The BEST episodes written by Dennis Spooner

#1 - Please Don't Feed the Animals

The Avengers - Season 1 - Episode 11

Steed trails a blackmailed civil servant to Brinkley House, a private zoo, only to observe the man throwing a package of money into the reptile pit. The package soon vanishes. The man is then ordered to steal a top secret file.

#2 - Faces

The New Avengers - Season 1 - Episode 9

A bizarre series of deaths of high-ups in the government becomes the business of Steed and his colleagues when a personal friend of his becomes one of the deceased. However, due to suspicion from the delicate nature of the case...apparently people are being duplicated by an unscrupulous firm...Steed, Purdey, and Gambit all go off on their own and make individual progress into the case. However, it seems that the situation is too far-reaching and confusing for each alone. They must work together and figure out quickly, who's who and what's what, before they themselves become the next targets.

#3 - Cry Wolf

Thunderbirds - Season 1 - Episode 18

Scott Tracy is off to Australia to save a young boy that has fallen over the side of a cliff and is now trapped on a ledge, his leg broken. By the time Tracy has landed, however, the boy has made a miraculous recovery and is back on firm ground, and he's talking with another boy that just so happens to be outfitted in International Rescue garb. It quickly dawns upon our hero that the boys were merely playing, and the curmudgeonly Scott scolds both them and their father for drawing International Rescue away from what could have been a real emergency elsewhere. Who would have guessed that he'd be so uptight, especially since the boys didn't do it on purpose? Just as he seems bound to lose the adoration of fans worldwide with his nasty demeanor, Scott reverts back to his usual mellow self and invites the boys to join him on Tracy Island. His plan is to demonstrate how important it is that his family's organization remain free of false alarms, and it seems to have worked. Unfortunately, th

#4 - Target!

The New Avengers - Season 1 - Episode 6

In an attempt to break Steed's perfect shooting-range record, Purdey tackles the range with all her grace and skill. However, it's not enough as she misses one tiny percentage and gets hit with a mark. But other agents begin to die who have performed similarly, and Steed and Gambit start putting the clues together and find that they must work fast to save their friend and colleague before she succumbs to a nasty poison.

#5 - Three Handed Game

The New Avengers - Season 1 - Episode 13

Steed's plan to have 3 memory experts memorise a third of each of the Allied defence plans for courier purposes seems to have been a perfect success until Juvenator arrives with a machine capable of draining minds.

#6 - Day of Disaster

Thunderbirds - Season 1 - Episode 6

Despite pounding rain and gale force wind, Allington Bridge, swaying back and forth, seems to be holding up in the face of a violent storm. When the storm finally dies down, work crews are dispatched to investigate any potential damage. All tests prove negative, but one cautious supervisor would like to run more. His boss, however, feeling pressure to reopen the bridge, rejects the idea. In order to reach its launch site, a spacecraft bound for Mars must first cross the bridge, or risk having to wait four more years before another takeoff is possible. Allington Bridge is indeed opened to the Martian space probe, but its crushing weight is too much and, one by one, its steel cables begin to snap and unravel. The probe, along with two astronauts aboard, plummets to the water below, where its buried beneath mangled girders and its automatic countdown is activated. Luckily, Brains has traveled to England to observe the launch. He and Lady Penelope speed off to the scene of the accident, bu

#7 - End of the Road

Thunderbirds - Season 1 - Episode 9

Only days away from monsoon season, Eddie Houseman's construction company is racing against time to complete a mountain road and fulfill a contract. With the end seemingly in sight, Eddie sets off on a long-overdue vacation, to look up an old friend. When that friend happens to be Tin Tin, however, it's Alan Tracy who's left out in the cold -- and mocked by his older brothers for good measure -- while the two lovebirds jet set around the island. When Eddie stands up Tin Tin after receiving an urgent message from his company, Alan thinks his troubles are over, until he said the wrong things to tin-tin which causes the object of their affections to promptly storm off. Meanwhile, Eddie receives the disturbing news that seismic activity in the mountains, combined with heavy rains, threatens to halt the entire project. Seeing his future crumbling before his eyes, Eddie sneaks off against his senior partner's wishes to detonate atomic charges on the mountaintop, in hopes of forcing destructi

#8 - Vault of Death

Thunderbirds - Season 1 - Episode 13

Lord Sulton, an offical with the Bank of London, has enlisted Lady P and her trusted Servant Parker to help orve that their safe needs to be modernized. Though a reformed safecracker, Parker's skill is virtually unmatched and breaking in was no problem. The bank's board of directors acts quickly to install an up-to-date vault, one that removes all of its air to better perserve the documents inside. AFter Lord Sulton leaves (with the only key) for an evening at Lady P's mansion, the remaining employees relaize that the bank workaholic has been looked in the safe, with only a few hours of air left! An emergency call from the bank interrupts Lady Penelope's and Lord's Sulton's dinner. Unfortunately Parker, who had just read that his former cellmate is on the loose! He assumed that it was a robbery that prompted the call and tries to stall for time. Will the employee suffocate before the confusion is cleared up? Parker, assuming the distress call to Lord Sultan was for a robbery cou

#9 - Cat Amongst the Pigeons

The New Avengers - Season 1 - Episode 5

The warning of a dying man tips Steed off that ecologist Rydercroft is to be killed at noon. All plans are taken to protect the man's aircraft but it still crashes. Soon the Avengers come up against a new breed of enemy.

#10 - The Interrogation

The Champions - Season 1 - Episode 18

Craig Stirling awakes to find himself imprisoned, and brutally questioned..... Why is Tremayne unconcerned?

#11 - The Imposters

Thunderbirds - Season 1 - Episode 16

International Rescue is in the middle of saving yet another life in danger, but what makes this mission different is the large crowd that's witnessing the feat. Reporters are also on the scene, and are able to snap the first-ever photos of the team in action. Other than International Rescue's usual camera shyness, there's only one problem: Each member was already at home on Tracy Island, awaiting the next mission. Though confused as to why someone would steal their identities, they try not to think too much about it, especially since a life was saved. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that the whole thing was a ruse to steal plans for a fighter capable of light speed, and the real International Rescue has been blamed, memories of their heroism a thing of the past. With a worldwide manhunt under way to locate their base, the group is powerless to act, regardless of who needs assistance. Will they be able to clear their name without revealing their true identities or location? And wh

#12 - Rescue from the Skies

Stingray - Season 1 - Episode 15

Lt. Fisher takes command of Stingray in his training to become an Aquanaut. The exercise involves target practice on a Terror Fish target but X20 has attached a sticker bomb to one of the targets and one to Stingray's hull. Troy is air-dropped into the sea in an attempt to remove the bomb from Stingray's hull before it explodes.

#13 - The Golden Sea

Stingray - Season 1 - Episode 36

Professor Darren has developed a way to make gold from minerals on the sea bed. Agent X 2 Zero spies on the first test run & reports to Titan. Titan wants to destroy the Prof.'s Bathyscape & Stingray in one go when Stingray calls to collect the gold & deliver supplies to the Professor. Troy manages to save the mining operation & outsmart Titan once again.!

#14 - Sea of Oil

Stingray - Season 1 - Episode 33

Atlanta is captured by an undersea race when Stingray investigates the collapse of an oil drilling rig. She discovers that the creatures only attacked the rig out of self-defence, believing that their home was under attack. Unfortunately, a bomb has been planted aboard Stingray that will explode when the ship dives. Atlanta makes a desperate effort to contact Stingray but, fortunately, Marina's pet seal, Oink, discovers the bomb and pushes it off in time

#15 - Look- (stop me if you've heard this one) But There Were These Two Fellers...

The Avengers - Season 6 - Episode 11

The directors of the Capital Land and Development Company are being murdered and the only clues Steed and Tara have are a massive footprint and a red nose.

#16 - The Daleks' Master Plan: The Destruction of Time (12)

Doctor Who - Season 3 - Episode 21

#17 - Medium Rare

The New Avengers - Season 2 - Episode 3

Mason is the paymaster to a group of informants, but all is not what it seems: the informants are a single man. When Mason suspects this, he is murdered by Wallace, who has been lining his own pockets. Steed begins to investigate, and Wallace decides that the only option left is to frame Steed and kill him.

#18 - Destruction

UFO - Season 1 - Episode 9

A Naval vessel shoots down a UFO in the Atlantic, but the Admiralty rejects further investigation into the incident. Straker suspects a cover up and wants to know why, so Foster courts Admiral Sheringham's secretary, Sarah Bosanquet. What they discover could mean the end of all life on Earth.

#19 - The Reign of Terror: A Land of Fear (1)

Doctor Who - Season 1 - Episode 37

When the Doctor attempts to return Ian and Barbara to their own time, the TARDIS actually lands in 18th-century France during the French Revolution.

#20 - Late For a Funeral

Bergerac - Season 1 - Episode 8

Jim investigates the murder of a diver that is tied to the discovery of a downed Nazi pilot and his plane off the Jersey shore.

#21 - The Time Meddler: Checkmate (4)

Doctor Who - Season 2 - Episode 39

#22 - The Beginning

The Champions - Season 1 - Episode 1

Nemesis agents Craig Sterling, Richard Barrett and Sharron Macready crash-land in Tibet after stealing bacteriological material from the Chinese. Rescued by an unknown Tibetan tribe who give them special powers, they must use them to escape the pursuing Chinese.

#23 - The Search

The Champions - Season 1 - Episode 14

After stealing an atomic submarine, loaded with four nuclear weapons, a neo Nazi regime holds London hostage. The Champions are now in a race against time to stop these villains.

#24 - The Romans: The Slave Traders (1)

Doctor Who - Season 2 - Episode 12

After relaxing at a Roman villa the Doctor is mistaken for a murdered lyre player and targeted by an assassin. Meanwhile, Ian and Barbara are captured by slave traders.

#25 - The Romans: All Roads Lead to Rome (2)

Doctor Who - Season 2 - Episode 13

Barbara is sold as a slave and Ian is to be trained as a gladiator. The Doctor and Vicki arrive at the Emperor's court with the Doctor still masquerading as Maximus Pettulian.

#26 - The Time Meddler: The Watcher (1)

Doctor Who - Season 2 - Episode 36

#27 - The Time Meddler: A Battle of Wits (3)

Doctor Who - Season 2 - Episode 38

#28 - The Romans: Inferno (4)

Doctor Who - Season 2 - Episode 15

Inspired by the Doctor, Nero sets Rome ablaze. Ian must fight his way out of the arena and rescue Barbara. The Doctor and Vicki hurry to flee the city and escape to the TARDIS.

#29 - Split!

The Avengers - Season 6 - Episode 5

When an agent at the Ministry of Top-Secret Information is murdered, Steed and Tara have little difficulty in locating the man responsible. But when a handwriting test indicates that he is Boris Kartovski, someone Steed thought he had killed in Berlin 5 years before, our heroes find themselves drawn into the dangerous experiments of Dr. Constantine.

#30 - The Gun-Runners

The Champions - Season 1 - Episode 29

The Champions have to stop a ruthless gang of gun-runners in the Burmese jungle.

#31 - The Time Meddler: The Meddling Monk (2)

Doctor Who - Season 2 - Episode 37

#32 - Emily

The New Avengers - Season 2 - Episode 13

The trio are on the trail of a mysterious agent ""The Fox."" Although he escapes, he leaves a palm print on the roof of a car owned by the aged Miss Daly and the Avengers must preserve the print to make a positive ID on their target.

#33 - The Daleks' Master Plan: Coronas of the Sun (6)

Doctor Who - Season 3 - Episode 15

#34 - The Daleks' Master Plan: The Abandoned Planet (11)

Doctor Who - Season 3 - Episode 20

#35 - The Daleks' Master Plan: Golden Death (9)

Doctor Who - Season 3 - Episode 18

#36 - Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie

Bergerac - Season 2 - Episode 3

Lil's ex-husband, a journalist, returns to Jersey on the trail of a big story he believes will embarrass Charlie Hungerford, who's running for a position in the House of Deputies.

#37 - Gnaws

The New Avengers - Season 1 - Episode 10

2 scientists are developing a new growth drug which could end world famine. Unfortunately some of the drug has been flushed down the sink resulting in something nasty in the sewers.

#38 - Portrait of Yesterday

Bergerac - Season 1 - Episode 6

The prominent society wedding of her stepdaughter brings back a dark secret from a woman's past.

#39 - The Daleks' Master Plan: Escape Switch (10)

Doctor Who - Season 3 - Episode 19

#40 - The Daleks' Master Plan: Volcano (8)

Doctor Who - Season 3 - Episode 17

#41 - The Romans: Conspiracy (3)

Doctor Who - Season 2 - Episode 14

Poppaea plans to poison Barbara who has become the object of Nero's affections. The Doctor is to be thrown to the lions and Ian and Delos are set against each other in the arena.

#42 - The Reign of Terror: Prisoners of Conciergerie (6)

Doctor Who - Season 1 - Episode 42

The Doctor leads Lemaitre to the royalist house where Lemaitre reveals that he is in fact the English spy, James Sterling.

#43 - Girl on the Trapeze

The Avengers - Season 1 - Episode 6

Keel, reviving a young woman who has jumped into the Thames, is led to the Radeck State Circus, where the trapeze girl is guarded, her face covered by bandages because of an accident. The 'trapeze girl'proves to be the daughter of a defecting scientist, who will be used to force her father to return home. When Keel discovers this, he and Carol are captured by Zibbo the Clown, who will shoot Carol if the police investigation is not called off.

#44 - The Reign of Terror: A Change of Identity (3)

Doctor Who - Season 1 - Episode 39

Barbara and Susan are saved from the guillotine by two royalists, Jules and Jean, but Susan has fallen ill. At the prison, a stroke of luck provides Ian with a chance to escape.

#45 - The Invaders

Stingray - Season 1 - Episode 29

The Stingray crew is captured when aliens set up a trap at a weather station. During what appears routine questioning, they unsuspectingly give away vital secrets about Marineville. While Stingray is on patrol, the base is attacked from below. The Invaders are unaware that Troy is aware of the invasion and they are taken by surprise when Stingray comes to the rescue.

#46 - Count Down

Stingray - Season 1 - Episode 32

As part of his plan to destroy Marineville, Surface Agent X20 infiltrates the base by posing as a professor who can teach mute people to speak. Then, unknowingly, Troy and Phones place Marina in his hands.

#47 - In Search of the Tajmanon

Stingray - Season 1 - Episode 11

The Stingray crew aid Professor Graham in his search for the missing temple of Tajmanon which was submerged when a dam was built in Africa. They encounter incredible dangers until they meet with El Hamra, an old colleague of Graham's who tells them that the temple was moved stone by stone to dry land.

#48 - The Reign of Terror: Guests of Madame Guillotine (2)

Doctor Who - Season 1 - Episode 38

In Paris, Ian, Barbara and Susan are sentenced to death under the blade of the guillotine. Having escaped the burning farmhouse, the Doctor is on his way to rescue his friends.

#49 - A Christmas to Remember

Stingray - Season 1 - Episode 12

In an effort to brighten the Christmas of the orphaned son of an ex-WASP Aquanaut, Troy asks him to join the Stingray crew in the re-enactment of the battle when a mysterious enemy craft was abandoned. Unknown to anyone, a member of the crew is still aboard when Phones takes command. Held at gun point, Phones is forced to draw Troy into a trap but the Stingray captain manages to rescue his buddy and solve the mystery.

#50 - An Echo of Danger

Stingray - Season 1 - Episode 8

Phones is convinced that he is unfit for duty when X20's plan to discredit him nearly succeeds. Disguised as a psychiatrist. X20 further discredits Phones' claim that he really did hear the sounding that drew Stingray away from their escort patrol. It's Lt. Fisher who discovers X20's remote sounding device that clears Phones.