Making it New? A Reappraisal of The New Avengers

Rodders · Post by **Rodders** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 8:46 pm

don't be too harsh with your critical backlash!

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:33 pm

Rodders wrote:don't be too harsh with your critical backlash!

I shan't. But I'm sure you've done an excellent job.

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:51 pm

I finished reading the book ages ago, but I've had a crazy few months, and I'm just catching up with things now. As it's a TNA book, I wrote it a proper review for my site. I don't know what my reach is, but hopefully it'll bring you a couple more readers, Rodney.

The review is here for anyone who's interested. Don't worry, Rodney. You have nothing to fear.

Rodders · Post by **Rodders** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 1:12 pm

A very positive, kind review. I agree with the criticism about character analysis as well. I always tend to concentrate on location, setting and theme rather than the people themselves!

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 2:18 pm

Rodders wrote:A very positive, kind review. I agree with the criticism about character analysis as well. I always tend to concentrate on location, setting and theme rather than the people themselves!

I really enjoyed it. I was amazed when it occurred to me that it's taken this long for us to get a book just on TNA. Thanks to you, the show got something before it hit its 40th anniversary!

I always look for these things to give me something new to think on, and you definitely succeeded there. I'm still trying to work out why I never made the Target/video game connection when I've played loads of PC games over the years.

And I somehow completely missed Steed's throwaway line about the Bank of England in Sleeper, which I shall have to look for in the future.

The character vs. plot emphasis is personal to an extent--I tend to focus on character a lot. It's less significant for the original series, but it's very important to TNA. I quite honestly think it's the first iteration of the show that wouldn't have been able to survive the loss of one of its leads. Replace one part of the triumvirate, and it wouldn't have worked as well. It would have been better to end it than to carry on after someone walked.

denis · Post by **denis** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 2:39 pm

For those who can understand French, ,there is another review here :
http://theavengers.fr/index.php/chapeau ... guides#a16

Rodders · Post by **Rodders** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 3:21 pm

Timeless A-Peel wrote:
I really enjoyed it. I was amazed when it occurred to me that it's taken this long for us to get a book just on TNA. Thanks to you, the show got something before it hit its 40th anniversary!

I always look for these things to give me something new to think on, and you definitely succeeded there. I'm still trying to work out why I never made the Target/video game connection when I've played loads of PC games over the years. And I somehow completely missed Steed's throwaway line about the Bank of England in Sleeper, which I shall have to look for in the future.

The character vs. plot emphasis is personal to an extent--I tend to focus on character a lot. It's less significant for the original series, but it's very important to TNA. I quite honestly think it's the first iteration of the show that wouldn't have been able to survive the loss of one of its leads. Replace one part of the triumvirate, and it wouldn't have worked as well. It would have been better to end it than to carry on after someone walked.

I agree. And unlike Jaz who feels that Steed plays a Mother role in TNA, I don't see it myself. I think that the three bounce off each other superbly most of the time and for every episode where Steed is marginalised there is one which centres on him more than the others. I think Season 1 is the best Avengers season since monochrome Peel.

Rodders · Post by **Rodders** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 3:25 pm

I showed my Year 8s Target! recently and they loved it although interestingly, having seen episodes from Rigg b/w through to TNA, they like the monochrome era best of all. This surprised me given children's aversion to b/w. One boy said that he found Season 4 more "challenging".

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 3:46 pm

Rodders wrote:I agree. And unlike Jaz who feels that Steed plays a Mother role in TNA, I don't see it myself. I think that the three bounce off each other superbly most of the time and for every episode where Steed is marginalised there is one which centres on him more than the others. I think Season 1 is the best Avengers season since monochrome Peel.

I showed my Year 8s Target! recently and they loved it although interestingly, having seen episodes from Rigg b/w through to TNA, they like the monochrome era best of all. This surprised me given children's aversion to b/w. One boy said that he found Season 4 more "challenging".

I've never been able to get onboard with the "Steed was put out to pasture" argument. I remember before I started watching the series, that was one of the (many) criticisms levelled at it, and when I finally watched, I kept waiting for the episodes to come where Steed was completely sidelined. They never did. There are three leads, so obviously he has to share with more characters, but as you say, if he is marginalised, he's in the centre just as many. Of the three, Gambit's the most likely to be ignored, not Steed.

I'm stunned that you put season one just after the monochrome Riggs--in a good way, I hasten to add!

High praise. I agree wholeheartedly.

I have younger cousins that I showed episodes years ago. I started them on the colour Peels, then switched to the black and white ones. After an initial "It's in black and white!" exclamation, they ended up being just as enthralled as they had with the colour ones. I don't think kids are particularly adverse to black and white--it's just a bit of an adjustment. I was born into a completely colour TV world, too, and it remember it took an episode or two to get used to it when I first watched season four, but it was a very quick transition. Most children of the eighties and nineties are pretty retrominded anyway--they come home from buying their vinyl and watch old movies.

Rodders · Post by **Rodders** » Tue Dec 17, 2013 4:09 pm

The advantage of b/w in The Avengers is - I feel - the purity and noirish atmosphere, plus the writers and directors etc concentrated on the story rather than creating something which looked psychedlically spectacular. I agree that most children quickly get used to b/w if the story captivates them. The NA episodes meanwhile need the Jaz makeover although I presume that being 16mm film rather than 35mm, the result still won't be as good.