Steed & Mrs. Peel -- Closing

The closing credits sequence for the fourth series of The Avengers bookends the episode with the same approach used in the opening titles. This series of still images, cut together in time with the music, showcases the signature items that defined the characters in the minds of many: Steed’s bowler hat and Mrs. Peel’s leather boots. The sequence concludes with the characters driving away in Steed’s vintage Bentley. Fennell, Johnson, and Clemens would later form their own production company. Incidentally, the ABC logo at the end refers to the Associated British Corporation, not the American TV network.

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Steed & Mrs. Peel -- Opening

The title sequence for the fourth series of The Avengers, the first also to be shown on American television, produced some iconic images of the main characters, debonair super-spy John Steed and leather-clad martial-arts expert Emma Peel. Through the use of static images, the sequence shows that the pair is by turns flirty and violent, while showcasing Mrs. Peel’s considerable sex-appeal. The theme music which accompanied it was adapted by bandleader Laurie Johnson from his earlier composition entitled “The Shake.”

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Steed & Mrs. Peel -- Intro

When the British adventure show The Avengers debuted on American television in March 1966, a special pre-credits sequence was added to explain the premise to its new audience. The brief, highly-stylized scene introduces the main characters, secret agent John Steed and his civilian associate Mrs. Emma Peel, and also gives a sense of the program’s distinctive flavor. While I’ve always been a big fan of the show, I think the sequence works just as well, or perhaps better, in “comic book” format, as seen here.

For the ultimate guide to all things Avengers, visit David K. Smith’s The Avengers Forever.

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