The Complete Avengers 50th Anniversary Edition [DVD]

"The Avengers" has earned it's place in pop culture. One of the most successful television shows of it's time, the series is now widely regarded as a classic and rightly so. The weekly adventures of gentlemen British agent John Steed and his succession of sexy, smart and ass kicking female sidekicks entertained millions of viewers worldwide. Now thanks to Optimum Releasing, all of the surviving episodes are included in this impressive DVD boxset collection.

Beginning in 1961 and finishing in 1969 "The Avengers" much like the decade it was made in, changed with the times. Starting out as a straight-forward crime drama series, the show featured two men roaming the dark streets of London in trenchcoats fighting villians. The original star of the series was Ian Hendry as the young and idealistic Dr David Keel and Patrick Macnee (who was the co-star) as shadowy agent John Steed. Determined to "avenge" the death of his fiancee (hence the series title) who is gunned down by a gang of drug dealers, Keel joins forces with Steed and a crime fighting duo is born. "The Avengers" was an immediate hit with viewers, however Ian Hendry decided to more onto greener pastures after one season (ie: a film career) and left the show leaving Macnee at the helm.

What happened next would not only take the series in a very different direction, but ultimately onto bigger and better things. The show broke ground by introducing strong, intelligent, independent women who were capable of looking after themselves without playing second fiddle to a man. Whilst this type of character is quite commonplace on television today, back in the 60's it certainly wasn't. From the cool charms of Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman) to the elegant wit of Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) and through to the playful manner of Tara King (Linda Thorson), the show continued to change and evolve from a gritty crime show to a surreal spy series with tongue in cheek elements.

From a product perspective, the episodes have been digitally upgraded and this is particularly noticeable in the Diana Rigg & Linda Thorson episodes. The images are crisp and the sound quality is very clear. Sadly the upgrades to the Honor Blackman episodes are not as obvious. This is due to the fact that the original master prints are not in the best of conditions so any improvements would be negligible at best.

However what this DVD Boxset has is a whole wealth of extras that are worth seeing and hearing. From audio commentaries (surprisingly none of the cast we're involved. Instead we have writers and directors offering their insight) to trailers, screen tests, interviews, documentaries, promotional footage and material and even unusual offerings that aren't directly connected with the series but featuring it's cast members. Well worth checking out. All of it is presented in a large stylish black book with an array of photos and a detailed guide. Top marks for presentation and actual material.

In short, the folks at Optimum have done themselves (and fans) a real service by releasing a boxset that not only celebrates a landmark in television making, but covering as much ground as possible (and that ground is pretty extentsive) by giving people everything but the kitchen sink. For fans of this classic show, it's a must have if you don't have any of "The Avengers" on DVD. For those wanting a slice of vintage television that truly broke new ground and still holds up well today, treat yourselves to this release.

All the surviving episodes from series 1-6 of the cult 1960s action series The Avengers, starring Patrick MacNee, Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson.

Released in a special limited edition 39 disc (including exclusive bonus disc) collector's package and fully digitally restored, The Avengers 50th Anniversary Complete Collection celebrates the original cult TV show by bringing together all six series, 139 episodes and over 30 hours of extra features of the classic British secret agent series. Patrick Macnee stars as the indomitable spy John Steed alongside his glamorous sidekicks Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman), Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) and Tara King (Linda Thorson) in extraordinary mystery solving adventures and criminal defeating escapades.

Series 1-2 episodes -
Hot Snow (incomplete; first 20 minutes only), Girl On A Trapeze, The Frighteners, Mission To Montreal, Dead On Course, The Sell Out, Death Dispatch, Propellant 23, Mr Teddy Bear, The Decapod, Bullseye, The Removal Men, The Mauritius Penny, Death Of A Great Dane, Death On The Rocks, Traitor In Zebra, The Big Thinker, Intercrime, Warlock, Immortal Clay, Box Of Tricks, The Golden Eggs, School For Traitors, The White Dwarf, The Man In The Mirror, Conspiracy Of Silence, A Chorus Of Frogs, Six Hands Across A Table, Killer Whale

Series 3 episodes -
Brief For Murder, The Undertakers, Man With Two Shadows, The Nutshell, Death Of A Batman, November Five, The Gilded Cage, Second Sight, The Medicine Men, The Grandeur That Was Rome, The Golden Fleece, Don't Look Behind You, Death a la Carte, Dressed To Kill, The White Elephant, The Little Wonders, The Wringer, Mandrake, The Secrets Broker, Trojan Horse, Build A Better Mousetrap, The Outside-In Man, The Charmers, Concerto, Esprit de Corps, Lobster Quadrille

Series 4 episodes -
The Town Of No Return, The Gravediggers, The Cybernauts, Death At Bargain Prices, Castle De'ath, The Master Minds, The Murder Market, The Surfeit of H20, The Hour That Never Was, Dial A Deadly Number, Man-Eater Of Surrey Green, Two's A Crowd, Too Many Christmas Trees, Silent Dust, Room Without A View, Small Game For Big Hunters, The Girl From Auntie, The Thirteenth Hole, Quick-Quick Slow Death, The Danger Makers, A Touch Of Brimstone, What The Butler Saw, The House That Jack Built, A Sense Of History, How To Succeed... At Murder, Honey For The Prince

Series 5 episodes -
From Venus With Love, The Fear Merchants, Escape In Time, The See-Through Man, The Bird Who Knew Too Much, The Winged Avenger, The Living Dead, The Hidden Tiger, The Correct Way To Kill, Never, Never Say Die, Epic, The Superlative Seven, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Station, Something Nasty In The Nursery, The Joker, Who's Who???

Series 6 episodes -
Return Of The Cybernauts, Death's Door, The 50,000-Pound Breakfast, Dead Man's Treasure, You Have Just Been Murdered, The Positive Negative Man, Murdersville, Mission... Highly Improbable

Extras -
The Golden Schlussel - rare short film starring Diana Rigg
The Mini-Killers - 4 part short film mini-series starring Diana Rigg
Director Laurence Bourne interview
Wish You Were Here? - Top Ten Avengers locations featurette
Death at Bargain Prices - alternate end tag
Hot Snow - Episode Reconstruction
Toy Trap - Episode Reconstruction
Newly discovered Series 5 archival trailer
German cinema trailer
Titan Avengers 50th Anniversary DVD booklet
Diana' Avengers Comic Strip booklet

To echo the previous review, this is a very poorly designed set. The discs are so tight in the card pockets they are almost impossible to remove without causing damage. Virtually all the discs have some scuffing or scratches, hardly surprising given how they are stored. I've now received two sets, both of which have damage to the external box, which may or may not have occured in transit ( not helped in my opinion by the inadequate packaging used by Amazon - surely an expensive item like this deserves more than a perfunctory bit of card - ever heard of bubble wrap?) It's always nice to have complete series box sets but anyone considering this one should proceed with caution. ( By the way, after two attempts, Amazon will only offer a refund. )