Joanna Lumley recalls becoming The New Avengers favourite Purdey as classic series arrives in new format

This clip is from a special feature called Becoming Purdey, and it’s included as a bonus in StudioCanal’s new 10-disc box set, The New Avengers: Series 1 & 2 (4K Edition), which you can purchase now.

Watching the behind-the-scenes clips, it’s fascinating to hear Joanna Lumley talk about becoming Purdey. She really gets into how that role changed everything for her – it’s amazing to see how The Avengers truly shaped her career. As a movie and TV lover, it’s those little insights into an actor’s journey that I always find the most compelling.

The New Avengers, which aired on ITV from 1976 to 1977, was a continuation of the famous 1960s spy show, The Avengers.

The Avengers, a TV show celebrated for its clever stories, lighthearted style, and striking visuals, ran from 1961 to 1969. It starred Patrick Macnee as the sophisticated agent John Steed, who worked alongside a series of intelligent and resourceful partners, with Emma Peel (played by Dame Diana Rigg) being the most well-known.

The New Avengers featured a fresh team of heroes: the classic Steed, the elegant and skilled martial artist Purdey (played by Joanna Lumley), and new member Mike Gambit (Gareth Hunt). They faced a variety of threats – from the return of Nazis to out-of-control robots – combining secret agent adventures with clever humor and thrilling action.

The follow-up series consisted of 26 episodes over two seasons. It was created by the same producers as the original, Albert Fennell and Brian Clemens, and directed in part by Brian Clemens’s son, Samuel, who helmed a special featurette called ‘Becoming Purdey’.

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The new box set marks the first time the full 26-episode run has been restored in 4K.

Fans will also find hours of bonus material, including new introductions and commentaries from cast and crew, archive interviews, a 64-page booklet, a 32-page comic book and the new featurette The Impact of The New Avengers: Reinvented for a New Era.

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2025-11-13 14:34