UK Broadcasts

based on atv Midlands programming titles
as seen on screen unless otherwise noted

Andrew Pixley

with Michael Richardson & Alice Hendry

Supercar

• Titles from TV Times
• The order of Series 1 episodes was consistent for itv regions, with slight variations. The episode order for Series 2 was largely consistent.
• Although shot as two seasons, Supercar was usually run as one batch of 39 episodes from end-to-end, even on initial runs.
• The series premiered on atv in 1961 and ran continuously for about two years and through three complete screenings. Often the first episode, Rescue, was not re-run, as this served to introduce the characters and this could be confusing when seen the week after King Kool. Likewise False Alarm which introduces Masterspy and Zarin, was sometimes omitted from a repeat run.
• Supercar was shown in the uk as late as 1971/2 by some regions, despite being made in black & white.
• As with most film series, there is no continuation of plot from episode to episode, thus allowing the transmitting TV company great flexibility in how and when a series is shown. Since, after a pilot episode, the status quo never alters, episodes can be shown in any order without upsetting the viewer.

Fireball XL5

• The series began in the uk in December 1962, in some regions.
• The order of episodes was consistent for itv regions, with slight variations in the early ones.
• Although rumours abound that XL5 was made in two seasons (batches of 26 and 13, like Supercar), no evidence to support this claim exists.
• The series was usually run straight through in a batch of 39 episodes.
• Fireball XL5 was shown in the uk as late as 1971/2, again in black and white, prior to the 1985 re-runs in most itv regions.
• The pilot episode was untitled, though is acknowledged to be called Planet 46.
• The atv screening order makes sense. Planet 46 introduces the characters and the Subterrains, whilst the 2^nd episode (often shown fifth by itv regions), Spy in Space introduces space spies Boris & Griselda and should, therefore, precede their other outings such as Flying Zodiac and Space Pen.
• In Space Monster, Zoonie is not named and is referred to just as 'Lazoon'. Also, he talks in a slightly different voice, can imitate sounds and has a larger vocabulary than usual.
• Drama at Space City obviously follows directly after The Triads which, in turn, follows The Doomed Planet as catalogued in Steve Zodiac's diary seen in the Drama... episode.
• The Forbidden Planet features Earth Television broadcasting a Western in the form of a Four Feather Falls episode!
• In Prisoner on the Lost Planet was two seconds of stop-motion animation used for Steve getting off his jetmobile? It looks as though it could have...
• Zoonie seems to be introduced in The Doomed Planet, for the first time and is named in Plant Man From Space.
• In Hypnotic Sphere, when Lieutenant Ninety receives a reply from Robert he says "All I can get is a robot" as if his name is unknown. An early episode for sure.
• In Space City Special, Steve (Don Spencer) sings the "XL5" theme, backed by the XL5 crew (a variation of the standard closing title theme with piano backing). The episode end titles have an instrumental theme – heard also at the end of Space Magnet prior to the credits.

Stingray

• atv was one of the first regions to transmit the series.
• The order of episodes was consistent for itv regions, with the exception of the seasonal episode, A Christmas to Remember which was placed as near Christmas 1964 or 1965 as possible.
• The series was made as one season of 39 episodes which were run by itv regions through until the late 1970s, prior to one showing in/around 1981.
• The atv screening order was that adopted by all itv regions.
• The pilot episode was untitled, though it is acknowledged to be called either Stingray or Stingray is Launched.
• A Christmas to Remember, on at least some prints, is also untitled.
• Aquanaut of the Year has a one-off title over the final camera shot: This is Your Life idea by kind permission of Ralph Edwards.
• Some newspapers in the past have listed the first episode as The Pilot!!!
• The explosion on the opening credits is sometimes in colour, sometimes in black & white.
• Tom Thumb Tempest follows Hostages of the Deep as Gadus is invited to Titan's party and Troy reminds Marina about the former episode.
• Whilst continuity is largely maintained, the 33^rd in atv's order, Sea of Oil, introduces Oink the Seal, who has already been seen in previous episodes such as Treasure Down Below and as far back as Loch Ness Monster.
• Minor continuity points, such as Troy and Phones' frequent visits to the Isle of Lemoy, are waived in favour of the story. Although X20's house is owned by Phones' psychiatrist in An Echo of Danger, by an old man in Stand by for Action and is even used to house Duke Dexter in Titan Goes Pop, the wasp men never make a connection to lead them to X20.
• Star of the East introduces El Hudat, a character who returns in Eastern Eclipse with his twin brother. These two episodes must be seen in order.
• Another atv-order continuity 'mishap' is that Marina's father, Aphony, seems to be introduced in Plant of Doom which looks very much like the second episode made to follow the pilot; however, Aphony has already been seen in Tune of Danger.
• The final episode, Aquanaut of the Year, is the first of many stock footage 'revue' episodes to feature in Anderson series. Sequences from the pilot episode, Emergency Marineville, and Subterranean Sea are all on view, indicating that it must fall after these three episodes.

Thunderbirds

• atv was was one of the first regions to transmit the series.
• The order of episodes was consistent for itv regions, though some showed Series 1 episodes in two 30-minute slots either side of the News, or over two or three days. Series 2 was often preceded by a repeat of the pilot episode and, in some cases, followed or interspersed with Series 1 repeats. Series 2 transmission order started to become inconsistent in some itv regions with the episode Give Or Take a Million being shown as near to Christmas 1966 or 1967 as possible.
• The two series, made with the feature film Thunderbirds Are Go between them, are now fully integrated into a batch of 32 episodes.
• The pilot episode was untitled, though it is acknowledged to be called Trapped in the Sky. The same applies to The Perils of Penelope.
• The atv screening order is that adopted by most itv regions although, by 1966, transmission of film series was increasingly haphazard. This affected Series 2 and all itc series for many years to come.
• itv regions screened the series until the mid-1970s, with Yorkshire Television picking the show up in 1975 (they did not exist when itc originally sold the series in 1965) and screening a run of 26 episodes twice. Thunderbirds was shown once in/around 1981 by itv.
• The series has been shown in 60-minute slots, a 65-minute slot with a 10-minute News after half-an-hour, in two 30 or 25-minute slots over two consecutive days and even three 20-minute slots over three days.
• Continuity is maintained better than in Stingray. The Perils of Penelope and Terror in New York are obviously half-hour episodes bolstered to the full hour as each have two Directors. So is Trapped in the Sky of course, even though only one director is credited.
• Apart from Virgil's voice artist being different in Series 2, it is interesting to note Alan has a different voice in the pilot episode.
• Edge of Impact shows a robot standing in Brains' laboratory. This is later revealed to be Brayman in Sun Probe.
• Operation Crash Dive is one of many episodes to again feature Fireflash and characters such as Capt. Harris. Mention is made of the pilot episode.
• Continuity is not necessarily maintained regarding duty tours on Thunderbird 5. In Danger at Ocean Deep, John goes on his first mission, yet he is back on duty in space in the next episode, Move and You're Dead.
• Martian Invasion sees the last TV appearance of The Hood and ends with Scott and Virgil beginning to realise he could have been behind many attempts to break their security. If 'The Black Phantom' in the feature film Thunderbird Six is not The Hood then, as he does not appear in any Series 2 episodes, is it a fair conclusion he was killed in the first feature film Thunderbirds Are Go!???
• Security Hazard closes Series 1 and features flashbacks to Trapped in the Sky, Day of Disaster, End of the Road and Sun Probe; thus it must come after these four particular episodes.
• Give or Take a Million sees Lady Penelope on Tracy Island but her first visit there is in the Series 1 episode The Mighty Atom.
• The Christmas episode also gives the only true on-screen clue as to when the series is set – a calendar showing the year 2026.

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

• atv was one of the first regions to transmit the series though some held the series back for at least six months.
• The order of episodes was consistent for itv regions but became irregular towards the end of the show's run. Two frequent examples were Traitor [which, like Dangerous Rendezvous, contained some Episode One flashback footage, seen after Seek and Destroy, and Flight to Antlantica which appeared after Noose of Ice.
• The series was shown up to 1974 [prior to the 1985/6 re-runs in most itv regions] when allegedly it was not recommended for viewing due to its level of violence. The indestructible nature of the hero had reportedly led to a number of child accidents despite warnings on early episodes.
• Credits for voice-over artists are shorter for earlier episodes, title voice-overs vary and episodes bear a strange mixture of closing credit song and music:
  1. the first end title is basically an instrumental theme with the words Captain Scarlet spoken electronically at the appropriate places.
  2. the more famous of the two end themes is the vocal by The Spectrum group:
     Captain Scarlet — he's the one who knows the Mysteron game
     And things they plan
     Captain Scarlet — to his Mysteron foes a dangerous name
     A superman
     They crash him and his body may burn
     They smash him but they know he'll return
     To live again
     Captain Scarlet — as the Angels are flying wing-to-wing
     Into the scene
     Spectrum is green
     Captain Scarlet — though the Mysterons plan to conquer the Earth
     This indestructible man will show what he's worth
     Captain Scarlet — indestructible Captain Scarlet
• It appears that more than one version [i.e. different editing] of the same episodes exist. Continuity is strong throughout the series and the atv order adheres to most of these points.
• The characters and plot are introduced in the pilot episode which bears no caption [Mars: 2068 AD does appear, however] but which has commonly become known as The Mysterons. In this episode Captain Scarlet becomes indestructible with the fact highlighted in the second episode, Winged Assassin, by means of a flashback.
• The fourth episode, Manhunt, shows Spectrum that Captain Black is a Mysteron agent, a fact they did not know until then. Even in 1985, the first four episodes were shown first and in this order.
• Operation Time reveals that the Mysterons can be detected by X-Rays and killed by electrons. This is exploited at great length in the next episode, Spectrum Strikes Back, as a Mysteron detector and gun are developed and the previous attempt on Tiempo's life is referred to. The Mysteron weapons are then seen again in subsequent episodes such as The Heart of New York.
• Lunarville 7 is the first of three linked episodes regarding a Mysteron moonbase. In this episode the base is discovered. Later, in Crater 101, Scarlet goes to get the crystal from the alien base and references to Lunarville 7 are made. In Dangerous Rendezvous, the crystal is part of a trap for Scarlet.
• Although Scarlet has had waves of nausea in Winged Assassin it is not until Point 783 that a Mysteron tells him what this signifies – the presence of a Mysteron!
• The final episode, The Inquisition, follows the traditional flashback format whereby Captain Blue relates parts of Big Ben Strikes Again, The Trap and Crater 101 so, obviously, this episode must come chronologically after those three.

• As re-screenings have shown, the series featured a variety of opening and closing titles:

  1. Captain Blue narration, heard only on the first episode:
     The finger is on the trigger, about to unleash a force with terrible powers beyond the comprehension of Man.
     This force we shall know as the Mysterons.
     This man will be our hero for fate shall make him indestructible.
     His name – Captain Scarlet.

  2. Captain Blue narration, probably the version heard on most other episodes:
     The Mysterons – sworn enemies of Earth, possessing the ability to recreate an exact likeness of an object or person; but first they must destroy.
     Leading the fight, one man fate has made indestructible.
     His name – Captain Scarlet

  3. Captain Blue narration, a rare version, possibly on American prints[?]:
     One man, a man who is different. Chosen by fate, caught up in Earth's unwanted conflict with the Mysterons. Determined, courageous, indestructible.
     His name – Captain Scarlet.
     This is then followed by Colonel White's 'warning':
     Captain Scarlet is indestructible. You are not. Remember this; do not try to imitate him.

  4. Possibily the second-most-used opening sequence features a silent 'walk down the alley' followed by the above Colonel White warning.

Joe 90

• atv was one of the first regions to show the series. Some itv regions never took the show at all whilst others, like Granada, took it under the title of The Adventures of Joe 90.
• The order of episodes was consistent for itv regions with some irregularities and the Christmas episode, The Unorthodox Shepherd, was broadcast as near to Christmas 1968 as possible.
• Joe 90 was rerun several times until the mid-1970s and was sold for one syndicated screening by itv in 1981.
• Screening was very haphazard with atv representing general trends apart form the aforementioned Christmas episode which, incidentally, was the first episode to feature location filming with one shot of a puppet on location.
• The first episode has no title caption, introduces the format and characters and has commonly become known as Most Special Agent.
• Little continuity is established between episodes except in Business Holiday when a lot of big rat tapes are consulted and a few names, such as Igor Sladek [International Concerto], appear.
• In See You Down There [Tony Barwick's The Prisoner spoof?], Joe is seen reading a mini TV21 with a Captain Scarlet cover.
• The main continuity link is the final episode, The Birthday, in which Joe reaches the age of 10, having been nine in all other episodes. Another stock-footage episode, it features flashbacks to the pilot episode, Hi-jacked and Colonel McClaine so this episode follows at least these three others.

The Secret Service

• Titles from TV Times and publicity material
• atv was the first of only three itv regions to screen the series.
• Since only three regions screened it, a consistent running order is hard to define.
• The Secret Service appears to have been shown no more than three times between September 1969 and 1974 in atv Southern and Granada regions.
• As of yet, the series remains unsold for re-screening in the uk.
• The atv order given was typical of the running order with some of the early episodes transposed in order at times.
• There do not seem to be any continuity points to link the various episodes.

this compilation ©1985 Andrew Pixley
with thanks to Michael Richardson & Alice Hendry for their able assistance
published originally in Supermarionation is Go! #14 & 15

Copyrights on all Supermarionation™ related material are held by ITC/PolyGram/Carlton
This is a fan maintained site and the author has no commercial intentions whatsoever