" During this voice over, Steed pours two drinks from the wine bottle and Mrs. Peel replaces her gun in her boot.

The first 16 episodes of the fifth series begin with Peel receiving a call-to-duty message from Steed: " Mrs. Peel, we're needed.

Another way Steed contacted her was in the beginning of episode 13, " A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Station " when she enters her flat and sees a Meccano Percy the Small Engine going around a circular track with a note on one of the train cars that says " Mrs. Peel " in bold letters, she then walks over to Steed who says " you're needed ".

* Mary Forbes as Mrs. Steed

The partner of John Steed, Mrs Peel was introduced as a replacement for the popular Cathy Gale, played by actress Honor Blackman, who left the series at the end of the programme's third season to co-star in the James Bond film Goldfinger.

" She speaks briefly with Steed over the phone and mentions in passing that her last name isn't Peel anymore, to which Steed replies, " You'll always be Mrs. Peel to me.

When the project is sabotaged by someone who appears to be Mrs. Peel, she is investigated by Ministry agent, John Steed.

Further investigation leads to Sir August who is now trying to blackmail the world's leaders with his control of the weather, but Steed and Mrs. Peel defeat him on his secret island.

Later writers would further the references to The Avengers: Sir Patrick and Lady Diana, from the Philadelphia branch of the 1780s, are named after actors Patrick Macnee ( John Steed ) and Diana Rigg ( Mrs. Emma Peel ); conversely, the Black Queen of the London branch was revealed to be named Ms. Emma Steed.

Carter has mentioned that the relationship between Mulder and Scully — platonic but with sexual tension — was influenced by the chemistry between John Steed ( Patrick Macnee ) and Emma Peel ( Diana Rigg ) in the 1960s British spy TV program The Avengers.

The Rainbow Affair is notable for its thinly disguised cameo appearances by The Saint, Miss Marple, John Steed, Emma Peel, Tommy Hambledon ( at whose flat Solo and Ilya encounter Steed and Peel ), Neddie Seagoon, Father Brown, a retired, elderly Sherlock Holmes, and Dr. Fu Manchu.

* The Avengers episode " A Touch of Brimstone " had Steed and Peel infiltrate a modern incarnation of the club whose pranks were expanding to destroy the government.

The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel ( Ian Hendry ) and his assistant John Steed ( Patrick Macnee ).

Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants.

ITV produced a sequel series The New Avengers ( 1976 – 1977 ) with Patrick Macnee returning as John Steed, and two new partners.

The only constant was John Steed, played by Patrick Macnee.

A stranger named John Steed, who was investigating the ring, appeared and together they set out to avenge her death in the first two episodes.

Afterwards, Steed asked Keel to partner him as needed to solve crimes.

Hendry was considered the star of the new series, receiving top billing over Macnee, and Steed did not appear in two episodes.

While Steed and Keel used wit while discussing crimes and dangers, the series also depicted the interplay — and often tension — between Keel's idealism and Steed's professionalism.

As seen in the surviving episode " The Frighteners ", Steed also had helpers among the population who provided information, similar to the " Baker Street Irregulars " of Sherlock Holmes.

Carol assisted Keel and Steed in cases, without being part of Steed's inner circle.

One of the episodes remaining does not feature Steed.

The first 15 minutes of the first episode also exists as a telerecording ; the extant footage ends at the conclusion of the first act, prior to the introduction of John Steed.

Patrick Macnee as John Steed and Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale.

Macnee was promoted to star and Steed became the focus of the series, initially working with a rotation of three different partners.

Nonetheless, she appears to be attracted to him and their relationship appears similar to that later displayed between Steed and Tara King.

The series established a level of sexual tension between Steed and Gale, but the writers were not allowed to go beyond flirting and innuendo.

Despite this the relationship between Steed and Gale was progressive for 1962-63.

However, this was said to be a temporary arrangement while Gale looked for a new home, and Steed was sleeping at a hotel.

During the first series there were hints Steed worked for a branch of British Intelligence, and this was expanded in the second series.

Two such people are John Steed, top professional, and his partner Emma Peel, talented amateur.

This almost completely disappeared as Steed and Peel visibly enjoyed topping each other's witticisms.

The layer of conflict with Gale-who on occasion openly resented being used by Steed, often without her permission-was absent from Steed's interaction with Peel.

Also the sexual tension between Steed and Gale was not present with Peel.

Although nothing " improper " was displayed, the obviously much closer chemistry between Steed and Peel constantly suggests intimacy between the two.

This was followed by Steed unwrapping the foil from a champagne bottle and Peel shooting the cork away.

" Peel would be conducting her normal activities when she'd unexpectedly receive a message on a calling card or within a delivered gift, at which point Steed would suddenly appear ( usually in her apartment ).

The messages would be delivered by Steed in increasingly bizarre ways as the series progressed: in a newspaper Peel had just bought, or on traffic lights while she was out driving.

" The Hidden Tiger " returns to the partially redecorated apartment where Steed begins painting a love heart and arrow and the initials of two people on the wall, but paints over the initials when Peel sees his graffito

He was presumed dead for many years, and Peel went on to work with Steed.

When Peter Peel returns, at the end of " The Forget-Me-Knot ", Emma leaves Steed and her spy career behind.

In the distant shot in which he appears, Peter Peel looks suspiciously like Steed ( and was played by the same actor ), and also drives a two-door convertible Bentley, albeit a contemporary model.