quote:

Originally posted by WOMBLE:

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
I don't think Rigg left over money....

There's a bit about that here:-
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ent...inment-arts-54115433

And she didn't leave over money. She may have left over a principal, but that's not the same thing as just saying she wanted more money. She wanted her worth and she got the raise in her first year, but she quit the next year anyway, didn't she?

She went back to doing plays where the money was minimal, so it wasn't more money she wanted, she wanted more respect.

Oddly enough, while equal pay for equal work is something that should be genderless and still often is not, I personally don't agree with her assessment in that article. Apparently she felt that she should earn as much as Macnee because Mrs. Peel had equal billing with Steed.

While I could see that maybe happening in a couple of years, I don't think she should have pinned her respect to an equal salary right at that time.. Macnee did have top billing and The Avengers was his show for several years before Rigg was even hired. Indeed she just got there. She complains that they thought her "hard" or "trouble", but if someone who was just hired at your job demanded to be paid the salary of the ten year veterans, what would happen?

And then she quit and her fans left and the show went off. No, it wasn't only about money.

Thanks for the article. I never saw that picture with Macnee and all three of his leading ladies. The Avengers is one of only a few old TV shows that I can still dust off and re-watch and enjoy.

I've never seen any of The Avengers episodes and can't recall seeing it available here (don't remember seeing it in the TV Guide) and I watched a lot of TV as a kid. One time, I found a cheap unopened box of the first set by Cornerstone at a flea market but found someone who wanted it more before I opened it.

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:

And then she quit and her fans left and the show went off.

There was actually a final season after she left.

quote:

Originally posted by Graham:

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:

And then she quit and her fans left and the show went off.

There was actually a final season after she left.

Correct, the last season was broadcast in the US right after Mrs. Peel's departure with Linda Thorson replacing her as the new character Tara King. As I said, it went way too campy between a ditzy King and an added "Mother" boss. The scripts weren't Thorson's fault or the idea that many fans here only started watching the show for Mrs. Peel. She was gone, the ratings dropped and the network cancelled it after its third season here.

What I never understood, because I wasn't living in that end of it, is why the whole production stopped? It was a UK TV show for years before the American market. Why didn't it just continue? We never saw Dr. Who back then either, but it was on. Evidently British fans weren't so keen on The Avengers after Rigg left either, is the only thing I can figure.

Diana Rigg had a great acting career and probably the one she wanted. If you want to see a really fun performance from her, try the old Agatha Christie movie "Evil Under the Sun". Watching her and Maggie Smith get catty is worth the whole picture. Smith is another wonderful actress and a favorite of mine.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:...
What I never understood, because I wasn't living in that end of it, is why the whole production stopped? It was a UK TV show for years before the American market. Why didn't it just continue? ...)

Originally 'The Avengers' was shot on videotape and starred Ian Hendry then Honor Blackman, it was relatively cheaply made. They decided to 're-boot' the show for an international audience, which involved shooting it on film, doing location filming and basically treating it as a 50 minute movies rather than a stage play. They got a huge investment from USA, so it was always going to be 'The Avengers - in Color' (US spelling), ITV(UK) did not even start transmitting in colour until the end of 1969.

It did hugely well, selling particularly well in France and Germany, but because the USA pulled out they decided they could no longer afford to make it, although a few years later they funded another series with Canada and France and renamed it 'The New Avengers'.

ITC Entertainment made a whole slew of shows in the UK for export in a similar manner. If you love 'The Avengers' you'll also like 'Department S'.

So we are going to get thrown out of this thread for hijacking it , but this is an example of a diverted conversation that started because of comments on Diana Rigg's passing.

If you would like to start a thread on British TV shows, old and new, that would be great. I have seen many and pick up many on DVD, but am no expert. I would like to hear more.

I do know that I liked Department S when it broadcast briefly here. I have looked for it on DVD, but I never found one that could play in the US region. I'd love to get it since about all I remember well is Peter Wyngarde and his turned up sleeves. To show you my oddball taste, I did pick up the DVD series of Randall & Hopkirk Deceased. And lots of UK mysteries, both old and current.

Now I will leave this subject alone and pardon the interruption, but one of you Brits should think about a separate thread to discuss your Britbox shows please.

Notorious RBG has passed on.

Here's one from the "Persistent Sisters" line of trading cards.



Rest in peace, RBG...

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Hi Chesspiece,

I recognized the Angel Heart card design as that of the movie poster set by Piemmeci Publishing of Italy. It's an oddball set in that there doesn't seem to be a checklist anywhere nor much information about it - an internet breaker of sorts. I'm familiar with the prototype cards for the set of which there are 15 different and of which I have successfully hunted only 5 in over 20 years.

I saw an old German blurb that said it's a 180 card set with 10 chase cards of some kind. I assume the cards came in packs and might have been released around 1994. Neither the base cards nor prototypes are dated. I've seen the company also released a Formula 1 and skiing set in the 90's. Do you have more information and perhaps a checklist for the set? If you do, please start a thread on it. I'm sure other movie card collectors would be interested.
Jess

Just saw this. I'm hesitant to derail the thread again, but I didn't want to ignore you, Jess. My card is actually from the DueEmme (MM) 1995 Supercinema set, which was 144 cards (no chase cards) and sold in regular foil packs as well as a deluxe factory set with binder and information booklets.
This listing (not mine) shows all the components nicely.

https://www.ebay.com/i/2542749...=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28

I'm not familiar with the larger set, or any prototypes.

Hi Chesspiece,

Thanks for the info. The fronts are a bit different and your card appears more square-shaped but the backs are very similar in design right down to the film strip border, the American flag in the upper left corner, the director noted next to a megaphone symbol at the top, the position of the card number on the left and the year on the right, the cast listing below an additional image in the middle with additional symbols in the other corners.

I noticed the front differences and card size but I figured that there were adjustments between the prototype stage and the finished product.

Jess

It appears that Michael Lonsdale has died. He was aged 89 and played Draco in Moonraker in 1979.

regards

John

ps

Apologies to Bill for not posting a picture.

The British-French Michael Lonsdale died today at the age of 89.

He played the villain Hugo Drax in the James Bond "Moonraker" in 1979.

No idea why, but Michael Lonsdale is one of a very few actors who had a significant role in a Bond movie, but did not have an autograph card in any Bond card product. I imagine RA must have certainly tried.

Ron Cobb, an SF and film illustrator (going back to doing animation work on Sleeping Beauty in 1959) has died on his birthday at age 83. His work has appeared on a number of cards:

Lonsdale played a fine Bond villain (ambitious, literate, and determined to "plan an amusing death" for Bond) in a movie many didn't like at the time because it was over the top in flash and action but I did. It was fun and don't tell me the boat chase wasn't great. He was good in "Day of the Jackal" and "Ronin" too.

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by JOHN LEVITT:
It appears that Michael Lonsdale has died. He was aged 89 and played Draco in Moonraker in 1979.

regards

John

ps

Apologies to Bill for not posting a picture.

I just recently watched RONIN and totally forgot Lonsdale was in it! Thanks for reminding me!

I need to rent the original JACKAL.

At the time I thought MOONRAKER was the worst Bond ever. Now I think it's the 2nd worst. It moved up a notch.

Lonsdale had a supporting role in "The Name of the Rose" (1986), with former 007, Sean Connery

Singer Helen Reddy passed away yesterday. She had big hits in the 70's ("Delta Dawn," "I am Woman").

Another Lonsdale


John Turner, former Prime Minister of Canada, died earlier this month.

Singer/songwriter/actor Mac Davis at 78.

https://www.rollingstone.com/m...y-dead-obit-1067998/

Smooth voice, smoother character.
Rest in peace, Mac..

Yeah, Mac Davis was in "North Dallas Forty," a great sports movie that got into the business of pro football.