Diana Rigg-The Biography

Post by **dissolute** » Sun Sep 12, 2021 4:13 am

Here's the Keel vs Steed reference I mentioned:

27 February 1961

4. "Keel" episodes on the whole seem more difficult to write. Without unbalancing our format we should try to find opportunities for "Keel" to get closer to the characters than perhaps is necessary for "Steed".

5. Generally a "Keel" story should not be one that can be transposed to be a "Steed" story and vice versa.

It was written just as they made the switch to a fortnightly schedule, as the memo also notes that, despite it being about a week before "Ashes of Roses" went to air.

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Sun Sep 12, 2021 12:00 pm

dissolute wrote:That's true, Patrick played Steed very straight and mysterious at first and wasn't flamboyant. He thought he had interpreted the character correctly and was crestfallen when they told him otherwise.

He came back in some of his own Edwardian suits and bowler hats (he must have been a Ted himself), startling the people on set, but it worked. Oh boy, it worked!

Yes, the dandified Steed was always said by Macnee to have been in response to criticism that the original was just another undercover policeman type character, so he injected ideas based on his flamboyant racehorse-trainer father and a nattily-dressed eccentric character out of "Q Planes" among other ideas.

Not only was Keel yet another suburban doctor but also one entangled in crime (though this time by an unhappy event and then by choice, rather than it being part of his day-job) - they didn't exactly stretch far in their thinking for the new Hendry character, even the name wasn't far off until they changed it to David Keel, but they did not have very much time to bring the show together after Police Surgeon was abruptly ended. Mere weeks.

cyberrich · Post by **cyberrich** » Sun Sep 12, 2021 5:44 pm

Interesting. I've read several stories over the years of Newman and others not being happy with Macnee's portrayal of Steed in the opening episode. After being told to do something more memorable instead, Macnee did exactly that. Which brings me to something I've wondered for several years now. Only the first reel of Hot snow, the first 20 minutes have survived, and only Hendry appears in that. Have the other reels in which Macnee would have appeared genuinely disappeared

Or have they been hidden away because it could potentially be damaging to the legacy of John Steed

I hope the complete episode does surface one day. I'd take it, warts and all

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Sun Sep 12, 2021 7:22 pm

cyberrich wrote:Which brings me to something I've wondered for several years now. Only the first reel of Hot snow, the first 20 minutes have survived, and only Hendry appears in that. Have the other reels in which Macnee would have appeared genuinely disappeared Or have they been hidden away because it could potentially be damaging to the legacy of John Steed I hope the complete episode does surface one day. I'd take it, warts and all

There is only speculation. Because the surviving Season 1 episodes (and part of an episode) were sent to the USA, one theory is that they were something of an audition tape for Ian Hendry to star in something Stateside. As such, they wouldn't care if Macnee was in an episode or not (he's entirely missing from Girl on the Trapeze).

mousemeat · Post by **mousemeat** » Sun Sep 12, 2021 9:31 pm

Frankymole wrote:
cyberrich wrote:Which brings me to something I've wondered for several years now. Only the first reel of Hot snow, the first 20 minutes have survived, and only Hendry appears in that. Have the other reels in which Macnee would have appeared genuinely disappeared Or have they been hidden away because it could potentially be damaging to the legacy of John Steed I hope the complete episode does surface one day. I'd take it, warts and all
There is only speculation. Because the surviving Season 1 episodes (and part of an episode) were sent to the USA, one theory is that they were something of an audition tape for Ian Hendry to star in something Stateside. As such, they wouldn't care if Macnee was in an episode or not (he's entirely missing from Girl on the Trapeze).

good theory..about Hendry being groomed for a possible U.S. series, but somehow, I don't think so..even his film roles, after he left the series, wasn't noticed much in the states..he's probably best known, for 1969's Journey to the far side of the sun,( Universal-1969) a Gerry Anderson production..then again, I could be completely wrong in my opinion....

Post by **dissolute** » Mon Sep 13, 2021 1:11 am

Just because he wasn't successful in the States doesn't mean he didn't audition for roles. The existence of these series 1 episodes as telerecordings suggests a private request for copies, presumably as a show reel.

As they don't feature Patrick Macnee, it's unlike that he had requested them, so it seems likely it was Hendry who paid for telerecordings to be made so he could have a show reel to audition for parts.

However, they could equally have been a show reel for the director, Don Leaver.

The guess about it being for US productions is based on them turning up in the UCLA library, but they could have been passed from hand to hand over the years afterwards as neither Hendry nor Leaver did anything in Hollywood.

mousemeat · Post by **mousemeat** » Mon Sep 13, 2021 2:50 am

dissolute wrote:Just because he wasn't successful in the States doesn't mean he didn't audition for roles. The existence of these series 1 episodes as telerecordings suggests a private request for copies, presumably as a show reel.

As they don't feature Patrick Macnee, it's unlike that he had requested them, so it seems likely it was Hendry who paid for telerecordings to be made so he could have a show reel to audition for parts.

However, they could equally have been a show reel for the director, Don Leaver.

The guess about it being for US productions is based on them turning up in the UCLA library, but they could have been passed from hand to hand, over the years afterwards as neither Hendry nor Leaver did anything in Hollywood.

True, and Hendry did have a successful film career in the UK...probably mire so, than Patrick..back in the time frame of both Police surgeon, and the Avengers, UK Television actors, in the U.S. were a novelty ...I'm sure there were a few who did cross over..but overall, probably not...and yeah, 16mm copies were probably passed around from studio, casting directors, etc...but nowadays, a whole lot easier to get noticed, and be up for any / or / parts due to cable, Internet, and more...

cyberrich · Post by **cyberrich** » Mon Sep 13, 2021 5:46 pm

I've just read the next chapter which is also about The Avengers, and the author writes that Elizabeth Shepherd was fired and the producers studied the previous audition tapes for a second time. "This time they were intrigued with an actress who had previously slipped under their radar." I've either forgotten this, or I wasn't aware that Diana had auditioned at the same time as Elizabeth Shepherd. I've assumed for some time that Diana auditioned after they had fired Shepherd. If what the author has said is correct, then it's incredible that they didn't hire Diana straight away. I wish her audition tapes still existed

mousemeat · Post by **mousemeat** » Mon Sep 13, 2021 7:11 pm

cyberrich wrote:I've just read the next chapter which is also about The Avengers, and the author writes that Elizabeth Shepherd was fired and the producers studied the previous audition tapes for a second time. "This time they were intrigued with an actress who had previously slipped under their radar." I've either forgotten this, or I wasn't aware that Diana had auditioned at the same time as Elizabeth Shepherd. I've assumed for some time that Diana auditioned after they had fired Shepherd. If what the author has said is correct, then it's incredible that they didn't hire Diana straight away. I wish her audition tapes still existed

..

interesting take...I always thought, or at least read (somewhere) that Rigg auditioned after Shepherd got the part, and episode and one half, got the ziggy..and then Diana was brought in...and the rest is history but re thinking and it seems that she probably did audition around the time of Shepherd, but Elizabeth was chosen....and hence.......and yeah, I would also would love to see Rigg's audition tapes ..as well..

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Mon Sep 13, 2021 9:04 pm

For a start they wouldn't be "tapes". Sounds like the author is full of hot air. I presume this isn't an authorised biography but just pieced together from interviews and what sounds like a lot of guesswork.

Diana was asked to come in because of "The Hothouse" TV play. Do they mention that connection?