What seems to be a man eating tiger on the loose is actually the first step in a plan to take over the whole of England. Sir David Harper, owner of an experimental livestock farm, is killed, apparently mauled by a tiger and when three other men die in the same way Steed finds a link to P. U. R. R. R. , a cats charity of which all the victims were board members and discovers a plot to turn the domestic felines of the country into vicious killers. I love this episode of The Avengers. Not only does it contain copious amounts of felines, but it also contains the beloved Ronnie Barker. I enjoyed the way the actors interacted with the aforementioned felines with obvious affection and gentleness. The plot is, as usual, quite bizarre, but the dialogue is slightly more risqué than usual. I am particularly fond of the 'Emma Peel' episodes, as they have always seemed slightly more surreal and ahead of their time than the others. I love the incidental music as well. It is very atmospheric and also ahead of its time. The ending is unusual and unexpected unless, like myself you have seen it several times. "The Hidden Tiger" may not be terribly exciting, but the dialogue is more risqué than usual (and that's really saying something!). We have an organization called P.U.R.R.R. (Philanthropic Union for Rescue, Relief, and Recuperation), dedicated to lovers of cats, whose committee members are being mauled to death with unseen claws (almost a replay of "The Winged Avenger," except the camera becomes the 'hidden tiger' in disappointingly repetitive fashion). John Phillips appears as a big game hunter who gets preyed upon from within a locked cage. Ronnie Barker plays Adrian Cheshire, head of PURRR, sipping milk like a cat, who asks Steed about his penthouse pet - Cheshire: "the name of your beloved pussy?" Steed: "oh, uh, Emma!" Cheshire: "oh, a cuddly bronze tabby, and what a joy for you it must be when she's curled up in your lap!" Steed: "uh, well I never thought of it THAT way!" And when Mrs. Peel discusses her missing 'Little John'- "well, he's very bad tempered first thing in the morning, until he's had his first glass of champagne!" Two priceless moments shared by both feature Steed calling Emma a 'beautiful bronze tabby,' receiving a delightfully warm and fuzzy purr in response, and the climax, with a captive Steed rescued by Mrs. Peel before the feline mob can get started (Emma: "pussies galore!"). As was so often the case, the plot provides a springboard for the two stars to work their magic (more tenderness than usual), and the lucky viewers continue to savor the results. Gabrielle Drake plays Angora, intriguingly made up to look more feline, with Lyndon Brook ("Noon-Doomsday"), Michael Forrest ("Death Dispatch"), John Moore ("Thingumajig"), and Reg Pritchard ("Honey for the Prince") in support.
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295 weeks ago