"The Morning After" is the eighteenth episode of the sixth series of the 1960s cult British spy-fi television series '' The Avengers'', starring

Patrick Macnee Daniel Patrick Macnee (6 February 1922 – 25 June 2015) was a British film and television actor. After serving in the Royal Navy during World War II, he began his acting career in Canada. Despite having some small film roles, Macnee spent much ...

and

Linda Thorson Linda Thorson (born Linda Robinson; June 18, 1947) is a Canadian actress, known for playing Tara King in '' The Avengers'' (1968–69). Personal life Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, she attended Bishop Strachan School, and then moved to the ...

. Its first broadcast was in the ATV region of the

ITV network ITV is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition to BBC Television (established in 1936). ITV is the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passin ...

on Friday 10 January 1969.

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...

, who commissioned this series of the show for ITV, broadcast it in its own region 19 days later on Wednesday 29 January. The episode was directed by John Hough, and written by

Brian Clemens Brian Horace Clemens (30 July 1931 – 10 January 2015) was an English screenwriter and television producer, possibly best known for his work on '' The Avengers'' and '' The Professionals''. Clemens claimed to be related to Mark Twain (Samuel ...

Plot

Having cornered conman Jimmy Merlin in a suburban office, Steed and Tara prepare to take him in. However they fall victim to sleeping gas bombs Merlin had recently stolen - as does Merlin himself, who is unable to get away in time. When Steed and Merlin awake, they are baffled to find the town completely deserted. Leaving Tara to sleep it off, Steed - with the reluctant Merlin in tow - discovers a plot to hold the whole country to ransom.

Cast

John Steed Major The Hon. John Wickham Gascoyne Beresford Steed usually known as John Steed, is a fictional character and the central protagonist on the 1960s British spy series '' The Avengers'' and its 1970s sequel '' The New Avengers'', played by Patr ...

Tara King Tara King is a fictional character of British 1960s adventure television series '' The Avengers'', played by Canadian actress Linda Thorson. The sixth partner of agent John Steed (and fourth female partner), she appeared in series six (in colour ...

Peter Barkworth Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

as Jimmy Merlin *

Joss Ackland Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland CBE (born 29 February 1928) is an English retired actor who has appeared in more than 130 film and television roles. He was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying Jock Del ...

as Brigadier Hansing *

Brian Blessed Brian Blessed (; born 9 October 1936) is an English actor, presenter, writer and mountaineer. Blessed is known for portraying PC "Fancy" Smith in ''Z-Cars'', Augustus in the 1976 BBC television production of ''I, Claudius'', King Richard IV i ...

as Sergeant Hearn *

Penelope Horner Penelope (Penny) Horner (born 20 June 1939 in London) is a British former film and television actress. Life and career Penelope Horner began her acting career in 1956 in the British film comedy '' A Touch of the Sun''. Other small roles followed ...

as Jenny Firston * Donald Douglas as Major Parsons *Philip Dunbar as Yates *Jonathan Scott as Cartney *

Nosher Powell George Frederick Bernard Powell (15 August 1928 – 20 April 2013), credited as Nosher Powell, Freddie Powell, or Fred Powell, was an English actor, stuntman and boxer. He is best known for his work in the ''James Bond'' film series, most ...

as Ministry Guard

Production

The towns of

St. Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman r ...

Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...

and Old Hatfield were used as to represent the unnamed town in "The Morning After", the locations in which remain virtually unchanged since filming, with the exception of Old Hatfield's central area.

References

External links

*
Episode overview on The Avengers Forever! website
1969 British television episodes The Avengers (season 6) episodes {{tv-episode-stub