Imagine how Jenilee Harrison must have felt being the replacement for Suzanne Somers on Three’s Company. I’m sure it was a combination of joy and extreme pressure. It was a great honor, but these were some pretty big shoes to fill. The same can be said of Linda Thorson who replaced Diana Rigg (a replacement herself) on The Avengers in season 6. It would prove to be the show’s last season.To be fair, the show was slipping and I’m not sure who could’ve replaced Rigg and saved it. Linda was roundly thrashed by the press as being a poor substitute – all looks and no brains, a damsel in distress rather than a strong heroine.
True, some of it was well-founded – Linda was very inexperienced as an actress and she got the part because she was the girlfriend of then-producer John Bryce. But I still say that Tara King (Thorson) was every bit as good a character as Emma Peel (Rigg). Perhaps, even better… yeah, you read it right. Take a look at some these facts before you…1. The show failed because it became dependent on US audiences, and it was lined up against Laugh-In (a show which also killed Star Trek).
2. Season 6 was actually an IMPROVEMENT over the previous season. Few will argue that Peel’s last season was lame – it was becoming a spoof like Batman. In the last season, things started to get back to being serious.
3. The character of Tara King started to show some real promising signs towards the end of the season – she became more intelligent, less reliant on Steed, and more of a badass. Quite often, Tara could open up a can of whoop-ass that Emma Peel could have only dreamed of. Check out Tara beating the hell out of some bad guys in this YouTube clip:
4. The British reaction was unfavorable, but Thorson didn’t face the same sort of ridicule abroad. US audiences were somewhat ambivalent, and Thorson was much more popular in France than Rigg ever was.
It’s the ol’ Ted McGinley syndrome, where a last minute replacement gets the blame for the demise of an already floundering show. Before the show's cancellation, Linda Thorson was riding high – she was dating Frank Sinatra (who became her son’s godfather), and even had a musical career. (Listen to her single “Here I Am” which came out right around the time of her role on The Avengers).
Sadly, after the cancellation, Linda removed herself from the limelight and concentrated on venues with lower visibility. Perhaps today she views her stint on The Avengers as more of a curse than a blessing. It's always hard replacing someone that's so well loved.... just ask Sammy Hagar.
To be fair, Diana Rigg set the bar a little high and anyone who came after her was going to be let down.
ReplyDeleteTara King was my favorite, Mrs Peel was great but i loved Tara.
ReplyDelete"What are you looking for?"
Steed-"A tall beautiful brunette!"
"Who isn't?"
from "You'll Catch Your Death"
I never saw Avengers as a kid. But I do know Ms. Thorson from her role as the devious Gabrielle's equally devious mother on "One Life to Live". She was a definite bright spot on that show!
ReplyDeleteLinda was funny, too, as seen in 1987-88's syndicated sitcom, MARBLEHEAD MANOR.She played a ditzy rich woman opposite Paxton Whitehead who had replaced Peter Cook onstage in the original BEYOND THE FRINGE.
ReplyDeleteI remember as a little girl watching the re-runs in the early eighties, and I like Tara King, and I much prefer Sammy to Dave. There, I feel better.
ReplyDeleteI do think Linda didn't get the credit and attention she should have. I think it would have been hard for any actress to step into Diana's shoes. Linda did an admirable job.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Jenilee Harrisson, the 3's Company producers didn't even try when they were looking to replace Suzanne. Jenilee wasn't funny, or cute, or anything. No wonder she was replaced after 1 or 2 seasons.
ReplyDeleteIs that a NOSE RING on the album cover?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Keith.
ReplyDeleteWhen Diana (my favorite of course) left, so did the producer and writer.
The show had a number of strikes going against right off the bat.
THEN the network moved it from its original 10:00 pm time to 8:00 and right up against "Laugh-In," the top show of its time.
Linda never had a chance.
Diana Rigg all the time baby.
ReplyDeletemerry Xmas !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Linda had nicer legs than Diana Riggs.
ReplyDeleteno other actress as sexy as linda thorson
DeleteI watched every episode of every series. Linda Thorson had to follow Diana Rigg in a show which was dying but she was gorgeous and did her job brilliantly. I wish she'd had the opportunity to build on that success.
ReplyDeleteno question about it from her spellbinding eyes to her perfect legs linda was special
ReplyDeleteThis sounds exactly like what happened to the character Tiffany on Charlie's Angels
ReplyDeleteshe just oozed sensuality
ReplyDelete