Series 5 — Episode 17
Return Of The Cybernauts

Regional broadcasts

TV Times listing

International broadcasts

* Italian listings showed this as 10pm, as Italy observed Summer Time and Switzerland did not.

This episode appears on 14^th November, 1967 entitled “De robot” as evidenced by the synopsis given in television listings . The episode was pre-empted by the broadcast of a football match between Feijenoord and Arsenal, and it was finally shown on 2^nd December, 1967, again with the synopsis reference Beresford. It’s possible the listings were wrong, however, as Return of the Cybernauts was broadcast on 17^th May, 1969 under the title “De terugkeer van de robots”. It is just possible that these earlier schedules were for The Cybernauts and the synopses were incorrectly associated, even though Zierkzeesche Nieuwsbode seems to disprove that theory. If true, that would mean this episode was first shown in the Netherlands on 17^th May 69 at 9pm.

ORTF2 did not include this episode in their contemporary series and its debut in France appears to have been at 5.15pm on 14^th July 1973, on TF1.

Episode Rating

A worthy reprise of the original, Beresford is even more malicious than his equally insane brother. Add to that better production values, special effects and sets and we have one of the best of the season.

Paul Beresford, while becoming friendly with Steed and Mrs Peel, resurrects his brother’s most dangerous invention - the Cybernaut. Using the robot to kidnap important scientists he gives them a task: kill the avengers! Professor Chadwick creates a watch that contain circuitry to control the mind through the salt on the victim’s skin. Steed leaves his at home and isn’t affected when Mrs. Peel suddenly drives off, her gaze completely blank. Steed gives chase, but is captured. While trying to put a new watch on Steed, Beresford is overpowered and Steed slips it on the Cybernaut, causing it to go awry. After killing Beresford, the Cybernaut shorts out, and Mrs. Peel tips it over with a single finger.
Steed shows less electronic skill later when, trying to repair Mrs. Peel’s electric toaster, he put two toast-shaped holes in her ceiling.

The Cars

Who’s Killing Whom?

Click a name to see the face

The Fashions

Continuity and trivia

1. 3:00 — A dark smudge, possibly on the camera lens, appears on the centre top edge of the screen in the dramatic closeup freeze-frame of the cybernaut just before the titles appear.
2. 3:03 — The caption scanner was very dirty so the freeze frame for the episode title has hairs and dust all over it. Rare at this stsage for “The Avengers” to use a freeze frame, it was a staple of “The New Avengers”.
3. 
   5:15 & 11:03 — Mrs. Peel’s handbag was not left where it was found the next day - the edge of the counter is clearly visible, and clearly empty, at 5:15.
4. 6:00 — Mrs. Peel uses a single finger to push over the damaged door, a reference (repeated later for anyone who missed the significance) to her toppling of the deactivated cybernaut in The Cybernauts.
5. 7:47 — The scene of Dr. Neville is missing from the old Australian broadcast master. A recent showing on Gem shows that a new print is in circulation.
6. 
   9:00–10:45 and throughout - Dr. Neville’s attire varies greatly. When he is running to the car and drops his keys, and when he’s removed through the roof of the car, he’s wearing tan suede Chelsea boots, a brown jacket and grey trousers. However, when he’s being carried to Beresford’s house by the cybernaut (10:36), he’s wearing black leather Oxfords, and a navy suit. Once in Beresford’s lab and awake, he’s back in his brown jacket, and one would assume, his suede boots.
7. 11:31 — Shades of Get Smart - Steed has a phone in the Bentley.
8. 16:15 — The colour balance is off in Beresford’s close-up before the fade for commercial break.
9. 16:27/17:58 — Steed’s tie changes colour for no good reason from gold to orange, when worn with the same shirt and suit. Some time has elapsed between the scenes though.
10. 24:26 (Network) - the shadow of the boom microphone can just been seen on the ceiling as Garnett says he met Steed once.
11. 21:48–21:58 — Paul Beresford holds a glass of wine up for Steed to look at and says it’s definitely corked, and he’ll have to get another - problem is, you detect if a wine is corked by smell, not sight - cork-taint is a fungal growth in the cork wood, not bits of cork floating in the wine!
12. 22:57 — John Hunt’s house is given the same address as Benstead’s house in Dead Man’s Treasure: High Pines, Edgington. But it’s a different house! Beresford’s house is Woolmers Park, Essendon Road, Letty Green, Herts., while Benstead’s is Shenley Hall, Rectory Lane, Shenley, Herts. WD7 9AN.
13. 23:35/25:42 — Steed is supposed to be in a hurry to get to Hunt’s house, but arrives in a navy suit after leaving Beresford’a in a grey suit. Did he stop to change clothes? (Maybe the Continuity girl - Gladys Goldsmith in this case - wasn’t paying attention). No wonder people are always dying before The Avengers get there (a fact made fun of by Mrs. Peel in Something Nasty in the Nursery).
14. 23:55 — There’s the usual colour shift in the back projection scenes.
15. 24:00–25:25 — It’s definitely Rocky driving the Bentley, especially at 25:24.
16. 
    34:31 — When Steed’s wrist is photographed to obtain details of his watch, the resulting black & white photograph has the watch the wrong way round on his wrist - the winder is towards his hand instead of towards his cuff, he’s wearing a different suit and the time is different! However, in both shots it’s an Ingersoll 7 Jewels Shockproof wristwatch.
17. 
    39:10/42:25 — Mrs. Peel arrives at Steed’s flat wearing the red tartan jacket and deep pink belt, with the belt wrapped around her counterclockwise (loose end to her left), but when she arrives at Beresford’s house, the whole time in a trance-like state, the belt is worn clockwise, with the loose end to her right, especially obvious when Beresford starts removing her jacket, and flips the belt out to her left, exposing the white back of the belt.
18. 40:15 — It’s Cyd Child who walks to the car.
19. 40:20–40:30 — There’s colour shift as Emma gets in the car and when Steed tries to stop her - they’ve obviously been shot in the studio with a blue screen.
20. 40:25 onwards - Cyd & Rocky do the driving and Rocky leaps over the Lotus as it speeds away.
21. 41:05 — More colour shift for the close-up of Steed driving.
22. 47:30 — Mrs. Peel goes to push over the deactivated cybernaut but Steed stops her and says, “My turn”. Another reference to Mrs. Peel toppling the deactivated cybernaut in The Cybernauts with a single finger.
23. Running time: 49′14″
24. The Australian broadcast master of “Return of the Cybernauts” has a great many cuts taken out of it to allow more advertisements. The scene where Dr. Tingwell is captured is cut just as he evades the cybernaut, then we see Steed and Mrs. Peel arriving at Beresford’s - a good 1:50 of footage is missing. That’s not the only bit, either. Most of the cars chases - when Mrs. Peel’s in a trance, Benson driving to Hunt’s place - are missing, as is most of Steed’s second conversation with Rosie.