The Avengers set was tense over money in the mid-1960s
Patrick MacNee boasted a resume which included small roles in several feature films when he agreed to portray John Steed, an agent with murky connections, in the British drama The Avengers, premiering in Britain in 1961. For the program’s second season in 1962 a new character was introduced to work as his partner, Cathy Gale, played by Honor Blackman. For the rest of the decade MacNee had the enviable task of acting alongside first Blackman, followed by Diana Rigg, and finally Linda Thorsen as his partner in the program, which became a major hit in Britain and a cult favorite in the United States. Blackman and Rigg became pinup favorites for wearing leather outfits, high boots, and haute couture fashions. The Avengers became part of the British invasion, though its audience in America often did not understand much of the program’s innuendo or British topical humor.
After completing two seasons of the program, Honor Blackman left the show to appear as Pussy Galore in the James Bond megahit Goldfinger. During her tenure there had been little discussion in the media regarding her relationship with the program’s producers. After an extensive search for a new partner for Macnee’s Steed, with over 80 actors auditioned, Diana Rigg was selected to play the new role of Mrs. Emma Peel. Contrary to popular belief, Rigg disliked leather outfits and preferred a softer wardrobe than Blackman’s, and her tight-fitting jumpsuits were usually of a stretch material known as crimplene. Diana Rigg also brought a new tension to the sets, which went beyond the intimate tensions intended between Emma Peel and John Steed. While Honor Blackman had remained quiet, Diana Rigg was soon quite vocal about compensation disparities between the program’s stars.