The Avengers - Springbok Radio SA

[katydidit]

AVENGERS ON THE RADIO - RESTORATION PROJECT

Tale of the Tapes

"In April 2002, Alan and Alys Hayes, webmasters of Avengers on the Radio, were contacted via the wonders of email by John Wright, an old-time radio enthusiast living in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. John had initially contacted One-Ten's Noon: Doomsday website, regarding his late friend, Douglas Enefer. When One-Ten learned that John had recorded the Avengers radio series off-air in the 1970s, he suggested John contact us.

Before long, it became abundantly clear that, although John would scoff good-humouredly at the suggestion, without his endeavours, there would be no website here for you to read and Donald Monat's bravura turn as John Steed would have been lost forever in the ether.

Starting in the 1960s, John, an avid listener of Springbok Radio, began recording several programmes off-air on ¼" reel-to-reel tape. Among these were series such as Address Unknown, The Creaking Door, SF-68, Consider Your Verdict, Taxi, Lux Radio Theatre, Medical File and the South African adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes adventures." Alan Hayes at Avengers on the Radio Website

RESTORED AVENGERS RADIO SHOWS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD AT: Avengers on the Radio. Also the history of the radio serial, background of the restoration project and much more.

Currently 19 complete serials survive (and one part) all from original reel-to-reel off-air recordings, as well as three episodes of "Escape In Time", from a mixture of sources, including (see website for details):

"The Joker"
"A Deadly Gift" (adaptation of the TV episode "The Cybernauts")
"The Super Secret Cypher Snatch"
"Stop Me If You've Heard This ..."
"Too Many Oles!"
"From Venus With Love"
"The Morning After"
"The Fantasy Game" (adaptation of the TV episode "Honey for the Prince")
"Dial A Deadly Number"
"Quick, Quick, Slow Death"
"Love All"
"Train of Events"
"Who Shot Poor George Oblique Stroke XR40"
"Straight From The Shoulder"
"Not To Be Sneezed At"
"Who's Who"
"A Sense of History"
"A Grave Charge"
"A Case of Interrogation"
"All Done With Mirrors"
"Get-A-Way"

Four other scripts were written, but it is not known if they were ever used:

"The Correct Way To Kill"
"The Fifty Thousand Pound Breakfast"
"Wish You Were Here"
"The Killer"

NOTE: These radio shows were the private recordings of an old-time radio enthusiast. Because of these private recording we may enjoy this series today.

The Avengers debuted on South African radio on December 6th, 1971. The serial was broadcast Monday thru Friday on Springbok Radio in prime-time at 7:15-7:30 p.m.

Serial Ran: December 1971 to December 1973 (5 nights/week) approx. 83 serials
Produced by: David Gooden
Recording Studio: Sonovision, Johannesburg
Adapted for radio by: Tony Jay and then by Dennis Folbigge

Note: The TV series in Great Britain, Canada and the US could not been seen in South Africa because there was no national television service available until 1976. Therefore, the show was created for radio. Libraries did carry some 16mm film of the TV series for loan/rental occasionally.


Starring Roles

Donald Monat as John Steed
Diane Appleby as Emma Peel
Colin Fish as Mother
Hugh Rouse as the Narrator






THE AVENGERS ON TV (1961-1969)

Starring

Patrick Macnee as John Steed
Julie Stevens as Venus Smith




Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale






Diana Rigg as Emma Peel








Linda Thorson as Tara King

Thanks to my radio buddy Bill for providing us with this terrific website.

[Bill Hollweg]

No problem-o! LOVE this audio drama and glad to share with all!