Product Review

Devoted "Avengers" fans will get a kick out of this boxed set, which contains six vintage episodes from the series' second season. But it's also worth a look to those for whom the series begins and ends with Emma Peel. After all, Patrick MacNee, in his signature role as John Steed, is the star of the show. At this early stage, the urbane, umbrella-toting Steed is a more interesting character, more risible and ruthless, a little less the gentleman spy with whom American audiences are more familiar. These episodes, shot on videotape, are also cruder (part of the primitive charm is spotting bloopers such as dropped props or crouching crew members caught on camera). A pre-Pussy Galore Honor Blackman costars as Steed's "amateur assistant," the formidable Cathy Gale (although "I need your help, my dear" just doesn't have the ring of "Mrs. Peel, we're needed"). This collection contains two episodes ranked among her best. In "Intercrime," she is recruited to infiltrate an international criminal organization responsible for 12 robberies, not one, Steed observes, "with the hallmark of an English criminal." "Warlock" casts a chilling spell, as creepy villain Cosmo Gallion (Peter Arne) uses the occult to obtain scientific secrets. This episode was originally intended to have been Cathy Gale's introduction to the series. At one point, after she deposits an inebriated Steed at his doorstep, he provocatively propositions her, "Would you like to come up?" "Immortal Clay" and especially "Golden Eggs" have their moments, but the true rarities of this set are the episodes "Box of Tricks" and "School for Traitors," in which Steed calls upon the services of an unwitting jazz singer named Venus Smith (Julie Stevens). The perky Venus is a love-her-or-hate-her character whose tenure with the series was brief. "--Donald Liebenson"