Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Cast: Anthony Howell, Julian Wadham, Lucy Briggs-Owen, Phil Mulryne, Beth Chalmers, Tim Bentinck, Alan Cox, George Rainsford, Kieran Bew, Blake Ritson, Sophie Aldred, Colin Baker.

The murky world of forgery and counterfeit are the next in line to be investigated by John Steed and it gets all a little too close for comfort for him as the net closes in the third of the rejuvenated lost stories of The original Avengers scripts, the Square root of Evil.

Whilst primarily a solo episode for Julian Wadham, Anthony Howell’s Dr. Keel only coming in right at the end to help tie up the episode’s conclusion, it nevertheless showed the deep conviction held for the programme right from its conception. In the adapted version by John Dorney this comes over very well and Julian Wadham shows exactly what viewers saw in Steed and why he became such a pivotal figure in the years ahead. Julian Wadham’s resilience in one of the two lead roles is worthy of Patrick Macnee himself and whilst he doesn’t quite have the legendary screen actor’s visible smile that endeared him to millions over the years, Julian Wadham more than captures the essence of what made John Steed such a fantastic television creation.

Sophie Aldred, an unwavering and wonderful actor and utterly reliable member of the Big Finish family, also makes a telling contribution as the wife of one of the criminals who is making the forged bank notes. The pairing of the two actors in an essential scene is enough to make the listener pine for the days of quality acting done without superfluous fluff and romantic addition. It is neatly captured and tells the listener about the need for good writing when the hero is an adverse position.

The lost episodes of The Avengers certainly have been an eye-opening revelation, to have a programme of this calibre back in the hands of its fans can only bode well and there is a sneaking hope that if Big Finish can do justice to these then why not bring about the new stories as they have with the Doctor Who and Blake’s 7 range.

Square Root of Evil is available as part of The Avengers: The Lost Episodes Volume 1 from Worlds Apart on Lime Street, Liverpool.

Ian D. Hall