Saints and Avengers: British Adventure Series of the 1960s »

James Chapman is Lecturer in Film and Television Studies at the Open University.

Series like "The Avengers" and "Danger Man", with their professional secret agents, or "The Saint" and "The Persuaders", featuring flamboyant crime-fighters, still inspire mainstream and cult followings. Saints and Avengers explores and celebrates this unique television genre for the first time. James Chapman uses case studies to look at the thrillers’ representations of national identity, and the world of the '60's and '70's. Chapman also asserts that this particular type of thriller was a historically and culturally defined generic type, with enduring appeal, as the current vogue for remaking them as big budget films attests.

Dirty Work: Danger Man
• Is There Honey Still for Tea? The Avengers
• The English Knight Errant: The Saint
• Swinging Britain: Adam Adamant Lives!
• Have Gun, Will Travel: Man in a Suitcase
• Return from Shangri-La: The Champions
• The Marie Celeste: Department S
• The Ghostly Detectives: Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
• The Bohemian Touch: Jason King
• The Special Relationship: The Persuaders!