1984

The Automobile, January, page 41, advert for Stanley Mann: Vintage and Classic Cars, no author, England.  Has RX 6180, the 1930 Speed Six Bentley on sale for £49,500. Veronica, 11 February, pages unknown, title unknown, author unknown, Holland.  Piece on The Avengers. Starburst, March, pages 1,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,24,25,26,27,28,29, The Best of British Tele-Fantasy, various authors, England.  The page numbers only refer to The Avengers sections, which include an interview with Patrick Macnee, an overview of Diana Rigg's career and an episode guide. Primetime issue 8, April, pages 29,30,31, Making A Killing: Interview With Brian Clemens, Kevin Sutcliffe, England. Brian Clemens interview. Radio Times, May 5, page unknown, Fenwick in America, Henry Fenwick.  England. Image is a curious thing.  The Avengers marked Patrick Macnee (Empire, Friday 9.0 p.m.) as the quintessential urbane Englishman.  Now he tells me that he is an American citizen and hates cities!  He stays away from Los Angeles, New York and London as much as he can.   He was talking to me from San Diego where he spends a lot of time - he used to live by the sea but after The Avengers he moved to Palm Springs because his daughter is asthmatic and needs the dry air.  He has always, he says, had trouble with image.   He was turned down for the film The Cruel Sea because he wasn't 'the naval type'.   He found that odd since he'd spent the war as a captain in the navy.  Then after The Avengers people would say 'But can you play comedy?', which puzzled him because 'Diana and I used to write a lot of our own scenes and I thought they were quite funny!'   Empire was much heralded in America as a new, exciting, different comedy show but it didn't last.  'It was brilliantly written and conceived,' says Macnee.  'It got some of the best reviews ever: I think it was my best work since Sleuth on Broadway in 73.  It owed a lot to (ex-BBC light entertainment) director Terry Hughes.  But the writers were way ahead of their time and the audiences rejected it.  I'm very proud of it.' Western Daily Press, 19 May, page 17, Steed regrets..., Syd Gillingham, England. Sunday Magazine, 10 June, pages unknown, author unknown, title unknown, England. Honor Blackman interview. Free with The News of the World. You Magazine, 17 June, pages unknown, author unknown, title unknown, England. Honor Blackman interview. Free with The Mail On Sunday. Fantasy Empire, July, pages 13,14,15,16,17, With Brolly, Brawn and English Charm, Randy L'Officier, Patrick Macnee interview, USA. TV Life, August, pages 16,17,18, Return of the Gentle Avenger, Valerie Clarke, England.  (I've got a photocopy of this, but can anyone tell me what TV Life magazine was?) Daily Express, 7 November, page ?, TV: Last Night's View, Maureen Paton, England. Starburst issue 67, pages 1,12,13,14,15,16,17,28,29, Patrick Macnee on The Avengers, Author unknown, England. Patrick Macnee interview / Avengers overview and episode guide. Starburst issue 67, pages 24,25,26,27, Diana Rigg, Richard Hollis, England. General look at Diana Rigg's career with particular attention paid to The Avengers. Fantasy Empire Collectors Edition issue 4, no date, pages 13,14,15,16,17,18, 19,20,21,22,23,24, I Can Take Comedy Very Seriously, John Peel, England.  Interview with Dennis Spooner that touches on The Avengers quite significantly.

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