Purdey's character was originally called "Charlie", but this was changed when it was realized that there was a perfume with the same name. It is rumoured that Joanna Lumley suggested the name Purdey, after the most expensive and revered shotgun in the world. Purdey was never given a second name. Diana Rigg, co-star of the original Avengers, declined an invitation to appear on the new series. Instead, archive footage from the 1960s was used in one episode to allow Emma Peel to make ...[Read Story ]