Saturday 13th February 2010 - Stage Show Update
Very small update today, but worth a mention. I've done some further research in back issues of Time Out magazine and have been able to update the Stage Show Credits page with a small amount of new information concerning the London run.

Sunday 31st January 2010 -
Even More Series 1 In Depth - Dead of Winter + Optimum News Updated
Following on from Saturday's update, the episode guide and in-depth pages for Dead of Winter have been added today. This episode is the fourth that my wife and I have reconstructed for Optimum Releasing - and this and Kill the King will be released as part of one of their forthcoming Avengers titles. On this subject, the Optimum News page has been updated today with details of the imminent release of Series 3.

Saturday 30th January 2010 -
More Series 1 In Depth - Kill the King!
Apologies for the tumbleweeds blowing by here lately. It's certainly not due to my putting my feet up. The last month has been exceptionally busy, producing two further Avengers Series 1 episode reconstructions for Optimum's superb DVD range. These are now completed and delivered and I have a short breather before moving on to the next project for them. This has allowed me to find time to make up pages for one of the two episodes which has been reconstructed - Kill the King. I've produced a standard episode guide page and an exhaustive in-depth synopsis. Many thanks to Dave Matthews, Dave Rogers and Piers Johnson for their help with the reconstructions and with the pages produced regarding Kill the King for Declassified.

Monday 21st December 2009 -
ANNOUNCEMENT - Replacement Discs for The Avengers DVD Set 1
Replacements for faulty discs from The Complete Series 2 and Existing Episodes from Series 1, have been manufactured and are now ready. We thank you for your patience while we have investigated and corrected the problems.

Please send your old discs (numbers 3, 6 and 7), together with your name and full address to:

The Avengers
Optimum Home Entertainment
50 Marshall St
London
W1F 9BQ
United Kingdom

Please allow up to 28 days for the new discs to be delivered to you, particularly with the Christmas and New Year postal rush. International customers should be sure to include their full address and expect delivery to take a little longer.

For any further queries please contact info@optimumreleasing.com

Wednesday 16th December 2009 -
Replacement Discs for The Avengers DVD Set 1
Jaz Wiseman has made the following announcement regarding the replacement programme for the faulty discs in the Series 1+2 set: "I am expecting check discs of the replacement discs next week. Once these are confirmed as being OK, the replacement discs will be manufactured. Obviously this process is going to be held up with the Christmas and New Year break so in early January Optimum will make the final announcement. Apologies to all customers but the replacement disc process has taken longer than anticipated."

Thursday 3rd December 2009
Following on from the work on Double Danger, I've now added an Episode Guide page for another 1961 episode, A Change of Bait. Also available, a detailed synopsis...

Sunday 29th November 2009
Many thanks to Ian Beazley, who has supplied a blooper for Sleeper that somehow I completely missed! Cheers, Ian.

Monday 23rd November 2009
Some further additions today to the pages for the Ian Hendry episode, Double Danger. The expanded Story in Depth feature relating to writer Gerald Verner's original, unbroadcast version, has now been added and further detail has been added to the Episode Guide page.

It's also worth mentioning that Amazon.co.uk is currently running a promotional price on the excellent Optimum Series 1+2 Avengers set. Just £35.97 - less than half price! The promotion runs until 4th December.

Sunday 22nd November 2009
Series 1 gets the attention today, with Double Danger receiving both an episode guide page (complete with information about the making of the episode that was previously not known to Avengers fans) and a Story in Depth page, based upon the camera script. Another, based on the very different rehearsal script will follow soon.

Saturday 21st November 2009
A major update today, two add a previously unpublished 1976 interview with Joanna Lumley conducted by Patrick and David Bailey. Also two stage show-related updates today - a new photograph of Sue Lloyd has been added to the gallery pages in that section, plus some additional information regarding Joanna Lumley's auditioning for the stage show have been added to the stage main page.

Friday 6th November 2009
Optimum Avengers updated - announcement from Optimum regarding the problems on the Series 1+2 DVD set.

Sunday 18th October 2009
Optimum Avengers updated with some frustrating and disappointing news - but hopefully we'll have something more positive to post on this subject soon.

Monday 7th September 2009
Optimum DVD Exclusives at The Avengers Declassified! Check out Optimum Avengers for an exclusive interview with Jaz Wiseman, special features producer. We also have a first peek (anywhere!) at the recently discovered Series One telesnaps courtesy of Leonard White and screen capture comparisons of the new restorations and the old DVD versions, courtesy of Jaz and Optimum. Take a look!

Sunday 6th September 2009
The Light Fantastic: Episode guide page added for From Venus With Love. Be sure to drop by tomorrow night for exclusive news on the forthcoming Avengers DVDs from Optimum Releasing...

Tuesday 10th August 2009
The Avengers Variations: Further research has been carried out by John Tomlinson into the regional broadcasting of the Tara King era. Almost there! Many thanks, John.

Monday 3rd August 2009
The Avengers Variations: Many thanks to John Tomlinson who has turned his attention to the Tara King regional variations and has filled in a good number of blanks! Cheers, John!

Sunday 2nd August 2009
Biddly-Bong, Diddly-Da! A newly-restored radio serial has been added to the Radio Downloads section today - Train of Events. Just two more to go!

Saturday 25th July 2009
It's Snowing in July... Just when you thought you'd seen all there was to see about Hot Snow - take a look at our new Stories in Depth section for 1961, which kicks off today with an exhaustive synopsis including lengthy script extracts of... you guessed it... Hot Snow.

Friday 24th July 2009
Start at the Beginning... Taking a brief break from The New Avengers, I've added today the first episode guide page for The Avengers. Somehow it seemed appropriate to start off where it all began, with Hot Snow. I've been looking into this episode in some depth this week and I hope the episode guide page will reveal a few new facts.

Friday 18th July 2009
Something to get your teeth into... Episode guide page added today for Gnaws.

Sunday 12th July 2009
Never Have Ideas... because you end up spending your whole Sunday trying to realise them! I suddenly thought that it would be good to give a little background to the ITV regions that transmitted The Avengers and wondered how to do it. In the end, I produced a UK map which showed each region at the time of each Avengers era. I've added a bit of background information for each broadcaster and hopefully this will mean that our Regional Variation sections have a little more context, at least in terms of geography! I've divided it up like this: Map of ITV Regions 1961; 1962-64; 1965-68; 1968-1975 and 1975-1982. The changes in franchise holders fits in quite well between Avengers and New Avengers seasons, so hopefully this rather arbitrary way of dividing the information up doesn't work too badly. These maps can be accessed from all regional pages. Now, can I have my Sunday back, please?  :)
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The Avengers Variations... John Tomlinson has added considerable further detail to the Regional Variation information for the Emma Peel and Tara King eras. Superb and invaluable work as always, John, for which many thanks!

Wednesday 8th July 2009
UK DVDs on their way... and it's such a biggie, they have their own section! Optimum Avengers reveals a first clear look at the box artwork and confirms the special features for the first volume, due in October this year.

Sunday 5th July 2009
Today's Biggest Offer... The New Avengers episode guide continues with fan favourite, Sleeper.
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The Avengers Variations... Further exhaustive efforts from John Tomlinson have brought the Regional Variations on in leaps and bounds. With his considerable help, we've now got a locked-down set of regional information for the two Cathy Gale series, and he's also made significant in roads on Series 4, with the promise of more to come. Thanks a million, John. Your help is hugely appreciated.

Friday 3rd July 2009
It Pays to Stay Tuned... We christen our features section - Stay Tuned - tonight with a great little article by J. Ferguson, which draws attention to the similarities between two episodes of  The New Avengers and The Champions - Faces and The Mission. Thanks for a terrific article! Also, some more detail on the Silverstone sequence of Three Handed Game from my friend and former colleague, Rob Jaina.

Thursday 2nd July 2009
Gentlemen, Fire Up Your Engines! Many thanks to Allen Brown of OldRacingcars.com for his generous help in identifying the two racing cars seen in the scenes of Three Handed Game that were filmed at the Silverstone Circuit. Check out a detailed Production Note at the episode guide page.

Wednesday 1st July 2009
Three Handed Game... An episode guide page has been added tonight for this episode of The New Avengers...

Tuesday 30th June 2009
AvengerNews... Nice, Honor Blackman-related news story today...

Sunday 28th June 2009
The Avengers Variations... Thanks to the sterling, exhaustive efforts of John Tomlinson, the Regional Variations information for Series One and Series Two and Three has been updated significantly. The Series One information is now complete thanks to John and Series Two and Three are much nearer completion than previously. John promises more information is to come. Your hard work is greatly appreciated, John. Many, many thanks.

Also... The episode guide layout has been amended a little after a pertinent comment from Simon Coward. I've devised a way to come up with a more scientific rating, with weighted grades that feed into the overall percentage. This means that the final percentage ratings have changed slightly. It also gives a more obvious breakdown of what I think works and what doesn't about each episode.

Thursday 25th June 2009
A Book at Bedtime... Well, it's my bedtime and the episode has a book as its central clue! The fact of the matter is I'm trying to find something bright and breezy to say about The Tale of the Big Why, but I'm struggling. An episode guide page has been added for it tonight - just don't expect it to come up smelling of roses...

Wednesday 24th June 2009
Double Trouble - Not 'Arf! An episode guide page for The New Avengers: Faces has been added tonight.

Tuesday 23rd June 2009
Imitation is the Best Form of Flattery... A new obituary of Simon Oates was published yesterday in The Independent here in the UK, and much to my surprise, the author has incorporated some quotes from the interview with Simon that Alys and I conducted for The Avengers Declassified. While this was initially a bit of a shock, I'm pleased to say that the newspaper have been quick to acknowledge the source of these quotes (after a quick phone call) and the online version now contains a credit and a link back to the interview. Thanks to Chris Maume at the Obituaries desk for his sympathetic and prompt attention.

In happier news, the first seven episodes of The New Avengers now have completed Episode Guide pages. The layout has been revised to include brief 'Ministry Verdicts', where I give my potted opinion of each episode and a percentage rating. You may note that my ratings for The New Avengers are unusually high - well, I have a considerable soft spot for the series and have always championed it. I don't see this changing! This is no doubt partly due to the series being my first exposure to The Avengers, back in 1976, when I was glued to it as an 11 year old! Also, I think it's genuinely underrated and more than due a re-evaluation. Steed, Purdey and Gambit rock! End of sermon!

Friday 18th June 2009
In With the New - Episode guide pages have been added this week for the first four episodes produced of The New Avengers - The Eagle's Nest, The Midas Touch, House of Cards and The Last of the Cybernauts...?? - more to follow.

Tuesday 16th June 2009
This and That! A slight rethink on the section front, which has lead to Forward Base being accessible from anywhere in the site rather than just from the Introduction page and the addition of a new (currently empty!) section called Stay Tuned. The realisation suddenly crept up on me that there was nowhere here for features or comment about The Avengers in general, with the site being too rigidly era- and production-based. That's fixed now, and while the era-/production-based structure remains (there's nothing wrong with that in itself, after all!), there is also the option for expansion down a more general route too. Also, thanks to Ron Geddes for pointing out a blooper with the radio series page for A Grave Charge. I've just fixed this. News of a new German DVD release of The Avengers added to AvengerNews, complete with pack shot.

Monday 15th June 2009
Readers may be interested to know that The Times newspaper today published an obituary to the actor, Simon Oates. It can be read by clicking here.

Saturday 13th June 2009
Frank N. Stone to be Knighted: A cheering story in AvengerNews.

Thursday 11th June 2009
The Avengers Variations: Many thanks to Andrew Pixley, who has kindly passed along some regional variation information, which has been added to the section. Quite a few mysteries have been solved thanks to Andrew and the information he's shared. Cheers, mate!

Tuesday 9th June 2009
Launch Night! It's been a long time coming - a lot longer than I ever thought. I originally started building this site on 24th September 2008 and if I'd have known then that it'd finally launch some eight and a half months later... well, I might never have started! That said, I'm very glad I did. I started off with grand ideas for the site, and while I've had to discard one or two, compromise a few more, I think I may even have pulled one or two of them off!

The site as it stands at launch already comprises 175 pages. If you consider that my other Avengers site, Avengers on the Radio has been running for nine years and is 178 pages long, this is quite a monster already!

The biggest project thus far has been focused upon The Avengers Stage Show and this section is probably the most exhaustive account published regarding this production. The section contains information, press coverage, contemporary reviews, quotes from those involved, an extensive photo gallery and an exclusive interview with the late Simon Oates, who played Steed in the production. The interview was conducted for The Avengers Declassified in November 2008. Sadly, since that time, Simon has passed away, a source of great upset to us. Simon's enthusiasm and generosity towards this site was a great inspiration to us - and it is with the deepest respect and affection that we have dedicated The Avengers Declassified to his memory. Rest in peace, Simon.

In addition to Simon's great contribution to the site, I am greatly indebted to my wife Alys for, well, everything, to David K. Smith, Simon Coward, Chris Perry, Ian Beazley, Mike Noon and Jaz Wiseman for unstinting, enthusiastic and invaluable help and generosity in the long lead-in to tonight's launch. Thanks also to all those who have kept the secret for me for so long. A special mention for Kim, Allard and ShaggE at The Avengers Fan Forum.

Something to be clear about from the very start - The Avengers Declassified is not designed to replace The Avengers Forever, David K. Smith's wonderful, indispensible site. His site is a wonderful resource that has built up over thirteen years and I'm pleased to say it isn't going anywhere, even if David is currently taken a well-deserved rest. Declassified will complement what is available at TAF and go off in different directions.

Finally, ardent observers will note that the greater bulk of my Avengers radio series website has been revamped here at Declassified. I felt the site had to cover the radio series (it's one of my pet loves, after all), and it gave me a chance to give the information there the once-over and spruce up the now rather dated design 'over there'.   

Take a good look around. I hope you enjoy what you find. I'd love to hear from you with your comments. Drop me an email to let me know what you think of the newest Avengers website!

Alan Hayes