Company chairmen across the city are dropping dead, apparently through natural causes. Can Steed and Mrs Peel discover who is making a killing? "Dial a Deadly Number" is one of the most indelible episodes, one that could have been done with Cathy Gale, but works so much better with Emma Peel. The death of a high finance executive is wrongfully diagnosed as heart failure, when it is revealed that a pen-shaped beeper lodged in his breast pocket is responsible for killing him, courtesy of a mysterious electronics genius named Fitch (John Carson). While Emma follows Fitch's trail, Steed looks to invest with the banking house of Henry Boardman (Clifford Evans), leading to a vast array of suspicious characters, all of whom seem to have their share of secrets to hide. Steed gets to flirt with all the women in this one, including a pretty secretary (Tina Packer) discussing "round figures!" One of the series' most suspenseful sequences involves Fitch's attempt to eliminate Steed by replacing his pocket watch with one booby trapped to kill when he opens it. There is an undeniable level of added sexual tension when the diabolical Fitch unzips part of Emma's leather costume, and indulges in a bit of fondling before the camera cuts away to Steed's predicament (aware that his watch is a deadly weapon, Emma is helpless to warn him). Jan Holden, last seen in "The Undertakers," is in smoldering form as the conniving wife of Henry Boardman (even Steed is intrigued by her, to Emma's apparent annoyance), while Peter Bowles, returning from "Second Sight," is barely noticeable (he'd be back in form for "Escape in Time and "Get-A-Way!") Also back are Norman Chappell, last seen in "The Gilded Cage" (he would return for "Murdersville"), John Bailey, last seen in "Killer Whale" (he would return for "Killer"), and Gerald Sim, last seen in "The Wringer" (he would return for "The Rotters"). In the last of his three series appearances, John Carson enjoys his meatiest role, while Clifford Evans, star of Hammer's "The Curse of the Werewolf" (1961) and "The Kiss of the Vampire" (1962), is a standout in his first appearance, later to be seen in both "Death's Door" and "Whoever Shot Poor George Oblique Stroke XR40?" Two other newcomers would also return, Anthony Newlands in "Game," and Michael Trubshawe in "All Done with Mirrors." After a spate of apparently unrelated natural deaths involving city executives Steed and Mrs Peel start to investigate. At first there is no obvious motive; the shares in the dead men's companies all fell but there has been no attempt at a take-over. Then another motive appears; perhaps somebody is betting the shares will fall. As well as looking into the dead men's bankers they also look into a device the men owned; a beeper that alerted them when a number was called. Somebody has been tampering with the beepers and Steed and Mrs Peel's investigation is putting them in danger too.<br/><br/>This episode starts as an interesting mystery as we wonder who is behind the killings and why; we see a man switch the victim's beeper but initially don't know who is involved and who is likely to end up the next victim. Early on things are played fairly straight but they take a turn for the surreal when Steed is challenged to a wine tasting competition. Inevitably there are some fights and Steed is attacked by hoodlums on motorcycles; not that anybody will expect him to get hurt. There are some amusing moments too; Steed playing with his watch in front of people who believe it contains a bomb, they switched his watch but he realised. The shooting of the chief bad guy at the end using a champagne cork is a bit silly but the sort of fun fans of the series should expect. Overall a fun episode with a good balance of drama and humour.
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364 weeks ago