• title card: white all caps text reading ‘TRAP BY BRIAN CLEMENS’ superimposed on Williams leaping over a barbed wire fence
  • The double agent Murford makes a phone call in the pouring rain, his black hat and overcoat little protection from the elements
  • The New Avengers struggle to keeps their seats after the pilot opens the door and leaps out
  • Gambit aims his makeshift bow and arrow, the bow and the hand holding it blurring as they near the camera
  • Soo Choy make a show of how he will execute Gambit with his sword
  • Soo Choy’s men are led away, tied to the back of the jeep Gambit is driving

The New Avengers, Series 2 — Episode 6
Trap

by Brian Clemens
Directed by Ray Austin

Production details

Produced:March, 1977

Regional broadcasts

BroadcasterDateTime
Thames Television13/10/19778:00pm
ATV Midlands14/10/19778:00pm
Granada Television13/10/19778:00pm
Anglia Television13/10/19778:00pm
Border Television14/10/19778:00pm
Channel Television13/10/19778:00pm
Grampian Television14/10/19778:00pm
Southern Television13/10/19778:00pm
Scottish Television13/10/19778:00pm
Tyne Tees Television14/10/19778:00pm
Ulster Television13/10/19778:00pm
Westward Television13/10/19778:00pm
Harlech Television14/10/19778:00pm
Yorkshire Television14/10/19778:00pm

This episode was shown in the Netherlands before it was broadcast on any ITV region in the UK, see below.

TV Times listing

TV Times listing for October 14 1977, 8pm (Yorkshire edition)
Sydney Morning Herald listing for January 30 1978, 8.30pm

8.0
The New Avengers

Patrick Macnee in
The Trap

By Brian Clemens

A drugs syndicate boss has to regain his reputation and decides to execute Steed, Purdey and Gambit to “prove” himself.

Steed Patrick Macnee
Purdey Joanna Lumley
Gambit Gareth Hunt
Soo Choy Terry Wood
Arcarti Ferdy Mayne
Dom Carlos Robert Rietty
Tansing Kristopher Kum
Yasko Yasuko Nagazumi
Marty Brine Stuart Damon
Murford Barry Lowe
Miranda Annegret Easterman
Mahon Bruce Boa
Williams Larry Lamb
Girlfriend Maj-Britt

Director Ray Austin; Producers Albert Fennell, Brian Clemens

International broadcasts

ABN2 Sydney, Australia30/01/19788:30pm
ABV2 Melbourne, Australia30/01/19788:30pm
ABC New York, USA2/03/197911:30pm
TF1 France23/06/19798:38pm
Suisse Romande, Switzerland
French titleLe piège
ZDF Germany
German titleDie Falle
KRO Netherlands29/09/19778:25pm
Dutch titleDe Val
Italy21/04/8020:30
Italian titleLa trappola
Spain19/05/8111:05pm
Spanish titleLa trampa

This episode was shown in the Netherlands on September 29 1977, fourteen days before it was broadcast on any ITV region in the UK.

USA: Chicago Tribune listing for March 2 1979, 10.30pm
France: L’Impartial listing for “2. Le Piège”, June 23 1979, 8.35pm
France: Feuille d’Avis de Neuchâtel L’Express listing for “2. Piégée”, June 23 1979, 8.35pm
Spain: ABC Madrid listing with photo for May 19 1981, 11.05pm
Netherlands: Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant listing, summary & photo for September 29 1977, 8.25pm

Continuity and trivia

Gambit’s code phrases and counter phrases are:
Where have all the flowers gone? / Underground.
What colour are they? / Shades of red.

Williams passes a sign advertising East Anglia on his way to Soo Choy’s house, and was then found by Gambit and Purdey after his escape, so their “flight east” must have only been for 20 miles and can’t have been in the far east anyway!

Exact what country is Soo Choy supposed to be from? He has a Chinese name, clothes, sword and henchman, but his assistant is Japanese and so is his house - complete with raked gravel and bonsai. Not only that, but his army are clearly the first ten vaguely Asian looking extras who turned up for casting - especially Maxwell Craig, the stuntman who shot Art Thomas at the beginning of Murdersville.
What sort of army is this anyway? they’re armed with American M-16s, British Armalites and German WW2 MP-40s as well as a few rifles with bayonets attached.

Until I saw this episode I had thought The New Avengers had unjustly come in for some bad press when compared to the original series, but I have to say this is a stinker. Woeful script and stupid plot (kind of The Superlative Seven without any wit, style, or common sense) teamed with bad casting and hammy acting. My advice - skip this episode and watch the next one.

The Transport

Marque Colour Number Plate
Land Rover egg blue APB 286H
Gambit’s Range Rover white LOK 537P
Purdey’s Triumph TR7 yellow OGW 562R / DOM 721R ?
Gambit’s Jaguar XJS red NRW 875P
Steed’s “big cat” Jaguar XJ12 5.3 Litre Coupe Automatic british racing green NWK 60P
Hillman Hunter(?) pale grey SAF 901G
Triumph Dolomite(?) navy NRL 256F
Ford Capri GL orange LAR 201P
Lear Jet white ?
Jeep olive drab -

Who’s Killing Whom?

Victim Killer Method
Williams Guard rifle
Marty Brine Courier silenced pistol
Courier Steed knock off roof with umbrella
Guard Gambit bow and arrow
Guard Gambit bow and arrow
Guard Purdey spear
Guard Gambit bow and arrow
Click a name to see the face

The Fashions

Gambit’s fashions
  1. grey worsted suit, blue shirt, grey & white diagonal striped tie
  2. light brown 3-piece single-breasted suit, yellow and white shirt, gold tie
  3. tennis outfit: white shorts , shirt & jacket with navy piping
  4. brown leather jacket, grey paisley tie, white shirt, beige/taupe trousers, cream mackintosh & scarf
Purdey’s fashions
  1. blue blouse, red scarf and gerbera brooch
  2. blue & white checked coat, beige skirt, blue & orange scarf
  3. tennis outfit: white shorts and long-sleeved shirt with “Purdey” in navy, bright red leggings, white sneakers
  4. black mackintosh, black trousers, white blouse
Steed’s fashions
  1. slate grey 3-piece single-breasted suit, pale grey shirt, purple tie with white spot
  2. brown riding coat, jodphurs, green tie
  3. green velvet tuxedo with braid, black bow tie, white shirt, black cummerbund
  4. stolen army fatigues

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