Series 3 — Episode 24
Concerto

Production Schedule

Episode 54
Production Number : 3601
VTR/ABC/2644
Teddington Studio 1

Thursday 25th April 1963

Friday 26th April 1963

Running time

Expected: 51′25″
Actual running time with bumpers: 51′45″

The bumpers between the acts are generally 10 seconds from fade in to the “End of Act” bumper to the end of audio before the commercial, a 10 second still without audio, then cut to the next act bumper. This would play with the theme for around 10 seconds. Accordingly, with the episodes being in 3 acts, the running time of the action is approximately a minute less than listed above, minus the opening credits (normally 0′16″ with a 2″ fade) and closing credits (anywhere from 0′41″ to 1′20″, hard cut or 1″ fade or mix).

Equipment

Transmission

TV Times listing

Murders

Click a name to see the face

Continuity and trivia

Time codes here include the Studio Canal logo from the remastered 2010 set, which runs for 18 seconds.

1. 0:52 — 3:05 — the music under the opening credits and practised in the background in the opening scene is the A♭ Polonaise by Chopin.
2. 3:43 — someone coughs backstage as Steed makes his move on the chess board.
3. 4:01 — slightly out of focus on the change of shot.
4. 5:27 — Steed very obviously appreciates Cathy’s backside as she stands up and walks away from him.
5. 5:41 — there’s a smudge on the lens of camera 4, most visible at 5:46, it remains until the end of the episode.
6. 5:54 — the match box has a hand-drawn Soviet logo on it.
7. 7:03 — picture distortion
8. 8:18 — horizontal banding
9. 18:44 — there’s a water spot on the lens of camera 1 in the CU of Zelenko which remains for the rest of the episode
10. 18:50 — there’s a jump in the vision.
11. 19:04 — Nigel Stock (Zalenko) famously “dries” and forgets his next line, “Did you get any information from that friend of the dead girl?” - perhaps because Macnee altered his line from “I’m already taking steps in that direction” to “Yes, got it all in operation”.
    He covers it badly by pouring himself drinks and toasting Steed repeatedly. Patrick Macnee (Steed) looks increasingly worried (19:12 & 19:16) - you can see him glance at the director and cameraman a couple times - then fills Zalenko’s glass from a hip flask in fine ad lib style. He ad libs to prompt Stock at 19:18 by saying, “Now, the dead girl”. Eventually, one of the crew prompts Stock - you can just hear whispered words in the background while Macnee ad libs another line, “Will you have another little one there?” - he is relieved when Stock finally says his line at 19:33. After a blustery ad lib to tie it together, the scene winds to its long-overdue close, 20 seconds later than expected.
12. 21:50 — Act Two starts with some quiet piano music - Stefan practicing - instead of the usual The Avengers bumper crescendo.
13. 22:52 — The “Le Stud” Club is at 3 Soho Court.
14. 27:40 — As Peterson answers the phone, the cameraman changes the focus, blurring the vision for a second.
15. 30:08 — When Zalenko stands up, the camera zooms out and we catch a glimpse of the boom microphone rising out of shot.
16. 36:08 — a hair gets stuck in the plate at the bottom of the screen and stays there until the start of Act Three (38:42).
17. 42:06 — Burns plays Russian Roulette with a tied-up Cathy, telling her, after pulling the trigger once:
    “Now the odds are 4 to 1.”
    After a second pull of the trigger he menaces:
    “It’ll be 2 to 1.” then pulls the trigger again.
    The script originally had three to one followed by two to one when he goes to get rid of Steed, but in the amendment that has changed to “evens” so I’m guessing there was an inaccurate script change.
18. 43.56 — Steed’s quip “Ah, I’ve told you gambling would be the death of you.” was not in the script.
19. 48:23 — The British Cultural Council’s “rare original manuscripts” seems to be the score of a song called “Bless You!”
20. 49:16 — Steed reveals he was living in Herefordshire in 1948.