, and ranging from deadly serious to high camp.

We open with ROOM WITHOUT A VIEW, one of the more serious episodes in the season. It's also one of the more disappointing, despite featuring some talented names amongst the guest cast - notably Peter Jeffrey and Peter Arne. Steed posing as a gourmet is a great, but Jeffrey and Arne (whose best known TV roles are probably guest appearances in a string of ITC series in the sixties) are largely wasted in relatively minor roles. Speaking of the guest cast, most of them - Jeffrey, Paul Whitsun-Jones, Philip Latham and Vernon Dobtcheff - have appeared in DOCTOR WHO at one stage or another (in addition, Arne was cast in FRONTIOS before being murdered at his home), but it's all a bit dull really.

SMALL GAME FOR BIG HUNTERS is even worse, with Steed and Emma up against some former colonialists keen on re-establishing imperial rule in Kalaya. Bill Fraser puts in a good performance as the mad Colonel Rawlings, but the episode isn't helped by the jungle drums (the colonalists have replicated Kalaya in Hertfordshire), which quickly got on my nerves.

Fortunately things pick up with A TOUCH OF BRIMSTONE, probably the most famous - or possibly even infamous - AVENGERS episode. Obviously Emma's turn as the Queen of Sin ("Do with her what you will") is a highlight, but her costume is actually pretty tame by today's standards. Even the whipping is a long way from being explicit, since we never actually see it touch Emma.

Less dated are Steed knocking back a quart of ale and Steed removing the pea before the axe falls, while there are good performances from Peter Wyngarde and the ever-dependable Colin Jeavons.

Disc two gets off to a rather average start with WHAT THE BUTLER SAW. Brian Clemens indulges in some time-wasting as Steed visits three potential traitors (one from each branch of the services) in suitable uniforms and facial hair.

It's a fairly routine episode, enlivened only by THE AVENGERS' equivalent of GET SMART's "cone of silence" (three agents zip themselves up inside a polythene bag) and a few good lines. Emma's on good form throughout though.

A SENSE OF HISTORY sees early TV appearances from Patrick Mower and Jacqueline Pearce in an intellectual clash set at a university. Rather more serious than some episodes, this one sees a more threatening Steed than usual and Emma looking simply gorgeous as Robin Hood.

HOW TO SUCCEED...AT MURDER is another fairly dull episode. There's some good stuff surrounding Christopher Benjamin's J.J. Hooter, who keeps his nose bandaged to protect it, and one of the secretaries intent on taking over the world looks great. Shame it revolves around a group of secretaries controlled by a ventriloquist's dummy. No surprises for guessing who's the power behind it...

Fortunately the set concludes with a gem in HONEY FOR THE PRINCE. There's plenty to enjoy here - George Pastell's sleazy Arkadi, cool 60s assassin Vincent and the cricket-loving Crown Prince Ali. Then you've got Ron Moody's Ponsonby Hopkirk, whose QQF organisation fulfills possible every fantasy, honey maker B. Bumble and the "retarded" Emma doing the Dance of the Six Veils. She's hardly great at it, but Diana Rigg looks great and there's some great dialogue - Arkadi's "half now, half later" and Hopkirk suggesting Steed's fantasy is being "a secret agent, pitting your wits against a diabolical mastermind". A good episode on which to end both this collection and the season itself.

Extras are non existent again, but the quality is generally fine, although it's not perfect (however, these episodes are over 35 years old now). A rather inconsistent collection, with four rather dull episodes sitting alongside the highly enjoyable A TOUCH OF BRIMSTONE, A SENSE OF HISTORY and HONEY FOR THE PRINCE. BACK TO THE TOP

THE AVENGERS:
THE DEFINITIVE DOSSIER -
1966, FILES THREE AND FOUR

Written by ROGER MARSHALL,
PHILIP LEVENE, BRIAN CLEMENS,
MARTIN WOODHOUSE

Directed by ROY BAKER,
GERRY O'HARA, JAMES HILL,
BILL BAIN, PETER GRAHAM SCOTT,
DON LEAVER

Starring PATRICK MACNEE
and DIANA RIGG


KULT T.V.
(CERTIFICATE PG)


RATING: 7/10


REGION 2 (PAL)