avle0701_dragonsfield_1417Steed investigates sabotage at an experimental base…

And so to the final set of Lost Episodes from the first series of The Avengers, starting with the instalment that actually marked the premature end of the season on its first broadcast. There’s no place for Doctor Keel in this (hence Julian Wadham’s sole presence on the CD sleeve) and it’s quite a dour affair as Steed, with the aid of the base’s head of security, tries to work out who’s behind the problems with a new spacesuit. Ian Potter has Terence Feely’s brief outline and a few telesnaps to guide the way and provides a story that shows the harsher side of Steed (particularly in an interrogation scene near the end) and a moment that owes something to Ian Fleming’s Thunderball.

It’s a story that relies to an extent on what people overhear, which is never something easy to pull off on audio – somehow the listener has to be aware of the eavesdropper’s presence but not the characters themselves – and there are a couple of slightly ungainly moments. However director Ken Bentley keeps a momentum to the investigation that makes these less of a speedbump than they might be and the various attacks that the saboteur carries out are well-portrayed.

Wadham is as debonair as ever, with Steed charming the ladies – but knowing when to avert his eyes! The cast doubles up very well – until I looked at the castlist I hadn’t realised quite how few actors there were – and while it may not rate as one of The Avengers’ finest outings, it’s an enjoyable spy thriller.

Verdict: A solid spy tale. 8/10

Paul Simpson