Thingumajig

"Thingumajig," like "Fog," is an underrated horror entry, adding a dash of science fiction. An archaeological excavation beneath a 12th century church yields a number of corpses, and the mystery grows when a nearby pond offers up a bevy of dead fish. An atmospheric hybrid with an electrifying climax. The youthful Jeremy Lloyd ("From Venus with Love") is clearly miscast as the Reverend, and would soon join the enemy in America as both writer and performer on LAUGH-IN, whose ratings success put an end to THE AVENGERS. Also featuring Willoughby Goddard ("The Frighteners"), Hugh Manning ("The Thirteenth Hole" and "The Superlative Seven"), John Horsley ("Mr Teddy Bear"), Edward Burnham ("The Fear Merchants"), Vernon Dobtcheff ("Room Without a View" and "The Living Dead"), Russell Waters ("Castle De'ath"), John Moore ("The Hidden Tiger"), and Harry Shacklock ("A Change of Bait," "The Mauritius Penny," "Man-Eater of Surrey Green").

No one seems to have noticed, but this episode is directed by Leslie Norman, who gave us in the past THE LONG THE SHORT AND THE TALL, a terrific war movie, but also another outstanding scien fiction film called X THE UNKNOWN. Well, this episode is maybe not, but nearly the replicant of the X THE UNKNOWN tale, at least very close. Back to sci-fi for this sixth season, back to the Diana Rigg era.

A Vicar calls for Steed's help after a team on an excavation underneath his Church run into trouble.

I quite liked it, for me it was a solid Tara King episode, but I think most others from this final series are better. Tara herself, apart from one great scene is rather under used, again, and as a story, I felt it was a bit more Doctor Who, than Avengers.

If you are a Doctor Who fan, maybe there are a few glimpses of The Power of Three, but the plot, I could easily have seen Pertwee or Baker battling the villain, with Sarah Jane Smith taking on the box.

The box itself didn't look great, it could have been a little more impressive visually, and the plot itself was a little weak.

The best element, Iain Cuthbertson, I thought he was excellent, an impossible figure physically, and one with a degree of presence, I thought he stole it.

Willoughby Goddard's sneezing Truman was a fun character, and something of a return to the larger than life, colourful specialists that appeared throughout The Emma Peel years. A fine actor, I'd you get the chance, check him out in The Mind of Mr JG Reeder.

It's good, 7/10.