THE AVENGERS OPENING 7 MINUTES

 

01 TELEVISION: THE AVENGERS

Today we watch the opening five minutes of our tv drama text on Clickview and relate what we learned last lesson about: 

• audience pleasures (why audiences enjoyed watching it). What is their relationship like?
• how Emma Peel is presented (including why her representation reflects the 1960s when it was made). Listen to what she reveals about herself.
• how John Steed is presented (including why his representation reflects the 1960s when it was made). How does he come across?

PREP Write about the first five minutes of the tv programme, analysing it, as suggested above.

In the opening scene of 'The Town of No Return' the first establishing shot is of a beach. In this shot the camera pans towards the sea, this is where we see an mysterious black bin bag emerging from out the water, which we later see Mr Steed unravel from wearing an upper class outfit (clean suit with a small pocket square in his suits blazer pocket, as well as this he is wearing a upper class hat). This would grab the audiences attention as it is a quirky thing to do as it is unexpected. Later in the first 7 minutes, we are introduced to Emma`s flat, where there is a an eye on the door which emphasis the element of quirkiness, which at the time would have amused many viewers. Once we enter the flat we once again are hinted at Mr Steels upper class and polite manner, which most men were like at the time form his class. This is shown when in the fencing match when he stops to move the china carefully away from where they are fighting. As well as this he is pictured as an athletic, dreamlike man for women at the time, we see this has for he being presented as an object, this is shown in the manly ways he acts but also the flirtatious attitude he has with Emma. This  would pleasure many female viewers as they would want to be in Emma position. 

Steed is not the only person who is being presented as an object, as Emma is aswell. We first see Emma fencing in a skin-tight outfit, this automatically presents her as an object. However we are made to notice and see her as athletic and physical as for her attiude towards Steed but also when fencing. She is also been made to be seen as independent and not your usual women from the 1960sas she is demanding and gets her way. This is portrayed when she tells Steed that the coffee is 'over there' instead of offering to make one and serving him. This is different and not normal for the 60s as women were expected to serve men. Another way that we are shown that Emma Peel is different from your usual women is that she is well educated, we know this as for her mentioning her finishing publishing an article for 'The Science Weekly' this gives us the image that she is also a well educated women. However, we do sometimes see where steed does have power over Emma as for his male character. This is shown when he plans and books the trip and plan without even considering or asking Emma. This is clear when he taps her on her bottom with a foil, reflecting the male supieroity but also the females role in the 60s.