Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Anthony Howell, Julian Wadham, Camilla Power, Colin Baker, Tim Bentnick, Adrian Lukis, Phil Mulryne, Blake Ritson, Anjella Mackintosh, Kieran Bew, John Banks, Richard Franklin.

Arguably The Avengers was one of I.T.V.’s flagship programmes that for its time possibly rivalled B.B.C.’s Doctor Who for its intrigue and audience adulation. Like the B.B.C. though, the television programme‘s early broadcasts were not as keenly looked after as they should have been.

As with many of the classic British television series, The Avengers retains a huge cult following and to have series looked after by Big Finish, the audio production company that makes the new adventures of Doctor Who, Sapphire and Steel and Blake’s 7, is a bonus that gladdens the heart of any fan.

The first story to get the Big Finish treatment is the television introduction Hot Snow and it is a cracking opener designed to show just how the British view of the world had changed after World War Two. The political intrigue that was gathering pace in the dying days of Conservative Government that had not moved with the times, the fresh appeal of a Labour Party waiting in the wings and throughout it all the taste of something that was always behind the scenes, the often real power behind the seat of Parliament, the security forces.   

If there is an issue with the recording, and to be fair to all concerned it isn’t even a major concern, is that the time constraints of the original television show doesn’t offer scope to enlarge upon an impressive and gritty opening story.

Replacing the near legendary pair of Patrick Macee and Ian Hendry as Doctor Keel and John Steed is an almost impossible task; it certainly requires the right air of authority that Patrick Macnee commanded in the television series but also with the sense of fun bubbling under the surface. In Julian Wadham there is certainly the one and as the series continues the other will certainly show through.

However it is worth remembering that the first series was a realistic, almost unsentimental affair, a programme that delved into a world that was almost alien to many who sat down to watch it. The use of Heroin in a programme that filled a family viewing slot was perhaps very daring for its time but it served its purpose brilliantly. The dangerous world of narcotics, especially Heroin is a pungent area to delve in but it sets up the series perfectly.

In Anthony Howell as the original star of the series, the makers of the audio versions, Big Finish, have an actor that compliments both the original actor Ian Hendry and Julian Wadham. The interplay between the pair is as good as the original recording and with the addition of Big Finish stalwart Colin Baker as Dr. Richard Tredding and Adrain Lukis as the criminal Spicer, it seems that Big Finish have again picked upon a franchise that is ripe to be retold. The final piece of bountiful puzzle that comes with the story is the fantastic supplement of music by Johnny Dankworth, the Jazz influenced theme music is a great joiner of the 1961 television series and the 2014 audio drama.

It is always a shame to believe that television executives didn’t think that some programmes were ever worth saving for posterity, thankfully with the scripts remaining at least things can be restored.

Hot Snow is available as part of Volume One of The Avengers, The Lost Episodes. Volume One of The Avengers, The Lost Episodes is available from Worlds Apart, Liverpool.

Ian D. Hall