Series 1 — Episode 18
Double Danger
by Gerald Verner, adapted by John Lucarotti
Production No 3415, VTR/ABC/1340
Production completed: July 6 1961. First transmission: July 8 1961.
Production details
VTR: Thursday, 6th July 1961 18.00 — 19.00 (TED 2)
First Reading: 26th June 1961, 10.30 a.m. The Tower, R.C.A. Building, Brook Green Road, Hammersmith (RIV8641/46)
Rehearsals: From 26th June 1961 — The Tower, Hammersmith.
Camera Rehearsal: Wednesday, 5th July 1961 10.30am and Thursday 6th July 1961. (TED 2)
Studio details: Teddington Two
Production No. 3415
Tape No. VTR/ABC/1340
Transmission: Saturday, 8th July 1961, 8.50–9.47 p.m.
Schedule
| Wednesday, 5th July 1961 | |
|---|---|
| CAMERA REHEARSAL | 10.30 — 12.30 |
| Lunch Break | 12.30 — 13.30 |
| CAMERA REHEARSAL | 13.30 — 18.00 |
| Supper Break | 18.00 — 19.00 |
| CAMERA REHEARSAL | 19.00 — 21.00 |
| Thursday, 6th July 1961 | |
| CAMERA REHEARSAL | 10.00 — 12.30 |
| Lunch Break | 12.30 — 13.30 |
| CAMERA REHEARSAL | 13.30 — 15.15 |
| Tea Break, Line-up, make-up | 15.15 — 16.00 |
| DRESS REHEARSAL | 16.00 — 17.30 |
| Line-up | 17.30 — 18.00 |
| RECORDING | 18.00 — 19.00 |
Equipment
Cameras: 3 Pedestals, 1 M.R. Crane (on Camera 1)
Sound: 3 booms, slung mics as req., grams, tape
Telecine: ABC symbol, slides, 6 35mm inserts
Total running time: 56.35 = Play portion: 52.25 + 2 Commercial Breaks of 2.05 each
Regional broadcasts
| ITV Broadcaster | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| ABC Midlands | 8/07/1961 | 8.50pm |
| ABC North | 8/07/1961 | 8.50pm |
| Anglia Television | 8/07/1961 | 8.50pm |
| ATV | 8/07/1961 | 8.50pm |
| Southern Television | 8/07/1961 | 8.50pm |
| Tyne Tees Television | 8/07/1961 | 8.50pm |
| Television Wales & West | 8/07/1961 | 8.50pm |
| Ulster Television | 8/07/1961 | 8.50pm |
| Westward Television | 8/07/1961 | 8.50pm |
| Scottish Television | 8/07/1961 | 8.50pm |
| Border Television | - | - |
| Grampian Television | - | - |
TV Times listing
8.50 THE AVENGERS
starring
IAN HENDRY
in
DOUBLE DANGER
Teleplay by Gerald Verner
Also starring
PATRICK MACNEE
Cast in order of appearance:
| Mark Crawford | Charles Hodgson |
| Harry Dew | Robert Mill |
| Al Brady | Peter Reynolds |
| Bert Mills | Ronald Pember |
| David Keel | Ian Hendry |
| Carol Wilson | Ingrid Hafner |
| Lola Carrington | Vanda Hudson |
| John Steed | Patrick Macnee |
| Bruton | Kevin Brennan |
| Bartholomew | Gordon Phillott |
“The Avengers” theme composed
and played by Johnny Dankworth
Designed by James Goddard
Producer LEONARD WHITE
Directed by ROGER JENKINS
A few words spoken by a wounded man to
Keel involve the doctor and Steed with a
group of thieves who are fighting among
themselves over a fortune in stolen diamonds
An ABC Television Network Production
The London edition ended with An ABC Weekend Network Production as usual, and also has a large photo of Patrick Macnee and Ian Hendry captioned “Patrick Macnee (left) and Ian Hendry in a scene from The Avengers (8.50)” - the picture is from an early episode as it shows Dr. Keel’s floral wallpaper which was replaced before Hunt the Man Down was filmed.
Episode availability
- Video - no original footage is known to exist; a video reconstruction is available on the Studio Canal series 1&2 DVD set
- Audio - reconstruction in The Lost Episodes vol. 3, by Big Finish
- Script - Gerald Verner’s copy of the rehearsal script, with his name crossed out (see below) and a clean archival copy of John Lucarotti’s revised camera script
- Publicity Stills - 52
- Tele-Snaps - 80, 10 repeated at a larger size
Transport
| Marque/type | Plate |
|---|---|
| car | |
| car | |
| taxi? |
Continuity and trivia
- The opening titles vary for this episode, an extra slide with the caption “With Peter Reynolds” is added after Patrick Macnee’s star billing. Peter had been a mainstay of British film and television for many years so is the first guest star to receive star billing. At least, he’s the first that we know of, Peter Arne may have received the same for Death on the Slipway as his photo was against the TV Times listing. Carol White received a special mention in TV Times for Brought to Book, albeit a week late, which read “Carol White appears by permission of Independent Artists” but her part was not large enough for her receive a star billing. That notice probably appeared in the end credits of the episode.
- Gerald Verner wrote the episode but, displeased with changes made to the script by John Lucarotti, crossed out his name on his own copy and printed: “John Lucarotti - Put on under Gerald Verner”. When the episode received scathing reviews in the press, Verner wrote a letter in response, laying the blame squarely at the producers’ and editors’ feet, effectively destroying his relationship with Iris Productions and ABC. He was never asked to write for “The Avengers” again.
As Gerald Verner’s original script varies wildly with John Lucarotti’s rewrite, I have added the original as a second full synopsis on the script page. - This is one of three episodes in series 1 which had a pre-titles teaser in the script - Square Root of Evil, The Springers and Double Danger - but none of them are recorded in Tele-Snaps or production stills so there’s no proof that they were broadcast in that manner. The Tele-Snaps for this episode show the opening slides appearing before the prison break sequence.