The New Avengers, Series 1 — Episode 8 The Tale of the Big Why
by Brian Clemens Directed by Robert Fuest
Production details
Produced:October, 1976
Regional broadcasts
Broadcaster
Date
Time
Thames Television
7/12/1976
8:00pm
ATV Midlands
10/12/1976
8:00pm
Granada Television
10/12/1976
8:00pm
Anglia Television
7/12/1976
8:00pm
Border Television
10/12/1976
8:00pm
Channel Television
10/12/1976
8:00pm
Grampian Television
10/12/1976
8:00pm
Southern Television
10/12/1976
8:00pm
Scottish Television
10/12/1976
8:00pm
Tyne Tees Television
10/12/1976
8:00pm
Ulster Television
10/12/1976
8:00pm
Westward Television
10/12/1976
8:00pm
Harlech Television
27/03/1977
7:25pm
Yorkshire Television
10/12/1976
8:00pm
TV Times listing
TV Times listing for December 7 1976, 8pm (London edition)Sydney Morning Herald listing for March 23 1977, 8.30pmThe Age listing for March 23 1977, 8.30pm
8.0 The New Avengers Patrick Macnee
Gareth Hunt
Joanna Lumley in Tale of the Big Why By Brian Clemens
What was the secret Burt Brandon kept to himself during a prison term? It was valuable enough for someone to kill him and for John Steed, Mike Gambit and Purdey to risk their lives to find it before two Eastern European spies.
The exciting TVTimes souvenir extra The New Avengers is on sale at your newsagents, price 40p.
John Steed
Patrick Macnee
Mike Gambit
Gareth Hunt
Purdey
Joanna Lumley
Harmer
Derek Waring
Irene
Jenny Runacre
Brandon
George Cooper
Turner
Roy Marsden
Roach
Gary Waldhorn
Poole
Rowland Davis
Minister
Geoffrey Toone
Mrs. Turner
Maeve Alexander
Director Robert Fuest; Producers
Albert Fennell, Brian Clemens
International broadcasts
ABN2 Sydney, Australia
23/03/1977
8:30pm
ABV2 Melbourne, Australia
23/03/1977
8:30pm
ABC New York, USA
2/02/1979
11:30pm
TF1 France
29/01/1977
9:30pm
Suisse Romande, Switzerland
29/03/1977
8:20pm
French title
La grande interrogation
ZDF Germany
27/07/1978
9:45pm
German title
Das geheimnisvolle Ypsilon
KRO Netherlands
25/11/1976
8:25pm
Dutch title
Het grote waarom
Italy
27/07/1978
10:05pm
Italian title
Storia di ipsilon
Spain
Spanish title
ZDF in Germany cancelled the broadcast of this episode and then cancelled the entire series (see below). There is anecdotal evidence that in June ARD cancelled The Midas Touch hours before it was scheduled to be broadcast.
Spain chose not to broadcast this episode.
Switzerland: L’Impartial listing, photo and summary for March 29 1977, 8.20pmUSA: Chicago Tribune listing for February 2 1979, 10.30pmFrance: Gazette de Lausanne listing for January 29 1977, 9.30pmNetherlands: Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant episode summary for November 25 1976, 8.25pmItaly: Stampa Sera episode summaryItaly: La Stampa listing for July 27 1978, 10.05pmItaly: Radiocorriere summary and listing for July 27 1978, 10.05pm
Switzerland: Journal de Jura episode summary and photoGermany: Hamburg Abendblatt announces the cancellation of The New Avengers on July 27 1978
The full text of the German cancellation article:
Aktion „Sauberer Bildschirm” fordert heute das erste Opfer: …27.07.1978 John Steed muß die Melone nehmen - Tom Jones kommt als „Ersatzmann”
Der Beschluß der ARD-Intendanten, die Gewalt am Bildschirm drastisch einzudämmen, zeigt erste Wirkungen. Ab sofort bleibt der Donnerstag krimifrei. Erstes Opfer der Aktion „Sauberer Bildschirm”: die heutige Folge der Krimi- Reihe „Mit Schirm, Charme und Melone”. Sie sollte um 21.45 Uhr gezeigt werden. Statt dessen wird nun die Aufzeichnung einer Show mit Tom Jones ins Programm gerückt.
Auch der „Chef” wird nun donnerstags nicht, wie geplant, im Rollstuhl auf Gauner jagd gehen dürfen. Vom 31. August an sollte die beliebte Reihe wiederholt werden. Die erste Folge fällt nun dem Sport zum Opfer ? die ARD berichtet von der Leichtathletik-Europameisterschaft und von der Schwimm-Weltmeisterschaft.
„Das heißt für die Zukunft aber keineswegs, daß die Zuschauer ganz auf den ‚Chef’ oder andere Krimis verzichten müssen”, erläutert ARD-Pro grammdirektor Dietrich Schwarzkopf den Anti-Gewaltbeschluß der Intendanten.
„Und wir schalten auch nicht auf den total gewaltlosen Krimi um. Es geht vor 1 allem um eine Reduzierung der Krimis überhaupt.”
Das heißt: Pro Jahr werden die 13 Serien-Termine, die am Donnerstag um 21.45 Uhr für Krimis vorgesehen waren, und 26 Wiederholungstermine am späten Abend (23 Uhr) mit anderen Programmen gefüllt. Wann der „Chef”, John Steed, Purdey und Mike Gambit künftig zum Einsatz kommen, steht noch nicht fest. Schwarzkopf: „Wir prüfen, ob sie für andere Sendeplätze, etwa den späten Freitagabend, geeignet sind. Aber auch dann werden wir jede Folge noch einmal vorher anschauen.” . Auch das ZDF folgt nun dem Beispiel der ARD. Die für den Nachmittag geplante Westernserie „Josh” (mit US-Star Steve McQueen in der Rolle eines Kopfgeldjägers) erschien den Mainzer Programmverantwortlichen plötzlich als zu brutal. Von 17.10 Uhr soll „Josh” nun, laut ZDF-Pressechef Dr. Fritz Hufen, in den späten Abend rutschen. Die Nachmittagssendezeit bezeichnete Hufen als „Dispositionsfehler”, da die Serie in die „Empfindlichkeitszone” (in der die Kinder am Bildschirm sitzen) geraten sei. JA.
Action “clean screen” claims the first victim today: …27.07.1978 John Steed has to remove his bowler hat - Tom Jones comes as a “substitute”
The decision of the ARD directors to drastically curb violence on the screen is showing its first effects. From now on, Thursday will remain crime-free. First victim of the “clean screen” campaign: today’s episode of the crime series “The New Avengers”. It was supposed to be shown at 9:45 p.m. Instead, the recording of a show with Tom Jones will now be included in the program.
Even the “boss” will not be allowed to hunt crooks in a wheelchair on Thursdays, as planned. From August 31, the popular series should be repeated. The first episode now falls victim to sport? the ARD reports from the European Athletics Championships and the Swimming World Championships.
“But that doesn’t mean for the future that viewers will have to do without ‘Chef’ or other thrillers entirely,” says ARD program director Dietrich Schwarzkopf, explaining the directors’ anti-violence decision.
“And we’re not switching to totally non-violent crime shows either. It’s primarily about reducing crime shows in general.”
That means: per year, the 13 series dates that were scheduled for thrillers on Thursday at 9:45 p.m. and 26 repeat dates on late evening (11pm) filled with other programs. It is not yet certain when the “boss”, John Steed, Purdey and Mike Gambit will be used in the future. Schwarzkopf: “We are checking whether they are suitable for other slots, such as late Friday evening. But even then we will watch each episode again beforehand.” . ZDF is now also following the example of ARD. The western series “Josh” planned for the afternoon (with US star Steve McQueen in the role of a bounty hunter) suddenly seemed too brutal to the program managers in Mainz. According to ZDF press chief Dr. Fritz Hufen, slipping into the late evening. Hufen described the afternoon transmission time as a “scheduling error” because the series had gotten into the “sensitivity zone” (where the children sit in front of the screen). JA.
Despite their reassurances, The New Avengers did not return to German television screens.
Continuity and trivia
The script is adapted from Phillip Broadley’s rejected script entitled “The Tale of the Deadly Cross”, written in the spring of 1976.
Continuity
When Purdey sees Turner’s aeropane fly past and land while she’s searching for Brandon, it’s Irene’s yellow plane, not Turner’s red one.
When Gambit’s stopping Turner from taking by holding the ailerons up, there’s a close-up of Turner in the cockpit in which you can see a member of the crew running parallel to the plane in the middle distance.
