Editing The Avengers (TV series) (section)

==Production==
===Music===

The 1961 series featured a jazz-influenced theme by [[John Dankworth]]. Library music was used sparsely as a soundtrack, sometimes with variations based on the main theme. Dankworth's theme music was reworked for the third series. John Dankworth's first theme was recorded on the Columbia label, on a 45rpm single, and a new recording, similar to the reworked television theme was issued on Fontana in 1963. A very faithful cover version was released by [[Johnny Gregory (bandleader)|Johnny Gregory]].

When Diana Rigg joined the series in 1965, the opening credits of the series were redesigned and new theme music by [[Laurie Johnson]] was introduced. This was based on a previously released title on LP, called "The Shake"<ref>[http://theavengers.tv/forever/music.htm "The Avengers - The Music"], by Max Pemberton (retrieved 28 December 2015)</ref> (which capitalised on "[[The Shake (dance)|The Shake]]" dance craze of the '60s).<ref>Dave Rogers, "The Complete Avengers: The Full Story of Britain's Smash Crime-Fighting Team!", 1989, {{ISBN|0312031874}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=KSNQpAU5z80C&pg=PA276 p. 276]</ref> For the colour series (1967), a percussion section was added to accompany the new teaser sequence at the start of each episode. Laurie Johnson re-scored the theme when Linda Thorson joined the series, adding a counter-melody on trumpet, based on the [[leitmotif]] for Tara King from the final Diana Rigg episode "The Forget-Me-Knot." The new theme debuted in the closing titles of the episode "The Forget-Me-Knot," which introduced Linda Thorson. It was altogether more dynamic, and included a much more frenetic percussion section, for the revised teaser sequence. Importantly, the filmed episodes contained specially composed scores by Johnson. To accompany Steed's request, "Mrs. Peel – we're needed!", he composed a brief 'sting', and there was also a special theme for 'Emma'. For the 'Linda Thorson' series, a characteristic piece was composed to accompany the tag scene, at the end of each episode. Many of the most memorable cues from the Rigg/Thorson series, including the opening, and closing titles themes, and the 'Tag Scene' were released commercially on CD in 2009.

Owing to a professional commitment to score for the film ''[[Hot Millions]]'' (starring [[Peter Ustinov]] and [[Maggie Smith]]), Laurie Johnson requested assistance from his keyboard player, [[Howard Blake]], who scored some of the episodes of the final season, as well as additional music for other episodes which Laurie Johnson did not have time to complete. These were composed in a style remarkably similar to Laurie Johnson's. In 2011, to mark the 50th anniversary of the series, these almost-complete scores by Howard Blake−including Laurie Johnson's themes for the main and end titles—were issued on a double-CD set. Of the original Johnson theme, countless cover versions have been released on vinyl and CD, and the opening motif was retained on the series ''The New Avengers''.

Laurie Johnson subsequently collaborated with Brian Clemens on other projects, including the theme for ''The New Avengers''.

===Cars===
The cars used in the series became almost as famous as the actors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theavengers.tv/forever/cars.htm|title=The Avengers Forever: Avenging Vehicles|website=Theavengers.tv}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dissolute.com.au/the-avengers-tv-series/cars/|title=The Avengers : Transport Guide|website=Dissolute.com.au}}</ref> From the 4th series on, Steed's signature cars were six vintage, green 1926–1928 [[Bentley]] racing or town cars, including [[Blower Bentley]]s and [[Bentley Speed Six]]es (although, uniquely, in "The Thirteenth Hole" he drives a [[Vauxhall 30-98]]). In the final series, he drove two yellow [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]]s – a 1923 [[Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost]] and a 1927 [[Carrosserie Vanvooren#Working with Rolls-Royce|Rolls-Royce New Phantom]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theavengers.tv/forever/cars-2.htm|title=The Avengers Forever: Avenging Vehicles|website=theavengers.tv}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.johnsteedsflat.com/cars.html|title=Steed's Cars|website=Johnsteedsflat.com}}</ref> Peel drove [[Lotus Elan]] convertibles (a white 1964 and a powder blue 1966),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://colinchapmanmuseum.org.uk/?page_id=196|title=Lotus & The Avengers|website=Colinchapmanmuseum.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://theavengers.tv/forever/cars-1.htm|title=The Avengers Forever: Avenging Vehicles|website=Theavengers.tv}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imcdb.org/m54518.html|title=The Avengers, 1961-1969|publisher=Internet Movie Cars Database}}</ref> which, like her clothes, emphasised her independence and vitality. During the first Peel series (Series 4), each episode ended with a short, humorous scene of the duo leaving the scene of their most recent adventure in some unusual vehicle.  Mother occasionally appeared in a silver Rolls-Royce. Tara King drove an [[AC 428]] and a [[Lotus Europa]]. Lady Diana Forbes Blakeney drove an [[MG MGB#MGC|MGC Roadster]].

===Production team===
[[Sydney Newman]], who would later go on to spearhead the creation of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' for the BBC, never received screen credit as the creator of ''The Avengers''. In his memoir, ''The Avengers and Me'', Patrick Macnee interviewed Newman about this. Newman explained that he never sought on-screen credit on the series because during his previous tenure at the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]], such credits were not given, and he never thought to get one for ''The Avengers''.<ref>Patrick Macnee and Dave Rogers, ''The Avengers and Me'' (TV Books, 1998, {{ISBN|1575000598}}); republished in 2008 as ''The Avengers: The Inside Story'' (Titan Books, {{ISBN|1845766431}})</ref>

The production team changed during the series' long run, particularly between the third and fourth series, but the influence of [[Brian Clemens]] was felt throughout. He wrote the second episode and became the series' most prolific scriptwriter. Succeeding producers [[Leonard White (producer)|Leonard White]] and John Bryce, [[Julian Wintle]] became the producer of the 4th series with Brian Clemens credited as associate producer and [[Albert Fennell]] credited as "In charge of production". For series 5, made by A.B.C. Television Films (which was created during the run-up to ABC Weekend TV and Associated-Rediffusion forming Thames TV) Clemens and Fennell became co-producers, with Wintle as executive producer. For series 6, after its initial producer John Bryce left, Clemens and Fennell returned as co-producers; early episodes also credit Julian Wintle as consultant to the series and [[Philip Levene]] as story consultant.

[[Ray Austin (director)|Ray Austin]] became the fight arranger for series 4 and 5, introducing kung fu to the series. Ray Austin had been training with [[Chee Soo]] and they worked techniques from [[Feng Shou]] kung fu and [[Lee-style tai chi|tai chi]] into the fight scenes and credit sequences. Ray Austin, Diana Rigg and Chee Soo were later awarded a [[Guinness World Records|Guinness world record]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-6000/first-western-actress-to-perform-kung-fu-on-television/|title=First western actress to perform kung fu on television}}</ref> as the first people to show kung fu on television. Later he became a prolific television director. Joe Dunne took over for series 6.