The Avengers is a 1960s British television series in the Spy-Fi genre set in cold war Britain. The Avengers focused on John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and his succession of investigative partners working as government agents for the "Ministry". As the series evolved Steed's later partners were high profile, stylish women: Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman), followed by Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), and later Tara King (Linda Thorson). Later episodes increasingly incorporated elements of science fiction and fantasy, parody and British eccentricity..