This was the only one of the series where I saw every episode. The Sci Fi channel ran them awhile back, alternating with STINGRAY, then dropped them. I was disappointed that they didn't run any of the other series, at least not since we got the Sci Fi channel. I was really hoping to see the Thunderbirds; I've heard so much about them.

CAPTAIN SCARLET, I understand was the first (and unfortunately, the last) Supermarionation series where they were able to eliminate the "Big head" syndrome, as a result of advanced techniques. I also understand that the major characters were designed to resemble the actors that gave them voice. The detail was amazing. If you saw a still from the series, and squinted a little, it was hard to tell that they were puppets. It's a shame that the show didn't run longer.

However, the show did have its nits, and the major one was a lack of continuity. In the first place, Captains Scarlet and Brown were killed, then retrometabolized into Mysteron agents. Brown was then used as a living (?) bomb in an assasination attempt, eliminating the possiblity of resurrection. Captain Scarlet, on the other hand, fell to a second death, and afterwards mysteriously regained control over his mind, and went on to act as an indestructible agent for Spectrum.

How come none of the other people retrometabolized and then killed a second time ever resurrected like Scarlet did? No one ever questioned this.

Early on, it was discovered that high voltage electricity could kill retrometabolized (gad, that's a hard word to write over and over) people permanently. They promptly designed a sort of electrical rifle which was used once and only once. Then they went back to killing the RM people in usual ways, and had no problem with them.

Captain Scarlet had a mysterious sixth sense that allowed him to sense the presence of Mysteron activity and RM people close by, but it was a talent that came and went at random, sometimes within the same episode. I can't remember the title offhand, but in one episode Scarlet saved a man (plus himself and Captain Blue) by recognizing
that another person was an RM agent (another living bomb). Later in the show he was in a SPV with another RM just inches away, and didn't recognize the fact. The RM agent even said, gloating, "So where is your sixth sense now, Captain?"

I enjoyed the show, but I wouldn't really recommend it for children, considering that virtually every show has at least one death in it. In the show "Winged Assasin", in fact, the Mysterons wiped out an entire planeload of people, just so they could assasinate one man.

When I was a kid in the early 80's, I watched the compilation movies shown on Showtime. One of them concluded with the 'Attack on Cloudbase' episode. I was traumatized by what I saw. Everyone was dying. Everyone.

I knew, of course, that in war, there were casualties. In Star Wars Biggs, Porkins, Red Leader, Gold Leader, and the rest had to be blown away before Luke could destroy the Death Star. The death of the Angel pilot (either Harmony or Rhapsody) was acceptable in this context.

But then, the attack on Cloudbase occured, and the Mysterons were killing everyone. Even Captain Scarlet. Only Captain Blue and the Commander were left alive as Cloudbase began to plummet. By this time, I was in tears. I mean, sure, some of the good guys die in the process, but they're supposed to WIN! They're not supposed to be slaughtered! While I sat in front of the screen, my eyes filled with tears, the Mysterons made a speech as scenes from Cloudbase's destruction rewound. Then, one of the other angels who'd been last seen stranded in the desert woke up -- apparently, the destruction of Cloudbase was a dream (which may or may not have been created by the Mysterons -- I was too busy crying to pay attention to what they were saying). I felt both relieved and cheated by this resolution -- relieved that the good guys hadn't been slaughtered after all, but cheated because I went through all that anguish over an extended dream sequence.

Keep in mind that I was only well, about 10 or 11 at the time. My mother then had a talk with me about it, saying that tragedy sometimes occurs even in G-rated films, and mentioned Bambi's mother being shot. In any case, I'd certainly not recommend the 'Attack on Cloudbase' episode or the compilation movie featuring it to young children. Considering how upset I was over it when I saw it as a kid, I can only imagine how other youngsters might react.

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons is one of my favourite series. Great design, intelligent scripting and genuinely shocking violence. The first time I saw Captain Brown be used as a walking bomb, my jaw went slack. "Oh. My. God. This is a kid's program. They can't do that!"
But they could. And they did it over and over again. There was that episode, I think, called "Lunarville 7", where it ends with the Mysteron-controlled commander of a lunar colony shooting the facia of the base computer. And the machine explodes, graphically peppering the puppet with shrards of flying glass before the main blast hits him. Nasty.
It was gritty, and quite depressing a lot of the time. But I loved it.

"Attack on Cloudbase" should have been the last episode of Captain Scarlet - and it shouldn't have been a dream! I had tears in my eyes during it...it was very well done though - you almost thought they were real people - especially where Colonel White is looking at some medals as Cloudbase plummets... And Captain Black's cameo appearance in the Cloudbase Sick Bay is plain spooky. It got me a little sad...but I think it's no worse than in things like Bambi - the "it was all a dream" and the fact we see everyone alive and well at the end certainly negates any bad feelings.
However, I feel that the series should have been tied up with one side winning, although it was a bit morbid, other than Rhapsody Angel's aircraft being blasted sky high all the others were killed off by an explosion sound and a lot of brown smoke...nothing too bad compared to some of the other stuff.
"Attack" is an episode which sums up the Captain Scarlet theme...it was a series for older viewers and the themes a far cry from the life-saving stories in "Thunderbirds".
I like Scarlet, but I think it's 100% serious nature spoils things for me...Thunderbirds was the best balance between seriousness and light-heartedness that was predominant in Stingray.

I presume the production team decided to leave the series open ended in case more episodes were commissioned. The comics I think had an ending.

I've just realised how violent the end titles are! There's no way Scarlet can escape becoming splatter on the pavement when he falls from the top of the building, or being eaten by the sharks, or being exploded, or even being run over with a tank!

Although I think Scarlet once survived an atomic explosion (in one of the mini-albums). All the above are nothing compared to that.

Yes, but the end titles are very violent for a kiddie TV series. I think a death in an atomic explosion is quicker and less painful than being crushed slowly by a tank.

Which episodes have the vocal version of the theme tune? The Fanderson CD has just the instrumental one which was used on some, but not all episodes. Did anyone consider combining the 2 to produce a single length verson.

I have toyed with the idea.........

EPS WITH VOCALS:

The Trap
The Inquisition
Attack on Cloudbase
Expo 2068
Inferno
Lunarville 7
Model Spy
Dangerous Rendezvous
Special Assignment
Place of Angels
Noose of Ice
Crater 101
Traitor
Flight 104
Codename Europa
FLight to Atlantica
Treble Cross

In short KZ the last 18 in production order

What about The Launching? In the Complete Book it says Fire at Rig 15 (#14) was the last episode to have the instrumental theme but Lunarville 7 (#16) was the first to have the vocal theme. Which one did The Launching (#15) have?

the vocals

Yup, sorry about the ep order and missing The Launching!

I still like this series. Not yet seen anyone mention the nit that's in EVERY episode.

In the opening scene, Captain Scarlet is hit by machine gunfire and is unharmed. Every other time he gets shot he is injured or dies, and then recovers...

I don't think he even gets hit by the machine-gun fire actually....

Scarlet's reaction to getting shot tends to vary from episode to episode - e.g. in Place of Angels he is shot in the chest but is unaffected but in others e.g. The Mysterons and Point 783 he dies almost immediately.

Episode clips seen in the Japanese Opening titles (yes, I was bored):

The Inquisition
The Launching
Expo 2068
The Mysterons
Crater 101
Treble Cross
Special Assignment
Winged Assassin

Paul, you're right about his reaction varying from episode to episode.

I rewatched the opening sequence. Maybe the machine gun misses (thought I doubt it). Maybe they just don't bother to show the bullet holes on Scarlet's chest (or thought it was too violent to show them). A third possibility - it almost looks as if the bullets are bouncing off him! I don't recall that ever happening in an episode.

Aren't the Japanese opening titles awful (I mean kids singing....What the Hell is going on?) It doesn't fit in with something that is dark and scary and violent like Captain Scarlet.

WHy no subtitles on the DVD release, or perhaps a translator?

And who does the voice of the Mysteron in the opening credits? It sounds like Francis Matthews to me.

Opening Credits?
Do you mean the second opening credits where The Mysterons announce their threat?
If you do than the voice of the Mysterons is Donald Gray.
Or do you mean the Mysteron voice in the S.I.G documentary?
If you do than I have no idea.

No, I mean the voice of the Mysteron in the opening credits, as in the first bit of every ep, with the Mysteron wandering down and getting blasted by Scarlet.

pow pow pow pow POW!

Bang!

URGH!

Stagger stagger collapse.

BOM BOM BOM BOM BOM BOM BOM

And the SIG Mysterons guy is listed on the end credits.

I think he means who voices the ERGH by the person trying to shoot Captain Scarlet in that opening sequence :D

Off To My Playground I Go

SSS

Jeremy Wilkin?
I really don't know

Well as far as i can tell it does sound a bit like a francis matthews ERGH

SSS

You're right, it's the same sound as in The Mysterons when Blue shot Scarlet on the Car-Vu.