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Allard The Ministry
Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 2009 Location: The Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:12 am Post subject: 1.26 - Dragonsfield |
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LOST EPISODE - episode summary from The Avengers Dissolute website:
With work nearly completed on a new material to shield astronauts from radiation, saboteurs prepare for one final assault. Complicated inter-personal relationships within the team suggest a traitor and Saunders, from Security, tracks the gang. Meanwhile, Steed tracks Saunders and rescues him from being killed. With the saboteurs in custody, the traitor is unmasked as Susan Summers, Alford's assistant, and Steed neutralises this final threat. |
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AnthonyDurrant Nutshell
Joined: 20 Sep 2013 Posts: 42
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Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:40 am Post subject: Dragonsfield |
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The episodes involving technoterrorism, including Dragonsfield, have a special resonance for me in that l had to take computer courses in college to attain my multimedia certificate. One of these was abruptly canceled because our teacher had accepted a position at another school and no replacement could be found. The college put together a special course that l took for three Sundays that summer. I ended up with a D, though l don't know if it was for the canceled class or the special one. |
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Frankymole Diabolical Mastermind

Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 5420 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2021 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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The picture of "Morris Perry" on the cast list isn't him.
This is Morris Perry as Second Technician, from the Tele-Snaps. I'm not sure who the other fellow, above, is. If he's the guy killed (or severely harmed) at the start he may well be an uncredited extra.
 _________________ Last watched: "The Gilded Cage"
Last edited by Frankymole on Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:43 am; edited 1 time in total |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2579 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Frankymole Diabolical Mastermind

Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 5420 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2021 2:41 am Post subject: |
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dissolute wrote: | Thanks, I'll revise it. | Great! The title card in the gallery at the top of the page also has a hover-over caption mentioning the second technician. _________________ Last watched: "The Gilded Cage" |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2579 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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I just stumbled across Herb Nelson's contract for this episode, which shows it was filmed as episode 23 in production order, on 13 September 1961.
This means every single published source about this and the other episodes screened in December 1961 is wrong! _________________ 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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Frankymole Diabolical Mastermind

Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 5420 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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What source did they use? Camera scripts? _________________ Last watched: "The Gilded Cage" |
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denis rigg A Touch of Brimstone

Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 2584
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Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:51 am Post subject: |
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Interesting case. Apparently Alan Hayes needs help here, who worked with materials.
In my opinion it looks like the error may be in the incorrect identification of production episodes 23 and 25, ie The Deadly Air and Dragonsfield.
We have the camera script for the episode A Change of Bait, so it is actually episode 24 in the production order. We have a rehearsal script for the last episode, Dead of Winter, based on that it also makes it obvious that this is number 26.
But what do we know about The Deadly Air and Dragonsfield?
According to Alan Hayes' books:
The Deadly Air
ABC Production Nimber: 3420
Surviving material: Synopses, Production photographs and Telesnaps.
Rehearsal dates are unknown! Camera rehearsed on 7 September 1961, recording - same day.
Dragonsfield
ABC Production Nimber: 3422
Surviving material: Synopses, Production photographs and Telesnaps.
Rehearsal dates are unknown! Camera rehearsed on 27 September 1961, recording - same day.
The result is the following:
Since the rehearsal dates for both episodes The Deadly Air and Dragonsfield are unknown, it looks like the recording dates could have been guesswork (that is, for example, if Alan had papers that episodes 23 and 25 were recorded on September 7 and 27, but these papers did not include the names of the episodes).
As for the ABC Production Nimbers, there could also be guesswork for The Deadly Air and Dragonsfield.
If so, we go to disclosure in the form of the following production order:
23. Dragonsfield
24. A Change of Bait
25. The Deadly Air
26. Dead of Winter _________________ Denis |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2579 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 3:26 am Post subject: |
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Yes, that's my understanding. The production numbers are clear as we are only missing one and they are sequential. It's the tape numbers we don't know entirely as they are not sequential. _________________ 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.
Last edited by dissolute on Sun Dec 05, 2021 3:31 am; edited 1 time in total |
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denis rigg A Touch of Brimstone

Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 2584
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Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 3:29 am Post subject: |
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dissolute wrote: | Yes, that's my understanding. |
This is a very intriguing situation, I am looking forward to your research, Piers. _________________ Denis |
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Frankymole Diabolical Mastermind

Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 5420 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 6:22 am Post subject: |
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I suppose it makes sense they would hold off showing the episode that has no Dr Keel, so they get the audience back on board with episodes with the pair of stars, after the strike. _________________ Last watched: "The Gilded Cage" |
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denis rigg A Touch of Brimstone

Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 2584
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Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 6:55 am Post subject: |
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Frankymole wrote: | I suppose it makes sense they would hold off showing the episode that has no Dr Keel, so they get the audience back on board with episodes with the pair of stars, after the strike. |
Moreover, it seems quite logical that Ian Hendry could have been delayed in that pause in the production of the first series and for this reason he could not take part right away.
Ha, if we look at the order of the episode with a new look, we get a funny thing:
Production order
Dragonsfield
A Change of Bait
The Deadly Air
Dead of Winter
The order of episodes in the broadcast
Dead of Winter
The Deadly Air
A Change of Bait
Dragonsfield
That is, in this situation, the block of episodes after the production pause was broadcast completely backwards regarding the production order. Funny.  _________________ Denis |
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mousemeat Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 5973 Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2021 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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denis rigg wrote: | dissolute wrote: | Yes, that's my understanding. |
This is a very intriguing situation, I am looking forward to your research, Piers. |
yeah, I would be interested as well...season one..needs to be re examined as some of the info is faulty |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2579 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2021 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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Frankymole wrote: | What source did they use? Camera scripts? |
There are only scripts for A Change of Bait and Dead of Winter, they seem to have guessed the rest and got it very wrong. _________________ 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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darren Mission... Highly Improbable!
Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 2075 Location: UK
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Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:26 am Post subject: |
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This is an episode that I'd really love see. |
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mousemeat Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 5973 Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:32 am Post subject: |
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darren wrote: | This is an episode that I'd really love see. |
same here..script seems to be above average for that season..a shame that majority of first season shows are gone forever..i.e. wiped clean |
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denis rigg A Touch of Brimstone

Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 2584
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Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:39 am Post subject: |
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darren wrote: | This is an episode that I'd really love see. |
I'm in line for this episode number 23 - hopefully I'm not wrong for the number.  _________________ Denis |
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denis rigg A Touch of Brimstone

Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 2584
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Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:00 am Post subject: |
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mousemeat wrote: | same here..script seems to be above average for that season..a shame that majority of first season shows are gone forever..i.e. wiped clean |
Well, I think some of this could have survived. Seriously enough - they were planning to re-broadcast some of the episodes with David Keel, which says the tapes had been kept for a while. We do not know for sure whether copies were made by the time the originals are believed to have been destroyed. We weren't there and it's hard to tell if the tapes exist or not. But following the logic, I would say that most likely something exists. There have always been many collectors and businessmen willing to pay big bucks for what they want. I can easily imagine that the some originals were bought. And in general, why should we believe that they were exactly destroyed like many other videotapes at the time?
Imagine that you are producing a TV series and at some point it becomes profitable. The first Avengers series at a certain point became profitable. If you feel money is going into your pocket, then why would someone erased the last Avengers episodes of the first series on videotape, if it is more profitable to sell? I think that destroying all but the existing Avengers tapes from Season 1 is nothing more than a guessing game.
The worst is that there are still a lot of wrong things around The Avengers/TNA, like the Dragonfield production order.  _________________ Denis |
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Frankymole Diabolical Mastermind

Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 5420 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2021 3:56 am Post subject: |
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The tapes themselves were huge things, and treated as re-usable for ALL programmes. They were not seen as a permanent storage medium, being too costly to keep "untouched", so were taped over, again and again, with other productions. The way that permanent copies were kept was on the much cheaper medium of 16mm film telerecordings, whereby the programmes were filmed and those negatives then used to make copies for any buyers, e.g. overseas television stations that wanted to show the series. This is how the Cathy Gales survived (just! since the negatives were in danger of being deemed unbroadcastable and unsaleable in the 80s and might've been junked then).
Why Ian Hendry's The Frighteners episode survived in the vaults is anyone's guess, but luckily it did and was able to be stumbled upon by Dave Rogers and saved from oblivion (and used on This Is Your Life). Even more mysterious is how copies of several Keel episodes made their way over to America and UCLA's library. We may never know. But it's fun to speculate, and the chance that some other episodes are out there, somewhere in the world, is ever-present. After all, "Girl on the Trapeze" and the other early season 1 "live" episodes were long-thought to have never been recorded at all, yet one has come back to us.
Denis has a good point when he says "why should we believe that they were exactly destroyed like many other videotapes at the time?". The "official" record of wiped episodes is often in error; lots of Dr Who episodes have been recovered that officially no longer exist - film prints found in car boot sales, hanging on a door handle in a carrier bag in an editing suite, used as doorstops, slung in church admin buildings' basements... even sometimes in forgotten cupboards at TV stations having a clear-out decades later. And some are known to be in the hands of collectors who have not shared them (as Tunnel of Fear was rumoured to be for a long time).
I'd like to know how Tunnel of Fear escaped, but that's under a cloak of mystery too, perhaps protecting the innocent... after all, films have been known to "wander" from their original owners.... _________________ Last watched: "The Gilded Cage" |
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mousemeat Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 5973 Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2021 9:30 am Post subject: |
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Frankymole wrote: | The tapes themselves were huge things, and treated as re-usable for ALL programmes. They were not seen as a permanent storage medium, being too costly to keep "untouched", so were taped over, again and again, with other productions. The way that permanent copies were kept was on the much cheaper medium of 16mm film telerecordings, whereby the programmes were filmed and those negatives then used to make copies for any buyers, e.g. overseas television stations that wanted to show the series. This is how the Cathy Gales survived (just! since the negatives were in danger of being deemed unbroadcastable and unsaleable in the 80s and might've been junked then).
Why Ian Hendry's The Frighteners episode survived in the vaults is anyone's guess, but luckily it did and was able to be stumbled upon by Dave Rogers and saved from oblivion (and used on This Is Your Life). Even more mysterious is how copies of several Keel episodes made their way over to
America and UCLA's library. We may never know. But it's fun to speculate, and the chance that some other episodes are out there, somewhere in the world, is ever-present. After all, "Girl on the Trapeze" and the other early season 1 "live" episodes were long-thought to have never been recorded at all, yet one has
come back to us.
Denis has a good point when he says "why should we believe that they were exactly destroyed like many other videotapes at the time?". The "official"
record of wiped episodes is often in error; lots of Dr Who episodes have been recovered that officially no longer exist - film prints found in car boot sales, hanging on a door handle in a carrier bag in an editing suite, used as
doorstops, slung in church admin buildings' basements... even sometimes in forgotten cupboards at TV stations having a clear-out decades later. And some are known to be in the hands of collectors who have not shared them (as Tunnel of Fear was rumoured to be for a long time).
Franky,
I'd like to know how Tunnel of Fear escaped, but that's under a cloak of
mystery too, perhaps protecting the innocent... after all, films have been known to "wander" from their original owners.... |
Franky, you're spot on...I worked in broadcast television for eons, at several stations i.e. WMC and Wxyz....as well as NBC...and too many times, 'missing tapes, episodes did turn up in all sorts of places...including yard sales, etc..and early video tape was bulky, and prone to slowly drop out..as time flew by..and it didn't take too kindly, to magnetic fields, heat/cold/etc
of course 16mm, tended to look better and hold up much better than tape |
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