avcsa0204_thesecretsix_1417Steed steps back in time; Emma makes her mark.

The final – at least for the time being – episode featuring Julian Wadham’s John Steed opposite Olivia Poulet’s Emma Peel sends the pair out on a glorious note (the mental picture of the final scene will stay with me for some time to come), with script editor John Dorney taking the last of the Diana comic strips and adding a layer of humour to it. If these six criminal masterminds really are so secret, how come every agency has heard of them? (It’s the same argument that applies when a certain British secret service agent is welcomed by concierges, head waiters and hoteliers the world over!) The pricking of this pomposity provides a strong running gag as six becomes five becomes four…

The idea itself wasn’t new when the Diana comic strip appeared – there’d been episodes of various ITC series that had used the same concept – but quite rightly it’s treated as if it’s a new idea here. There’s a certain degree of stereotyping inherent in the character names, but it’s not taken to the same level as it probably would have been back in the 1960s (there’s an episode of The Saint that really does push things in this respect) and although the “masterminds” aren’t up to Steed and Peel’s level, they do represent a threat – it’s not the sort of thing that our heroes can treat too lightly, even if a quick quip is sometimes de rigeur. Wadham and Poulet have found the rhythm that their illustrious predecessors brought to proceedings and the repartee sparkles.

With these finishing, it’s the right time to acknowledge the importance of the sound design and the music to making these so respectful to the period. Alastair Lock and Steve Foxon’s work has been excellent, and have really made these sound as if they are lost soundtracks from episodes of the period, with Ken Bentley’s direction maintaining that slightly manic energy that the instalments all had. I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping that it won’t be too long before the cry of “Mrs Peel – we’re needed!” is heard once more!

Verdict: A suitably mad ending for one of my favourite sets of releases from Big Finish in recent time. 9/10

Paul Simpson

avcsa02_slipcase_1417sqSteed and Mrs Peel Volume 2 is available now from Big Finish