Brian Clemens, mastermind of The Avengers, dies

Patrick Mcnee and Diana Rigg, arguably the best pairing in The Avengers

Brian Clemens, a mastermind of the television series The Avengers, has died, according to an obituary on the INQUISITR WEBSITE.

Clemens, born in 1931, had a lengthy career as a writer and producer. But he is perhaps best known for his work on The Avengers (1961-69) and The New Avengers (1976-77).

In a 2008 U.K. television interview, Clemens said The Avengers “had a curious logic all its own.” Ideas that might work elsewhere could work on The Avengers, he said. “The Avengers had unwritten rules” which were “in my head,” Clemens said.

Of suave John Steed, played by Patrick Macnee, Clemens said in 2008: “He is the manipulator of the all the girls he’s ever been associated with. He gets them into situations for his own benefit.”

Eon Productions, maker of the James Bond film series, used The Avengers as a farm club. Honor Blackman, who played Cathy Gale on The Avengers, was signed to play Pussy Galore in 1964’s Goldfinger. After bringing aboard Diana Rigg as Emma Peel, the series even made a joke about Mrs. Gale sending Steed a card from Fort Knox.

Rigg, of course, ended up playing Tracy, Bond’s doomed bride, in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Macnee finally made his 007 appearance in 1985’s A View to a Kill. Going the other way, Joanna Lumley, who had a small part in Majesty’s, was the female lead in The New Avengers.

Here’s the 2008 interview with Clemens:

‘Year of the Spy’ starts strong at U.S. box office with Taken 3

Taken 3 poster

The “Year of the Spy” got off to a strong start as Taken 3 ruled the U.S. box office.

The third installment of the series starring Liam Neeson generated an estimated $40.4 million for the Jan. 9-11 weekend, according to the BOX OFFICE MOJO WEBSITE.. At No. 2 was Selma at $11.2 million.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER reported Taken 3’s early worldwide total was $81.4 million.

Taken 3 didn’t get many good reviews. The film had a 12 percent score at the ROTTEN TOMATOES WEBSITE, which compiles and categorizes reviews.

As of Jan. 11, there were nine “fresh” Taken 3 reviews and 66 “rotten” ones, according to the website. A sample of the latter was from David Hiltbrand of THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. “Nothing gets taken here except your ticket money.”

In the three Taken movies, Neeson plays ex-operative Bryan Mills. In the series finale, Mills’ ex-wife is murdered and he’s framed for the crime.