The “Two Against the Underworld” guidebook by Richard McGinlay, Alan Hayes, and Alys Hayes was published for the first time in 2015 and in a revised edition in 2017.
“The Avengers” is a show that made television history yet its origins are in some ways obscure, above all, because series 1 was almost completely lost. The authors did a considerable amount of research based on the source material and various sources to try to offer as complete a guide as possible to the creation of the show and the production of series 1, the reason for the subtitle “The Complete Unauthorized Guide to The Avengers Series 1”.
“Two Against the Underworld” takes the reader on a journey to the early 1960s, at a time when drama produced for British television was regarded as the equivalent of a stage play watched from home. These were products considered ephemeral that were kept only if sold abroad because magnetic tapes were very expensive and therefore were recycled and even keeping copies on film had costs that were considered excessive at the time.
The authors offer information gathered during years of research into the creation of “The Avengers” by a team led by Sydney Newman. Portions of this guide were published years ago in two separate books and have since been expanded, revised, and updated for the new book that combines all the material starting from the origin of the show.
In the original concept that explains the title “The Avengers”, Dr. David Keel (Ian Hendry) becomes involved in a drug affair when a package of heroin is mistakenly delivered to his office. His fiancée gets killed by the traffickers and Keel vows revenge against them, aided by the mysterious John Steed (Patrick Macnee).
Ian Hendry’s decision to leave the show at the end of series 1 led to major changes, first of all, with John Steed becoming the absolute protagonist. These phases of the show’s evolution are also examined to try to understand how much certain decisions influenced its future.
The show went through various stylistic changes, reaching international success that led to subsequent series being broadcast for decades. The judgments on Series 1, based on sometimes distorted and inaccurate memories, often became negative, branding it as a rather dull spy show that only later became the brilliant show that rose to a cult.
The writers of “Two Against the Underworld” offer a very different view of Series 1. Their guide indicates a show that from the beginning, was vital with modern ideas and a much greater diversity in storylines than that seen in later series, often formulaic.
A good part of the book is about the episode guide with files that summarize the plot and offer a lot of information on the production, cast, and writers. This is one of the parts that was updated following the recovery of the episode “Tunnel of Fear”, an event that gave hope to fans and offered new information to the authors.
For some of the episodes, the surviving documentation is scarce, so much so that the various sources examined sometimes offer conflicting information about them because they are sometimes the result of interpretations and assumptions. That’s also true for some production-related events. I appreciated that the authors illustrated the various versions linked to memories or interpretations to offer readers all the information available.
“Two Against the Underworld” is a very interesting guide for fans of “The Avengers” for all the information it offers about its beginnings. It also offers insight into early 1960s British television mentioning several times “Doctor Who“, another legendary show created by Sydney Newman with many missing episodes. In my opinion, it’s a must-read for “The Avengers” fans who want to have a complete understanding of this show.
