There are plenty of places you could sit down to discuss a new novel based on ‘The Avengers’, but few are more appropriate than inside a vintage Bentley parked outside John Steed’s home.
Author David Crichton recently joined BFI television historian and consultant Dick Fiddy at Duchess Mews in London, the real filming location used as the exterior of Steed’s fictional 3 Stable Mews apartment in the classic ’60s series.
The resulting interview is something of a treat for fans. Rather than a conventional studio chat or promotional press interview, it brings together two people with a deep affection for ‘The Avengers’, sitting in surroundings which feel as though Steed himself could appear at any moment, bowler hat and umbrella at the ready.
The conversation centres around Crichton’s new novel, ‘The Avengers: Death in Downing Street’, which brings John Steed and Emma Peel back for their first completely original literary adventure in decades.
Set in May 1967, the novel sees Prime Minister Harold Wilson preparing Britain’s application to join the European Economic Community when an attempted assassination and some decidedly unusual behaviour inside Downing Street bring the Ministry’s two trusted agents into the case.
Fiddy had already read the book before the interview, allowing the pair to get properly stuck into how Crichton approached returning to such a distinctive television world.
Without giving away the mystery, they discuss balancing the recognisable Britain of 1967 with the stranger, more stylised version of the country inhabited by Steed and Peel. That includes introducing real political figures and historical events without losing the wonderfully eccentric flavour which made ‘The Avengers’ unlike anything else on television.
They also explore the relationship between Steed and Emma, and the challenge of capturing the unmistakable voices and chemistry created by Patrick Macnee (A View to a Kill) and Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones).
Writing a novel also gives Crichton access to something the television series never had: the characters’ inner thoughts. However, as he explains in the interview, that came with its own set of rules. The book still needed to feel as though it could be filmed, rather than using prose to explain things the audience would never have been able to understand on screen.
The pair also chat about the various incarnations of ‘The Avengers’, from the more grounded early stories through its colourful Emma Peel era and into ‘The New Avengers’. The discussion touches on the show’s changing tone, the different relationships between Steed and his partners, and why its peculiar mixture of espionage, fantasy, comedy and very British eccentricity remains so difficult to replicate.
Naturally, the infamous 1998 film also comes up, along with the question of whether somebody could ever successfully reinvent ‘The Avengers’ for a new television audience. Crichton and Fiddy may not have all the answers, but both agree that another adaptation could never erase what made the original special.
There is also talk of the surprisingly complicated rights journey behind the novel, the possibility of further Steed adventures, and why books may offer the best way of allowing fans to hear Macnee and Rigg’s voices again, even if the performance now takes place inside the reader’s imagination.
And, of course, the vintage Bentley and the historic location make the whole thing feel just that little bit more Avengers.
Yes, I’d make the distinction clearer: Dick Fiddy’s video is the fan-focused deep dive, while your interview covers David’s personal journey and the wider story behind the book. (Geektown)
The video also makes a wonderful companion to our own Geektown Talks To interview with David Crichton, which explores the story behind the book from a slightly different angle.
In our conversation, David discusses how an idea developed during lockdown eventually became an officially licensed ‘Avengers’ novel, despite a rights journey which took several years to resolve. We also chat about capturing the distinctive voices and chemistry of Steed and Peel, translating such a visual television series onto the page, and whether the original show could ever be successfully revived.
There is also a little personal history involved, as David and I worked together at a design agency long before either of us ended up making podcasts or writing books about classic television. Plus, the conversation takes a few entertaining detours into ‘Doctor Who’, Korean television and the full-size Dalek occupying David’s office.
You can listen to our full Geektown Talks To interview with David Crichton here.
You can watch David Crichton’s full conversation with Dick Fiddy above.
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