The other Avengers you've probably never heard of.

So I wanted to step away from video gaming for a moment and talk about a huge thing that has had quite major effects on geek culture and yet you've probably never heard of it. This also isn't going to be full of Avengers Endgame information or any spoilers. Though it might spoil part of Xmen Dark Phoenix.

I'd like you to meet a long running franchise I love that most people have never heard of outside of maybe the Nostalgia critic reviewing the film of it a while ago.

The Avengers was a long running UK television show following the adventures of John Steed an agent of "the Ministry"  (later revealed to specifically be MI7, I think). The best known incarnation of the show happen when he was joined by Mrs Emma Peel (Diana Rigg whose roles include being a one time Bond girl and more recently the Queen of Thorns on Game of Thrones). The basic premise of the show being Steed and whoever was his partner at the time being sent out to investigate strange incidents or protect government secrets or personal. What normally played out each episode could best be described as a more light hearted X-files. While the show on occasion dealt with more mundane plotlines such as an escaped prisoner coming for revenge on Steed the majority of the show episodes often involved some Sci-Fi or occult esc elements such as: Robots, hypnosis, animals instincts, memory less, weaponised super viruses and secret underground societies.

In the show Steed's character was fleshed out with him being shown as a senior agent with some tricks up his sleeve including a steel reinforced bowler hat and a concealed sword inside his umbrella to go with him being a highly skilled fencer. 

Dr Emma Peel (Or Mrs Emma Peel as she points out to Steed that she prefers to be called) was a high level ministry research scientist with a PhD in chemistry but knowledge of and interest in other areas of science too including biology, Neurology, Psychology and engineering. She's the former head of the technology firm Knight industries having taken over from her father. She's a certified Genius along with being a Black Belt in at least one martial art and a competent fencer. Unlike Steed her only concealed weapon was a small pistol normally kept in one of her shoes.

Emma Peel and Steed were put together as a team after Emma's husband (a Military test pilot) went mission over the Amazon during a test flight. The implied reasoning being the Ministry were worried about a great asset (Emma Peel's mind) ending up being turned against them due to the loss of her Husband. As Steed needed a new partner for his investigations and the Ministry wanted to make sure Emma Peel wasn't being influenced by foreign powers the pairing made sense to them.

While it may sound very possible, Emma Peel very much wasn't a Mary Sue, she was highly capable but at times her over confidence lead to her being captured or ending up in danger from the episodes villains . Conversely she also often rescued Steed from the villains clutches as much as he rescued her.  

So why write all of this?

I'm sure you're wondering (assuming you've not already dismissed this as using the Avengers name to get you to click on it).  Well it's pretty simple I wanted to talk about a show I doubt many know of now but one that had a huge impact and "Geek Culture".

To show what an impact it's had we have to look both back and forward.

One of the main even acknowledged impacts of the show is visible in the Xmen arc "The Dark Phoenix Saga". One particular episode of The Avengers has Mrs Peel and Steed infiltrating a group called "The Hellfire Club" and Mrs Peel turns up looking like this (and before you complain, yes you with the pearls in your hand, Diana Rigg actually helped design the outfit) .
  

During the "Dark Phoenix Saga" Jean having gone to the dark side / turned on the Xmen is revealed when she is shown at the Hellfire club dressed like this.

I've not seen the Dark Phoenix film but I'm guessing this scene didn't happen in it.
However this isn't the only big impact on pop culture a quite forgotten TV series has had.
Do you recognise this woman?

If you watch Game of Thrones you'll no doubt be pointing out that's Olenna Tyrell, sometimes referred to as The Queen of Thorns. She's played by Diana Rigg. Diana Rigg's first recurring role on a TV series was as Mrs Emma Peel in The Avengers. Before then she has bit parts or single episode parts on TV shows. After The Avengers she went on to do a number of films including her leading role in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, which Bond fans will tell you is the film where James Bond actually get married. Without The Avengers we might not have had the iconic performance of Diana Rigg bringing the character of Olenna Tyrell to life.


Now you might think the last one was stretching a little so how about a last one that s not such a stretch?
What if I were to tell you that The Avengers TV series caused major problems for Disney and the Marvel Cinematic universe?
Sounds strange right?

Well did you ever wonder why the first Avengers film in the USA was called The Avengers while in the UK it was called Avengers Assemble? Ever notice how every Avengers films since has had a subtitle? This is due to The Avengers TV series. You see as distribution rights worked their way through the entertainment industry they ended up (and still as far as I'm aware are) in the hands of a certain Warner Brothers. Warner Brothers tried to capitalise on the rights in a 1998 film starring Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman.

It wasn't good. In a one or two parts there were little references to the show but any faithfulness to the show goes quickly out of the window in the 3rd act as the film takes vast liberties with series characters such as having a character in the series who was blind suddenly not being in the film. It was panned by critics, people in the UK disliking it because it was coming off as some kind of American idea of the English while American Critics said it lacked energy and was poorly written. The film was all but forgotten by everyone including as it turned out Disney. However Warner Brothers didn't forget and in the UK at least the potential was there to challenge Disney over the Trademark. Disney had to act quick to avoid Warner Brothers (who also own DC) being able to potentially cause damage to them by taking them to court, Disney's solution changing the film title for the UK, re-doing all the advertising material and even having to change some title cards and other stuff in the film itself to prevent any lawsuit taking place.

The most recent appearance for Steed and Mrs Peel in pop culture was actually a cross over comic book between Boom comics and DC where Steed and Mrs Peel met the Adam West version of Batman (Batman 66). Before that were two previous comic series based on the characters. 

It's also worth noting that while Mrs Peel's maiden name was Emma Knight. Daughter of John Knight. A character also called Emma Night who happens to be a government agent very much like Mrs Peel, right down to the test Pilot husband with the surname Peel, appears in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comics.

If this has wet your whistle The Avengers TV series did come out on DVD and a few years ago on some on demand services.
If you want a sort of list of some of the best episodes to see if it's your kind of thing I'd recommend.

A Touch of Brimstone
The Danger Makers
The House that Jack Built
The Hidden Tiger
The Positive Negative man.
and
Murdersville

The series was very much an episodic show so you don't have to worry about following on. There's only a few episodes that share a loose connection.

The Cybernauts
Never, Never say die
Return of the Cybernauts
and the Avengers spin off "The New Avengers" episode
The Last of the Cybernauts

However the majority of the episodes can just be jumped into and were self contained stories for the most part.

So that was a thing that honestly watching repeats growing up watching repeats and VHS copies of episodes of the show I really found it stuck with me. In this age where show after show is trying to be serious and push serious messages. I look back at The Avengers and it was fun, it didn't take itself too seriously and was quite willing to do some silly plots and sequences or break up tension with a joke or two.

Also thank fuck no-one has tried to do a "currant year" remake of this yet, mostly because I'd say other than a few effect that likely look a bit dated the series holds up very well.