HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Happy Mothers day from Spy Vibe. John Steed, Mrs. Peel, and Tara King of The Avengers answered to their own spymaster, codename: Mother. Mother was brought to the screen by Patrick Newell (1932-1988), who played the character in a wheelchair. Mother's base of operations moved from one eccentric location to another, which became a charming device for the production team and viewers alike. He could be found in underwater lairs, atop a double-decker bus, or doing business from a floating office in a swimming pool- complete with his trusted, Amazonian assistant. Some felt that his character broke the chemistry and rhythm of the program's proven formula. It was an odd choice, then, to adapt the Mother/mole hunt story when The Avengers was finally made into a feature film in 1998. That may be one clue to the movie's lack of success among fans. Still, I enjoy the surreal and comic nature that he brought to the series. Here is Mother's introduction during the final Diana Rigg episode, The Forget-Me-Knot (1968). More info at The Avengers Forever website here. Image available from the Movie Store here.