Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet
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Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet (or more commonly New Captain Scarlet) is a United Kingdom-produced computer-generated imagery action-adventure TV series which debuted in February 2005 as part of the Ministry of Mayhem on ITV. Created by Gerry Anderson, it is a Hypermarionation reboot of the classic 1967 Supermarionation series, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson.
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[edit] Story
In the year 2068, peace on Earth is maintained by the Spectrum Organisation, a super efficient security organisation, headquartered in the vast floating aircraft carrier Skybase, hovering on the edge of Earth's atmosphere, and manned by agents recruited from various military services, each assigned colour codenames to protect their true identities. Under the command of Colonel White, Spectrum has become the supreme peace keeping force, maintaining a fleet of sophisticated vehicles for use by spectrum field agents, including White Falcon Interceptor Jet Fighters, Rhino Tactical Response Units, Cheetah Rapid Response Vehicles, Stallion Raid Bikes, Albatross Special Deployment Craft, Hummingbird Helicopters, Swift Passenger Jets and Bison Alien Terrain Vehicles.
Then an ill-fated mission to locate the source of mysterious signals originating on Mars unleashed the power of the Mysterons, a ruthless alien consciousness. When Spectrum Captains Scarlet and Black discovered the Mysteron City on Mars, Black mistook the intentions of a Mysteron probe for a hostile offensive and opened fire, completely destroying the city. Using their incredible power of retrometabolism, the ability to recreate matter, the Mysterons reconstructed the city and pledged to take vengeance on the people of Earth for their unprovoked attack. This has taken the form of a war of nerves, with the Mysterons using their amazing powers to influence people, vehicles and inanimate objects to fall under their control. The Mysterons' primary Earth agent is Captain Black, recreated from the body of the original Spectrum agent.
Spectrums' personnel and facilities are now mobilised solely to combat the threat of the Mysterons. Leading the fight is one man fate has made virtually indestructible - Captain Scarlet. Killed during the Mysterons' initial attack, Scarlet was retrometabolised to become the aliens' instrument of destruction, but the Mysterons' hold over him was inexplicably broken after he fell through a power conduit in the Skybase engineering section. Retaining the original man's memories, personality and loyalties, the new Captain Scarlet also retains the ability to survive injuries that would prove fatal to any other person, making him Spectrums' greatest weapon in their unceasing war against the menace from Mars.
[edit] Skybase
Skybase is a 330-metre long command ship and the operational headquarters of Spectrum. It is permanently stationed above the clouds at 18,288 m. There are six main engines to keep the base positioned in the sky and a further ten engines designed to keep Skybase balanced. Skybase is home to the fleet of high-tech Spectrum vehicles, including the squadron of Falcon aircraft.
The Falcons are handled on Skybase using a unique magnetic control system. After landing on the magna-strip runway, a circular lift lowers the plane into the hangar. Robotic arms automatically re-fuel, and re-arm guns and missiles. Using this system means that the Falcons are always action ready.
[edit] Regular characters
[edit] Main Spectrum personnel
- Captain Scarlet (Paul Metcalfe): Leading Spectrum field agent, a 32 year old dual-nationality (British/American) former USAF and Special Forces officer, replaced by a virtually indestructible replicant. He was born in Winchester, England, and was the son of a US astronaut and a British astrophysicist. Scarlet was always quietly jealous of the relationship that had developed between Black and Destiny, himself being close to Destiny. However, once Black is dead, Scarlet's feelings for Destiny resurface and throughout the series the two start to fall in love. Scarlet has black hair and blue eyes, weighs 12 stone (76 kg) and is 6ft 2in (188 cm) tall. Voiced by Wayne Forester, and motion capture performance by Oliver Hollis.
- Captain Blue (Adam Svenson): 32 year old American agent, a decorated former US Army officer and first class sportsman. He was born in Fort Hood, Texas, USA. Blue has blonde hair and blue eyes, weighs 12.1 stone (77 kg) and is 6ft 1in (185 cm) tall. Throughout the series, it is hinted he has romantic feelings for Lt. Green (Serena Lewis), though this is never taken further. Voiced by Robbie Stevens.
- Destiny Angel (Simone Giraudoux): 29 year old dual nationality (French/British) White Falcon Interceptor pilot, Leader of the Spectrum Angels, a former USAF pilot and ISA astronaut. Destiny had a past relationship with Black, an affair Scarlet was always secretly jealous of because of his closeness to Destiny. However, once Black is dead, she and Scarlet start to fall in love throughout the series. Destiny has blonde hair and blue eyes. She weighs 8 stone (51 kg), is 5ft 9in (175 cm) and was born in Silicon Valley, California. Voiced by Emma Tate.
- Colonel White (Sir Charles Grey): Spectrums' Commanding Officer, a 55 year old British former director of MI6, knighted for services to the British Empire. He was born in Gloucestershire, England. White has grey hair and blue eyes. He weighs 12.2 stone (77 kg), is 6ft 0in (183 cm) and is married to Diana, who is a chairman of the Global Heritage Foundation. His daughter, Victoria, studies Archeology. His interests include chess, fishing and fencing. He is also an expert in ancient military history. Voiced by Mike Hayley.
- Lieutenant Green (Serena Lewis): Spectrums' Controller of Operations, a 27 year old American former UN computer systems development technician, who carries a torch for Captain Blue. Green has brown hair and hazel eyes. She weighs 8.3 stone (53 kg), is 5ft 9in (175 cm) and was born in Houston, Texas, USA. Voiced by Jules De Jongh.
- Doctor Gold (Dr. Mason Frost): Doctor on board Skybase. He has shown constantly throughout the series to have terrible bedside manners. Gold has grey hair and blue eyes. Voiced by Nigel Plaskitt.
[edit] Enemies
- The Mysterons: Alien nemesis of Spectrum from the planet Mars. They have the power of retrometabolism, which means they can kill a person and rebuild them as weapons under their control. Voiced by Mike Hayley.
- Captain Black (Conrad Lefkon) : Mysteron agent, a 33 year old American former Special Forces officer and leading Spectrum field agent replaced by a virtually indestructible replicant. Black has silver/black hair and brown eyes. He weighs 11.3 stone (72 kg), is 6ft 2in (188 cm) and was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Voiced by Nigel Plaskitt.
[edit] Supporting characters
[edit] Spectrum Field Agents
- Captain Ochre (Elaine Mcgee): Irish Spectrum Field Agent in her late 20s, Ochre has brown hair and blue eyes. She exhibits an excellent sense of humour. She appears to be verging on the Main Character status, but, because of the discontinuation of the series, was never pushed up to that privilege. Voiced by Julia Brahms.
- Captain Grey (Iain Taggart): Scottish Spectrum Field Agent who plays the bagpipes. Brown hair and blue eyes. Voiced by Robbie Stevens.
- Captain Magenta (Mario Moro): Italian Field Agent, who seems to think he is a charmer with the ladies. Black hair and grey eyes. Voiced by Jeremy Hitchen.
- Captain Indigo (John Roach): This character only appears once or twice throughout the entire series. He is black, with black hair and brown eyes. He has a beard.
- Captain Orange (unnamed): This character only appears once throughout the entire series.
- Captain Brown (unnamed): This character only appears once or twice throughout the entire series.
[edit] Spectrum Angels
- Harmony Angel (Rebecca Drake): Second in command of the Angels, if Destiny is busy with other duties or injured. Voiced by Jules De Jongh.
- Rhapsody Angel (Caroline Foster-Finch): Voiced by Julia Brahms.
- Symphony Angel (Yoko Inukai): Voiced by Jules De Jongh.
- Melody Angel (Esther Jackson): Voiced by Heather Tobias.
[edit] Other characters
- Lieutenant Silver (Thought, but not proven, to be named Bethany Craig): Voiced by Emma Tate.
[edit] Vehicles and aircraft
[edit] Spectrum vehicles
Rhino TRU (also the SPV in Anderson's earlier series)
This heavy-duty armoured attack vehicle is capable of high-speed with the help of two ram-air booster jets. A variable ride-height gives the Rhino off-road capability. Two front-mounted twin cannons with explosive-tipped rounds, armour-piercing missiles, harpoon guns, magnetic clamp guns and extendable battering rams to the front and rear make the Rhino a formidable force. The driver's cabin is sealed, so vision is provided by a number of video screens. Its multi-wheel steering system means that this heavily armoured vehicle remains highly manoeuvrable.
Cheetah RRV (also the SSC in Anderson's earlier series)
The Cheetah is a rapid response vehicle. It can travel on its four wheels, but this incredible car also features concealed wings and a tail fin that emerges from the boot (US: trunk). When powered by the jump jets in its wings and booster jets in the rear, the Cheetah is able to glide over obstructions with ease. In any mode the Cheetah, like its animal namesake, is capable of extremely rapid acceleration and deadly speed.
Stallion Raid Bike
The Stallion is Spectrum's high-speed attack bike. With its pressurised canopy and wings it can be launched from Skybase. After leaving the runway, the Raid Bike freefalls, before deploying its wings in stages to glide. As the bike touches the ground, the canopy and wings disengage, the twin rear wheels grip the road and it blasts away. The rear wheels pivot independently of the body, keeping traction on the road. Extra stability is provided at high speed with front winglets. The Stallion is armed with two front mounted machine guns and two racks of missiles.
[edit] Spectrum Aircraft
Albatross SDC
The Albatross is a transport VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing), which primarily deploys the Rhino quickly.
Falcon Interceptors
Piloted by the Angels, the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) is a high-speed, highly manoeuvrable fighter plane powered by two pulsejets with multi-stage afterburners. It is armed with twin 30 mm tempest cannons to the front and rear, firing titanium-tipped ammo. It also sports a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. In an emergency, the front portion of the plane can disengage from the main body and become a self-powered escape pod. There is also a back-up ejector seat. With its specially designed wingtip geometry, the Falcon can out-manoeuvre any other fighter plane. Such manoeuvrability means the Angels have to wear specially designed suits to counteract G-Force.
Swift Passenger Jet
The Swift is Spectrum's fast and comfortable executive passenger jet. Smooth handling and travel is provided by a sophisticated design where the whole body acts as one big wing. While designed primarily for relaxation and off-duty travel - it has extremely luxurious living and dining areas - the Swift can be converted into a fully operational control centre at a moments notice.
Hummingbird Helicopter
The Hummingbird is Spectrum's multi-task helicopter. Its specially developed rotor blade works with a number of jet systems providing fantastic agility and flexible flying. Retractable inflatable floats situated within the nose and side-engine pods sit alongside a standard undercarriage. A high-powered gun is hidden within its belly. The Hummingbird is capable of rapid ascent and descent, flying manoeuvres and speeds previously unheard of in a helicopter.
[edit] Other crafts
(Note these crafts are either Space vehicles or vehicles not associated with Spectrum)
Spectrum Space Shuttle
Used to transport personnel too and from Spectrum bases on the Moon and Mars.
Skyriders
Vampire Fighters
Druzynik Battlewagon
Condor Freighter
The Condor is a multi-purpose transport vehicle. To load things on, the whole back of the plane slides up and allows specially designed vehicles to load on the cargo. If vehicles are to be loaded or unloaded from the plane a ramp folds down and allows them to drive up into the back or out of the back. Such aircraft are used by Hydra Laboratories, and by the US Air Force (by Series 2, the President of the USA was using a Condor as Air Force One, his own personal airliner). The cargo doors of the condor have an emergency override failsafe to prevent the doors being opened while the aircraft is in flight, though this can be overcome with some ingenuity (Series 2: Touch of the Reaper). The generic Condor seen in the series is, on comparison with a Falcon Interceptor (Series 1: Swarm), approx. 320ft (97.5m) long, 400ft (122m) wide at the wing tips, and 80ft (24.5m) high from the base to the tops of the rear spoiler. Each aircraft has 6 jet engines - 3 engines on each of the wings - and 3 Turbojet engines on the rear spoiler. Tonnage, passenger/freight capacity, altitude, and range is unknown. These dimensions are taken from visual comparison between a Condor and a Falcon Interceptor, and may not be entirely accurate. The design of the triangular rear spoiler is reminiscent of the Fireflash hypersonic airliner occasionally seen in Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds.
[edit] Episode summary
[edit] Comparison with the original series
- Skybase is essentially an improved rendition of the original Cloudbase, carrying a wide variety of vehicles and weapons on board. A notable addition is that on the flight deck, the Angels use a robot (Nicknamed 'F.R.E.D.') that is controlled through telepresence by a Landing signal officer operating inside the base (for safety purposes) who gives the traditional hand signals to the pilots such as the order to launch.
- In the new series, Lieutenant Green is a woman (as is Captain Ochre). The communications desk is now holographic in nature.
- Doctor Fawn has been totally redesigned and designated Doctor Gold.
- Colonel White is depicted leaving Skybase numerous times, unlike the two occasions in the original series.
- The SPVs have undergone a radical redesign, no longer feature the drivers facing backward and steering by television camera, and are now called "Rhinos".
- The Martian Exploration Vehicle of the original series is replaced by the "Bison", used on Mars and on the Moon.
- Captain Scarlet's staff car is also updated; it now features the ability to glide (for short distances in Season 1, but full flight in Season 2 (for an unknown reason, this ability was not stated in writing), and is called the Cheetah.
- The Angel fighters are slightly more angular but otherwise little changed from the original TV series (perhaps because they were already based around radical futuristic aircraft designs). However, their operational protocol has altered radically. Whereas in the original series one Angel was always on standby for immediate launch, with two more being rapid-launched on command, in the new series, the Angel pilots remain in their standby lounge (what was the Amber Room) until ordered to launch. They then have to run to the hangar bays, manually board their fighters, which are then raised on elevators to the surface (as were the Interceptors on UFO) and they can then launch. And whereas the standard configuration used to be three Angel aircraft, the new series has all five aircraft airborne at once, the "Angel Flight".
- Captain Blue's vehicle of choice, rather than the SPV of the original series, is the Stallion Raid Bike, a flying motorcycle with ejectable wings. It is also seen to be used by other officers, particularly Colonel White when he needs to leave the base discreetly in one episode.
- There is no vehicle in the new series analogous to either the MSV or Yellow Fox.
- The Captain Scarlet theme and logo have changed, as has the Spectrum logo.
- The green Mysteron 'rings' remain however, as does the booming, distorted 'voice of the Mysterons' in many scenes. In addition, Mysteron agents' eyes - particularly Captain Black's - are often seen to flash a similar bright green momentarily at suitably dramatic moments.
- Major scene changes are still accompanied by a musical sting. The seven-note 'drumbeat transition' used in the original series is not heard in the pilot, but is used in subsequent episodes in the series.
- The new series has more complex romantic subplots, with both Captain Scarlet in the present and Captain Black in the past dating Destiny Angel, and the hints of a potential relationship between Captain Blue and Lieutenant Green. The original series had hinted at a one-time relationship between Scarlet and Destiny Angel, and an on-going approchement between Blue and Symphony Angel.
- The original series did not crossover with any other of Gerry Andersons' shows, not counting the appearance of a helijet and that the MEV was the same as that in Thunderbirds Are GO. However, the episode Mercury Falling appears to be a tribute to Andersons' 1962/3 series, Fireball XL5.
- Many voice characterizations have changed. Scarlet no longer sounds like Cary Grant, but speaks with an American New England accent (save when the actor lets it slip). Destiny's accent is now American rather than French. In addition to Colonel White, Captain Black now speaks in Received Pronunciation, rather than the American-accented Mysteron inflection used in the original series. Doctor Gold speaks Received Pronunciation with an Austrian accent. There are also Irish, Scottish, Southern American, Russian, and other accents (and occasional subtitled foreign-language dialogue) heard among supporting characters in addition to English.
- Given the fact that the characters are animated, which do not have the physically limitations of the original puppets, the characters are obviously able to be shown walking and similar activities with considerable ease.
[edit] DVD releases
Both Series 1 and 2 are available on DVD in the UK, the latter being produced under the ITV DVD banner. Individual volumes are available with three or four episodes on each disk and box sets of all volumes from both series are available separately. Interestingly, the DVD case for Series 2 gives a completely inaccurate description of the episode "Grey Skulls". The description mentions Scarlet taking a camping holiday with his sister and her son when they are attacked by the Mysterons, they then seek shelter in an old house owned by an old toymaker and collector (plans were for him to resemble Gerry Anderson) but the Mysterons then bring to life all the toys in the house with murderous intentions. This episode (called House of Dolls) was originally planned and scripted but eventually scrapped as it was considered too scary for small children, and may not have shown by broadcasters so it was replaced by Grey Skulls. However, the script was given a live performance by the cast at the 2006 Fanderson convention Sector 25 (with a guest appearance by Shane Rimmer as the toy maker). Series 2 is rated 12, due to some rather blunt violence that was not shown in the CITV version.
[edit] External links
- New Captain Scarlet at itv.com/citv
- New Captain Scarlet Unofficial Website
- Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet at the Internet Movie Database
- Captain Scarlet at TV.com
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