6.13 - Game

[mariocki]

I can't remember what the fee was but it was very small and I remember one of the property owners (can't recall which one) saying that the crew would spend most of the day using their phone, resulting in most of the fee being swallowed up by the cost of the phone bill.

It was interesting chatting to John Hough that time as to how he found locations - on his day off on Sunday he would drive up from Muswell Hill where he lived and just drive around until he saw something and just knock on the door and ask. I also remember him saying that if the main unit were there with dialogue being recorded there would be about 70 people in total, something you wouldn't think when you see it on screen.

[MikeR]

I can't remember what the fee was but it was very small and I remember one of the property owners (can't recall which one) saying that the crew would spend most of the day using their phone, resulting in most of the fee being swallowed up by the cost of the phone bill.

It was interesting chatting to John Hough that time as to how he found locations - on his day off on Sunday he would drive up from Muswell Hill where he lived and just drive around until he saw something and just knock on the door and ask. I also remember him saying that if the main unit were there with dialogue being recorded there would be about 70 people in total, something you wouldn't think when you see it on screen.

Geoff

I'm remember some of this now, but mainly I spoke to John when we were at Shenley Lodge and Rabley Park and I asked him if he had ever worked on anything uncredited. He replied that he had done half a day with Patrick McGoohan on The Prisoner at MGM Borehamwood Studios, but he was just filling in and did not expect to be credited.

[anti-clockwise]

I can't remember what the fee was but it was very small and I remember one of the property owners (can't recall which one) saying that the crew would spend most of the day using their phone, resulting in most of the fee being swallowed up by the cost of the phone bill.

It was interesting chatting to John Hough that time as to how he found locations - on his day off on Sunday he would drive up from Muswell Hill where he lived and just drive around until he saw something and just knock on the door and ask. I also remember him saying that if the main unit were there with dialogue being recorded there would be about 70 people in total, something you wouldn't think when you see it on screen.

Most interesting. Wish I had been there myself but this is the next best thing. Thanks to both you and Mike.

[dissolute]

This is a great episode and a joy to watch again in bluray HD.

Robert Fuest's Hammondesque direction is inspired - often in the minutest detail which I've missed on previous viewing, so maybe the higher definition picture helps there.

He's taken Hammond's obsession of filming through other objects but made it sensible - a swift change of focus/depth of field to draw the viewer to the implication, or the central characters. Hammond, to my mind, often overstepped the mark and dwelled on the secondary item too long.

Here, Fuest focuses on a wire cage on Steed's desk as a scene opens then rapidly changes the focus to Steed and Tara. He also does the opposite later, when Steed says they'll have to talk to the army, panning down and focusing on some of his Napoleonic miniatures. Alan Hume and Brian Elvin do a great job in delivering his vision and Manuel del Campo's editing is superb.

I love the scene at the playground, as Steed and Tara approach the swings and the camera has the POV of the swinging swing, so the picture rocks back and forth gently - a great way of instilling a sense of disquiet without being constrained to the usual device of an angled shot.
We also have a great overhead shot of the roundabout that Averman is propped up on, again lending a sense of disquiet.

Simon Wakefield and Herbert also do a superb job in interpreting Ken Tait and Len Townsend's art directions, with great sets throughout (bar ONE, below!). The sets for the Secret Agent game are superb.

The bad parts of the episode?

The sped up backward footage of solving the jigsaw puzzle; makes me cringe every time - especially when the manager calls it a "jiggy".
Also, the rather fake trench when they visit the Brigadier (and not bothering to reshoot the scene when the Brigadier leave the trench and misses his footing).

[Allard]

Peak Avengers, the games theme is a successful mixture of the fun of childhood nostalgia and a certain eeriness. I can't see this plot working in anything but The Avengers.

A very well directed and prepared episode, intelligent camera work, a good build up in revealing the D.M. and his plan/motivation.

In one aspect the episode falls short, the humour is quite visual. few little quips and charming remarks, ah well, it isn't the Peel era any more.

Does feel a bit of a Avengers soundtrack trbute, so many recycled cues. towards the end some original music though.

Overall it depends if you can appreciate the somewhat silliness and lack of an earnest plot, but I like it. As I said peak Avengers and peak sixties TV, but in an episode that works well. Not an absolute highlight of the Tara era, but a fine one to start the series of.