1.16 - The Yellow Needle

[Frankymole]

And here is that scriptwriter himself, Patrick Campbell, in a clip from a 1970s panel show he was a regular on. Introducing the most beautiful actress in the world (which I agree with him on), as well as the handsomest actor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoiKoIZ7wwo

[dissolute]

I've just realised that Act 3 is Friday and Saturday morning, as Jacquetta and Keel refer to "last night" when discussing their dinner date. So I guess that means the ceremony for the signing of the declaration is being held on the Saturday to enable more people to attend - the actual ratification and bureaucratic paperwork would be done the following week.

"Tomorrow, please God, we sign and all is finished."

I think "Wake up, you'll be late for church." is just Steed being flippant to disguise his suspicions.

[Frankymole]

I think "Wake up, you'll be late for church." is just Steed being flippant to disguise his suspicions.

The trouble is, Big Finish took it literally and have peals of church bells audible in the background.

[dissolute]

I'm re-reading the script and scene breakdown.

The scene were Shebro reveals he knows Steed is an imposter is a day scene, so Friday morning, Steed escapes that night at the beginning of Act III so maybe Patrick Campbell made a mistake when he referred to "last night".

Tenebra would be a couple hours ahead of Britain, being in Africa, so it can't be time zone difference. If we assume Tenebra is in West Africa (Benin to Sierra Leone?) then Steed get a quick flight up the coat to Morocco to call Keel that night (Saturday) and gets to the hotel the following morning (Sunday).

So :

Act I
Monday to Wednesday

Act II
Thursday night & Friday morning

Act III
Friday night to Sunday morning and the church bells are correct, but the lines about "last night" are wrong!

-- ALTERNATIVELY --
If Act III is Friday night and Saturday morning, Steed reached Tangiers and then London unbelievably quickly from what appears to be Equatorial West Africa, and the "late for church" line makes less sense or is just flippant.

It should be noted that there are no indications in the original camera script for grams or FX for church bells in the background, even though Big Finish have it in their audio version.

[Frankymole]

By the time Steed got to Tangiers he could be in London within a few hours, via an RAF jet from Gibraltar. We don't really know where Tenebra is but I'd guess sub-Saharan. somewhere near Sierra Leone does seem likely, I grant you.

What worries me is Steed didn't find any telephones until he got to Tangiers. Maybe they had trouble with international connections but you'd think they could get a local embassy to pass on a message to Keel.

[dissolute]

Okay, so maybe Steed didn't waste any time trying to find a phone as he was escaping Tenebra and took the first 'plane he could to reach Tangiers ASAP - the same night as his escape (Friday night). That would mean the church bells are, in fact, wrong.

Steed had to make the call for dramatic reasons but yes, you'd think he could have had the pilot radio ahead or something.

[Frankymole]

When I lived in Somerset in the 1970s, there were often church bell ringers practicing on Saturdays, but I don't think it was necessarily in the morning (especially not early), and I don't know if it was the same in London in the 1960s. So maybe Big Finish can just about get away with it by claiming that some campanologists were practicing and that gave Steed an idea for a witticism.... at a push!

Got up to "Toy Trap" now, with the Tele-Snap reconstruction accompanied by the BF audio. Keel lays it on the line to Steed when Sally Smith (off The Human Jungle, I used to have such a crush on her) is in his care. Amazing scene! It must've been electrifying to see, two such great actors putting their all into it.

[AnthonyDurrant]

I strongly suspect that the second to last episode of the Professionals, "The 0juka Affair," is actually a remake of this lost Avengers episode.

[AnthonyDurrant]

As it turns out, there are similarities between the Ojuka Situation and the Yellow Needle, as both are about an African potentate and both Lungi and Ojuka are betrayed by women close to them, in Ojuka's case, his wife. They are also both attending a peace conference held outside London. I can't speak for Mr. Clemens, of course, but l can say for myself that this episode should give everyone here a clearer idea of what The Yellow Needle was like.

[dissolute]

There are a couple of Danger Man episodes with a similar story line as well.