The Avengers (TV Series) The White Dwarf (1963) User Reviews

Is the world about to end?

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 4 May 2017]

Professor Richter believes that a white dwarf star is going to enter the solar system with cataclysmic results; he must make some final observations to confirm this theory before the government informs the wider world with the inevitable chaotic results. As he makes this observation he is murdered. Steed and Cathy are brought in to investigate; was he killed to keep his terrible secret hidden or to prevent the revelation that he was mistaken from emerging… after all somebody could make a fortune in the chaos following the news that the world was about to end. Cathy is dispatched to Tor Point Observatory in Cornwall to try to find out what the astronomers there might know while Steed tries to find if there have been any leaks from the ministry… all this must be done in the four days before the next observations of the white dwarf can take place.

This is a solid episode that nicely combines elements of science fiction and the reality of human greed. As well as a decent enough mystery the story investigates some interesting moral questions; notably whether it would be right to tell people about an impending but unavoidable disaster and if so at what point. It won't surprise anybody that the disaster doesn't occur but there is still the question of how far the villains will go before they are ultimately stopped. There is also the question of how the profiteers learnt of the white dwarf. The cast did a fine job making us believe in what is going on; even the more sci-fi elements. There are some decent tense moments; obviously the finale but also the question of whether Cathy will be exposed when it emerges one of the astronomers is actually from where she claimed to be working for the past couple of years. Overall a pretty impressive episode.

Global Catastrophe vs. Wall Street Speculation

[profh-1 · 6/10 · 6 December 2022]

A scientist who believes Earth may be destroyed by a "White Dwarf" remnant of a star is murdered before he can confirm or deny his earlier findings. Meanwhile, 2 men are looking to make a killing in the stock market if a panic ensues.

This episode is a perfect example of how a highly-technical and overly-talky script can be absolutely RIVETTING, as each new development and piece of the puzzle is slowly revealed. There's a great moment where Steed, posing as an investor, briefly crosses paths with a government minister he's never met who is apparently his boss's boss! When, trying to get a reaction, Steed mentions the "white dwarf" to the lower-ranking minister (the one who, in a moment of depression, told his stock market investor brother about it), the tension in the moment is extrememly palpable.

For once, someone in Steed's office fully agrees to using Cathy Gale's scientific credentials to help get to the bottom of things. Although, as she's an anthropologist, not an astronomer, I was reminded of when Steed's boss told him that his "covers usually involve a lot of wishful thinking". Sure enough, Cathy learns one of the people at the observatory is FROM the place she was ALLEGEDLY working at earlier, which could easily blow her cover. Except, next thing, the man's found murdered. (Well, we know SHE didn't do it!)

Once again, a GREAT cast helps along a story that could easily have left viewers scratching their heads, wondering what the heck they were watching. Philip Latham is "Professor Cartright", in charge of the observatory. I mostly remember his as the sinister "Klove" in DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS, and the 4th (and final) version of "Borusa" in the DOCTOR WHO story "The Five Doctors".

Peter Copley is "Henry Barker", the Minister who unwittingly passes on info of the problem, which leads to several murders. I've seen him in the 1954 SHERLOCK HOLMES ("Lady Beryl" and "The Winthrop Legend"), DANGER MAN ("Yesterday's Enemies"), THE SAINT ("The Sign of the Claw"), HELP! (the jeweler), QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, 2 other AVENGERS ("All Done With Mirrors", "Cat Amongst The Pidgeons"), FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT (1973), WITNESS FOR THE PROSECTION (1982), MISS MARPLE ("Nemesis"), POIROT ("The Spanish Chest"), and of course, DOCTOR WHO ("Pyramids Of Mars").

George A. Cooper is "Maxwell Barker", the brother whose greed leads to massive stock trading and murder. He turned up again in "The Curious Case of the Countless Clues" and "The Tale Of The Big Why". I've also seen him in the 1968 SHERLOCK HOLMES episode "A Study In Scarlet" (which, crazy enough, I just re-watched last night!), as well as DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE, 2 SAINT episodes, and a RANDALL AND HOPKIRK (DECEASED).

Bill Nagy is "Johnson", the stock investor, who doesn't mind stooping to murder to support his schemes. Though Hungarian, he often played Americans. I've also seen him in FIRST MAN INTO SPACE (1959), THE MOUSE THAT ROARED, OUR MAN IN HAVANA, a DANGER MAN, THE GIRL HUNTERS, 3 SAINTs, GOLDFINGER, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, and a MADIGAN ("The London Beat").

George Roubicek is "Luke", the young astronomer whose father is murdered at the start of the story, maddened that the government has decided not to investigate until they can confirm or deny his father's observations. I've also seen him in NIGHT OF THE EAGLE, 2 SAINTs, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, THE DIRTY DOZEN, DOCTOR WHO ("Tomb of the Cybermen"), BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN, THE SOLARNAUTS, another AVENGERS ("Invasion of the Earthmen"), a PROTECTORS, STAR WARS and THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. He's one of those "supporting actors", of the kind where I'm genuinley surprised at how many things I've seen him in, without realizing it.

Malcolm Hulke wrote no less than 53 episodes of DOCTOR WHO, including "The War Games", "The Silurians", "The Ambassadors of Death", "Colony In Space", "The Sea Devils", "Frontier In Space", and "Invasion of the Dinosaurs". Between seasons 2-7, he also wrote 9 AVENGERS, though this may be the most "science-fiction" story he did for this series.

Director Richard Harding did some outstanding work on this episode, as there was some very intense camera-movement, like one shot where it suddenly ZOOMS IN on someone for dramatic effect. But, as these stories were all done essentially "live on tape", a few slip-ups snuck in. Like with watching a live stage play, you just have to accept them, laugh and move on. There's one shot where the camera is pointed to empty space while someone's talking, and takes a moment to turn toward the actor. More amusing, is when a microphone boom is clearly hanging between Steed & Cathy-- then calls more attention to itself by being abruptly YANKED upward out of camera range. I also smiled when, at one point, Patrick Macnee clearly COULDN'T remember for a moment the name of the main character he was discussing, and says, "What was his name... OH yes..." when he remembers. You know, this sort of thing happens in REAL life, so, why not in fiction?

The 2009 Region 2 DVD has EXCELLENT picture (apart from a couple of electronic jumps), but very "harsh" sound. Oh well! At least I could make out every word.

The end of the world as we know it

[kevinolzak · 6/10 · 13 January 2011]

"The White Dwarf" presented another potentially gripping story, bearing similarities to the 1961 feature "The Day the Earth Caught Fire." Professor Richter (Keith Pyott, "The House That Jack Built") is an astronomer who believes that a 'white dwarf' (not a black hole) is on a collision course with the sun, and will destroy all life in our solar system. Unfortunately, on a night when he's about to confirm his findings, he is murdered by an unseen assailant, who also disposes of another astronomer as well. On the business end, Maxwell Barker (George A. Cooper, "The Curious Case of the Countless Clues") receives the white dwarf news from his brother Henry (Peter Copley, "All Done with Mirrors"), who works for the Ministry, believing he can make a financial killing from a worldwide panic. Philip Latham ("Room Without a View"), like George A. Cooper a veteran of Hammer's Dracula series, plays Professor Cartright, alarmed by the high morality rate at the observatory, and George Roubicek ("Invasion of the Earthmen") plays the grieving son of Professor Richter. Cathy again dominates the proceedings, but the climax proves to be unsatisfactorily rushed (during one dialogue exchange between Steed and Cathy, a microphone can clearly be seen above them). Steed's dog Sheba makes the second of her five appearances, hopping onto his lap and getting her belly rubbed.

The White Dwarf

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 23 January 2020]

The end of the world is nigh.

An astronomer believes a White Dwarf is going to collide with our sun in the next few months. This will destroy Earth. He is murdered, later another astronomer is killed.

The British government want the news of impending doom to be kept quiet. Steed sends Cathy Gale to investigate. There are a couple of financial investors who realise they can make a killing in the stock market. One of them knows of the White Dwarf event from his brother who works for the government.

A story written by Malcolm Hulke who rose to prominence for his Doctor Who stories. There is a lot of science fact here like it is aimed for at schoolchildren. Of course some financial scheming makes it apt for these early The Avengers episode.

I was disappointed that the episode ended rather abruptly and confusingly. So there was no White Dwarf or it was all made up?

Great Writing for a Sci-Fi Turn

[create · 10/10 · 3 February 2015]

This is a very heavy information packed thriller piece that could easily be re-made today with little re-write. Professor Richter, an astronomer, has made some troubling theories about a white dwarf. He's been studying this for the past six months, but before he can finish testing his theory, he is killed.

Enter the Avengers: John Steed and Cathy Gale. In a phone call, Steed calms his superior with the news that Cathy Gale & he are going to be investigating this. It seems the government wants quick action. And how the call is conducted, whoever is on the other end seems more reassured once Gale's name is mentioned.

At the end of the phone call, Gale arrives at Steed's flat, and is told that the Professor has been murdered. She has heard of Richter and his work before, but is puzzled why someone would kill an old guy studying the stars. When Steed asks what Richter was studying, Gale informs Steed that Richter believed that a white dwarf could enter our solar system, and such an event would destroy the earth & our sun.

Cathy Gale dominates much of the episode, but never uses her judo. Her doctorate and her understanding of science are more needed in this story. In fact, her physical presence isn't as demanded. Dr. Gale has less screen time than Dr. Luke Richter, the grieving son of the late Professor. Dr. Gale's understanding of science is used as a storytelling technique to inform the audience of what is transpiring before their eyes. And kudos to Malcolm Hulke (the teleplay writer), Richard Bates (the story editor), and I believe John Bryce (the Producer). It was a great ploy to use Honor Blackman's popular portrayal of Dr. Gale to get the audience to swallow a lot more of the science than many other shows at the time could. It's obvious the creative staff really knew their audience, and how to appeal to them.

Hulke structures his teleplay in a flow of information format. Just as Professor Richter is tracking the white dwarf in the opening scenes, the audience is led to track the information about the white dwarf until it explodes at the end of the show. This leads to some pretty ingenious transitions.

Right after Dr. Gale informs Steed about the dangers of a white dwarf, we are introduced to the bankers Maxwell Barker and Mervin Johnson. They are investors looking to cash in, which would seem to be of another show, but they bring up more information about the white dwarf, and how it would effect markets. With only a few minutes of screen time, the audience suddenly knows more than our hero and heroine, and is informed that the government is being hood-winked for cash.

I just finished watching this show for the first time on Cozi TV five years after the Great Recession, and – to say the least – this is a story still topical. It was also amazing that six years before the non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood, the Avengerrs would spend such screen time on the grieving the community did in the wake of Professor Richter's murder. That grieving and the pressure the astronomical community is under provides the emotional center of this story. (I would have said "unfair pressure", but I agree with the unseen character of the British Government on this. When pitted against a worldwide panic and an impending doom, the emotional hardship of these scientists seems slight).

It is obvious that Hulke was trying to create a great Science Fiction piece. (Malcolm Hulke was churning out scripts for Doctor Who up until his death.) He avoids many of the formulaic pitfalls that go with episodic TV. He creates an unusual structure. And he adds his own touches to the characters. (To think that Steed is a denier….) This piece could definitely stand on its own, without there ever being an Avengers' show.

The way that Bryce and Richmond Harding (director) kept a thriller audience involved with all the heady science stuff going on was brilliant. The method that the storytellers used to structure Dr. Gale's interplay with the audience should also be used in many stories today.

One of the best episodes from the series.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 21 January 2024]

The end of the world is predicted by an eminent astronomer, who believed that a small star will enter the solar system, and result in the end of the world, Steed and Cathy investigate

I'm always excited to see anything written by the wonderful Malcolm Hulke, terrific writer, with one impressive pedigree, he really did write some very bleak, chilling storylines, this is wonderfully well written and very imaginative.

What havoc could be caused from the germ of an idea, what damage or panic could one word from someone important cause, this episode explores that very idea.

Very well acted, some quality performances here, Paul Copley and George A. Cooper, both prolific, both good value, however it's a terrific performance from Philip Latham who makes it, what a menacing presence.

9/10.