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.
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.