Saints and Avengers : British Adventure Series of the 1960s

Series like "The Avengers" and "Danger Man", with their professional secret agents, or "The Saint" and "The Persuaders", featuring flamboyant crime-fighters, still inspire mainstream and cult followings. Saints and Avengers explores and celebrates this unique television genre for the first time. James Chapman uses case studies to look at the thrillers’ representations of national identity, and the world of the '60's and '70's. Chapman also asserts that this particular type of thriller was a historically and culturally defined generic type, with enduring appeal, as the current vogue for remaking them as big budget films attests. "Eccentric, ironic and fantastic series like The Avengers and Danger Man, with their professional secret agents, or The Saint and The Persuaders, featuring flamboyant crime-fighters, still inspire mainstream and cult followings. Saints and Avengers explores and celebrates this television genre for the first time. Saints and Avengers uses case studies to look, for example, at the adventure series' representations of national identity and the world of the sixties and seventies. Chapman also proves his central thesis: that this particular type of thriller was a historically and culturally defined generic type, with enduring appeal, as the current vogue for remaking them as big budget films attests."-- Danger Man: Dirty Work -- The Avengers: Is There Honey Still For Tea? -- The Saint: The English Knight Errant -- Adam Adamant Lives!: Swinging Britain -- Man In A Suitcase: Have Gun, Will Travel -- The Champions: Return From Shangri-la -- Department S: The Marie Celeste -- Randall And Hopkirk (deceased): The Ghostly Detectives -- Jason King: The Bohemian Touch -- The Persuaders!: The Special Relationship. James Chapman. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [265]-270) And Index. "British detective thrillers of the 1960s amused millions and are still shown internationally today. This book investigates these ironic, eccentric and knowingly stylish series and finds out in what way they represent the British idea of themselves."--Jacket