The Avengers was a very popular British made spy series of the 1960s that had a cult like following from around the world, but despite its popularity The Avengers was not picked up immediately in the U.S., not even through syndication.

Some speculate that because the show had a live studio look and feel, it made it less appealing to American audiences which had abandoned that type of television years ago. Not only that, but American censors also rejected some of the content of the series such as when Steed, played masterfully by Patrick Macnee, is shown stripping down to his underwear for decontamination in one episode. In another episode the character Mrs. Gale, played by the lovely Honor Blackman, was shown in a black lace brassiere, which was not unusual for the more relaxed British audience, but far to open a scene for the American censors at the time.

Perhaps the most popular female stars of The Avengers was Emma Peel, which was played by the beautiful Diana Riggs.

Of the many co-stars that played along side Patrick Macnee, it is widely conceded that Diana Riggs made for the best chemistry between the two for the series.

The Avengers aired for eight successful sessions from 1961 to 1969, which was the longest continuously running espionage series to date. The spy series was so popular that it ran in syndication in some 90 countries making it one of the most successful television shows of all time. Seven years after the original series ended the show was brought back to television by ITV who dubbed the new version of the series simply as The New Avengers. Patrick Macnee continued his role as John Steed while he got a new sidekick in Joanna Lumley.

Joanna Lumley was the latest of Steed’s pretty female partners from the long list of beauties. The Avengers female stars such as Honor Blackman and Dianna Rigg went on to become Bond girls in the extremely popular James Bond series of movies. Honor Blackman starred opposite Sean Connery in Gold Finger while Riggs starred in the bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1965, in which Riggs played James Bond’s only wife.