The avengers & 1960's

The Swinging 60s

People were poorer and things were more expensive

Children were more respectful towards adults

Baths once a week

Police officers could smack the children

Single women could get the contraceptive pill

Famous bands were:

• The Rolling Stones
• The Beatles
• The Who
• Led Zeppelin

Most famous sportspeople:

• Muhammad Ali
• Willie Mays
• Wilt Chamberlain
• Johny Unitas

Political leaders:

• Josh F. Kennedy - American President 
• Robbert F. Kennedy - Attorney General
• Martin Luther King - Peace Fighter
• Richard Nixon - American President 
• Conservatives and Labour Parties

The fashion industry was at its prime. Mod-related fashions such as the miniskirt simulated fashionable London shopping areas such as Canarby street and Kings Road, Chelsea. David Bailey sought to define Swinging London in a series of large photographic prints. His subjects include Michael Caine and Terence Stamp, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger

The Avengers (1960)

ITV (ABC) produced the show.

Primary and secondary audience

• adults(15+), working class, interested in action and excitement, male and female.
• adults(15+), upper class (represented by the characters) male and female

The first episode aired 7th of January 1961

There were six series 

The last episode aired 21st of May 1969

For series 4, the budget per episode was £56,000

The Avengers 'Hit it Big'  in America and was on of the few ITV shows to do so.

The £2,000,000 from ABC.

• Since the producers were given this large then-unheard of sum of money, they could spend it on filming the show with 35mm film rather than videotape. This was essential as it was a method compatible with U.S. methods.
• The new filming type allowed for more flexibility during filming as they now used single camera set up.
• This also allowed for more diverse camera angles and shots as well as outdoor location shooting.
• There were also better props and better ways of filming (helicopters etc.).
• All location work on series four was shot mute with the soundtrack created in post production and dialogue scenes were filmed in the studio.
• The music was also much more sophisticated.

Series 4 brought with it new and old characters:

• Patrick Macnee remained John steed throughout the entire run of the show. Macnee had been called up for the United Kingdom Armed Forces. He joined the Navy as an ordinary Seaman in October 1942 and left as a lieutenant in 1946. He had also performed in Scrooge as the young Jacob Marley. As well as many small parts in American and Canadian television and theatre.
• Diana Rigg took the role of Emma Peel, this was a character who was created to appeal to men. Rigg's professional debut was in the RADA production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle at the York Festival in 1957 which was a theatrical production. Appearing on The Avengers was her first television Debut.

The BBC started to abolish its 'stuffy Auntie' image due to the competition that ITV brought. The class lines split class loyalty completely, with ITV tending to be more popular with the working class. Though when "youth culture" started to become popular it was 'cool' to be working class and so ITV's popularity and especially the popularity of The Avengers skyrocketed compared to the BBC's The Forsyte Saga which only lasted half a year. This was because of The Avenger's appeal to all classes giving the show more popularity