Toonhound - Captain Scarlet (1967)

      "Spectrum is green!"

    Dateline: 2068ad. World security is in the hands of Spectrum. Operating out of
    Cloudbase, high in the atmosphere above the Earth, Colonel White's agents
    patrol the planet and the solar system, defending our planet from attack. But one
    of Spectrum's agents on Mars, Captain Black, has a run in with an unseen alien
    species, known only as the Mysterons. When he destroys their Martian base,
    Captain Black is ensnared by these deadly foes who are bent on retaliation.
    They now seek the slow and painful destruction of Mankind, through terrorism and
    manipulation and they aim to use Black as their conduit. With his assistance
    various agents and personnel are targeted and killed. The fallen are then
    mysteriously recreated as agents for the Mysterons...

    Captain Black's first encounter with the enemy is visualized in the pilot episode,
    "The Mysterons". That same story shows how Captains Scarlet and Brown become
    ensnared by the Mysterons as well, and how the World President is abducted
    by our hero. In a hair-raising climax atop the London Car-Vu, the president is
    rescued, and Captain Scarlet plunges to his apparent death... Only, he makes
    a complete recovery, free of Mysteron control, and is henceforth pronounced
    indestructible!

    Gun shots, explosions, and horrific spills only harm Scarlet temporarily. It's a
    fortunate turn of events and it means that maybe, just maybe, the world can keep
    the Mysterons from their goal...

      Spectrum logo

    Captain scarlet is regularly teamed with Captain Blue, and the two drive into
    action within an SPV - Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle. This tank-like silver-blue cruiser,
    is well-armed and defended and, unusually, is set up so that drivers are
    seated in reverse and view their progress via videoscreen. Spectrum maintains
    a fleet of SPVs, hidden at various locations around the world.

    When nippier transport is required, the bright red SSC - Spectrum Saloon Car - is
    employed. A Spectrum Helicopter is handy for flights, and the MSV - Maximum
    Security Vehicle - is well protected and equipped for transporting presidents,
    scientists and other vulnerable VIPs.

    Spectrum's agents include not only other captains, but also a selection of
    female pilots, referred to as Angels. Destiny, Symphony, Rhapsody, Melody
    and Harmony take to the skies in nifty Angel Interceptors to provide robust
    air support for the agents on the ground.

    As for the enemy, well, they are heard but never actually seen. The only hint of
    their presence is their signature symbol: two glowing green circles of light
    which pass over their victims, just prior to their reconstruction.

    With its fabulous theme, ominous intro, and fabulous sense of modern design,
    it's another Home Run here for Gerry Anderson's production team. But unlike
    previous shows there's an extra dose of realism about the events depicted.
    Heck, people actually perish here, and a sense of threat hangs over every
    episode. The series was conceived at the height of the Cold War with those
    ever-present fears of subterfuge and attack swirling around the world. Time has
    made those same themes even more pertinent today, with the war against
    terrorism at the forefront of our daily news. Indeed, the series had the misfortune
    to commence a freshly remastered transmission on BBC2 in the weeks
    proceeding 9/11 and episodes were subsequently dropped from the schedule
    to avoid offence.

    Back in 2000, Gerry Anderson produced four minutes of brand-new "Captain
    Scarlet" footage filmed with CGI, sans puppets. "Captain Scarlet and the Return
    of the Mysterons" utilized original cast voices, and brought the concept slap
    bang up to date for modern audiences. The positive results lead to the
    development of a FABulous new series...

    Supermarionation is go!

    "Captain Scarlet" marked a significant turning point in the history of
    Supermarionation. Previous shows like Thunderbirds and Stingray had been
    forced to use slightly caracature, oversize puppet heads for their stars so
    as to allow space for the various head controls of the figures. If those puppets
    had been scaled up to match their head sizes, costs would have escalated
    greatly and the puppeteers would have struggled with such unwieldy creations.
    For Scarlet, the puppet team developed a technique for putting the necessary
    mechanisms in the chest of their characters, thus allowing the head size to
    be scaled down to a more proportional size.

    Revamp puppets were another series innovation. These were an array of
    secondary character puppets used to fill the additional roles in each episode.
    Previous shows had used revamps created using temporary Plasticene heads,
    which had little longevity. Now the revamps were given heads constructed to
    the same standards as the originals allowing the team to dip into a repertory
    of characters, as and when required.

    In a twist on this notion, many of the "Captain Scarlet" puppets went on to be
    revamped themselves. Most noticeably, Colonel White was revamped as
    two different characters in The Secret Service and Scarlet himself turned
    up in the same show, as BISHOP agent Blake!

    In the news

    The Hound: Nov/Dec 2005
    CGI Scarlet gets short shrift...

    The Hound: February 2005
    CGI Captain Scarlet is FAB...

    The Hound: August 2003
    Captain Scarlet comic books from Misc! Mayhem...

    The Hound: April 2003
    Funding sought for Scarlet series...

    The Hound: October 2002
    Anderson hints at a Scarlet movie?...

    The Hound: October 2001
    Scarlet pulled after 9/11...

    Spectrum Agents

    Captain Scarlet                                 Destiny Angel
    real name: Paul Metcalfe                       real name: Juliette Pontoin
    nationality: English                                nationality: French

    Captain Blue                                      Symphony Angel
    real name: Adam Svenson                     real name: Karen Wainwright
    nationality: American                             nationality: American

    Captain Black                                    Rhapsody Angel
    real name: Conrad Turner                      real name: Dianne Simms
    nationality: English                               nationality: English

    Colonel White                                    Melody Angel
    real name: Charles gray                        real name: Magnolia Jones
    nationality: English                               nationality: American

    Lieutenant Green                             Harmony Angel
    real name: Seymour Griffiths                 real name: Chan Kwan
    nationality: Trinidain                             nationality: Japanese

    Captain Ochre
    real name: Richard Fraser
    nationality: American                           Other Agents

    Captain Gray                                    Captain Brown
    real name: Bradley Holden                   (appears in episodes 1, 2)
    nationality: American
                                                                Captain Indigo
    Captain Magenta                             (appears in episode 10)
    real name: Patrick Donaghue
    nationality: Irish

    Dr. Fawn
    real name: Edward Wilkie
    nationality: Australian

    Captain Scarlet episodes

    1. The Mysterons                        17. Traitor
    2. Winged Assassin                   18. Model Spy
    3. Big Ben Strikes Again               19. Fire At Rig 15
    4. Manhunt                                   20. Flight To Atlantica
    5. Point 783                                 21. Crater 101
    6. Operation Time                       22. Dangerous Rendezvous
    7. Renegade Rocket                   23. Noose Of Ice
    8. White As Snow                         24. Treble Cross
    9. Seek And Destroy                     25. Inferno
    10. Spectrum Strikes Back           26. Flight 104
    11. Avalanche                               27. Place Of Angels
    12. Shadow Of Fear                      28. Expo 2068
    13. The Trap                                  29. The Launching
    14. Special Assignment               30. Codename Europa
    15. Lunarville 7                               31. Attack On Cloudbase
    16. The Heart Of New York          32. The Inquisition

     Further reading

     "The Complete Book of Captain Scarlet"
     by Chris Bentley (Carlton Books 2001)

     "The Complete Gerry Anderson"
     by Chris Bentley (Reynolds & Hearn 2003)

     "Supermarionation Cross-sections"
      by Graham Bleathman (Carlton Books 2001)

     Captain Scarlet on DVD

     Captain Scarlet single discs & box sets
                In the UK Carlton Intl have released all of the original Scarlet
                episodes on DVD, as a series of discs, and as a complete
                box-set, with plenty of extras and additions for fans...

     Captain Scarlet box-set
                In the USA, A&E Home Video released this 4-disc set
                in June 2002...

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				Captain Scarlet (1967) producers: AP Films for ITC Worldwide puppets: Supermarionation / string and radio-controlled puppets episodes: 32 x 30mins
		"Spectrum is green!" Dateline: 2068ad. World security is in the hands of Spectrum. Operating out of Cloudbase, high in the atmosphere above the Earth, Colonel White's agents patrol the planet and the solar system, defending our planet from attack. But one of Spectrum's agents on Mars, Captain Black, has a run in with an unseen alien species, known only as the Mysterons. When he destroys their Martian base, Captain Black is ensnared by these deadly foes who are bent on retaliation. They now seek the slow and painful destruction of Mankind, through terrorism and manipulation and they aim to use Black as their conduit. With his assistance various agents and personnel are targeted and killed. The fallen are then mysteriously recreated as agents for the Mysterons... Captain Black's first encounter with the enemy is visualized in the pilot episode, "The Mysterons". That same story shows how Captains Scarlet and Brown become ensnared by the Mysterons as well, and how the World President is abducted by our hero. In a hair-raising climax atop the London Car-Vu, the president is rescued, and Captain Scarlet plunges to his apparent death... Only, he makes a complete recovery, free of Mysteron control, and is henceforth pronounced indestructible! Gun shots, explosions, and horrific spills only harm Scarlet temporarily. It's a fortunate turn of events and it means that maybe, just maybe, the world can keep the Mysterons from their goal... Captain scarlet is regularly teamed with Captain Blue, and the two drive into action within an SPV - Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle. This tank-like silver-blue cruiser, is well-armed and defended and, unusually, is set up so that drivers are seated in reverse and view their progress via videoscreen. Spectrum maintains a fleet of SPVs, hidden at various locations around the world. When nippier transport is required, the bright red SSC - Spectrum Saloon Car - is employed. A Spectrum Helicopter is handy for flights, and the MSV - Maximum Security Vehicle - is well protected and equipped for transporting presidents, scientists and other vulnerable VIPs. Spectrum's agents include not only other captains, but also a selection of female pilots, referred to as Angels. Destiny, Symphony, Rhapsody, Melody and Harmony take to the skies in nifty Angel Interceptors to provide robust air support for the agents on the ground. As for the enemy, well, they are heard but never actually seen. The only hint of their presence is their signature symbol: two glowing green circles of light which pass over their victims, just prior to their reconstruction. With its fabulous theme, ominous intro, and fabulous sense of modern design, it's another Home Run here for Gerry Anderson's production team. But unlike previous shows there's an extra dose of realism about the events depicted. Heck, people actually perish here, and a sense of threat hangs over every episode. The series was conceived at the height of the Cold War with those ever-present fears of subterfuge and attack swirling around the world. Time has made those same themes even more pertinent today, with the war against terrorism at the forefront of our daily news. Indeed, the series had the misfortune to commence a freshly remastered transmission on BBC2 in the weeks proceeding 9/11 and episodes were subsequently dropped from the schedule to avoid offence. Back in 2000, Gerry Anderson produced four minutes of brand-new "Captain Scarlet" footage filmed with CGI, sans puppets. "Captain Scarlet and the Return of the Mysterons" utilized original cast voices, and brought the concept slap bang up to date for modern audiences. The positive results lead to the development of a FABulous new series... Supermarionation is go! "Captain Scarlet" marked a significant turning point in the history of Supermarionation. Previous shows like Thunderbirds and Stingray had been forced to use slightly caracature, oversize puppet heads for their stars so as to allow space for the various head controls of the figures. If those puppets had been scaled up to match their head sizes, costs would have escalated greatly and the puppeteers would have struggled with such unwieldy creations. For Scarlet, the puppet team developed a technique for putting the necessary mechanisms in the chest of their characters, thus allowing the head size to be scaled down to a more proportional size. Revamp puppets were another series innovation. These were an array of secondary character puppets used to fill the additional roles in each episode. Previous shows had used revamps created using temporary Plasticene heads, which had little longevity. Now the revamps were given heads constructed to the same standards as the originals allowing the team to dip into a repertory of characters, as and when required. In a twist on this notion, many of the "Captain Scarlet" puppets went on to be revamped themselves. Most noticeably, Colonel White was revamped as two different characters in The Secret Service and Scarlet himself turned up in the same show, as BISHOP agent Blake! In the news The Hound: Nov/Dec 2005 CGI Scarlet gets short shrift... The Hound: February 2005 CGI Captain Scarlet is FAB... The Hound: August 2003 Captain Scarlet comic books from Misc! Mayhem... The Hound: April 2003 Funding sought for Scarlet series... The Hound: October 2002 Anderson hints at a Scarlet movie?... The Hound: October 2001 Scarlet pulled after 9/11... Spectrum Agents Captain Scarlet Destiny Angel real name: Paul Metcalfe real name: Juliette Pontoin nationality: English nationality: French Captain Blue Symphony Angel real name: Adam Svenson real name: Karen Wainwright nationality: American nationality: American Captain Black Rhapsody Angel real name: Conrad Turner real name: Dianne Simms nationality: English nationality: English Colonel White Melody Angel real name: Charles gray real name: Magnolia Jones nationality: English nationality: American Lieutenant Green Harmony Angel real name: Seymour Griffiths real name: Chan Kwan nationality: Trinidain nationality: Japanese Captain Ochre real name: Richard Fraser nationality: American Other Agents Captain Gray Captain Brown real name: Bradley Holden (appears in episodes 1, 2) nationality: American Captain Indigo Captain Magenta (appears in episode 10) real name: Patrick Donaghue nationality: Irish Dr. Fawn real name: Edward Wilkie nationality: Australian Captain Scarlet episodes 1. The Mysterons 17. Traitor 2. Winged Assassin 18. Model Spy 3. Big Ben Strikes Again 19. Fire At Rig 15 4. Manhunt 20. Flight To Atlantica 5. Point 783 21. Crater 101 6. Operation Time 22. Dangerous Rendezvous 7. Renegade Rocket 23. Noose Of Ice 8. White As Snow 24. Treble Cross 9. Seek And Destroy 25. Inferno 10. Spectrum Strikes Back 26. Flight 104 11. Avalanche 27. Place Of Angels 12. Shadow Of Fear 28. Expo 2068 13. The Trap 29. The Launching 14. Special Assignment 30. Codename Europa 15. Lunarville 7 31. Attack On Cloudbase 16. The Heart Of New York 32. The Inquisition Further reading "The Complete Book of Captain Scarlet" by Chris Bentley (Carlton Books 2001) "The Complete Gerry Anderson" by Chris Bentley (Reynolds & Hearn 2003) "Supermarionation Cross-sections" by Graham Bleathman (Carlton Books 2001) Captain Scarlet on DVD Captain Scarlet single discs & box sets In the UK Carlton Intl have released all of the original Scarlet episodes on DVD, as a series of discs, and as a complete box-set, with plenty of extras and additions for fans... Captain Scarlet box-set In the USA, A&E Home Video released this 4-disc set in June 2002...
			exec producer: producer: assoc prod: characters: writers: directors: lighting cam: visual fx lighting cam: camera ops: supervising art director: music: puppetry co-ordination: production man: asst director: puppetry supervision: operators: visual fx dir: art director: designers: sculpting sup: vis fx prod man: wardrobe: dialogue synch: sup editor: editor: sup sound ed: sound editor: music editor: dialogue ed: prop master: sound: vis fx 2nd unit: voices:		Gerry Anderson Reg Hill John Read created by Sylvia Anderson Gerry Anderson & Sylvia Anderson, Tony Barwick, Peter Curran & David Williams, Richard Conway & Stephen J. Mattick, Ralph Hart, Shane Rimmer, Alan Pattillo, Bill Hedley, Bryan Cooper, Leo Eaton, David Lee Desmond Saunders, David Lane, Brian Burgess, Alan Perry, Robert Lynn, Ken Turner, Leo Eaton Paddy Seale Bert Mason Alan McDonald, Nick Procopides Bob Bell Barry Gray Mary Turner Frank Hollands Peter Anderson Wanda Webb Judith Morgan, John Lane Jimmy Elliott Grenville Nott Keith Wilson, John Lague John Brown Harry Ledger Iris Richens James Cowan Len Walter Harry MacDonald John Peverill Peter Pennell George Randall Don Brill Arthur Cripps Anvil Films Ltd director - Peter Wragg lighting camera - Les Paul camera operator - Ted Cutlack electronic development - Jack Kemsley Francis Matthews (Captain Scarlet) Ed Bishop (Captain Blue) Donald Gray (Col White / Capt Black / The Mysterons) Cy Grant (Lieutenant Green) Liz Morgan (Destiny / Rhapsody / Harmony Angel) Janna Hill (Symphony Angel) Sylvia Anderson (Melody Angel) Lian Shin (Harmony Angel) Jeremy Wilkin (Capt Ochre / Capt Black - non-Mysteron) Paul Maxwell (Captain Grey) Gary Files (Capt Magenta / Capt Indigo) Charles Tingwell (Dr Fawn / Captain Brown)
		On the web Anthony Clark Anthony Clark's site covers all the series details - um - in detail... Trekker This Angelfire page introduces the series and characters before giving us a thorough episode guide. No whistles or bells, but it's perfect for reference-seekers... Dr Bob Dr Bob features just the one Scarlet' page, but it's a good one with pictures of the characters and equipment scanned from an aged magazine. They've got that nostalgic yellowed tint that whisks you back to a more innocent era. His Thunderbirds pages are even better, and more extensive... Fanderson Of course, for the ultimate Supermarionation fix you need to go to Fanderson, the Gerry Anderson Fan Club. This place brims with info on all GA and TV21 productions... index » previous » next »
© Carlton Intl / Gery Anderson / F2007