Emma Peel

Emma Peel was a fictional television spy played by Diana Rigg on the 1960s British series The Avengers. Mrs. Peel was the partner of John Steed, and their pairing is considered by most viewers to showcase the definitive episodes of the series. She replaced Cathy Gale, played by actress Honor Blackman who left the series to co-star in the James Bond film Goldfinger. Prior to Diana Rigg accepting the role, actress Elizabeth Shepherd was originally cast, but backed out of the role shortly after filming commenced.

Related Topics:
Television - Spy - Diana Rigg - 1960s - British - The Avengers - John Steed - Cathy Gale - Honor Blackman - James Bond - Goldfinger - Elizabeth Shepherd

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Mrs. Peel's character was notable for a number of characteristics. She is a feminist heroine, eschewing traditional "damsel-in-distress" portrayals of women (she is rarely bested in any fight and rescues Steed as often as he rescues her). She's a master of martial arts and a formidable fencer. A certified genius, she specializes in chemistry and other sciences. In one episode, viewers even see her painting.

Related Topics:
Damsel-in-distress - Martial arts - Fencer - Genius - Chemistry

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Her mod style of dress typified the period, and the character is still a paragon of style. Fashionwise, she's best-remembered for the leather catsuit she often wore in her first season. She drove a convertible Lotus Elan coupe at high speeds, and convincingly portrayed any series of undercover roles, from nurse to nanny. Her favorite guise was perhaps that of a women's magazine reporter, trying to interview big business tycoons and rich playboys.

Related Topics:
Mod - Lotus - Elan

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Mrs. Peel's interactions with Steed range from the witty to the sexy. Both actors played the sexual tension aspect of their partnership so skillfully that it was perhaps not equalled until the pairing of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Unlike that later pairing, however, the tension was never broken except for a chaste peck on the cheek Emma gives Steed at the end of her final episode.

Related Topics:
Fox Mulder - Dana Scully

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Mrs. Peel's husband, Peter Peel, was a test pilot and was lost on a mission. In Rigg's final episode on the show, "The Forget Me Knot", Mrs. Peel learns that her husband (who looks suspiciously like Steed from a distance) has returned, and she leaves Steed and her spy career behind. She was replaced by the much younger agent Tara King played by actress Linda Thorson.

Related Topics:
Pilot - Tara King - Linda Thorson

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The character appeared one last time in an episode of The New Avengers entitled "K is for Kill". Rigg had declined an offer to appear on the series, so stock footage of her from an Avengers episode was used instead.

Related Topics:
The New Avengers - Stock footage

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Moreover, the character was rehashed in a 1998 film version of the show, with Uma Thurman playing the role of Mrs. Peel and Ralph Fiennes playing Steed. Neither Her portrayal nor the film itself received critical or popular acclaim.

Related Topics:
1998 - Uma Thurman - Ralph Fiennes

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