Emma Peel

[rthstewart]

Now, amongst all of you, I suspect I am the only one old enough to have recalled the sly, campy show The Avengers with bowler-hat wearing John Steed and his co-hort Mrs. Emma Peel.  I am not referring to the dreadful film, but to the TV series of the 1960s.  It was part Mission Impossible, part Dr. Who, part X Files, part Man From Uncle, and it was lovely.   None of this Tara King stuff.  Mrs. Emma Peel, played by the incomparable Diana Rigg was beyond awesome.  Smart, funny, sexy, deadly, with these amazing 1960s clothes and car and this whole "can do" bring it on boys sensibility.  And it occurred to me as I was thinking about Mrs. Jane Ellis under the desk with Mr. Robert Brown that I have unconsciously been channeling Mrs. Emma Peel in the characterization of Susan in TQSiT.  And with that as an inspiration... 

So that you too might share in the glory of Emma Peel,

Here's the show's intro -- the Avengers In Color!! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0YOlU3SMgs&feature=related

Peel the Reel:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKKeVtWDEPw

And I found this hilarious remix of Mrs. Peel meets The Kinks, right down to her catsuits, nifty convertible, champagne, and boots.  It doesn't give her delightful snarky dialogue, but the look is there. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve9N9oaXU18

There's oodles more, but I was so excited, I had to share.  Emma Peel behind the couch doing goodness knows what with John Steed is just ever so much awesome.

Comments

[intrikate88.livejournal.com]

You are hardly the only one to appreciate the wonderful Mrs Peel! andi_horton and I spent quite a while curled up in my room, watching The Avengers back in May when she was down here. I need to watch some more eps of that, Emma and Steed are just so much fun.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Ohhh!! Kindreds even more! I had no idea anyone paid any attention to this sort of thing anymore. It had not occurred to me how much XFiles owed to that series, although Scully was always sort of the straight man, whereas Mrs. Peel could do anything.