Imprint Films: The Avengers - The Tara King Collection coming Nov. 29

[mousemeat]

jumping grasshoppers, Xmas came early for you...WOW! love the pics of the new DVDS...damn, wish there was a U.S. release...

[AgentCooper]

jumping grasshoppers, Xmas came early for you...WOW! love the pics of the new DVDS...damn, wish there was a U.S. release...

They’re region-free, so they play perfectly in US blu-ray players.

[mousemeat]

yes, for the most part, they do play on U.S. players..but there has been times, that I've gotten some region free discs, and my blu ray, could not read them, or they would occasionally freeze up..from time to time...so..it can be a crap shoot...

[Frankymole]

Namenlos on the Gallifrey Base forum thread for The Avengers wrote:

"On the Tara King Complete Collection BD from Via Vision there is an extra listed on their website that indicates there's a commentary for the episode Warlock. However, I can't find it on the bonus disc. There is a commentary for Mandrake, which is not actually listed in their publicity material. Am I just missing where Warlock is located? Or is it the case that this is a misprint, and it should read Mandrake?"

I replied:

The commentary for Mandrake was with Roger Marshall (writer) on the earlier DVD release, so I don't think it can be a simple misprint as it says the Warlock one was recorded at a later event (the 2011 Chichester 50th anniversary event) recorded with Honor Blackman, no less!

Might be worth an email to Imprint/Via Vision to check as Honor's commentary is not available anywhere else (nor is any of the 50th anniversary stuff, except as announced for this set, as far as I can tell).

[Frankymole]

N.B. I've just had a look and the episode Warlock is not on the set at all, as far as I can tell.

[dissolute]

I think they've made a mistake in their advertising, Richard Bates edited "Mandrake" but did not edit "Warlock".

[Frankymole]

I tend to agree. The sleeve insert for the relevant disk case says it's Mandrake, not Warlock, so it looks like someone got their mediaeval occultist terms mixed up in their minds If it was a disk error I don't think the packaging would've been printed to match.

[paulpdjh]

I'm slowly working my way through this set and the similar Emma Peel set from Imprint. Current having Avengers evenings once a week where I watch four episodes (one each from seasons 4 to 6, plus one of earlier videotaped episodes from seasons 1 to 3 that have been included as extras) and am really enjoying watching the episodes that way.

The accompanying booklets are great too. I kind of forgot that the initial batch of Tara episodes, which were broadcast as US season 3, performed quite well in America and it was only season 4 where the ratings plummeted there. It was also interesting to read of potential plans for a seventh season, which would have seen Steed and Tara solving cases in the UK and overseas; not too dissimilar to what would happen with the second season of The New Avengers eight years later!

[Andrew Pixley]

The accompanying booklets are great too. I kind of forgot that the initial batch of Tara episodes, which were broadcast as US season 3, performed quite well in America and it was only season 4 where the ratings plummeted there. It was also interesting to read of potential plans for a seventh season, which would have seen Steed and Tara solving cases in the UK and overseas; not too dissimilar to what would happen with the second season of The New Avengers eight years later!

Glad that you found it of interest Paul. It's a rather sad story that the change in scheduling seals the fate of the whole thing so quickly - and that by then the show's totally dependent on the network. And the notion of the wider range of locations - presumably akin to the work around the world on programmes like "I Spy" and the later episodes of "It Takes a Thief". Plus - as you say - the international production plans that had begun on "The New Avengers" just before the money ran out...

All the best

Andrew

[mousemeat]

The Tara King release looks lovely...sadly, it has sold out...i.e. out of stock...1500 sets done. Same for the Emma set..sold out..

perhaps they will do another release of both sets