As in the 1960s UK TV show that, in its most famous seasons, featured Patrick MacNee as John Steed, and Diana Rigg as Emma Peel.
Given that it’s going on fifty years ago (though, through the magic of reruns and DVDs and streaming it may seem only yesterday), I don’t feel too bad about Yet Another Reboot. It’s interesting that it’s being consciously set in the 1960s, which could give it some fun humor, or could make it a total flop.
Reboots are successful when they meet the delicate blend of evoking key aspects of the original (sufficient to warrant claiming the associated property), while doing something new and original with it (sufficient to warrant the new show’s existence). Successful reboots can be a lot of fun and even vie with the original for popularity (see Battlestar Galactica for a key example). Unsuccessful reboots are legion (and The Avengers has an example of that in the disastrous movie adaptation, though, to be fair, there are parts of that film I appreciate a lot).
For that matter, The Avengers is a weird show to begin with, with an evolving style, a changing list of allies for Steed, a very British sense of humor and zaniness — coming up with something that works with both its cult status and will appeal to a modern audience will be an interesting challenge.
(I will note the thematically and chronologically related Man from UNCLE, which got a movie reboot that I thought was actually quite good and did pretty well, but was not continued for reasons not having to do with its quality. So something like this is, in fact, possible to pull off.)
Shane Black Writing Avengers TV Show (No, the OTHER Avengers)
The Nice Guys director is currently writing an Avengers TV show, an adaptation of the popular 1960s spy TV series starring Diana Rigg and Patrick McNee.
+Dave Hill actually this is a re re boot, look for the New Avengers from the 70s/80s
Hmm. I would hope they don't mess this up. Reboots are rarely successful and sometimes awful (Knight Rider, Hawaii 50) but then there are gems like Battlestar Galactica. I wonder if they'll rename it to avoid confusion?
+Dekks Herton Ah, good point — I had forgotten that one.
+Paul Scollon I think it likely that they will rename it, even if they have rights to the name. "Mr. Steed and Mrs. Peel" has a likely ring to it.
I actually kind of enjoyed the H50 reboot, even the only resemblance to the original was (a) people's names and (b) it was set in Hawaii. The cinematography and the Steve/Danno relationship kept me with the show until the brain-dead plots finally drove me away.
I have the entire DVD sets of the (surviving) originals + all of THE NEW AVENGERS. There's more to The Avengers than just Steed & Peel. The trouble is, at least locally, that they only repeat the 2nd Steed & Peel season (the one in colour) and never anything else. The result is that like the 4th Doctor, people tend to think of that when they think of the older series.
But before Peel there was a Doctor, and Cathy Gale. And after Peel there was Tara King. The key to the Avengers was the chemistry between the leads and the writing. The 1998 film was a valiant attempt to reprise that but though it followed the forms of the show (strange devices, silly groups with comic acronyms, and a look of the 60s) but failed when it came to chemistry.
If a reboot were to be attempted, rather than attempt to simulate a Steed & Peel arrangement, it might do better to leave them as part of its past, and include other 60s shows as well such as DANGERMAN (who clearly worked for a different department), ADAM ADAMANT, and THE CHAMPIONS. Maybe Bodie and Doyle might come into it as well. Old cold cases could appear, and Purdy who's now "Father" (played by Joanna Lumbley) could assign the contemporary Avengers their cases.
The original Avengers was as much a comedy and spoof on 60s British customs and manners, so maybe a reboot could do the same for contemporary mores.