Emma Peel in color

The color season with Emma Peel is the one most often broadcast, shooting beginning in September 1966, concluding one year later. About the only difference between both seasons is a lighter touch and more superstar power, with Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing as guest villains. Another difference was replacing the boring leather outfits of previous seasons with an array of one piece creations dubbed 'Emmapeelers,' far less provocative than Diana Rigg's costumes of the year before. Emma Peel used a variety of techniques to defeat her opponents, and by the conclusion of her 52 episode run, the longest of any of Steed's partners, her goodbye is filled with the kind of emotion that no other character received. Perhaps if she had stayed for a further season, there might have been a dropoff, so like Honor Blackman before her, she also chose to leave the show before the character became stale. Tara King would pick up the slack quite nicely, but Emma would be missed.

"I take pleasure in great beauty" - James Bond