The Avengers (1961) s04e02 Episode Script

Dr.
Palmer It's happening again.
Black out of section 3.
It's on the blink again.
Sound the alarm.
Emergency.
You can see for yourself.
A complete blackout.
- That's the only sector affected? - Yes.
A partial blackout is tolerable.
We're covered by other stations.
If the blackout area increased, - or embraced the whole screen - We'd be in trouble.
A missile attack could be launched without any warning.
- Could it be a technical failure? - Absolutely not.
Our systems are in triplicate.
This must be some natural phenomenon.
Natural? Hargreaves thought the interference was man made.
- But surely - It's impossible.
Why, to black out a radar screen? Men have tried for years without success.
And no one could have succeeded by now? I've studied the problem, like Marlow.
Marlow? Dr.
Hubert Marlow.
He used to work here.
Brilliant fellow.
Helped develop radar then decided to combat it.
- He worked here? - Until recently.
I do miss him.
Brilliant He was working on a radar jamming device.
Yes, that was his ambition.
- I'd like to meet him.
- Meet him? Impossible.
He's left us.
- You must have an address.
- Hardly.
Hubert Marlow died 4 weeks ago.
Is this his file? - May I? - Of course.
This is a partial file.
We've very comprehensive records.
Do you mind if Mrs.
Peel studies these? Not at all.
- If the problem were man made - Not a chance.
But if it were, the source would be situated somewhere within the failed sector.
Presumably, but I can't believe it for one moment.
- Do you mind? - Not at all.
We are here.
The sector that failed covers this area.
If the device were in a town let's say within 20 miles.
20 miles - What territory would that cover? - Mostly moorland.
- There is a small town here.
- Pringby.
That's a coincidence.
The church in Pringby is where Marlow was buried.
Excuse me, I'm looking for the grave of Dr.
Marlow.
- Funny one.
- Pardon? Marlow.
Funny.
Odd.
Not from here, see? But wanted to be buried here.
I don't care where I'm buried.
Marlow cared.
His family went to a lot of trouble.
Pringby he wanted, Pringby he got.
May I see his grave? Aye, that's it.
All that and they changed their minds.
Wanted him moved.
You just missed Dr.
Marlow.
He was exhumed.
Taken away.
- Good morning.
- Morning.
- Can I help you? - A friend of mine is a patient here.
Hubert Marlow.
Marlow? - I can't say - Dr.
Marlow.
Dr.
? We only accept railway men.
He was an executive.
You never heard of him? Here's a photo No.
I must be mistaken.
Thank you.
Sorry not to be of more help.
Nurse Spray.
Sorry to have bothered you.
- Yes, Sister.
- What did he want? Stay away from that door, out of sight.
It's all very well for you.
You weren't buried for 4 weeks.
You were warned and you agreed.
And you agreed there'd be money for my experiments.
Otherwise I wouldn't be here.
Penny-pinching! You said it will be different here.
It will be.
- I want money now.
- The timing's wrong.
Especially when your unit almost jeopardized everything.
The installation failed.
- I couldn't foresee that.
- You should have foreseen it.
That's why you're here.
That triggered off early, causing a blackout.
They're probably investigating already and that's not good.
Not good at all.
- Don't you understand - Save it.
You'll get your money as promised.
But only when we're ready to move.
Dr.
Johnson.
A man spoke to Nurse Spray earlier.
He was looking for a patient named Marlow.
Alert Baron to be on guard.
Right.
I'll attend to it.
How are we today? On the mend? You'll soon be leaping about.
Steed, Foot Plateman's Friendly.
Hospital inspection.
On their behalf, might I sign your plaster? Comfortable? Good.
Charming.
You'll heal more quickly.
You're lucky to have a place like this.
Beautiful surroundings The tireless staff If you want grapes, oranges, magazines, flowers, just contact us.
Grapes.
- I'd like grapes.
- Desperately.
Remarkable recovery.
I count on staying this way, but not you.
I'm fairly fit.
Hey, you! It's all good for trade.
- What happened? - He got away.
- Describe him.
- Tall, umbrella, bowler.
It's the same man.
Things are hotting up.
Clean up.
We've got to cover our traces.
What's going on? If he's found here Tell Miller to get ready in Carling St.
Carling St.
Pringby.
Still at it, Mrs.
Peel? Marlow's file is very comprehensive.
I'm cross checking every item.
Carling St.
did you say? An appointment he had.
22, Carling St.
Pringby.
But who with or what for? - The date was Friday the 13th.
- Unlucky.
It was for Marlow.
That's the date he died.
Nº 22 deserves a visit.
I've got you in my sights.
Shoots around corners.
- Second childhood? - Nephew's birthday.
I've got news on Marlow.
I'm way ahead of you.
Saw him myself.
He was very well hidden away, but now we can get him talking - When did you see Marlow? - 11:30.
- Alive? - Of course alive.
You don't - You mean you've seen - Dead.
1pm.
Undertaker in Pringby.
The body was supposedly a Mr.
Smith, dead in hospital.
For railway men? Your answer is there.
Yes, you'll get in there quite easily as a nurse.
I'll just pull a few strings.
I'll call the ministry right away.
Wield your thermometer, I'll tackle Sir Horace.
It's a charming place.
No music in your room.
No male visitors.
No nail varnish.
No elaborate hairdos.
Regulation stockings and curfew at 10pm.
I'm glad to have you with us.
Nurse Spray, Emma Peel is joining us.
- Teach her our routine.
- Yes, Sister.
- Sister.
- Mrs.
Peel.
She's a dragon, but it's fun work.
Masses of time off when they're operating.
I'm sorry, Dr.
- Dreamy.
- Certainly interesting.
Dr.
Johnson.
He runs everything around here.
- Is that the new girl? - Mrs.
Peel.
- Allocated to us by the ministry? - Like Nurse Spray.
We've no choice.
They insist we have trainee nurses.
Don't worry.
She'll stay out of the way.
- You got a ticket? - No.
Can't get in without a ticket.
- Yes? - A ticket, please.
- Traveling far? - I'd just like a look around.
Over there.
All tickets, please.
- Platform Number 2.
- Thank you.
Governor, we got a customer now.
Splendid, Frederick.
Welcome to Winslip Junction, where lines converge and old friends meet.
- Sir Horace Winslip.
- John Steed.
Nice to have you aboard, Mr.
Steed.
We're just in time for the first sitting for lunch.
- You'll stay? - Thank you.
This way.
In here.
Do sit here.
I like to have my back to the engine.
- Menu? - Thank you.
It should be a smooth trip.
Glad you dropped by.
I hate eating alone.
It's jolly nice to share a carriage.
We're keeping good time.
We're approaching Heddleway Tunnel.
- Right on time.
- Remarkable.
- May I close the window? - Please, do.
Careful.
It's dangerous to lean out of the window.
Quite true, Sir Horace.
It is a privilege to travel with you, Mr.
Steed.
- How did you come about? - The Foot Plateman's Friendly.
The society How shall I put it? I came aboard to tout a donation.
Foot platemen, eh? - Well 5000 guineas all right? - What? Make it 10,000 then.
You're prepared to donate 10,000 guineas? I'll give you a check later.
I knew you were generous, but not to this extent Only for a worthy cause.
Railway men are the salt of the earth.
They made civilization possible.
Opened up the Wild West, all sorts of new territories and made me rich.
We're almost there.
- Delightful journey.
- It's a pleasure.
The Iron Horse, magnificent creature, and all being murdered by the motor car! Line after line closing down.
The Downside Line, the Perthington, the Pentwaithe, all gone.
I hang a wreath for each one.
Somebody has to remember.
I thought I instructed you to go to ward C.
When the flowers arrived I thought You're not here to think, but to obey.
They're waiting.
Yes, Sister.
Excellent.
We'll operate tonight then.
This the 214 Gladstown.
She was averaging 60 mph in 1890.
They tore up the tracks to make a motorway! You're lucky to average 20 mph on it now.
How much are you involved with your hospital? Now, look at this.
The Fair Maid of Perth.
A splendid beast.
Hospital? I've got a good man looking after things for me.
Dr.
Johnson.
- I just put up the money.
- Exactly, but it could be misused.
We don't want any of that sort of talk.
Johnson and Miss Thirlwell are excellent people.
- They also love railways.
- So long as you're financing.
Nonsense.
They agree with my views.
They're prepared to act.
They have a scheme Don't touch that! I'm terribly sorry.
What kind of scheme? It's just that it's an original signal lever from Whittingham Junction.
- Quite irreplaceable - Looks very new to me.
I've just had them renovated.
They did an excellent job.
- What were we saying? - The scheme at the hospital.
Oh yes I've forgotten what it is.
How would you like a look around the grounds? I'll take you to the gate.
I feel like a chug round myself.
- Chug? - In my own personal engine.
- Oh, sorry.
- Don't worry.
- Coming to the dance tonight? - I'm on duty.
They're operating tonight, so you won't be needed.
How about it? I'll wait for you.
- The dance.
- No, thanks.
Next time.
- I've got things to do.
- If you change your mind Can I help you? I was looking for the matron.
It can wait.
Can't you see the sign? Operating.
I see.
Goodnight, Mrs.
Peel.
I was looking for you.
- They're operating.
- Are they? I tried to get in there but - Who's the patient? - I've no idea.
They don't hang about here.
Let's get started.
- No way of going past him.
- We could use force.
Too soon to expose our hand.
We just have to wait.
I wish I could see Forceps.
Scalpel.
Blow torch.
Mechanized flowers.
Electronic cut outs.
Condensers.
And that is a selenium rectifier.
Isn't this a transformer? This is where I found Marlow.
Business is dying off.
They're expecting someone soon.
What do you think of this? - A breathing hole.
- In a coffin? Mrs.
Peel, have you ever heard of booking funerals in advance? Here's one in 6 weeks and another in 1 month.
Both on a Thursday and non-local.
- Have you got the map? - I have.
Here we are.
A funeral 2 weeks ago at Scarsby.
Scarsby 4 weeks ago at Lennington.
Lennington Then Nowlie.
Nowlie Then another here at Pringby.
Pringby - And the ones in advance? - Summerbrig.
Charming little place.
And Weighscale.
Weighscale.
Here.
Join them all up and slap in the centre The radar station.
This way, gentlemen.
Gently.
Now this one.
A straight swap.
It's alive.
It's a solar cell sensitive to light.
- In a coffin? - I wonder.
I thought so.
It's telescopic.
Long enough to reach the surface.
A device fed by the rays of the sun.
This bit stores the energy.
- And the other is - Built from these parts.
Dr.
Marlow's system, a range of jamming devices encircling our warning stations.
To prevent warning of an attack.
Where is the central control? - Well hidden.
- It would be difficult.
It would be pretty big.
With buttons and levers Assembly would require a dust free area.
An operating theatre.
I'll follow that coffin.
Central control.
Big.
Buttons.
Levers.
Levers to pull! The last one, Miller.
And our task is complete.
It feels good, eh? Extremely good.
Let's get it over with.
- Where's Thirlwell? - I'll take a look.
Hurry, the doctor's waiting.
Let's get started.
Forceps.
Hygrometer.
Right, all yours.
Quite a successful operation.
Don't you think? Tonight we can celebrate.
This calls for champagne.
Home and dry.
The end of our worries.
Except for Mrs.
Peel.
What are we going to do? Oh no.
Not so soon after Marlow.
Another death from here would be too risky.
You've set us a problem.
An accident He's batty.
A positive danger in that machine.
He's bound to hurt somebody, someday.
I do so abhor violence! Is this how you repay my hospitality? - Are you all right? - Yes, Sir Horace.
Go and have a lie down.
You've been used.
- Do you know what this is for? - Naturally.
You do? I entirely agree with what we're about to do.
I can't believe you'd betray your country.
You don't know what you're saying.
Winslips have served in 5 wars, 4 kings and 2 queens, faithfully and well.
We were about to form a royal railway Then what of your patriotism? We appear to be talking at cross purposes.
This won't harm the country.
It will benefit enormously.
Roads clear again.
Time reduced by half.
End of petrol fumes.
Petrol fumes? When this evil vehicle is banished from the highways! You said you knew about the scheme.
From the beginning, when Dr.
Johnson first put it to me.
What scheme? A jamming device, of course.
- For jamming what? - The motor car! That's how he explained it? Do you suppose I'd have been so generous otherwise? It's a jamming device, but it's intended to jam the defensive system of this country.
Goodness me.
That's my train! Sir Horace, we must destroy the control.
What's going on? Somebody's playing with my engine.
No one's got the right to.
What is going on? What is this woman doing tied to the railway line? - She'll break the engine.
- Let's have a look.
What extraordinary people.
Always wanted to be an engine driver.
I almost took it up.
- Family objected? - They were all for it.
There's no security.
Always on the move.
It would have kept you to the straight and narrow.