Series 3 — Episode 9
The Medicine Men
by Malcolm Hulke
Designed by David Marshall
Directed by Kim Mills
Production No 3615, VTR/ABC/3135
Production completed: November 8 1963. First transmission: November 23 1963.
Production Schedule
Episode 68
Production Number : 3615
VTR/ABC/3135
Teddington Studio 1
Thursday, 7th November, 1963
| Camera rehearsal | 10.00–12.30 |
| Lunch break | 12.30–13.30 |
| Camera rehearsal | 13.30–18.00 |
| Supper break | 18.00–19.00 |
| Line-up | 19.00–19.30 |
| VTR Inserts 3135/A ) 3135/B ) 3135/C ) |
19.30–21.00 |
VTR Inserts:
- 3135/A - 00:53–1:47 — Scene 1, Tu Hsiu Yung is murdered at the Turkish baths
- 3135/B - 10:01–11:25 — Scene 7, Cathy sees Fay at the baths
- 3135/C - 49:40–50:44 — Scene 51, Steed and Cathy farewell Fay at Steed’s flat
Friday, 8th November, 1963
| Camera rehearsal | 10.00–13.00 |
| Lunch break | 13.00–14.00 |
| Camera rehearsal | 14.00–15.20 |
| Tea break, line up, normal scan, make-up |
15.20–16.05 |
| Photo Call | 16.05–16.15 |
| Dress rehearsal | 16.15–17.30 |
| Notes | 17.30–18.00 |
| Line-up | 18.00–18.30 |
| VTR | 18.30–19.30 |
Running time
Expected: 51′25″ excluding commercial breaks
Actual running time with bumpers: 51′57″
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
| Cameras: | 5 Pedestals |
|---|---|
| Sound: | 3 Booms; 1 Slung Mic. Practical Intercom. between Miss Dowell’s Office and Geoffrey’s Office; between Miss Dowell’s Office and John’ s Office. |
| Telecine: | A.B.C. Symbol and Avengers Opening Titles Caption Scanner |
| Slides: | A.B.C. Production |
Transmission
| Broadcaster | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| ATV London | 23/11/1963 | 10.05pm |
| ABC Midlands | 23/11/1963 | 8.55pm |
| ABC North | 23/11/1963 | 8.55pm |
| Anglia Television | 23/11/1963 | 8.55pm |
| Border Television | 23/11/1963 | 10.05pm |
| Channel Television | 23/11/1963 | 10.05pm |
| Grampian Television | - | - |
| Southern Television | 23/11/1963 | 10.05pm |
| Scottish Television | 23/11/1963 | 10.25pm |
| Tyne Tees Television | 23/11/1963 | 8.55pm |
| Ulster Television | 23/11/1963 | 8.55pm |
| Westward Television | 23/11/1963 | 9.50pm |
| Television Wales & West | 23/11/1963 | 9.50pm |
| Teledu Cymru (WWN) | 23/11/1963 | 8.55pm |
| ABN2 Sydney | 5/01/1965 | 8.00pm |
| ABV2 Melbourne | 24/01/1966 | 8.00pm |
TV Times listing
10.5 The Avengers
starring
Patrick Macnee
Honor Blackman
in
The Medicine Men
By Malcolm Hulke
Cast
| Catherine Gale | Honor Blackman |
| John Steed | Patrick Macnee |
| Geoffey Willis | Peter Barkworth |
| John Willis | Newton Blick |
| Frank Leeson | Harold Innocent |
| Taylor | John Crocker |
| Fay | Monica Stevenson |
| Masseuse | Brenda Cowling |
| Miss Dowell | Joy Wood |
| Edwards | Peter Hughes |
Story Editor Richard Bates
Directed by Kim Mills
Produced by John Bryce
Cathy takes a Turkish bath to help Steed prove the value of good soap
ABC Television Network Production
Newton Blick appears by permission of
The Royal Shakespeare Company
Murders
| Victim | Killer | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Tu Shu Yeung | Miss Dowell | Strangled |
| Edwards | Miss Dowell | Strangled (then hanged to make it look like suicide) |
Continuity and trivia
- 0:00 — there’s a vertical streak and spot at lower middle left on the transfer plate, which is there for the entire episode.
- 1:45 — The opening credits feature a fade to black under the titles as the steam rolls in around Miss Tu, then a fade up to Steed making coffee.
- 1:58 — Mrs. Gale prefers her coffee with one lump of sugar. However, it’s quite obvious the cup is empty.
- 2:15 — Cathy caustically asks, “What happened to polo?” when Steed sets a bowler hat on her feet to practice golf. Steed laughs and says his two ponies took a fancy to each other and lost interest in the game.
- 6:57 — the cameraman completely loses focus when Peter Barkworth leans back in his chair.
- 7:33 — there’s a spot on the camera lens for the CU of Barkworth (top left), it returns 22:34 when Cathy enter WS Snr’s office and meets Fay.
- 11:07 — Honor Blackman chucks her towel away when she enters the shower, and the mid shot when she’s in there is a bit low, and the strapless bra she’s wearing inadvertently appears at the bottom of the screen.
- 17:39 — two episodes in a row (production wise), Cathy finds a man hanged in a cupboard - she next finds George in The White Elephant. The episodes were broadcast 6 weeks apart as episodes 9 and 15 so maybe audiences didn’t notice.
- 18:30 — Bad Steed! He takes the opportunity to ogle Cathy's backside when she bends over to pick up his practice golf balls.
- 19:01 — Cathy’s second chip shot clearly skids across the floor, but the close-up of the hat has it dropping in nonetheless. The bowler, by the way, is a Barnaby & Son instead of Steed’s usual Herbert Johnson.
- 23:07 — The painting of paint smears from Fay’s body is signed Lesson instead of Leeson.
- 26:31 — Honor Black fluffs her line: “When she’s not out spending his mod — meny, she’s modelling for an action painter”
- 42:24 — a shadow, possibly of a microphone or light cable, passes over Cathy’s forehead as Leeson creepily offers to “put her in the picture”.
- 48:49 — a hair sticks to the transfer plate just to the right of bottom centre, it remains there until the end of the episode.
- 49:58 — the concierge at Steed’s building is called Parkins.
