The Avengers series 4 ushered in a new era for the show. A bigger budget allowed the series to be shot on film giving the programme a slicker look, and allowing increased location shoots. The character of Emma Peel was also introduced and it is clear to see from the first episode why she is considered the definitive Avenger girl. It’s as if she has been playing the part for years.

The chemistry between Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg is immediate, and their enthusiasm is infectious. The fact that this series was made in black and white gives it the sixties vibe, and because the plots are so rich in ideas and atmosphere, you almost feel that you’re watching in colour at times.

There are recognisable guest stars, Michael Gough, Burt Kwouk, Gordon Jackson, Geoffrey Palmer, Roy Kinnear and Bernard Cribbins to name a few. It is highly enjoyable to watch with notable episodes such as The Cybernauts, where industrialists are being killed off by a metallic robot assassin complete with long coat, hat and sunglasses.

There’s an Emma impersonator in The Girl From Auntie. A former lunatic asylum house bequeathed to Emma Peel, turns out to be a trap to drive her insane in The House That Jack Built. Perhaps the most infamous episode is A Touch of Brimstone, which sees Emma in The Hellfire Club dressed as the Queen of Sin, an image never forgotten.

Location shoots are recognisable especially with scenes involving cars in the Elstree countryside. Manor Lodge School in Shenley was used for The House That Jack Built, Aldenham Church in an episode called The Gravediggers, and The Battleaxes in Elstree Road, Butterfly Lane in Too Many Christmas Trees.

More than six hours' worth of special features are there to keep die hard Avengers fans happy, with stills galleries, alternative opening credits, bumpers, trailers and other footage.

The remastering quality is superb. The images look crisp and bright and it’s as if the film has been produced today and given a sixties retro look. Even being presented in its original format with black bars each side of the screen doesn’t detract from a highly enjoyable series. It only whets the appetite for a release of series 5 in colour with yet more Emma Peel to come.

  • The Avengers - Series 4 is available now on BluRay