Blu-ray

Having graduated to shooting on 35mm last time out, British secret agents Steed (Patrick Macnee) and Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) made the leap to gaudy colour with this 1967 run.

Seemingly spurred on by the ability to create visuals that look like they're been ripped from the pages of a comic book, this run of 24 episodes takes The Avengers even further away from its roots and dives deep into the realm of outlandish fantasy with whimsical adventures involving shrink rays, killer pussycats and a second outing for those robotic killers, the Cybernauts!

What hasn't changed one iota is the chemistry at the heart of the show, with Macnee and Rigg clearly loving every moment on screen together, flirting and throwing groan-worthy zingers around with relish. Great stuff.

Picture: Thankfully, StudioCanal hasn't followed in the footsteps of Lionsgate's 2014 US Blu-ray release and tried to cram all 24 episodes onto three discs. Spreading them across seven discs instead, this UK release gives them much more space to breath, with the various AVC 1.37:1 1080p encodes exhibiting excellent colour fidelity and detailing.
Picture rating: 4.5/5

Audio: As with StudioCanal's earlier Series 4 Blu-ray boxset, this latest release opts for an authentic LPCM dual-mono mix. Clarity and pitch both seem accurate, with clean separation between dialogue, music and sound effects throughout.
Audio rating: 3.5/5

Extras: Cementing its victory over the barebones US release, this UK Blu-ray boxset ports over the vast majority of the pre-existing DVD bonus features.

Across the seven discs you'll find filmed intros to selected episodes by series creator Brian Clemens; commentaries on four episodes; trimmed footage; a hilariously uncomfortable German interview with Macnee and Rigg; trivia and interview snippets created for the show's run on the defunct Granada+ channel; the German title sequence; photo galleries for every episode (plus an extra one for additional promotional material); reconstructions of three lost Series 1 episodes; four 'Mini Killers' short films starring Diana; an anniversary clip show; and more!
Extras rating: 4/5

We say: Another must-own hi-def boxset for fans of this iconic series

The Avengers: The Complete Series 5, StudioCanal, Region B BD, £75 Approx
HCC VERDICT: 4/5