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| Total Votes : 16 |
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peabody
Little Wonder
Joined: 16 Oct 2009
Posts: 226
Location: MACS0647-JD
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 Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 8:52 am Post subject: 6.09 - Whoever Shot Poor George Oblique Stroke XR40? |
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Discuss, review and rate Whoever Shot Poor George Oblique Stroke XR40?.
Written by Tony Williamson
Directed by Cyril Frankel |
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Spaceship Dispatcher
Winged Avenger
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
Posts: 594
Location: Northampton
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| Posted: Thu May 15, 2014 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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| This is a bit of a non-episode plot wise, but there are great performances from the likes of Clifford Evans and Champions regular Anthony Nicholls to make up for that. The absurd surgical scenes of George in the operating theatre are nonsense fun typical of the era and create a lighter tone that for me excuses the lack of action or real tension. A highlight of the story is Linda playing Tara playing Pelley's neice, with a fairly terrible accent that slips between North American and BBC English at random - obviously an intentional piece of characterisation, that Tara can't hold the accent, as Linda demonstrates how comfortable she is doing a NA accent in her Return of the Saint episode. Overall, an episode that is the sum of its parts - not much goes in so not much comes out - but its an enjoyable enough 50 minutes. 6/10 |
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Frankymole
Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 01 Sep 2008
Posts: 5192
Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2014 6:56 am Post subject: |
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The surgery scenes hark back to the operating theatre work on the jamming gadgets in "The Gravediggers".
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mousemeat
Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008
Posts: 5660
Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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| Posted: Sun May 18, 2014 12:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Spaceship Dispatcher wrote: | | This is a bit of a non-episode plot wise, but there are great performances from the likes of Clifford Evans and Champions regular Anthony Nicholls to make up for that. The absurd surgical scenes of George in the operating theatre are nonsense fun typical of the era and create a lighter tone that for me excuses the lack of action or real tension. A highlight of the story is Linda playing Tara playing Pelley's neice, with a fairly terrible accent that slips between North American and BBC English at random - obviously an intentional piece of characterisation, that Tara can't hold the accent, as Linda demonstrates how comfortable she is doing a NA accent in her Return of the Saint episode. Overall, an episode that is the sum of its parts - not much goes in so not much comes out - but its an enjoyable enough 50 minutes. 6/10 |
the script was the problem...and yeah, Thorson's accent was hit and miss...
overall. a so so 50 minutes worth of the tara era |
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Spaceship Dispatcher
Winged Avenger
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
Posts: 594
Location: Northampton
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| Posted: Sun May 18, 2014 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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| mousemeat wrote: | | Spaceship Dispatcher wrote: | | A highlight of the story is Linda playing Tara playing Pelley's neice, with a fairly terrible accent that slips between North American and BBC English at random - obviously an intentional piece of characterisation, that Tara can't hold the accent, as Linda demonstrates how comfortable she is doing a NA accent in her Return of the Saint episode... |
and yeah, Thorson's accent was hit and miss... |
Not quite the point I made  - I said that Linda's accent is fine and that's Tara's hit and miss accent was imo intentional on Linda's part (that her character can't hold a North American accent) and was a highlight in a good performance. But yes, the script was lacking an extra something. |
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Lhbizness
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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| I enjoyed this one by and large - not the best of the best, but good fun. Love the way they treated George as a human being, and the humor of the surgery sequences. The villains were pretty obvious from the start and the action lagged somewhat (shame there wasn't a nice final fight). But I found this diverting and not lacking in enjoyment - it was fun to see Dennis Price. I couldn't tell if Tara's accent is intentional on Thorson's part, but it is pretty terrible - I feel like if it was intentional, it would have been more pronounced, but that's me. It seems a feature of some episodes that The Avengers not actually have an effect on the outcome of the plot - Tara here does pretty much nothing. Same thing happens in You Have Just Been Murdered: outcome would have been the same if The Avengers never got involved. |
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Spaceship Dispatcher
Winged Avenger
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
Posts: 594
Location: Northampton
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| Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:20 am Post subject: |
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| Lhbizness wrote: | | I couldn't tell if Tara's accent is intentional on Thorson's part, but it is pretty terrible - I feel like if it was intentional, it would have been more pronounced, but that's me. |
Yes, it is pretty impossible to tell from what's on screen! My guess that she's putting the awful accent on as part of her performance of Tara is based mostly on Linda's appearance in Return of the Saint where she is fairly spot on with the accent...
| Lhbizness wrote: | | It seems a feature of some episodes that The Avengers not actually have an effect on the outcome of the plot - Tara here does pretty much nothing. Same thing happens in You Have Just Been Murdered: outcome would have been the same if The Avengers never got involved. |
Interesting point! I hadn't really noted that one, but you're right. Its as though the writer had a good plot that could be submitted to any series that needed a story at short notice and could be dressed up in whatever style was needed. It doesn't rely specifically on Steed or Tara as you say, the plot works by itself. Stripped of all the comedy scenes of the robot surgery etc, would the basic electronics and espionage premise fit most chic adventure series of the time? It might have worked just as well in The Champions perhaps... |
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Rhonda
How to Succeed... at Posting!
Joined: 19 Jan 2010
Posts: 814
Location: A town, UK
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| Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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5 from me. Like the sound effects.
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Ron
Last Watched : Too Many Christmas Trees |
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Brigadier Q
Nutshell
Joined: 18 Jan 2015
Posts: 15
Location: London 1968
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| Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 5:58 am Post subject: |
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What a cast! I am constantly surprised by this, but this show keeps pulling amazing guest stars effortlessly out of thin air! Dennis Price being the standout coup.
Amusing story with very dated ideas about computers, as one might expect. Mostly set-bound, but doesn't suffer too much - great to see Tara doing some proper Secret Agent stuff without Steed. One of her best so far. |
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highflyingbird
White Dwarf
Joined: 09 Dec 2013
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 1:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Spaceship Dispatcher wrote: | | Lhbizness wrote: | | I couldn't tell if Tara's accent is intentional on Thorson's part, but it is pretty terrible - I feel like if it was intentional, it would have been more pronounced, but that's me. |
Yes, it is pretty impossible to tell from what's on screen! My guess that she's putting the awful accent on as part of her performance of Tara is based mostly on Linda's appearance in Return of the Saint where she is fairly spot on with the accent... |
Seeing as Linda is Canadian and didn't move to the UK until 1965, and few TV viewers in most territories would be able to tell the difference between the American and Canadian accents anyway, Linda could easily have played the role with her native accent. It seems unthinkable to me that her native accent would 'slip' unless she wanted it too. What's interesting is that the American accent Tara affects as Prunella is clearly not her native canadian accent. Everything about the performance seems like a considered choice, further evidence if we needed it of what an underrated actress Linda Thorson is in the world of Avengers fandom. |
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Ian Wegg
Have Fingers... Will Type!
Joined: 15 Sep 2011
Posts: 400
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| Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 3:02 am Post subject: |
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Poignant to see the ever-reliable Frank Windsor who passed away last week. Also good to see Dennis Price.
A competent but not outstanding episode.
7/10 |
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Lee
Little Wonder
Joined: 15 Oct 2017
Posts: 130
Location: Surrey
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| Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 6:30 am Post subject: |
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Hadn't seen this one in a while and needed to wait up for midnight to pick someone up,so I thought I would give this one a spin.
My memory of this was that it was a bit of a meh episode, not really groundbreaking in any way. A lot of faux-surgical nonsense and a subplot else where.
I was surprised to find I enjoyed it more than that. It did enjoy the pretend operating theatre scenes and the treating of George as a patient on life support quite amusing. Someone above talked about the scenes from the The Gravediggers, and I would concur with that.
A good cast provide strong character reactions, but perhaps there wasn't enough mystery in the script. It still feels a more average episode. Early on in the run as it comes, there doesn't seem to be the dynamic yet between Linda and Pat which was evident quite quickly with both Honor and Diana. It also seems that Pat is almost 'dialing it in' as Steed: not the early Steed of Keel and Gale, nor the frivolous Steed of Peel, but a mainly straight version of Steed who perhaps doesn't really want to be there (we know Pat had thought of going before and questioned what he was still doing here now).
The direction doesn't really stand out, but it was great to hear a lot of musical cues from season 4 - I think from Death at bargain Prices. Seemed quite odd to have them here, but a welcome return.
Linda did really look lovely in her original niece costume with her hat on - I hadn't realised her legs were so long....
Based on what I've given other stories, I'm going to give this a 6.
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You really must have a word with that cleaning lady.... |
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mousemeat
Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008
Posts: 5660
Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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| Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 9:08 am Post subject: |
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| Lee wrote: | Hadn't seen this one in a while and needed to wait up for midnight to pick someone up,so I thought I would give this one a spin.
My memory of this was that it was a bit of a meh episode, not really groundbreaking in any way. A lot of faux-surgical nonsense and a subplot else where.
I was surprised to find I enjoyed it more than that. It did enjoy the pretend operating theatre scenes and the treating of George as a patient on life support quite amusing. Someone above talked about the scenes from the The Gravediggers, and I would concur with that.
A good cast provide strong character reactions, but perhaps there wasn't enough mystery in the script. It still feels a more average episode. Early on in the run as it comes, there doesn't seem to be the dynamic yet between Linda and Pat which was evident quite quickly with both Honor and Diana. It also seems that Pat is almost 'dialing it in' as Steed: not the early Steed of Keel and Gale, nor the frivolous Steed of Peel, but a mainly straight version of Steed who perhaps doesn't really want to be there (we know Pat had thought of going before and questioned what he was still doing here now).
The direction doesn't really stand out, but it was great to hear a lot of musical cues from season 4 - I think from Death at bargain Prices. Seemed quite odd to have them here, but a welcome return.
Linda did really look lovely in her original niece costume with her hat on - I hadn't realised her legs were so long....
Based on what I've given other stories, I'm going to give this a 6. |
never was a big fan of this episode...yrs later, still feel the same. too clunky. but she does have a set of legs. Overall, she's a fine actress..can hold her own with Blackman and Rigg...but she didn't have the great scripts they did |
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Allard
The Ministry
Joined: 01 Sep 2008
Posts: 1955
Location: The Netherlands
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| Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2021 1:25 am Post subject: |
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This isn't the first episode on the automation / computer theme, but it is the first to take the silly approach. It therefore lacks the dark undertone of The Big Thinker or The Cybernauts, yet it tries to be a thriller.
I don't think it as much deserves a bad reputation, it's a typical Tara King era over the top episode. The problem is that it tries to be two things, a comedic story (computer research centre) and a thriller (Pelley's house). The latter don't really fit in, in style with the former.
It has lots of colourful sets, eccentric characters (a scientist with all square furnishings), but the episode is on the whole a bit dreary, slow, lacks sparkle. The operating scenes are definitely the highlight. |
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mousemeat
Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008
Posts: 5660
Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:35 am Post subject: |
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| Allard wrote: | This isn't the first episode on the automation / computer theme, but it is the first to take the silly approach. It therefore lacks the dark undertone of The Big Thinker or The Cybernauts, yet it tries to be a thriller.
I don't think it as much deserves a bad reputation, it's a typical Tara King era over the top episode. The problem is that it tries to be two things, a comedic story (computer research centre) and a thriller (Pelley's house). The latter don't really fit in, in style with the former.
It has lots of colourful sets, eccentric characters (a scientist with all square furnishings), but the episode is on the whole a bit dreary, slow, lacks sparkle. The operating scenes are definitely the highlight. |
very good point...i.e. is it a comedy ? a thriller ? or both ? again, many of the scripts for her series run, just wasn't up to snuff, compared to the Gale and Peel eras... |
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Frankymole
Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 01 Sep 2008
Posts: 5192
Location: Carmadoc Research Establishment
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| Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:12 am Post subject: |
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There were plenty of dud scripts in those eras too... and not always with the same variety.
Still, at least we can agree (hopefully) that they're all better than 10 or 11 of the New Avengers season 2 episodes
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mousemeat
Diabolical Mastermind
Joined: 04 Sep 2008
Posts: 5660
Location: Elvis Central, U.S.A.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2021 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Frankymole wrote: | There were plenty of dud scripts in those eras too... and not always with the same variety.
Still, at least we can agree (hopefully) that they're all better than 10 or 11 of the New Avengers season 2 episodes |
Franky, you'll get no argument from me, concerting some of those Season 2 episodes......(new avengers) |
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Brugeoise
Nutshell
Joined: 29 Oct 2016
Posts: 48
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| Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:19 am Post subject: |
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Though the plot is rather uneven, the episode still has its merits. Personally, it's one I enjoy watching every now and then, specially for the surgery scenes and Tara passing for Prunella.
I think this episode is a very good example of what I believe is, perhaps, one of the biggest flaws of the King era, which is the absence of a mastermind. Sir Wilfred Pelley's secretary Loris just doesn't quite do the trick for me. |
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Allard
The Ministry
Joined: 01 Sep 2008
Posts: 1955
Location: The Netherlands
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| Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2021 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Brugeoise wrote: | Though the plot is rather uneven, the episode still has its merits. Personally, it's one I enjoy watching every now and then, specially for the surgery scenes and Tara passing for Prunella.
I think this episode is a very good example of what I believe is, perhaps, one of the biggest flaws of the King era, which is the absence of a mastermind. Sir Wilfred Pelley's secretary Loris just doesn't quite do the trick for me. |
Judy Parfitt is good as always, the character just isn't interesting enough. |
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