
The Avengers - The Lost Episodes, Volume 1
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $16.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Julian Wadham
-
Anthony Howell
-
Lucy Briggs-Owen
About this listen
Steed and Dr. Keel return to action in these four re-creations of classic lost episodes.
- 'Hot Snow'. Written by Ray Rigby, adapted by John Dorney.
When an incomprehensible tragedy strikes on what should have been the happiest day of David Keel's life, he is left traumatised. Confronted with an apparently motiveless crime, he feels compelled to investigate and is drawn into London's seedy underworld of drug smuggling.
- 'Brought to Book'. Written by Brian Clemens, adapted by John Dorney.
Still on the trail of the men who wrecked his life, Dr. Keel gets to know his new associate, John Steed, rather better as they infiltrate warring gangs running amok in the betting community.
- 'Square Root of Evil'. Written by Richard Harris, adapted by John Dorney.
Following the death of a colleague, Steed goes undercover amongst a group of forgers. As the stakes get higher, his risk of discovery increases, and Dr. Keel may be his only chance to escape alive. But with the formidable thug known as the Cardinal watching their every move, could Steed be dooming them both?
- 'One for the Mortuary'. Written by Brian Clemens, adapted by John Dorney.
It should have been an easy day for David Keel. A short flight and a conference to attend. But John Steed’s arrival disrupts everything, as usual. Without even knowing, he finds himself at the centre of an international conspiracy. The chase is on to preserve and protect a valuable medical formula, and with an assassin on their trail, our heroes find themselves enmeshed in an intricate web of laundry, taxidermy and murder.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Conan: City of the Dead
- By: John C. Hocking
- Narrated by: Bradford Hastings
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Conan and the Emerald Lotus, the seeds of a deadly plant grant sorcerers immense power, but turn its users into inhuman killers. In the exclusive, long-awaited sequel Conan and the Living Plague, a Shemite wizard seeks to create a serum to use as a lethal weapon. Instead he unleashes a hideous monster on the city of Dulcine. Hired to loot the city of its treasures, Conan and his fellows in the mercenary troop find themselves trapped in the depths of the city’s keep. To escape, they must defeat the creature, its undead followers, then face Lovecraftian horrors beyond mortal comprehension.
-
-
The best Conan novel in a long time.
- By Simeon S. on 06-19-24
By: John C. Hocking
-
Time-Marked Warlock
- The Chronos Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Shami Stovall
- Narrated by: Annie Ellicott, Jeff Hays, Justin Thomas James
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adair Finch is the most powerful warlock in the world, and one of the best private investigators for hire. He has dealt with corporate vampires, murderous werewolves, and even fae royalty. Everything was perfect until he lost one case—the case where he also lost his brother. So Finch retired. From magic. From PI work. From everything. Bree Blackstone, a twelve-year-old witch, doesn’t know or care about any of that except Finch’s reputation. In the middle of the night, she bangs on Finch’s door. Her mother has been murdered, and now the assassin is after Bree as well.
-
-
One of the best books I've listened to.
- By Jason on 08-22-24
By: Shami Stovall
-
The Fixer
- Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn
- By: Josh Young, Manfred Westphal
- Narrated by: Jefferson Mays, Manfred Westphal
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During the height of Hollywood’s golden age, one man lorded over the city’s lurid underbelly of forbidden sin and celebrity scandal like no other: Fred Otash. An ex-Marine turned L.A.P.D. vice cop, Otash became the most sought-after private detective and fixer to the stars by specializing in the dark arts that would soon dominate the entertainment industry. The Fixer delves into the extraordinary life of Hollywood’s most infamous private detective and “fixer” to the stars, revealing newly discovered shocking revelations from his never-before-seen investigative files.
-
-
For Hollywood gossip lovers!
- By Janna Wong Healy on 06-01-24
By: Josh Young, and others
-
Imagination Theatre: Weird & Strange Fantasy
- By: Original Radio Broadcast
- Narrated by: Larry Albert, Pat French
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Head to distant worlds and alternate futures! Explore the limitless potential for twists and turns when stories are fueled by the infinite power of imagination! Here are twenty-four thought-provoking tales as up-to-date as tomorrow. It's new-time radio in the classic old-time-radio manner, from the mind of producer Jim French.
-
-
Absolutely engrossing and great fun
- By Alex O. on 02-28-24
-
Greatest Hits
- Herald Classics
- By: Harlan Ellison, J. Michael Straczynski - editor
- Narrated by: Harlan Ellison, Grover Gardner, Hillary Huber, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harlan Ellison’s work shaped the science-fiction, fantasy, and horror genres in the twentieth century, and this collection of his best-known and most-acclaimed stories is a perfect treasury for old Ellison fans as well as listeners discovering this zany, polyphonic writer for the first time.
-
-
Huge fan of the writing but NOT of this production
- By Susannah on 04-23-24
By: Harlan Ellison, and others
-
The Kolchak Collection
- By: Jeff Rice, Joe Gentile, C. J. Henderson
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 16 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1972, Jeff Rice's novel The Night Stalker introduced Carl Kolchak to the world. This spine-tingling novel of supernatural terror became an instant best seller and served as the basis for the film of the same name. After The Night Stalker became one of the highest rated television movies of all time, a sequel, The Night Strangler, was released the following year to great acclaim. Now, after more than three decades out of print, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler are together in one volume.
-
-
Mostly Good
- By DobieChuck on 11-18-16
By: Jeff Rice, and others
-
Conan: City of the Dead
- By: John C. Hocking
- Narrated by: Bradford Hastings
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Conan and the Emerald Lotus, the seeds of a deadly plant grant sorcerers immense power, but turn its users into inhuman killers. In the exclusive, long-awaited sequel Conan and the Living Plague, a Shemite wizard seeks to create a serum to use as a lethal weapon. Instead he unleashes a hideous monster on the city of Dulcine. Hired to loot the city of its treasures, Conan and his fellows in the mercenary troop find themselves trapped in the depths of the city’s keep. To escape, they must defeat the creature, its undead followers, then face Lovecraftian horrors beyond mortal comprehension.
-
-
The best Conan novel in a long time.
- By Simeon S. on 06-19-24
By: John C. Hocking
-
Time-Marked Warlock
- The Chronos Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Shami Stovall
- Narrated by: Annie Ellicott, Jeff Hays, Justin Thomas James
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Adair Finch is the most powerful warlock in the world, and one of the best private investigators for hire. He has dealt with corporate vampires, murderous werewolves, and even fae royalty. Everything was perfect until he lost one case—the case where he also lost his brother. So Finch retired. From magic. From PI work. From everything. Bree Blackstone, a twelve-year-old witch, doesn’t know or care about any of that except Finch’s reputation. In the middle of the night, she bangs on Finch’s door. Her mother has been murdered, and now the assassin is after Bree as well.
-
-
One of the best books I've listened to.
- By Jason on 08-22-24
By: Shami Stovall
-
The Fixer
- Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn
- By: Josh Young, Manfred Westphal
- Narrated by: Jefferson Mays, Manfred Westphal
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During the height of Hollywood’s golden age, one man lorded over the city’s lurid underbelly of forbidden sin and celebrity scandal like no other: Fred Otash. An ex-Marine turned L.A.P.D. vice cop, Otash became the most sought-after private detective and fixer to the stars by specializing in the dark arts that would soon dominate the entertainment industry. The Fixer delves into the extraordinary life of Hollywood’s most infamous private detective and “fixer” to the stars, revealing newly discovered shocking revelations from his never-before-seen investigative files.
-
-
For Hollywood gossip lovers!
- By Janna Wong Healy on 06-01-24
By: Josh Young, and others
-
Imagination Theatre: Weird & Strange Fantasy
- By: Original Radio Broadcast
- Narrated by: Larry Albert, Pat French
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Head to distant worlds and alternate futures! Explore the limitless potential for twists and turns when stories are fueled by the infinite power of imagination! Here are twenty-four thought-provoking tales as up-to-date as tomorrow. It's new-time radio in the classic old-time-radio manner, from the mind of producer Jim French.
-
-
Absolutely engrossing and great fun
- By Alex O. on 02-28-24
-
Greatest Hits
- Herald Classics
- By: Harlan Ellison, J. Michael Straczynski - editor
- Narrated by: Harlan Ellison, Grover Gardner, Hillary Huber, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harlan Ellison’s work shaped the science-fiction, fantasy, and horror genres in the twentieth century, and this collection of his best-known and most-acclaimed stories is a perfect treasury for old Ellison fans as well as listeners discovering this zany, polyphonic writer for the first time.
-
-
Huge fan of the writing but NOT of this production
- By Susannah on 04-23-24
By: Harlan Ellison, and others
-
The Kolchak Collection
- By: Jeff Rice, Joe Gentile, C. J. Henderson
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 16 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1972, Jeff Rice's novel The Night Stalker introduced Carl Kolchak to the world. This spine-tingling novel of supernatural terror became an instant best seller and served as the basis for the film of the same name. After The Night Stalker became one of the highest rated television movies of all time, a sequel, The Night Strangler, was released the following year to great acclaim. Now, after more than three decades out of print, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler are together in one volume.
-
-
Mostly Good
- By DobieChuck on 11-18-16
By: Jeff Rice, and others
Related to this topic
-
Verity
- By: Colleen Hoover
- Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson, Amy Landon
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.
-
-
intriguing but skip if triggered by child abuse
- By Amazon Customer on 05-16-19
By: Colleen Hoover
-
Eleven Numbers
- A Short Story
- By: Lee Child
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nathan Tyler is an unassuming professor at a middling American university with a rather obscure specialty in mathematics—in short, a nobody from nowhere. So why is the White House calling? Summoned to Washington, DC, for a top-secret briefing, Nathan discovers that he’s the key to a massive foreign intelligence breakthrough. Reading between the lines of a cryptic series of equations, he could open a door straight into the heart of the Kremlin and change the global balance of power forever.
-
-
Wonderful
- By Or on 02-02-25
By: Lee Child
-
Do You Remember?
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tess Strebel can’t recognize her own face. She can’t recognize her home. Her bedroom is unfamiliar. And she can’t remember the handsome stranger lying next to her in bed. A stranger who claims he’s her husband. Tess reads a letter in her own handwriting, composed during a rare lucid day, explaining her life as it now exists: she was in a terrible car accident one year ago. Every morning, she wakes up unable to remember most of the last decade. Including her own wedding.
-
-
One of the better ones
- By cotswoldrose on 10-13-24
By: Freida McFadden
-
George Orwell’s 1984
- An Audible Original adaptation
- By: George Orwell, Joe White - adaptation
- Narrated by: Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.
-
-
A Revelation!
- By wotsallthisthen on 04-07-24
By: George Orwell, and others
-
Denali
- By: Austin Bunn
- Narrated by: Jack Falahee, Jake Lacy, Amrit Kaur, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three friends from small-town Pennsylvania set out to conquer Denali, North America's highest peak, but only two come down alive. On the mountain, their grand adventure unravels into a harrowing tale of survival, betrayal, and the haunting consequences of ambition pushed too far. For fans of Into Thin Air, Touching the Void, and 127 Hours, Denali has a full cast, jaw-dropping twists, and immersive sound design that will transport you to one of the most extreme environments on earth.
-
-
Fun and thrilling
- By Anonymous User on 01-23-25
By: Austin Bunn
-
Artemis
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Rosario Dawson
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down.
-
-
A ferrari with no motor
- By will on 11-18-17
By: Andy Weir
-
Verity
- By: Colleen Hoover
- Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson, Amy Landon
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.
-
-
intriguing but skip if triggered by child abuse
- By Amazon Customer on 05-16-19
By: Colleen Hoover
-
Eleven Numbers
- A Short Story
- By: Lee Child
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nathan Tyler is an unassuming professor at a middling American university with a rather obscure specialty in mathematics—in short, a nobody from nowhere. So why is the White House calling? Summoned to Washington, DC, for a top-secret briefing, Nathan discovers that he’s the key to a massive foreign intelligence breakthrough. Reading between the lines of a cryptic series of equations, he could open a door straight into the heart of the Kremlin and change the global balance of power forever.
-
-
Wonderful
- By Or on 02-02-25
By: Lee Child
-
Do You Remember?
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tess Strebel can’t recognize her own face. She can’t recognize her home. Her bedroom is unfamiliar. And she can’t remember the handsome stranger lying next to her in bed. A stranger who claims he’s her husband. Tess reads a letter in her own handwriting, composed during a rare lucid day, explaining her life as it now exists: she was in a terrible car accident one year ago. Every morning, she wakes up unable to remember most of the last decade. Including her own wedding.
-
-
One of the better ones
- By cotswoldrose on 10-13-24
By: Freida McFadden
-
George Orwell’s 1984
- An Audible Original adaptation
- By: George Orwell, Joe White - adaptation
- Narrated by: Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1984, and life has changed beyond recognition. Airstrip One, formerly known as Great Britain, is a place where Big Brother is always watching, and nobody can hide. Except, perhaps, for Winston Smith. Whilst working at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history, he secretly dreams of freedom. And in a world where love and sex are forbidden, where it’s hard to distinguish between friend and foe, he meets Julia and O’Brien and vows to rebel.
-
-
A Revelation!
- By wotsallthisthen on 04-07-24
By: George Orwell, and others
-
Denali
- By: Austin Bunn
- Narrated by: Jack Falahee, Jake Lacy, Amrit Kaur, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three friends from small-town Pennsylvania set out to conquer Denali, North America's highest peak, but only two come down alive. On the mountain, their grand adventure unravels into a harrowing tale of survival, betrayal, and the haunting consequences of ambition pushed too far. For fans of Into Thin Air, Touching the Void, and 127 Hours, Denali has a full cast, jaw-dropping twists, and immersive sound design that will transport you to one of the most extreme environments on earth.
-
-
Fun and thrilling
- By Anonymous User on 01-23-25
By: Austin Bunn
-
Artemis
- By: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Rosario Dawson
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down.
-
-
A ferrari with no motor
- By will on 11-18-17
By: Andy Weir
-
The Ex
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cassie thinks she has met the perfect man. Joel is sweet, handsome, romantic, and best of all, he’s crazy about Cassie. She thinks she’s found the guy she’ll spend the rest of her life with. Have children with. Grow old with. Yes, she knows about his perfect ex-girlfriend, Francesca. The beautiful, brilliant chef, beloved by all his friends. But she thinks Francesca is out of the picture. She thinks Francesca is gone for good. Think again, Cassie.
-
-
Too bizarre for someone who loves bizarre
- By G. C. Webster on 07-01-22
By: Freida McFadden
-
Say No More
- By: Caroline Overington
- Narrated by: Anna Skellern
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who is Audrey Hoedemaker? It's a question her sister Maureen has heard more times than she can count, and she doesn't know what the short answer would be. Little sister, troubled teen, backpacker, musical theatre coach, con artist, childcare worker. Murderer. A tragic, traumatic childhood casts a long shadow on the Hoedemaker sisters. Maureen has worked hard to move beyond the violence of the past and build a good, honest life for herself. Audrey, however, just can't seem to do the same, careening from one state of chaos to another.
-
-
Seriously, that was the ending?
- By alicia in athens on 02-13-25
-
10 Rules for the Perfect Murder
- By: James Patterson, Chris Tebbetts
- Narrated by: Reid Scott, Cobie Smulders, full cast
- Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After the killing of a prominent mob lawyer, NYPD homicide detectives Jacob Jackson and Caitlin Grimes start receive chilling, written “rules” for how to commit the perfect murder. "Rule number one for the perfect murder: Evidence is your enemy. Leave none behind." Jackson (Reid Scott) and Grimes (Cobie Smulders) race to find the killer, setting them on a collision course with the city’s crime underbelly, and a perpetrator who seems happy to toy with them. “Rule number two. No crimes of passion. The perfect murder is always business, never pleasure.”
-
-
Tricky
- By Robert Scott Read on 10-30-24
By: James Patterson, and others
-
7 Hours to Die
- By: James Patterson, Duane Swierczynski
- Narrated by: Sarah Paulson, Patina Miller, Mel Rodriguez, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kidnappers grabbed Jenna in broad daylight, right in front of her children and their horrified classmates. Her family was issued an insane ransom demand: $25 million in cash and jewels, payable by the end of the school day, otherwise they’ll never see her again. As Jenna’s mother scrambles to gather the money, detectives Mo Butler and George Ortega follow the trail of the kidnappers, which will lead them through a sordid landscape of jealous lovers, broken dreamers, and twisted schemers. But every second counts, and there’s one thing Jenna Wade doesn’t have: very much time.
-
-
This was such a fun Quick listen
- By Mdc on 10-08-24
By: James Patterson, and others
-
Fahrenheit 451
- By: Ray Bradbury
- Narrated by: Tim Robbins
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family."
-
-
Wish I Hadn't Cliff Noted This in High School
- By Joel on 03-27-17
By: Ray Bradbury
-
Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle, Stephen Fry - introductions
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 71 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since he made his first appearance in A Study In Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes has enthralled and delighted millions of fans throughout the world. Now Audible is proud to present Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, read by Stephen Fry. A lifelong fan of Doyle's detective fiction, Fry has narrated the definitive collection of Sherlock Holmes - four novels and four collections of short stories. And, exclusively for Audible, Stephen has written and narrated eight insightful introductions, one for each title.
-
-
Chapter Guide!
- By Katya Rice on 05-25-18
By: Arthur Conan Doyle, and others
What listeners say about The Avengers - The Lost Episodes, Volume 1
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Pixie
- 11-15-16
Jolly good fun
What did you love best about The Avengers - The Lost Episodes, Volume 1?
What I loved best about Volume 1 was that it gave a good introduction to, and got me hooked on, “The Avengers” – a popular British television show in the 1960s with which I was not familiar (the Avengers I knew were the ones in Marvel Comics movies). The stories, scripts, performances, music, and sound effects all combined seamlessly to tell the origin story of how the imperturbable David Keel, a physician, became a “budding criminologist” and the crime-fighting partner of suave secret agent John Steed. From the first episode, “Hot Snow,” to the fourth and last of the volume, “One for the Mortuary,” it was fun to listen as the two easily found their stride as a team even as the cases got more complex.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Avengers - The Lost Episodes, Volume 1?
Some of the most memorable moments were in scenes shared by Steed, Dr. Keel, and Dr. Keel’s receptionist Carol. Steed first encounters Carol at Dr. Keel’s surgery, where he pretends to be a patient in need of an eye examination. Flirting seems to be a reflex for Steed, who eventually removes his dark glasses and says to Dr. Keel, in Carol’s presence: “When I arrived here I thought your receptionist was quite plain, but now I can see quite clearly how wrong I was. Sharp vision has so many compensations.” Dr. Keel, however, quickly replies: “Your wife and brood of children will be pleased to hear that.”
The template for this scene is repeated throughout the series: Steed flirts with Carol, Dr. Keel disapproves, Carol remains impervious to the secret agent’s charms. Dr. Keel, though, is not above using Carol to get what he wants from Steed. When, after treating Steed’s wounded hand, Dr. Keel advises him to return the next day, Steed protests.
“Now look, I’m very busy,” Steed says.
“Carol will give you another injection for your hand.”
“I’ll move heaven and earth.”
These witty exchanges between Steed and Dr. Keel provide many memorable and lighthearted moments that make listening to this audio book an enjoyable experience.
What about the narrators’s performance did you like?
I liked how Anthony Howell (Foyle’s War, Wives & Daughters) and Julian Wadham (Outlander, The English Patient) were able to draw out and convey the distinct personalities of Dr. Keel and Steed, and how well-matched they were. There was a scene in the fourth episode in which a nervous woman on a plane found her courage just by looking at Dr. Keel. She said to him, “I saw you sitting there so calm and collected and upright, with a ramrod down your back… and then I knew I would be all right.” Anthony Howell, with his even baritone and leading man voice, portrays that description perfectly. Steed, by contrast, is all ease and charm, brimming with self-confidence. He complains, for instance, that it’s difficult pretending to visit Dr. Keel as a patient because it’s “hard to look ill when you are in peak physical condition.” Julian Wadham has a playful lilt to his voice that makes Steed lovable and not pompous, naughty but not sleazy.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I found it moving that, as the stories progressed from the first episode to the last, the relationship between Steed and Dr. Keel evolved from being a partnership of expediency to one of mutual respect and even friendship. There is a moment in the fourth episode when Dr. Keel goes to a Turkish bath to meet Steed, who is getting a massage. Dr. Keel starts to tease Steed. “A Turkish bath? Do you have a guide book called 101 strange places to meet in London or is coming up with them just a gift?” But he becomes concerned when he sees the bruises on Steed’s body, asking: “What have you been doing to yourself?” Steed, in turn, appears to have second thoughts about sending Dr. Keel on a dangerous mission. “I’m not sure I should ask you to do this at all.” The subtle shifts in tone by Anthony Howell and Julian Wadham ensure that the exchange doesn’t become soppy. The script makes certain of that, too. Dr. Keel reacts to Steed’s uncharacteristically earnest tone by trying to make light of the situation: “O-ho-ho! Come off it! I’m a godsend for pulling your… chestnuts out of the fire!”
Any additional comments?
Props to John Dorney for adapting the television screenplay for audio. The language, the music, and the sound effects (e.g., dialing on a rotary phone) effectively capture the feel of the 1960s. The dialogue is also efficient in setting each scene. For instance, the listener is able to establish that a character is a taxidermist long before he finally says, “This is a funeral emporium for animals!”
I also liked that in between episodes, there were short spiels in which the producer, writer, and actors spoke about the joys and challenges of working on the project. Being new to “The Avengers,” I found the background information interesting. It made me appreciate the audio book more.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Julian C. Chambliss
- 06-16-21
Forgot Classic
Considering how iconic the later years of this series was, it is refreshing and interesting to hear these recreations.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!