SUMMARY: APPROX. RUNNING TIME: 52:00 Min. (Black & White)
First airing on England’s Associated British Corporation on September 29, 1962, “Mr. Teddy Bear,” continuity-wise, implies that British secret agents John Steed (Macnee) and Catherine “Cathy” Gale (Blackman) have already worked together before. In this instance, a bizarre fatal poisoning occurs during a live television interview. The autopsy’s subsequent forensics disclose that esteemed author and international expert Colonel Wayne-Gilley (Keeling) is evidently the latest victim of a highly-paid and techno-savvy assassin dubbed ‘Mr. Teddy Bear.’
Assigned by One Ten (Muir) to the case, Steed sets himself up as the killer’s next target, with Gale posing as a client paying an exorbitant fee for his ingenious assassination. Finding their adversary elusive, via hidden microphones (in a plush teddy bear, no less) and remote cameras, neither Gale nor Steed have any idea what this soft-spoken ‘Mr. Teddy Bear’ even looks like.
An informant’s subsequent murder convinces Steed shouldn’t take their current adversary lightly, no matter the assassin’s peculiar gimmicks. Gale soon finds herself prompted to pay the balance due after Steed’s apparent homicide inside his own apartment. With Gale seemingly held as an expendable hostage, a battle of wits ensues between ‘The Avengers’ and this unconventional assassin.
John Steed: Patrick Macnee
Catherine “Cathy” Gale: Honor Blackman
One Ten: Douglas Muir
Dr. James Howell: John Ruddock
‘Mr. Teddy Bear:’ Bernard Goldman
Henry Farrow: Michael Robbins
Dr. Gilmore: John Hershey
Technician: Michael Collins
Colonel Wayne-Gilley: Kenneth Keeling
Interviewer: Tim Brinton
Café Patron: Sarah Maxwell
Freckles the Dalmatian: Uncredited
Café Extras: Uncredited
Television Crew Members: Uncredited.
REVIEW:
Given it’s the debut of The Avengers’ first iconic duo, this tongue-in-cheek episode is frankly unremarkable. Aside from a quirky premise, its watchability mostly owes to Honor Blackman’s charming presence – ironically, even more so in her scenes without Patrick Macnee.
The dubious flip side is that Macnee’s ‘Steed’ grows tiresome mighty fast with his incessant, rapid-fire blathering. Constantly glib about his insider knowledge of the assassin’s case file, Steed’s cheery nonchalance too often stifles the plot’s efforts at suspense. Still, Macnee excels in the sequence selling Steed’s sudden ‘demise.’
With some help from the guest cast, “Mr. Teddy Bear,” at least, enjoys its share of fun, almost spoofy noir moments. Suffice to say, The Avengers’ playfully intriguing brand of spy games, such as seeing Emma Peel’s demure predecessor in action, makes exploring other (and hopefully superior) episodes a likelihood.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 4½ Stars
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