The New Avengers, Series 1 — Episode 13
Gnaws

Production details

Produced:October, 1976

Regional broadcasts

Broadcaster	Date	Time
Thames Television	21/12/1976	8:00pm
ATV Midlands	28/01/1977	7:30pm
Granada Television	28/01/1977	7:30pm
Anglia Television	21/12/1976	8:00pm
Border Television	2/03/1977	8:00pm
Channel Television	28/01/1977	7:30pm
Grampian Television	2/03/1977	8:00pm
Southern Television	28/01/1977	8:00pm
Scottish Television	2/03/1977	8:00pm
Tyne Tees Television	2/03/1977	8:00pm
Ulster Television	28/01/1977	7:30pm
Westward Television	28/01/1977	7:30pm
Harlech Television	13/03/1977	7:25pm
Yorkshire Television	2/03/1977	8:00pm

TV Times listing

The original TV Times listing incorrectly credited Anulka Dubinska as “Pretty Girl”, and Peter Richardson and Denise Reynolds as “Couple in car”, but no such characters appear in this episode; I’ve tracked them down in Sleeper.

International broadcasts

ABN2 Sydney, Australia	20/04/1977	8:30pm
ABV2 Melbourne, Australia	20/04/1977	8:30pm
ABC New York, USA	29/12/1978	11:30pm
TF1 France	26/02/1977	9:32pm
Suisse Romande, Switzerland	26/04/1977	8:15pm
French title	Le monstre des égouts
ZDF Germany
German title	Das Ungeheuer
KRO Netherlands	23/12/1976	8:25pm
Dutch title	Knabbelaars
Italy	17/08/1978	10:05pm
Italian title	Paura sotto la città
Spain	19/07/81	7:35pm
Spanish title	El roedor

Continuity and trivia

What is this? The Talons of Weng-Chiang or Planet of the Spiders? (see image 2) It almost seems as if the writers of Doctor Who and The New Avengers are joined at the hip, given the flow of ideas between the two shows.

This episode has a video Q&A and commentary with Ray Austin, Renée Glynne and Philip Hawkins on the Lives in the Pictures YouTube channel.

The Transport

Marque	Colour	Number Plate
BMW 2002 1971	slate blue	?

Who’s Killing Whom?

Victim	Killer	Method
Edward Harlow	Charles Thornton	blow to the back of the head
Ivan Borovich	the rat	mauled and eaten
Patrick Malloy	the rat	mauled and eaten
George Ratcliffe	the rat	mauled and eaten
Mechanic	the rat	mauled and eaten
Tramp Joe	the rat	mauled and eaten
Carter	the rat	mauled and eaten
Charles Thornton	the rat	mauled and eaten
the rat	Gambit	rocket gun

The Fashions

Gambit’s fashions

1. brown suede jacket, light brown shirt with dark brown pinstripe, brown tie
2. navy pinstripe suit, navy tie, pale lilac shirt
3. light brown checked single-breasted 3-piece suit with flared trousers, pale yellow shirt, grey tie
4. light brown cord jacket with elasticated waist, epaulettes on shoulders, matching cord jeans, cream rollneck
5. light brown cord jacket with elasticated waist, epaulettes on shoulders, matching cord jeans with yellow collared shirt, pale green cravat
6. navy pinstripe suit, navy silk tie, pale blue shirt

Purdey’s fashions

1. brown rollneck long-sleeved woollen, matching cardigan, dark brown trousers
2. Burberry overcoat over a black dress, scarf and umbrella, brown ankle boots
3. black jumpsuit with hot pink lining and lapels, shortsleeved, multicoloured headscarf
4. blue & white hooped long-sleeved shirt, yellow belt over it, pale jeans (or light blue trousers?) tan boots
5. cream nightdress
6. dusky pink t-shirt with purple patchwork Catherine Buckley skirt and matching scarf
7. cream blouse with cream cravat, pearls, gold and white multilayer skirt with tasseled hems

Steed’s fashions

1. brown sports coat, felt collar, pale khaki chinos, brown Chelsea boots, blue shirt, brown tie with white spot
2. tweed jacket, blue shirt, metallic brown tie
3. grey suit, grey shirt, brown tie with white spot