The Avengers in widescreen?

[davidf]

Some stuff I found : the opening credits of the color Riggs have different titles placements from the original series when compared to both the A&E masters and the old VHS airings (some you can find on youtube).

Also, the footage is framed too wide in many shots. I wonder if they redid them. You can see it clearly on the producers credits, where Brian Clemens credits have dropped a bit (it was previously closer to Albert Fennell credit).

Funny bit.

[Alan]

Here's a demo comparison between 4:3 and 16:9 that I'm sure many of you will find interesting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNf7f44pAb4

Note that it was made possible because in that particular instance, the whole of the frame is accidentaly revealed on the Optimum master, including all the space top and bottom never intended to be seen in 4:3.

Fascinating and very acceptable.

[dissolute]

I would still rather see the full frame and, as I've written before, have the 1.33:1 as a different 'angle' on the DVD (or, if you're fussy, 1.33 as the default angle and full frame as the option).

The chances of us knowing what the framing at the time was, now (unless you get your hands on a broadcast print), is close to zero. Every print I've ever seen of "How to Succeed" has that foot in frame.

Actually, I might still have my recordings of the Australian broadcast prints for series 5 but no longer have a VHS player.
I've recorded some of the reruns digitally, so I'll check them out and post some screenshots.

[davidf]

The chances of us knowing what the framing at the time was, now (unless you get your hands on a broadcast print), is close to zero. Every print I've ever seen of "How to Succeed" has that foot in frame.

On the contrary, the viewfinder tell us what the intended for TV framing was.

Actually, I might still have my recordings of the Australian broadcast prints for series 5 but no longer have a VHS player.
I've recorded some of the reruns digitally, so I'll check them out and post some screenshots.

That would have to be a VHS recording from the 70's, not anything from the 80's onward where the show was already on broacast tapes. However that could be good to check for the color timing.

[dissolute]

The Australian broadcast masters have been in use since '68 (and show it!)
I'll see what I can dig out.

[davidf]

Check out the tight framing on the french opening credits, it's very interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjaLsmwDb4

The top and bottom framing correspond exactly to the one you would have if you would crop the current set to 1.66:1.

I think there were over the years two sets of english credits because the placements of the credits over the footage change. Also, one set, the one currently used, shows at the moment the cork pops something on the left bottom side of the frame that looks like someone who is pulling the cork, or move out of frame. You can see it clearly on a computer viewing the DVD.

This blunder is on french copies from the time the series re-aired in 1987. It was never on the old, 16mm prints like this one above.

You can see something is off on the Optimum remasters on this opening, because when the Emma Credits comes, she is unbelievably low in the frame (ie her heads top at the two thirds of the frame maximum, when she on the old credits tops at the "common top" invisible line.

There's also the geometry of the framing on the shadows when they are at the table and Steed moves in to fill the glass. It's perfectly balanced on the old french print framing, but it's totally off on the new Optimum version.

Finally, when Steed puts on his hat, there's an editing double action on the french credits set, Steed makes the same move adjusting the hat, twice, in two different shots.

The current set uses the same angles, but Steed only adjust his hat once. Anyone noticed?

[Alan]

The original British screening would most likely have been live telecines from film, so framings would have varied from one screening to the next dependent on how each telecine operator set the frame.

[davidf]

Actually they were 16mm prints I know because they used to break during transmission, so technicians had to repair on the spot and resume transmission.

[Allard]

Thanks for posting, seventeen, very interesting!

[mousemeat]

Good work! If only someone at Studio Canal would take as much time and care over The Avengers...

my thoughts exactly..if only the series had someone at Studio,who was a 'fan' and
made sure the best possible treatment was extended to the release schedule, etc.