The Avengers (1961 Television Series)

The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel (Ian Hendry) and his assistant John Steed (Patrick Macnee). Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants. Steed's most famous assistants were intelligent, stylish and assertive women: Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman), Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), and later Tara King (Linda Thorson). Later episodes increasingly incorporated elements of science fiction and fantasy, parody and British eccentricity. The Avengers ran from 1961 until 1969, screening as one hour episodes its entire run.

The Avengers was produced by ABC Television, a contractor within the ITV network. After a merger in July 1968 ABC Television became Thames Television which continued production of the series, although it was still broadcast under the ABC name. By 1969 The Avengers was shown in more than 90 countries, including for several years in prime time on the American ABC network (no relation to the British company). The Avengers was the longest continuously running espionage series until 24. ITV produced a sequel series The New Avengers (1976–1977) with Patrick Macnee returning as John Steed, and two new partners (though the use of archival footage from the 1960s allowed Rigg to make an uncredited cameo appearance as Mrs. Peel in one episode).

In 2007 The Avengers was ranked #20 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever.

Tunnel of Fear (Season 1, Episode 20)
Top-secret documents are disappearing and Steed trails them to a tawdry fairgrounds in Southend. He's captured, hypnotized and left bound in a train tunnel to await his fate.

The Master Minds (Season 4, Episode 6)
Steed and Mrs. Peel investigate a group of intellectuals who are using mind control to create unwitting allies in their quest to steal a nuclear missile.

The Man-Eater of Surrey Green (Season 4, Episode 11)
An alien plant takes hold in the English countryside, using its powers to mind control a group of scientists, as well as Mrs. Peel.

Who's who (Season 5, Episode 16)
Mad scientist Dr. Krelmar is working on a machine that allows two people to swap minds and enemy agents Basil and Lola intend to use it with the Avengers to get them to destroy their network. Basil exchanges personalities with Steed but Mrs. Peel is suspicious that the man who looks like her partner is acting out of character and has to persuade the real Steed what is going on.

Return of the Cybernauts (Season 6, Episode 1)
The robotic Cybernauts return, but the scientist who controls them also has a new plan to turn humans into mindless robots using a mind control device.

Super Secret Cypher Snatch (Season 7, Episode 3)
Secrets are being leaked from Cypher Headquarters. Steed and Tara investigate and discover that the building servicing firm "Classy Glass Cleaners" has been pumping hypnotic gas into the building, placing everyone inside into a mindless trance.

Split! (Season 7, Episode 5)
Security agents are being murdered, and the clues point to notorious foreign agent Boris Kartovski. The only problem is that Steed killed Kartovski five years earlier.

Love All (Season 7, Episode 21)
Steed discovers that a publisher of romance novels is using technology to hypnotize its readers, causing them to fall in love and gladly hand over military secrets.

Stay Tuned (Season 7, Episode 22)
Steed experiences a period of "missing time" and suspects that he has been kidnapped, brainwashed, and programmed to kill someone.

My Wildest Dream(Season 7, Episode 28)
Steed experiences a period of "missing time" and suspects that he has been kidnapped, brainwashed, and programmed to kill someone.