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Rate 'Invasion of the Earthmen' |
10 |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
9 |
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8% |
[ 2 ] |
8 |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
7 |
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8% |
[ 2 ] |
6 |
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13% |
[ 3 ] |
5 |
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17% |
[ 4 ] |
4 |
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21% |
[ 5 ] |
3 |
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17% |
[ 4 ] |
2 |
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4% |
[ 1 ] |
1 |
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8% |
[ 2 ] |
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Total Votes : 23 |
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denis rigg A Touch of Brimstone

Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 2590
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 10:36 am Post subject: |
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peabody wrote: | I keep returning to this one for some reason... Yes, I think I actually enjoy it a lot. Need to re-watch this again very soon. Or go see a psychiatrist. |
Hi peabody!
Welcome back to the forum.
Must say I'm also fan of this episode since I saw it on Russian for the first time in the 2012.
One Ukrainian Avengers fan had several episodes that were shown in his country in Russian on the TV channel TET in the late 1990s (he sent me some that Russian public has not seen on main run). It was the real revelation for me, earlier I thought that in Ukraine was only one TV run of series - on channel TV6 in the mid-1990s.
"Invasion of the Earthmen" liked me by embodiment, plot, atmosphere and dissimilarity to other stories. One of main nuances, which seems main minus is the very poor scenery, fake snake and spiders, but if evaluate the academy as an amateur organization for washing the brains of young people, things will seen in other aspects. This poverty look more attractive with the filing of the director (the Academy is an artificial world of its own, a man in a robot suit, acid lake, which the one can jump over, etс. - in a fake world certain things looks appropriate - there are no contradictions). So I like it in contrast to the episode Trap, where the forest area where heroes run around and around same places , was real - not artificial.
I watched "Invasion of the Earthmen" about five times and always received the same enjoyment that for the first time.
I wish you nice watching, peabody!
It will be interesting to hear your opinion about the episode after the last view.  _________________ Denis |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2607 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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When I covered the episode in Rodney's book I came to the same conclusion. A good basic concept that seems okay on paper, it just isn't that good on screen (and it exhibits some trademark Terry Nation laziness). The tunnel really needed better special effects. It's the "that'll do" approach to filming which does it in for me. _________________ Mrs Peel, you're needed!
http://www.dissolute.com.au/the-avengers-tv-series/
Every episode from 1961 to 1977 plus more trivia than you can shake a brolly at. |
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MikeR Epic
Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 1130 Location: UK
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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dissolute wrote: | When I covered the episode in Rodney's book I came to the same conclusion. A good basic concept that seems okay on paper, it just isn't that good on screen (and it exhibits some trademark Terry Nation laziness). The tunnel really needed better special effects. It's the "that'll do" approach to filming which does it in for me. |
Piers
This episode was produced by John Bryce and the lack of Brian and Albert's involvement is very apparent. |
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Spaceship Dispatcher Winged Avenger

Joined: 01 Jan 2014 Posts: 594 Location: Northampton
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 2:32 am Post subject: |
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Well, Invasion of the Earthmen is an episode that I absolutely love! The visuals are indeed a bit ropey, and I can't quite put my finger on why I enjoy watching it quite as much as I do, but the casting connection with Terry Nation's Survivors (Lucy Fleming) plays a part and so does the Doctor Who type 'cavern of peril' setting near the end... |
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Rodders The Big Thinker
Joined: 03 Jan 2013 Posts: 1332 Location: Avengerland
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2016 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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Barely Avengerish at all. Not convinced that Terry Nation 'got' The Avengers. _________________ The Avengers: a product of the sixties and a timeless piece of sublime art |
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Sam Have Fingers... Will Type!

Joined: 02 Sep 2008 Posts: 494 Location: Superior AZ
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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I pop this one in and re-watch it from time to time. Definitely not the worst episode ever done. I would like to see the "Director's Cut" if it could be found somewhere. |
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darren Mission... Highly Improbable!
Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 2077 Location: UK
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 7:21 am Post subject: |
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It's interesting that Clemens decided to keep this one as he felt that Nation got the Avengers. Despite not quite feeling right, there's a good thriller aspect to this one and the addition of tension that had been lacking in the show.
I think that when they did the reshot scenes to explain the Tara wig, they should have done the scene in the agent's hotel room as it makes Tara an amateur (Steed - "there's no reason you should know, it's regulations").
It think a more appropriate director would have handled this better. Don Sharp just isn't an Avengers director. John Hough does some lovely second unit location footage like around the hotel scenes. |
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Avengerholic The Big Thinker
Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 1432
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 1:48 am Post subject: |
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I know it's bad, but I absolutely love it. From the junior school craft lesson 'make a snake' to the 1960's silk Christmas tree decorations it's just pure fun all the way. Tara in the blonde wig, tan leather outfit and puff sleeve shirt looks like shes straight out of an old Errol Flynn swash buckling movie, but she looks amazing ! A totally unique episode, that is (for whatever reason good or bad) more entertaining than many other episodes. |
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Mona Winged Avenger

Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 567 Location: Mesa, AZ
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Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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I enjoy this episode.
While it is odd to have an electrified desk, Steed's jumping at touching it, and his sudden embarrassment at his reaction and his pulling his jacket down as he regains his English composure is cool to watch and well acted by Macnee.
Of course, I also like seeing Steed pass through the obstacle course so well.
It's not much to write home about, sure, but I'm not using The Avengers to write an in-depth PhD on the technilogical methodology of creating a television show. I just like Steed. _________________ Fan of John Steed
Agent, Esquire, Hunk |
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Ian Wegg Have Fingers... Will Type!

Joined: 15 Sep 2011 Posts: 417
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 1:25 am Post subject: |
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Last week I belatedly remembered to tune into ITV4 for their run of series 6. Unfortunately a snooker tournament had overrun. I stayed watching in the hope that the game would end and The Avengers would start but to no avail. 60 minutes of my life that I'll never get back.
Last night I sat down for another go and watched "Invasion of the Earthmen". By the half way point I was yearning for snooker, I can't really give a more damning indictment than that.
2/10 (mostly for the opening scenes). |
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Brugeoise Thingumajig
Joined: 29 Oct 2016 Posts: 59
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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Today I had the chance to watch this episode again after a long time. Even though I agree it’s definitely not one of the best Avengers episodes, I find the behind-the-scenes stories that surrounded and influenced its production quite interesting and that keeps me driving towards it.
Many of you have pointed out here, and quite correctly if I may say so, that Don Sharp’s direction isn’t exactly great and that set me thinking: what if John Bryce’s ill-fated tenure at this stage of the show had more to do with direction that what we normally tend to attribute to? On one hand, and judging from the surviving bits that made it to Homicide and Old Lace, we could also argue that Vernon Sewell’s direction for The Great, Great Britain Crime wasn’t first class either (I don’t remember the name of the original director for Invitation to a Killing, but the footage that made it to Have Guns Will Haggle looks better that the other two Bryce episodes).
On the other hand, Don Sharp would go on directing The Curious Case of the Countless Clues (which was already in production as The Murderous Connection when Clemens & Fennell were brought back in), but that episode is visually more interesting than Invasion ever was. This may suggest of course that Clemens & Fennell had a different approach (and, perhaps, involvement in the whole process?) than Bryce had. |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2607 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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Invitation to a Killing was directed by Robert Asher & John Hough, with Ray Austin & Harry Booth doing the new footage.
John Hough was also working with Don Sharp on Invasion of the Earthmen which seems to be a,low point for both of them. I've alway felt that it's not so much the director as the producer that's the issue with these early episodes - everything is rushed and cheap and there are rarely retakes for obvious flaws; it's like they didn't bother with watching the rushes at all. _________________ Mrs Peel, you're needed!
http://www.dissolute.com.au/the-avengers-tv-series/
Every episode from 1961 to 1977 plus more trivia than you can shake a brolly at. |
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Brugeoise Thingumajig
Joined: 29 Oct 2016 Posts: 59
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 3:29 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for reminding me about the directors! I agree with you about there being a general lack of attention, in the Bryce episodes, to the overall quality of the whole thing.
About that, I never cease to be amazed by that sequence from the original footage of The Great, Great Britain Crime where Cartwright is shot and buried by the Orpheus Tours gang. It looks as if they’d just planted the camera there and let it film whatever happened in front of it, with a complete disregard to angles or to any kind of visual narrative at all. I wonder why Clemens chose to keep that sequence in Homicide and Old Lace when, perhaps, they could have reshot it and rescue other bits from the original (if any were salvageable). But I’m afraid we might never know |
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Allard The Ministry
Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 2012 Location: The Netherlands
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 4:30 am Post subject: |
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Invasion... is by far superior to Homicide and Old Lace. The former to me feels a lot like any other of the late sixties ITC spy-fi series, the latter doesn't feel like anything. |
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darren Mission... Highly Improbable!
Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 2077 Location: UK
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Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2020 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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dissolute wrote: |
John Hough was also working with Don Sharp on Invasion of the Earthmen which seems to be a,low point for both of them. I've alway felt that it's not so much the director as the producer that's the issue with these early episodes - everything is rushed and cheap and there are rarely retakes for obvious flaws; it's like they didn't bother with watching the rushes at all. |
I would actually say that it's clear to me what 2nd Unit bits John Hough was responsible for. Watch Steed and Tara driving away from the hotel where Agent Grant was staying. A dog roaming in the road, low shots, quiet country church that they drive passed. These shots are lovely and atmospheric in isolation. His style is still there even under Bryce.
Hough had just come off The Champions and swapped with Ray Austin. I know that Clemens and Fennell pushed him to be more inventive but he still had a good eye anyway. Don Sharp isn't as visually interesting a director (his film work shows that). It's serviceable, clear work. I think he's better on character focused work (which is why Curious Case works better) than action or atmosphere. |
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Allard The Ministry
Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 2012 Location: The Netherlands
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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I gave this a another viewing, hadn't seen it in years.
The main problem is how un-Avengerish it feels. There is no sense of urgency, no eccentricity and there is no build up - we almost don't get off that blasted campus.
It lacks the playfulness that is typical of the Avengers. Its just investigating and the baddie being bad, not diabolical or a mastermind. No sleuthing just entering and battling.
Those green and purple walls also don't help....  |
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