So, my wonderful friend and my co-host at this podcast, M. Christian, sent over this link for something he and I have now come to discuss on the show twice, the deliciously naughty 1966 episode A Touch Of Brimstone from the seminal British adventure series THE AVENGERS. As Chris and I have gushed plenty of times on the podcast (and you can find the Licking Non-Vanilla podcast, here, here, and here, to name just a few places) and in private, this is one extremely non-vanilla episode in an otherwise already very unusual TV show of the time.
As the link above elaborates, “Brimstone” appeared near the tail end of season four of THE AVENGERS, when the show was still being filmed in black and white (which makes the goings-on even more incredible, really). In it, Patrick Macnee as urbane and cool John Steed and Diana Rigg, as pretty much every young boy (and plenty of older men’s) living, breathing karate- chopping, tight-bodysuit wearing wet dream, Emma Peel, infiltrate a secret society called The Hellfire Club (for those denizens of kinky getting together, plenty of kink clubs have been named the same in many a city across the world, based on a name that goes way back in history). In the show, this group consists of a fair amount of reprobates, men and women both, with the men certainly stretching the bounds of what would be considered permissible to our venerable #metoo-ers these days.
Near the end of the episode our delicious beautiful Miss Peel, certainly nobody’s push-over (a definite role-model for feminists then as she should be today) is made to change into a tight black corset, spiked dog collar and leather-knee high boots, an outfit Riggs designed herself, less anyone think the actress was being exploited. In fact, Riggs, who would come to fight for a salary increase to the fright and non-support of her agent and the show’s producers, would come to be seen as a fashion icon of the times. Often what she wore on the show would be soon seen in the fashionable, swinging 60’s shops of London. The point being, Riggs was aware of her image, what she was showing and how she was showing it and had very much a say in her image and style at the time.
She certainly looks every bit the dominatrix here, no doubt one of the many fantasies watchers of this series had to have been thinking about her. When the main guy chases Peel around with a whip (so heavily edited on its TV showing only one lash of the whip was seen and heard), kinky 60’s viewers must have been salivating as much as you will if you watch this episode now.
Not that you should be surprised but A Touch Of Brimstone was banned in the US because of Rigg’s “Queen of Sin” outfit and the overall subject matter. As an additional factoid, later Monty Python leading lady Carol Cleveland bubbles and bounces forth in this episode for some great humor.
Yes, there is no denying the impact of a Fifty Shades of Grey, or any truly sexy/kinky/far-from-center sexual artistic sexual portrayal of the past few decades. But delving back just slightly, you are sure to find little gems like A Touch Of Brimstone and get a thrill.
This good stuff is out there. Have fun looking. Report back to us what you find.
And thanks Chris.
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