One type of plot 'The Avengers' mined to considerable success was the 'where has everyone gone to?' premise. We saw it in 'The Town Of No Return' and it was reused here, though executed differently. Steed and Emma are on their way to a party at R.A.F. Hamelin, due for closure the next day and the staff to be posted abroad. En route Steed's car crashes. When he and Mrs.Peel recover, they see the clock on the dashboard says it is just after 11.00. They arrive at the base to find it strangely empty. The preparations for the party are in place, but there are no revellers. Goldfish float lifelessly in their bowl. Then a man running across the airfield is shot dead. The sound of a milk float can be heard. Eventually Mrs.Peel vanishes and Steed is knocked unconscious. He awakens to find himself alone in his car - the clock still says just after 11.00! An hour of his life has disappeared. What is going on?
This Roger Marshall-penned episode is incomprehensible for most of the time ( when I first saw it, I thought Steed might be having a dream and would wake up any second, but no that was not the answer ), but makes sense in the closing moments. Programmes such as this ( and 'The Prisoner' ) clearly influenced later shows such as 'Life On Mars' and 'Ashes To Ashes'.
The guest stars include Gerald Harper ( a few months away from donning cape and eyebrows in 'Adam Adamant Lives!' ) as 'Geoffrey Ridsdale' and Dudley Foster as 'Philip Leas'. Roy Kinnear has a small role as vagrant 'Hickey'. Some good location shooting. Gerry O'Hara achieves a wonderfully spooky atmosphere ( hard to believe the same bloke later directed 'The Bitch'! ).
This Roger Marshall-penned episode is incomprehensible for most of the time ( when I first saw it, I thought Steed might be having a dream and would wake up any second, but no that was not the answer ), but makes sense in the closing moments. Programmes such as this ( and 'The Prisoner' ) clearly influenced later shows such as 'Life On Mars' and 'Ashes To Ashes'.
The guest stars include Gerald Harper ( a few months away from donning cape and eyebrows in 'Adam Adamant Lives!' ) as 'Geoffrey Ridsdale' and Dudley Foster as 'Philip Leas'. Roy Kinnear has a small role as vagrant 'Hickey'. Some good location shooting. Gerry O'Hara achieves a wonderfully spooky atmosphere ( hard to believe the same bloke later directed 'The Bitch'! ).