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Alex pays a fond return revisit to 1960s classic TV series, The Avengers...

Stylish crime fighting, despicable evil masterminds, a bowler-hatted old Etonian gentleman spy and a series of beautiful leather cat-suited, kinky-booted, no-nonsense heroines. The Avengers had all this and more. What began as a monochrome tape series in January 1961 ran the whole of the Sixties, becoming a colourful slice of period hokum, full of flair, wit and sophistication, yet with its tongue firmly in its cheek.

Always the perfect gentleman, John Steed was played by Patrick Macnee. Originally billed second to the late Ian Hendry, Macnee was still playing Steed over 15 years later when he was teamed with the youthful duo of Joanna Lumley and Gareth Hunt for The New Avengers in 1976. In the 1998 film, the role of Steed was given to Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman played Emma Peel. I will say no more about the film.

Actor Edward Albert has died of lung cancer in Malibu, California. He was 55. Albert, whose acting career took off in the 1970s after he starred in Butterflies Are Free with Goldie Hawn, died on Friday in his sleep. He starred with Liv Ullmann in the 1973 comedy 40 Carats and went on to appear in more than 120 movies and TV shows including Midway, The Greek Tycoon, The Ice Runner, Guarding Tess, Falcon Crest and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Albert was a dedicated environmentalist and worked with several groups, including the California Coastal Commission and the state's Native American Heritage Commission. He spent most of the last 10 years caring for his father, who had Alzheimer's disease and died at age 99 last year. Albert is survived by his wife, actress Kate Woodville; their daughter, Thais; and his sister, Maria Zucht.