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mousemeat Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 6312 Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:02 am Post subject: |
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Frankymole wrote: | Neil Wilson plays a lot of policemen! I think he's even one in the first Quatermass Experiment back in 1953!
Interesting he was in multiple episodes of series 1. He was also in 2 episodes of Police Surgeon the year before:
- The Bigger They Are (1960) ... PC Grayson
- Smash But No Grab (1960) ... PC. Gregson |
seems that the Quatermass Experiment was huge in the UK....barely got noticed in the States... |
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Frankymole Diabolical Mastermind

Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 5671 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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mousemeat wrote: | Frankymole wrote: | Neil Wilson plays a lot of policemen! I think he's even one in the first Quatermass Experiment back in 1953!
Interesting he was in multiple episodes of series 1. He was also in 2 episodes of Police Surgeon the year before:
- The Bigger They Are (1960) ... PC Grayson
- Smash But No Grab (1960) ... PC. Gregson |
seems that the Quatermass Experiment was huge in the UK....barely got noticed in the States... | Not surprising as it was a six-part videotaped series and not sold abroad. It emptied pubs as people went home to watch; terrifying early SF 3 years before even Forbidden Planet (though the BBC had been making SF for television as far back as 1947, it was usually adaptions of books and short stories; Quatermass was the first truly original SF TV drama). _________________ Last watched: "The Medicine Men" |
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mousemeat Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 6312 Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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Frankymole wrote: | mousemeat wrote: | Frankymole wrote: | Neil Wilson plays a lot of policemen! I think he's even one in the first Quatermass Experiment back in 1953!
Interesting he was in multiple episodes of series 1. He was also in 2 episodes of Police Surgeon the year before:
- The Bigger They Are (1960) ... PC Grayson
- Smash But No Grab (1960) ... PC. Gregson |
seems that the Quatermass Experiment was huge in the UK....barely got noticed in the States... | Not surprising as it was a six-part videotaped series and not sold abroad. It emptied pubs as people went home to watch; terrifying early SF 3 years before even Forbidden Planet (though the BBC had been making SF for television as far back as 1947, it was usually adaptions of books and short stories; Quatermass was the first truly original SF TV drama). |
hmm....Forbidden Planet was released by MGM in the U.S. in 1956....Now I do remember a quarter mass U.S. film in the late 50's..... |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2708 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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The feature films of Quatermass were made by Hammer and nothing to do with the BBC originals, just as they did with the Doctor Who films.
Renée Glynne was continuity for The Quatermass Xperiment. _________________ 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: 5671 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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dissolute wrote: | The feature films of Quatermass were made by Hammer and nothing to do with the BBC originals, just as they did with the Doctor Who films.
Renée Glynne was continuity for The Quatermass Xperiment. | They were not very good though (and Brian Donlevy was totally miscast) so it's not surprising they didn't perform abroad. By contrast, all three BBC serials were street-clearing sensations and the talk of every home and workplace in the UK... the films more or less sank without trace.
The Doctor Who and Dalek films were by Aaru, with some personnel connections to Amicus (though none official). _________________ Last watched: "The Medicine Men"
Last edited by Frankymole on Thu Apr 15, 2021 4:13 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Frankymole Diabolical Mastermind

Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 5671 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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mousemeat wrote: |
hmm....Forbidden Planet was released by MGM in the U.S. in 1956....Now I do remember a quarter mass U.S. film in the late 50's..... | The BBC serials were in 1953, 1955 and 1958. It took until the late 60s for the last of them to be adapted by Hammer. Some good Avengers actors to look out for in that one. _________________ Last watched: "The Medicine Men" |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2708 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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Frankymole wrote: | mousemeat wrote: |
hmm....Forbidden Planet was released by MGM in the U.S. in 1956....Now I do remember a quarter mass U.S. film in the late 50's..... | The BBC serials were in 1953, 1955 and 1958. It took until the late 60s for the last of them to be adapted by Hammer. Some good Avengers actors to look out for in that one. |
Yes that's right. Hammer wanted to make a sequel straight away after the success in '55 & '56 with The Quatermass Xperiment (spelled that way to reinforce that it had an 'X' certificate). However, Nigel Kneale refused them permission for the character as he didn't want to lose control of it so they released "X the Unknown" as a rewritten script of the sequel they had planned. _________________ 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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mousemeat Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 6312 Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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Frankymole wrote: | dissolute wrote: | The feature films of Quatermass were made by Hammer and nothing to do with the BBC originals, just as they did with the Doctor Who films.
Renée Glynne was continuity for The Quatermass Xperiment. | They were not very good though (and Brian Donlevy was totally miscast) so it's not surprising they didn't perform abroad. By contrast, all three BBC serials were street-clearing sensations and the talk of every home and workplace in the UK... the films more or less sank without trace.
The Doctor Who and Dalek films were by Aaru, with some personnel connections to Amicus (though none official). |
I do believe the Hammer films are available on DVD |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2708 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2021 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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Today is the Sixtieth Anniversary of the first broadcast of One for the Mortuary!
A cracking thriller with Brian Clemens' trademark quirky characters, it's a shame we can't see this one anymore.
Updated cast photos for everyone, with new photos chosen for Malou Pantera, Peter Madden, Toke Townley, Ingrid Hafner and Irene Bradshaw.
Also, the discovery of Eddie Powell in the closing scenes.
I've written a full plot synopsis and added new photos as well. Enjoy! _________________ 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: 5671 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:22 am Post subject: |
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It's an interesting one, always felt a bit more like a Van Der Valk episode to me (albeit set in Switzerland not Holland). How did you find out Eddie Powell was in it? Previously unidentified on a Tele-Snap? _________________ Last watched: "The Medicine Men" |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2708 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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Frankymole wrote: | It's an interesting one, always felt a bit more like a Van Der Valk episode to me (albeit set in Switzerland not Holland). How did you find out Eddie Powell was in it? Previously unidentified on a Tele-Snap? |
Yes, he was in a murky Tele-Snap at the end of the episode, standing behind Ian Hendry so he's partly concealed. Eddie's very distinctive hairline (!) was a giveaway and I confirmed by comparing other parts of his face that were visible. _________________ 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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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2708 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2021 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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Today is the 60th birthday of "The Springers"!
All new plot synopsis added to the site and all the supporting cast photos improved, including adding better photos of Charles Saynor and Tom Payne, plus the two prison warder extras. _________________ 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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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2708 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2021 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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Today, the best known episode from Series 1, The Frighteners turns 60!
Cast photos updated and a bunch of trivia added. _________________ 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: 5671 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Wed May 26, 2021 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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Although it was the first Season 1 episode most of us saw, I've never been that keen on The Frighteners. It's a bit too soap-opera for me. I do love the bit where Hendry gently reminds Macnee of where Steed was in his expository dialogue though, which they used on Hendry's "This Is Your Life" and which shows how sympatico the two actors were (not least having rejigged a lot of the dialogue in script-thrashing sessions, themselves). _________________ Last watched: "The Medicine Men" |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2708 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2021 5:04 am Post subject: |
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The cockney patois is pretty terrible at times, Patrick pretty much laughs out loud when he has to repeat one of Philip Locke's lines. And the ending is pure soap opera!
Still, it was all we had for a long time and the producers must have liked it to keep it in the archives.
Given all their plans for a repeat season for all the regions that missed the early episodes you'd think some of the copies might have survived and are lurking somewhere... _________________ 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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mousemeat Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 6312 Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2021 10:59 am Post subject: |
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dissolute wrote: | The cockney patois is pretty terrible at times, Patrick pretty much laughs out loud when he has to repeat one of Philip Locke's lines. And the ending is pure soap opera!
Still, it was all we had for a long time and the producers must have liked it to keep it in the archives.
Given all their plans for a repeat season for all the regions that missed the early episodes you'd think some of the copies might have survived and are lurking somewhere... |
chances are....perhaps some are...either in some media archives..or a private collector...eventually, something might turn up.. |
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Frankymole Diabolical Mastermind

Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 5671 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2021 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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dissolute wrote: |
Given all their plans for a repeat season for all the regions that missed the early episodes you'd think some of the copies might have survived and are lurking somewhere... | Yes, it's very surprising this didn't go ahead given the five month long Equity strike from 1961 into 1962, preventing new dramas from being made (I'll never quite forgive André Morell, though I suppose he did good things for actors). But ATV's grip was still strong and even when they grudgingly accepted The Avengers from rival ABC they might've balked against paying even more money for some old episodes when they could just repeat their own stuff for free. I wish some of the other regions had have gone for it, but if they ever had copies, even viewing prints, the numerous franchise changes since probably mean if any of them survived they'd have been returned to the copyright holder or chucked in a skip. _________________ Last watched: "The Medicine Men" |
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dissolute The Ministry

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2708 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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It's the 60th anniversary of The Yellow Needle, an international political assassination thriller with the climax sadly given away by the episode title.
All new cast photos and plot online today, and Christian Holder has been in touch with me about his recollections. _________________ 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: 5671 Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:55 am Post subject: |
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dissolute wrote: |
All new cast photos and plot online today, and Christian Holder has been in touch with me about his recollections. | Ooh they could be interesting!
Splendid stuff. Yes, must be a medical Mike Yates not the military one - if they want UNIT medical advice they should get Surgeon-Lieutenant Harry Sullivan RN instead  _________________ Last watched: "The Medicine Men" |
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mousemeat Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 6312 Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:18 am Post subject: |
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dissolute wrote: | It's the 60th anniversary of The Yellow Needle, an international political assassination thriller with the climax sadly given away by the episode title.
All new cast photos and plot online today, and Christian Holder has been in touch with me about his recollections. |
I would be interested in hearing what he saids, etc..cool ! |
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