The Avengers International Fan Forum

peabody · Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 9:52 pm Post subject: 5.08 - The Hidden Tiger

Discuss, review and rate The Hidden Tiger, production completed January 1967.

Teleplay by Philip Levene
Directed by Sidney Hayers

Frankymole · Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 7:56 pm Post subject:

My review:

http://www.theavengers.tv/forever/peel2-8vr.htm#2

Watching in the UK viewing order, this one follows "The Living Dead" and after such a plot-based episode, this is really just a series of set-pieces and quirky characters. Cheshire, Manx and Angora (all named after breeds of cats!) who run P.U.R.R.R. are each interesting in their own ways; the coldly analytical Manx nevertheless looks after the pussies well — but his explanation of the reasons for paralyzing the country by using radio-transmitters to turn cats into savage beasts is unconvincing. He reckons that bank vaults and safes will then be available to him. But won't they still be locked? Another odd bit is that after Steed and Emma escape the confines of PURRR's headquarters, Manx, terrified by a cat being in his "getaway van," crashes — Steed and Emma are there in moments, despite following on foot, and the bemused cat is unharmed in the crash (I love its docile expression — it takes a writer of Levene's caliber to build up to a scene where the villain is scared to death by the most sedate-looking domestic pet ever!).

Gabrielle Drake is scheming and beautiful at the same time — and looking very feline. Ronnie Barker (a great ironic name for someone playing a cat-lover!) is as madly loveable as in all his TV appearances, and the interplay between Steed and Emma is, as usual, brilliant. My only gripe is that the "unknown killer" scenes show the cats as attacking at the height of the human eyeline. Perhaps they were running around the walls? (I know that this was mainly for the practical reason of not showing the studio lighting gantries, but it always bugged me.) PURRR HQ has lovely sets — from Bast statues to the clever tiger-themed (alternating black and yellow) corridor with the cats-eyes peepholes!

Four bowlers for ideas, eccentrics, sets and characterization — especially those cat-descriptions from Emma and Steed (I would give only two bowlers for plot and the misleading killer scenes, but that would be missing the point). 9/10.
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Last watched: "The Gilded Cage"

cyberrich · Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 2:13 pm Post subject:

10/10. One of the very best episodes of season 5. The X files episode Teso dos bichos seems a little influenced by this one. The Avengers takes the notion of the killer in your living room to extremes here and it works remarkably well. The Avengers often did this, taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary. Emma's line "Pussies galore" always makes me smile! Rich.

Frankymole · Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 1:03 am Post subject:

Yes, it was such a good line they used it again in The New Avengers "Cat Amongst The Pigeons". And, I think, in one other episode of The Avengers as well...!
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Last watched: "The Gilded Cage"

Timeless A-Peel · Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 4:10 am Post subject:

Frankymole · Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:04 am Post subject:

When Patrick became the Man From Uncle's boss, he should've hooked up with Lazenby's "JB" character in it ("The Fifteen Years Later Affair") and asked what he'd done with his Pussy!
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Last watched: "The Gilded Cage"

Timeless A-Peel · Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 9:04 am Post subject:

Topaze · Nutshell Joined: 11 Feb 2014 Posts: 49

I love cats!!!
And I love the hidden tiger.
The backgrounds are superb.
I'd love to have the same...

Purrr Laughing

anti-clockwise · Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:32 pm Post subject:

Oh that is so funny Topaze. Very very cute cats and so appropriate for hidden Tiger!! Laughing

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"He likes his tea stirred anti-clockwise."

Rhonda · Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 2:33 am Post subject:

I gave 6
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Ron
Last Watched : My Wildest Dream

Rhonda · Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:58 am Post subject:

I learned today, from the episode's Avengers Forever page, that the word fulsome (in Cheshire's "fulsome feline friends") can mean something bad. Not quite right for cat-lover Cheshire, but it could be either a writer (Philip Levene) or actor (Ronnie Barker) slip-up, I suppose. However, when I look the word up, there are appears to be two opposite meanings of the word! I do seem to remember the phrase fulsome appetite - meaning good, so maybe it's used correctly in The Hidden Tiger after all.
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Ron
Last Watched : My Wildest Dream

dissolute · Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 11:50 am Post subject:

Yes, fulsome is one of those words that has changed over the centuries.

Today, it's closest to "gauche" but it started out as "generous", then swiftly became "over generous or enthusiastic" before descending into "excessive".

So your "fulsome appetite" is in fact a subtle reprimand for being a glutton.

Perhaps Cheshire was referring to Prince Courtney's playful habits and being honest yet loving in his assessment of him - he had just been talking about poking him out of the harmonium with his umbrella, after all. Or, of course, the scriptwriter stuffed it up.
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Every episode from 1961 to 1977 plus more trivia than you can shake a brolly at.