This is probably one of the better Avengers episodes. British officers involved in military intelligence disappear for a few days, then their contacts are assassinated. The officers involved turn up, but refuse to explain their disappearance. Steed and King investigate the suspicious disappearances but run into a dead end. Then Ms. King is ordered by Colonel Mannering (Christopher Lee) of Inter-Departmental Security to attend a Test of Human Endurance course to test her resolve under interrogation to check whether she is a security risk. The facility, Centre #53, is a remodeled British manor house. The subjects are "checked in" to their cells, where they are relentlessly tortured by uniformed British enlisted men assisted by orientals in Communist Bloc uniforms. After the sessions, however, they are free to have a few drinks in the facility pub, engage in sports, or play a few hands at cards...with the knowledge that they could be whisked away at any moment to their cell. The irony is that the IDS uses the very nature of the British officers to capture and break them. They obey orders without question, trust their superiors and the authorities, and have a naive bravado and sense of fair play. The question becomes who does IDS really work for? And should The Avengers stop them? The paranoid tone of the episode makes it seem more like a Danger Man / Secret Agent episode by Markstein. It also has a surprisingly realistic view of torture techniques for such a fantasy show. The highlight, though, is Christopher Lee as the quintessential British officer.
6 Reviews
The return of Christopher Lee
Tweekums16 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This episode opens with Lt. Roy Caspar, an officer in Military Intelligence, waiting to see the dentist
except when he goes in he meets Colonel Mannering and a Chinese officer who start questioning him about his contacts. He gives name, rank and serial number but they want more and soon begin to get physical. His absence is noted and Steed and Tara begin investigating his disappearance; it becomes obvious that he has spoken to somebody when his contacts are killed. Soon afterwards he returns home claiming to have been having a holiday although he claims not to remember any details. Soon another intelligence officer vanishes under similar circumstances, one of his contacts is killed and Tara saves another. He too is released but this time during questioning it becomes apparent that he didn't know he was being questioned by the enemy; he believed he was taking part on a course designed to determine whether agents could be trusted not to divulge information when tortured. By the time this information comes out Mannering has a new recruit to his course: Tara King!
This is a superior episode featuring a more believable threat than most episodes. Christopher Lee makes a welcome return as the villain of the story; this time playing Col Mannering. The way loyal people are tricked into thinking their interrogations are part of a course is interesting and leads to amusing moments when the victims and persecutors become friendly during tea breaks. This being 'The Avengers' there is of course some silliness; most notably two of the agent's contacts; a one man band practicing in a quarry and another who is a balloon salesman. These are just a couple of moments though in what is otherwise a gritty (for this series) story. This grittiness is exemplified by the torture and Steed's questioning of Minnow, the second man we see taking Mannering's course. The ending proved a welcome change too; it looked as if it was going to be Steed rescuing Tara again but it turned out it is Tara who rescues him! Leads Patrick Macnee and Linda Thorson are on top form as Steed and Tara but it is Christopher Lee who impresses most. Overall a great episode.
This is a superior episode featuring a more believable threat than most episodes. Christopher Lee makes a welcome return as the villain of the story; this time playing Col Mannering. The way loyal people are tricked into thinking their interrogations are part of a course is interesting and leads to amusing moments when the victims and persecutors become friendly during tea breaks. This being 'The Avengers' there is of course some silliness; most notably two of the agent's contacts; a one man band practicing in a quarry and another who is a balloon salesman. These are just a couple of moments though in what is otherwise a gritty (for this series) story. This grittiness is exemplified by the torture and Steed's questioning of Minnow, the second man we see taking Mannering's course. The ending proved a welcome change too; it looked as if it was going to be Steed rescuing Tara again but it turned out it is Tara who rescues him! Leads Patrick Macnee and Linda Thorson are on top form as Steed and Tara but it is Christopher Lee who impresses most. Overall a great episode.
The missing toothbrush!
Sleepin_Dragon8 September 2022
British Agents are betraying their country, giving their secrets away, their informants are dying.
What an ingenious episode, this has to be the first straight up thriller themed episode for quite some time, it's almost as if they'd decided to strip things back, and offer up a less outlandish episode.
The techniques used by Colonel Mannering are deplorable, but devilishly clever, and unlike anything I've seen so far from The Tara King era, you feel as if these events could actually have happened.
Christopher Lee put in an outstanding performance here, he was terrific as Mannering, he's smart, sinister, and without even trying to be, he's pretty menacing.
Terrific production values, those army uniforms look first class.
Great episode, 9/10.
What an ingenious episode, this has to be the first straight up thriller themed episode for quite some time, it's almost as if they'd decided to strip things back, and offer up a less outlandish episode.
The techniques used by Colonel Mannering are deplorable, but devilishly clever, and unlike anything I've seen so far from The Tara King era, you feel as if these events could actually have happened.
Christopher Lee put in an outstanding performance here, he was terrific as Mannering, he's smart, sinister, and without even trying to be, he's pretty menacing.
Terrific production values, those army uniforms look first class.
Great episode, 9/10.
Tara takes the test!
ShadeGrenade10 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
In between 'Dracula' and 'Fu Manchu' pictures, Christopher Lee found time to play villains in two memorable 'Avengers' adventures. The first was 'Never Never Say Die' which cast him as mad scientist 'Professor Frank N.Stone'. 'The Interrogators' was his second - written by Richard Harris and Brian Clemens - and directed as impeccably as ever by Charles 'A Fish Called Wanda' Crichton.
The tall, imposing Lee plays 'Colonel Mannering', head of a research programme to test the endurance capabilities of British agents. Of course the whole thing is a scam to get secrets. After being beaten and brainwashed and all the rest, the agents relax afterwards in the friendly environment of a bar, and unwittingly give Mannering the information he wants. Blackie ( Glynn Edwards ) is then dispatched to murder the agents' contacts. Steed becomes involved when Mother is concerned over the disappearance of 'Lt.Roy Caspar' ( Philip Bond ). Caspar shows up, and refuses to say where he has been. Tara is then tricked into going on the course...
This entertaining episode benefits enormously from Lee's presence. He is totally convincing as a British army officer. Mother's headquarters this time is a room full of beautiful and exotic plants concealed behind the facade of a fake phone box. Among the supporting cast are Cardew Robinson as balloon seller 'Mr.Puffin' and Neil Stacy ( 'Robert' from 'Duty Free' ) as agent Mullard. Neil McCarthy has a small role as one of Mannering's men - 'Sgt.Rasker'.
Steed gets one of his very best moments. When Minnow ( David Sumner ) refuses to respond to his questioning ( still believing the project to have been genuine ) Steed loses patience, and nearly throttles him, reminding us that although he is a gentleman, he still can turn nasty when he has to.
The tall, imposing Lee plays 'Colonel Mannering', head of a research programme to test the endurance capabilities of British agents. Of course the whole thing is a scam to get secrets. After being beaten and brainwashed and all the rest, the agents relax afterwards in the friendly environment of a bar, and unwittingly give Mannering the information he wants. Blackie ( Glynn Edwards ) is then dispatched to murder the agents' contacts. Steed becomes involved when Mother is concerned over the disappearance of 'Lt.Roy Caspar' ( Philip Bond ). Caspar shows up, and refuses to say where he has been. Tara is then tricked into going on the course...
This entertaining episode benefits enormously from Lee's presence. He is totally convincing as a British army officer. Mother's headquarters this time is a room full of beautiful and exotic plants concealed behind the facade of a fake phone box. Among the supporting cast are Cardew Robinson as balloon seller 'Mr.Puffin' and Neil Stacy ( 'Robert' from 'Duty Free' ) as agent Mullard. Neil McCarthy has a small role as one of Mannering's men - 'Sgt.Rasker'.
Steed gets one of his very best moments. When Minnow ( David Sumner ) refuses to respond to his questioning ( still believing the project to have been genuine ) Steed loses patience, and nearly throttles him, reminding us that although he is a gentleman, he still can turn nasty when he has to.
THE AVENGERS: THE INTERROGATORS {TV} (Charles Crichton, 1969) ***
Bunuel197624 June 2015
Christopher Lee's second appearance in cult British TV series THE AVENGERS was made in its ninth and final year; in fact, it is the 142nd episode out of a total of 161. It was directed by Oscar-nominated Ealing Studios veteran Charles Crichton and proved to be the last of 5 episodes he helmed in as many years. Although I have not watched his previous entries, Crichton's involvement could well be the reason why "The Interrogators" turned out more satisfactorily – engagingly witty and playfully surreal – than the earlier Lee effort, "Never, Never Say Die" (1967). Incidentally, one of the co-creators of the series, Brian Clemens (who died earlier this year) was not only responsible for the superior TV series THRILLER (1973-76) but also one of the better, latterday Hammer films, CAPTAIN KRONOS – VAMPIRE HUNTER (1974).
The narrative kicks off with an incident that is a clear nod to John Frankenheimer's classic Cold War parable, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962): an Army Intelligence officer ostensibly visiting the barracks' dentist finds himself at the mercy of Col. Mannering (Lee), his sadistic Chinese sidekick and assorted vicious henchmen. Lee's intent is that his victim reveal the identity of his contacts which are duly eliminated. Amusingly, the torture – naturally conducted in a dentist's chair – is briefly interrupted for a spot of tea, to which even the oddly relaxed officer is graciously invited! The latter's two contacts turn out to be an archery enthusiast (who, appropriately enough, lands an arrow in his back) and a one-man-band entertainer donning a clown's outfit that is felled by a sniper in a landfill!!
As it happens, all 3 men are known to John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and his rotund superior "Mother" and they suspect that a close associate of the first victim will be Lee's next target – which is indeed what transpires. Eventually, more Army personnel are abducted and/or murdered – a state of affairs that necessitates Steed's partner at that point in time, Tara King (Linda Thorson), to visit the scenes of the various crimes and get herself in harm's way i.e. sitting for a Test of Human Endurance held in a fully-equipped country manor. This leads to one of the surviving young officers being uncooperative towards Steed's own interrogation by continuously coming up with excuses to explain away his bruised facial features and ends up getting trashed within an inch of his life by the usually composed Avenger!
Although it is never revealed who it is that Lee is working for or whom he is supposed to be impersonating, the episode succeeds by virtue of its clever juxtaposition of the above-mentioned grim torture scenes and colourful characters and surroundings: Steed and "Mother" always convene in a glass house a' la Howard Hawks' THE BIG SLEEP (1946), etc. The story ends with Steed "interrogating" King about the ingredients of the soup they are having for dinner! As had been the case with the other episode of THE AVENGERS I had watched the other day as part of my ongoing Christopher Lee tribute, this was viewed via a fogged print on "You Tube" but, luckily, I have just managed to score a copy of all existing episodes of the series from ulterior sources!
The narrative kicks off with an incident that is a clear nod to John Frankenheimer's classic Cold War parable, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962): an Army Intelligence officer ostensibly visiting the barracks' dentist finds himself at the mercy of Col. Mannering (Lee), his sadistic Chinese sidekick and assorted vicious henchmen. Lee's intent is that his victim reveal the identity of his contacts which are duly eliminated. Amusingly, the torture – naturally conducted in a dentist's chair – is briefly interrupted for a spot of tea, to which even the oddly relaxed officer is graciously invited! The latter's two contacts turn out to be an archery enthusiast (who, appropriately enough, lands an arrow in his back) and a one-man-band entertainer donning a clown's outfit that is felled by a sniper in a landfill!!
As it happens, all 3 men are known to John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and his rotund superior "Mother" and they suspect that a close associate of the first victim will be Lee's next target – which is indeed what transpires. Eventually, more Army personnel are abducted and/or murdered – a state of affairs that necessitates Steed's partner at that point in time, Tara King (Linda Thorson), to visit the scenes of the various crimes and get herself in harm's way i.e. sitting for a Test of Human Endurance held in a fully-equipped country manor. This leads to one of the surviving young officers being uncooperative towards Steed's own interrogation by continuously coming up with excuses to explain away his bruised facial features and ends up getting trashed within an inch of his life by the usually composed Avenger!
Although it is never revealed who it is that Lee is working for or whom he is supposed to be impersonating, the episode succeeds by virtue of its clever juxtaposition of the above-mentioned grim torture scenes and colourful characters and surroundings: Steed and "Mother" always convene in a glass house a' la Howard Hawks' THE BIG SLEEP (1946), etc. The story ends with Steed "interrogating" King about the ingredients of the soup they are having for dinner! As had been the case with the other episode of THE AVENGERS I had watched the other day as part of my ongoing Christopher Lee tribute, this was viewed via a fogged print on "You Tube" but, luckily, I have just managed to score a copy of all existing episodes of the series from ulterior sources!
Plenty of interrogating
coltras358 May 2022
A foreign agent in the guise of a Colonel Mannering( Christopher Lee) has found an ingenious method of extracting secret information from British agents, who think it's a way to test their endurance capabilities. A good story idea, though a trifle complicated, and a little leisurely. It didn't really engage me and felt it was more a filler episode.
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