The Avengers (TV Series) The Gravediggers (1965) User Reviews

Steed catches the train

[ShadeGrenade · 9/10 · 12 October 2010]

Malcolm Hulke was a key writer on 'The Avengers' in its early years, yet when it moved onto film he was scarcely in evidence. 'The Gravediggers' was his one and only contribution to the Peel Era. It begins with mourners standing round a grave. As they move off, an aerial suddenly extends from the ground where the coffin is buried. No ordinary corpse, then.

Some time later, part of Britain's early warning defence system fails. The only thing that could have possibly caused the breakdown is a new radar jamming device invented by Dr.Marlow ( Lloyd Lamble ). Alas the good doctor recently died. Or did he? The Avengers' investigations take them to the Sir Horace Winslip Hospital for Ailing Railwaymen...

'The Gravediggers' contains one of the series' best eccentrics in the shape of 'Sir Horace Winslip' ( Ronald Fraser ), a 'Lord Rustless'-type buffoon whose love of railways is such he has thrown in his lot with the villains in the mistaken belief they are going to wreck the motor car industry, instead of leaving Britain wide open to nuclear attack. Sir Horace has a replica train carriage inside his country house ( complete with station platform ) and a model railway line in the garden.

A couple of faces in the cast went on to be famous years later; writer/director Steven Berkoff ( of 'Octopussy', 'Rambo' and 'The Krays' ) is 'Sager', Bryan Mosley ( for many years shopkeeper 'Alf Roberts' in 'Coronation Street' ) is 'Miller', Wanda Ventham ( 'Colonel Virginia Lake' in 'U.F.O.' and mother of Benedict Cumberbatch ) plays 'Nurse Spray' ). Ray Austin - who plays 'Baron' - was the show's stunt arranger, and went on to direct future episodes. The chief villain - 'Dr.Johnson' - is Paul Massie, who was in the Tony Hancock film 'The Rebel' ( 1960 ).

The climax is in true 'Perils Of Pauline' style - Emma has been tied to Sir Horace's railway line, and Steed rushes to the scene before the train can run her over. There is even a tinkly piano on the soundtrack. Trains played an important part in a later 'Avengers' instalment - 'A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Station' in 1967.

Dead men do spy

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 17 April 2015]

When one sector of the country's radar defence system fails the man in charge thinks is s natural causes; stating that jamming would be impossible. He even says a previous colleague had tried and failed to find a way of blocking the radar. Steed and Mrs Peel feel it is more than a coincidence when they are told the man is now buried in the failed sector. Steed goes to the cemetery and learns the man has been exhumed and taken to The Sir Horace Winslip Hospital for Ailing Railwaymen. He follows and is rather surprised find the dead man is alive. In order to find out what is going on there Mrs Peel goes undercover as a nurse while Steed goes to see the hospital's eccentric patron; the railway obsessed Sir Horace Winslip.

This is the sort of episode that makes 'The Avengers' such a fun programme to watch; it starts as a very traditional thriller with the investigation of damage to a system which threatens national security then gets more bizarre with graves being dug up and an eccentric who thinks he is helping his beloved railways by funding a device to stop cars from working rather than the radar. Ronald Fraser does a fine job as the obviously barmy, yet ultimately harmless, Sir Horace; he is one of the series more eccentric characters; he eats his dinner in a railway carriage while his servant operates a system that makes it look and feel as if the stationary carriage is travelling through the countryside. The episode includes some enjoyable action; the highlight being the finale where Mrs Peel is tied to the tracks of Sir Horace's miniature railway as a train speeds towards her with Steed fighting the villains aboard it! Overall a really fun instalment where the characters are more important than the actual plot.

Their secret of success in a nutshell

[slabihoud · 8/10 · 17 February 2009]

Watching the "Gravediggers" one can well see the way that "The Avengers" have come since their start. Done a season or two before the whole story might have been treated totally different. There is a serious approach to the plot at the beginning but as soon as the gravedigger take off with the corpse we know where we are. Many great scenes take place in a hospital, but the greatest attraction is the house and grounds of a train-crazy old fellow and his butler. This episode has everything that made "The Avengers" since Diana Rigg's appearance world famous. I'm not telling you more in case you have not seen it. But go see it!

Outlandish good fun.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 2 July 2022]

An early warning radar system has malfunctioned, Steed and Peel are called in as it's a matter of national security.

I'm not sure what's more outrageous, the plot, or the performance of Ronald Fraser, both are outlandish, but super fun.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, it's a wild plot, but it's loaded with intrigue, suspense, humour, maybe even a little horror vibe too.

You're made to wonder exactly what's going on with those coffins, it all feels very cloak and dagger, the plot goes from the macabre to the surreal, but it's thoroughly enjoyable.

A sublime cast appear here, look out for Steven Berkoff, Wanda Ventham, and of course the glorious Caroline Blakiston. Ronald Fraser is so gloriously over the top as Sir Horace Winslip, the scenes at his 'Station' are so insane.

Really enjoyed that, 8/10.

SIR HORACE WINSLIP

[asalerno10 · 8/10 · 9 June 2022]

A terrorist organization develops a sophisticated plan to neutralize all the security radars that protect England and thus leave the country defenseless against an enemy attack, its members hide and operate from the traditional Sir Horace Winslip Hospital without him knowing. Emma goes undercover as a nurse to find them out. The episode is quite entertaining but the highlight is, in my opinion, the visit that Steed makes to the eccentric Sir Horace, who is a fan of trains and has an old wagon in his living room that he uses when he wants to drink tea, we can see his butler perform all kinds of hilarious tasks to create the effect that the train is in motion, from changing the decoration plates to simulate day and night, continuously moving the car and even blowing smoke that simulates the night fog, a scene brilliant, creative and hilarious. The ending is also very good, with Emma tied to the tracks of a mini-train and Steed fighting the bad guys on the moving vehicle in the best style of old silent serials with matching music and everything.

Paul Massie and Ronald Fraser

[kevinolzak · 6/10 · 14 February 2011]

"The Gravediggers" was an early Emma Peel episode that, plotwise, appears to have been left over from season three. The difference between the Mrs. Gale and Mrs. Peel eras is chronicled here, as what begins with a reasonable degree of seriousness quickly switches to a lighter, breezier soufflé, with Ronald Fraser playing the first truly eccentric character of the Mrs. Peel shows, a genuine train enthusiast with a rail car to dine in, abused by the villains who claim they can help him replace the automobile with the train (they're actually out to destroy Britain's early warning system). The most memorable moment occurs during an operation when the doctor calmly asks for, and subsequently uses, a blowtorch! The outrageous climax is so over the top that the decent cast can't help but flounder, but it's still superior to what it would have been with the ultra serious Mrs. Gale. Ray Austin, usually unbilled as an actor, went on to direct two later episodes, "Have Guns-Will Haggle" and "All Done with Mirrors," Victor Platt had previously appeared in "The Deadly Air," Caroline Blakiston, previously seen in "Dance with Death," went on to do "The Positive Negative Man," the unbilled Aubrey Richards went on to do "Game," and Bryan Mosley went on to do "Homicide and Old Lace." Wanda Ventham later co-starred in Tigon's "The Blood Beast Terror" (1967, with Peter Cushing) and Hammer's "Captain Kronos-Vampire Hunter" (1972, with John Carson and original AVENGER Ian Hendry), while Canadian actor Paul Massie had already achieved an early stardom in Hammer's "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" (1960, with Christopher Lee).

Mrs Peel as the damsel in distress

[bensonmum2 · 8/10 · 9 August 2020]

After an early warning radar system malfunctions, Steed and Mrs Peel are called in to investigate. Their only real clue is a dead man and something called the Sir Horace Winslip Hospital for Ailing Railwaymen.

The Gravediggers is another good one featuring more than a handful of iconic images that any fan won't soon forget - including an antenna rising out of a grave, Steed's fight scene on a tiny train, and Mrs Peel literally tied to a railroad track. The eccentric and very British Sir Horace Winslip (Ronald Fraser) is one of the series more memorable characters. Steed and Sir Horace's luncheon scene on the "train" is frequently very funny. And I get a kick out of the way the baddie's dress in full morning clothes to tote a casket back and forth. Good stuff. Finally, The Gravediggers benefits from some outstanding supporting actors. In addition to Fraser, Paul Massie, Wanda Ventham, Caroline Blakiston, and the immediately recognizable, but very young looking, Steven Birkoff all add to the fun.

8/10

The Grave-Diggers

[guswhovian · 7/10 · 6 July 2020]

When a government radar station starts to experience unexplained blackouts, Stedd and Mrs Peel investigate death of a prominent scientist who may not really be dead.

The Grave-Diggers is an enjoyable episode. Scripted by Malcolm Hulke, it's very entertaining and well written. Ronald Fraser is wonderful as Sir Horace Winslip, a train enthusiast who is duped by the villains. The climatic fight scene is well done, with Emma Peel ending up tied to railway tracks.

Paul Massie, who has earlier starred in Hammer's horrible film The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll, plays the main villain, while Steven Berkoff and Wanda Ventham appeared in an uncountable number of TV series.

Overall, good fun.

Radars and Railroads

[profh-1 · 7/10 · 12 September 2023]

One section of the country's early-warning radar system has mysteriously gone dead. A scientist who was working on a radar jamming system has recently died, and is buried in the very area that's blocked out. This CAN'T be a coincidence, thinks Steed, and with Mrs. Peel, their investigations lead to a cemetery, a funeral parlor, a hospital for retired railwaymen, and a VERY eccentric millionaire who's funding the hospital. It all starts out very serious and mysterious, but midway through, turns completely bonkers, climaxing with Emma tied to the tracks of a miniature railroad in classic silent movie tradition.

I tend to associate Brian Clemens with the crazier elements on this show, but it turns out it was Malcolm Hulke, in his final script for the show, that really sent it in this off-kilter direction. Clemens must have been thrilled! Trying to mentally figure out how one point of the plot connects with another is enough to make youe head spin! The guest cast is sprinkled with faces I know from many years later.

Ronald Fraser is "Sir Horace Winslip", who grew up on trains and gets indigestion if he isn't eating in a moving train car (or what appears to be one at any case-- ah, to be an eccentric millionaire!). Apart from this, I'll always remember him as "Horace C.", the laid-back husband of murderous fanatic dictator "Helen A.", in the even-more bonkers Sylvester McCoy DOCTOR WHO story, "The Happiness Patrol".

Wanda Ventham is Ministry trainee "Nurse Spray", who is an absolute sweetie, and so incredibly young back here. The two things I'll always most associate her with are "Colonel Virginia Lake" on UFO, and the Tom Baker-Louise Jameson DOCTOR WHO horror-tragedy, "Image Of The Fendahl".

Steven Berkov, who I almost didn't recognize, is "Sager", one of the baddies, who at the climax gets into a running fight with Steed on and off the speeding miniature train. This is hilarious, when I think about it, as the role I always most think of him for is the mad-dog war-mongering Russian General Orloff in the Roger Moore 007 film OCTOPUSSY-- particularly, the scenes late in the film when he has an intense confrontation with Bond onboard a TRAIN, and winds up shot in the back by his own superior, KGB head General Gogol! Until re-watching this today, I never thought of that sequence as a form of "type-casting"! I've also seen Berkov in several episodes of UFO as an interceptor pilot (sadly, terribly-underused) and a SPACE PRECINCT where he played a crooked doctor.

Watching these episodes in production order for the first time (on the 2015 Blu-Rays), it strikes me that by this episode, Emma is slowly evolving to become a nicer person, as she was just a bit too cold and detached before this. She's becoming the character I liked so much right before my eyes.

The Gravediggers

[coltras35 · 6/10 · 8 December 2023]

One of Britain's early-warning radar stations has suffered a technically impossible glitch, and the Avengers are sent to investigate. They discover the enginner for the system was buried a week before in the village the problem seems to be coming from, and then Steed sees the dead man walking around a private hospital!

Emma infiltrates and is captured, destined to be run down by a minature train owned by a man who thinks he's helping the saboteurs eliminate motor cars. The dashing Steed arrive in time to save her?

Ok episode, the plot is a little incoherent and middling but picks up midway leading to a delightful scene of Emma tied to the railway tracks - delightful because it's a neat cliffhanger. Steed fights on top of the train- a highlight. Really well-staged. There's a great eccentric who has his own private railway and wants to wipe out motor cars . Ronald Fraser had played a similar barmy character in a previous episode - a colonel who thinks he's in Malayan jungle!