Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24520 in VHS
• Released on: 2000-08-21
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 4
• Running time: 500 minutes

Synopsis
Three cassettes featuring; 'The Decapod', 'Box Of Tricks', 'Chorus Of Frogs', 'A Surfeit Of H20', 'Too Many Xmas Trees', 'Quick-Quick Slow Death', 'Mr Teddy Bear', 'The Nutshell' and 'Lobster Quadrille'.

Customer Reviews

The best look at the early Avengers
This box set contains 3 Venus Smith episodes (The Decapod, Box Of Tricks and Chorus Of Frogs), 3 Cathy Gale episodes (Mr. Teddy Bear, The Nutshell and Lobster Quadrille) and 3 Emma Peel episodes (A Surfeit Of H2O, Too Many Xmas Trees and Quick-Quick Slow Death).

The Venus and Cathy episodes being taped on videotape don't live up to the very good picture and sound quality of the Emma Peel episodes on this box set. The Emma Peel episodes were taped on film and that really shows on these video copies. Having this in mind, the overall picture and sound quality is quite good.

The Emma Peel episodes are my favourite episodes. A Surfeit of H2O features a diabolical mastermind who can control the weather. His name, of course, is Dr. Sturm. The Warner Bros Avenger Movie featuring Sean Connery as Sir August The Winter is definitely based on this truly great episode. Too Many Xmas Trees is also a top marks episode (the best episode included in this collection) in which Steed is disturbed by strange dreams. Quick-Quick Slow Death is quite enjoyable.

The Venus episodes are nice to watch, but Julie Stevens is not the best actress and she can never fill the shoes, or shall I say boots, of Cathy or Emma. And must she sing on every episode? Chorus Of Frogs is definitely her best on this set. "The Nutshell" is Cathy Gale's best episode included. It's a short James Bond film. Really superb! Mr. Teddy Bear is also a great one. Lobster Quadrille is only an interesting episode because it's the final episode featuring Honor Blackman.

This box set is the best way to get an idea what the Avengers was like in its early years. It contains some marvellous episodes. It's a must have collection for any Avenger fan. As a bonus there's the nice documentary "Avenging Avengers".

Edwin Meijster

An interesting combination of the dreadful and excellent.
The nine episodes in this collection are perhaps a prime example of how The Avengers has survived through the past decades. In many ways the first tape is the weakest of the collection with Julie Stevens co-starring as Venus Smith. Julie is not the best of actress and it shows at times with her strange deliveray in some scenes. The Decapod concerns a politican whose life is under threat. Despite some good characterisation this episode only just manages to amuse. The most notable thing is that Julie Stevens is playing her part at least five years older then in the following episodes. Box of Tricks has a mildly interesting plot but bad direction, bad acting and dull characterisation let it down. However, the jewel in the crown of this collection is A Chorus of Frogs, this is well written and well acted making a treat to watch. The three Cathy Gale episodes again are mixed. Mr Teddy Bear concerns the tracking down of an assassin and is a joy to be hold, while The Nutshell is an increadly harrowing get hypnotic episode about betrayel. Lobster Quadrill is Cathy's finale episode and is the worst of the collection. It's dull and life less. The three Emma Peels are top mark episodes and are fantastic especially Too Many Christmas Trees. The Avenging the Avengers is fasinating for all. A must!