Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967–1968) User Reviews

Nothing beats the original!

[godzilla1991 · 9/10 · 21 March 2007]

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons...

In my opinion, Gerry Anderson's greatest Supermarionation series if not the best series he ever made. This show is so full of memorable characters, quotes and of course the theme tune. It is very exciting and tense.

Well, I am a slightly blood-thirsty person! and i quite like violent films, so Captain Scarlet is great! There is sometimes a bit of blood, but nothing too extreme. This is why Anderson series' are cult classics; they know how fare to go with violence and themes. This is why it is ideal for fans of all ages! Nothing is too complicated or over-done.

The voice acting is probably the best of any Supermarionation show and almost every episode keeps you glued to the screen! The only thing which has stopped me from giving this show a 10 is the fact that I wish they were a little longer to develop supporting characters. Never the less most of the episodes are good at their own length.

I think that this is superior to the New Captain Scarlet computer generated show because everything is REAL. The problem with CGI shows is that explosions and effects are not real which I think is not as impressive. The visual effects by Derek Medding's team for Captain Scarlet are great like everything he did.

I grew up watching this series and hope that many more people believe that this show is better than the new one. It is dark and authentic, so what more do you want? Long live Captain Scarlet! Thanks for reading, godzilla1991

My Favorite Supermarionation

[johcafra · 8/10 · 26 December 2006]

CS&M's American-broadcast predecessors (Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds) prompted novelty, fun, and no small amount of wishful thinking on the part of this frustrated model railroader. Thunderbirds to me at least became a pleasurable engineering-problem-of-the-week. But CS&M was different, far different.

Invisible yet palpable evil was afoot. Characters that looked a lot more human got snuffed. Intentional catastrophes abounded or were openly threatened. And to confront this was SPECTRUM, sometimes arriving not quite in the nick of time.

It may have aimed for the kids, but it was adult fare, at times delivered with genuine style and suspense. (I suspect the producers later chose to tone things down, hence Joe 90 and The Secret Service.) And at all times it was delivered with outright craftsmanship, a superb meld of direction, stories, voice acting and characterization, photography and editing, production design, sound and musical score, and in-camera special effects.

If you're new to Supermarionation, don't mind the puppetry, kit-bashed models, tabletop explosions or rolling backgrounds, overlook the occasional wire and slot in the pavement, and just watch a show that has style. Because everything is scaled-down but filmed as realistically as practicable you'll get drawn into it faster than you think. For a sampler view the episodes "Winged Assassin," "Big Ben Strikes Again," "Manhunt," "Operation Time," "Shadow of Fear," "The Heart of New York," "Fire at Rig 15," "Traitor," "Noose of Ice" and "Attack on Cloudbase."

I don't quite know when I'll view the CGI successor series, but I suspect tastes have changed over time. CS&M's original premise has unquestionably grown spookier. Suffice it to say I've seen nothing like this before or since. Be surprised, and enjoy.

(UPDATE: I gradually view the new series' episodes. Though its imagery can dazzle, given the choice between "Hypermarionation" and, as another user puts it, "the luxuriously sedate menace of the 1967 original," I still prefer the latter.)

My favourite TV-show of all time!

[Jona1988 · 9/10 · 20 October 2016]

I grew up with this TV-series. Perhaps I was like 5-6 when I saw it the first time. Totally loved it. I had most of the episodes recorded on VHS and saw them until the cassettes hardly were working anymore. To this day Captain Scarlet remains one of my favourite TV-series of all time, no actually scratch that, it is my favourite of all time. Even now as a grown up I can still see it from time to time. Just as entertaining as it always has been. I have seen several of Gerry Anderson's works like Stingray and Thunderbirds of course. But Captain Scarlet has always been his definitive highpoint for me.

So about the actual series. Captain Scarlet must be one of the most brutal programs aimed at children. There is a lot of violence in it but also the story and themes are dark and serious. Characters die and a lot of them. Sure it's puppets but still very dark atmosphere over it all. There is blood and innocent people getting killed, in cruel ways. The action scenes are thrilling a brilliantly done. Like we knew from his previous shows Gerry Anderson likes to make explosions and Captain Scarlet is no exception. At least one explosion in every episode and sometimes things just blow up for no reason or unrealistically easy. So entertaining. Why are explosions so fun to watch? Compared to Thunderbirds that came before it the episodes in Captain Scarlet were shorter but I don't find that to be any major flaw. The plots are complicated enough and I feel that there is actually real depth in the characters. Far more than one would expect. I actually feel more for these characters than any of Anderson's others or even many other characters I've seen. Very impressive to achieve that in just 32 episodes of 25 minutes. Another proof of the greatness of Anderson. Could it have been even better if the episodes had been at Thunderbirds length, I don't know. The characters are great and so is the voice acting. All voices fit perfectly, which yes is partly because the puppets were modelled after the actors. But also the performance of the voice actors is probably the best in any of Andersons series. Captain Scarlet was the coolest action hero I knew. They changed the look of the puppets to more realistic proportions compared to Thunderbirds and Stingray. Some have pointed out that they don't move as much and more slowly. That is true but it's no problem. They use creative ways to get around these restrictions. In a way this style, not just the appearance of the puppets but also the slower staler movements fit the feel of the show. Having aliens as the villains in a puppet series could have turned out goofy and silly. Could have looked like the aquatic aliens in Stingray. I don't mean that Stingray is sillier in a bad way, not at all it totally fits for that series. Camp can work fine if that is the type of show. It's all a consideration for the filmmakers. Captain Scarlet like I said is of a different more serious type. Making the Mysterons this mostly unseen force and often just an intimidating voice was a masterstroke by Anderson. Less is more is a trick that I've often found to work for the better. Not always showing and explaining everything can make the viewer even more hooked. Just like all of Andersons shows the music is also genius and plays an essential role for the atmosphere and feel. Composer Barry Gray was an absolute master in the field. I can't explain just what a defining role the music scores and sound effects play in all Gerry Andersons productions. So I wrote earlier that the plots are just enough for the show. Still I can admit that now that I'm older one does recognise that a lot don't make sense and many of the episodes have more than one plot hole and a lot of events and actions by characters defy logic. But in some way this just doesn't matter. Too bad that there are just 32 episodes. All of Gerry Andersons shows are short in number of episodes. It seems like he got an idea and worked with it for a while, like a year and then began on something new. Instead of sticking with one like many would he made ten puppet shows. In a way it makes sense to do like that, try different things. Still I which there were more many more. If you have seen the series, you will understand.

Could some of my love for this series be due to nostalgia? Sure I guess. But still I will say that this is an amazing show. Gerry Anderson was a genius. Captain Scarlet is a show that has it all: likable characters, intimidating villains, tense plot and cool action.

They don't make them like this any more

[mikerichards · 13 September 2001]

Perhaps an entire generation was scarred by the voices of the Mysterons - between them and the Daleks I spent a good part of my childhood hiding behind the sofa. It was certainly a golden age for children with the prodigious talents of Gerry Anderson ensuring a constant stream of spectacular programmes for after school entertainment.

'Captain Scarlet' was a follow-on to the immensely successful 'Thunderbirds', and whilst technically superior it never achieved the same level of popularity. Why? I think the answer lies in 'Captain Scarlet' being a darker production, sometime after 'Thunderbirds' Gerry Anderson seems to have lost a lot of his faith in humanity. The Mysteron conflict is started by human stupidity. Technology goes horribly wrong - and this time people die as a consequence.

Or maybe it's just unpopular because the theme music isn't anywhere as catchy.

Storywise, well there is a common plot. The Mysterons kindly inform Earth of their latest plan by means of a cryptic clue, (obviously they are a race of frustrated Martian crossword compilers). Shortly afterwards they use their patented replication technology to make a copy of a person who then goes about fulfilling the Mysteron plans; think 'Invasion of the Bodysnatchers' remade for kids. The Mysteron chief agent on Earth was the creepy Captain Black who desperately needed a shave and somehow managed to escape every week. It's all up to Captain Scarlet and his colour-coordinated sidekicks to save the day in a nuclear-powered, high-rise, high-speed world.

It is clear that Gerry Anderson was just itching to move into live-action television (something he would achieve with the later 'UFO'), and was running into the limitations of puppets. Whilst technical advances between 'Thunderbirds' and 'Captain Scarlet' meant that it was possible to produce anatomically correctly proportioned puppets; string puppets could not be made to walk convincingly. So 'Captain Scarlet' is filled with shots of sitting people, moving walkways or head and shoulder shots. The use of much thinner strings on the puppets and insert shots for hands helps sell the illusion.

In the end the weaknesses don't matter. The Century 21 team had established the formula with 'Thunderbirds'. Mix some high speed chases, a perilous situation for the heroes and end it all with a satisfying explosion or two and you can ensure that 25 minutes whip past before anyone can nit-pick.

Like any Anderson production, the story used a lavish number of models and sets (almost all of which ended up in ruins by the end of the programme). Many of them are now classics - the SPV tank and the futuristic Spectrum Patrol Car were lovingly moulded into die-cast toys and were repeatedly crashed in living rooms around the country. If anyone has mine, please let me know! As always the special effects were of the very highest standard (many of the people involved went on to work with Kubrick on '2001') and still look good today.

Re-watching the programme, one thing I found particularly striking were the strong roles given to women characters people who weren't British or American. Spectrum agents are a mix of all nationalities and ethnicities, apparently Anderson wanted children of all races to have heroes and learn to play together - not a bad aim for the 1960s and something that more programmes could remember.

Looking at it today, 'Captain Scarlet' has survived much better than most programming of the era. Produced on a lavish budget and shot on film, it has been digitally remastered for re-broadcast and DVD and positively glows. Somehow the colours look richer than modern productions and the storytelling doesn't appear to be designed for the very stupid. Even down to the classic retro-futuristic fonts and the wonderful Century 21 logo it still looks modern.

In short, I still love it.

As they used to say at the end of each show; Captain Scarlet is indestructible. You are not. Remember this, do not try to imitate him.

I love captain scarlet

[samdavidjames-194-72402 · 10/10 · 10 January 2013]

I LOVE CAPTAION SCARLET!! it is one of the best TV programs i have ever seen, they don't make AMAZING things like this anymore, i have all of the dvds and the New Captain Scarlet coming in the post, i love both but i love the old ones a bit more :D Gerry Anderson was a Amazing Person and made my childhood awesome ! I watched these 3 series when i was a kid, Captain Scarlet,Stingray and Thunderbirds! as a kid i remember always wanting to be Captain Scarlet :) i just wish Gerry didn't have to go :( R.I.P Gerry Anderson :( We miss you so much!! !! !!

Review by S.D.James

Adult action, puppetry execution

[kinetica · 10/10 · 9 December 2002]

And what puppetry mastery it is. The time it took to make this show holds up well over time. The storylines are challenging, though as I age the repetitive nature of most TV and movies are wearing thin on my opinions of new things. Old stuff always holds up well. UFO keeps the same spirit, Space 1999 is showing wear and tear...

But Captain Scarlet presents an old idea in a new and fresh manner.

"We know you can hear us Earthmen!"

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 2 September 2010]

There have not been many children's shows featuring a dead man as the hero, but 1967's 'Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons' has to be the top contender for the title. It was Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's first 'Supermarionation' series since their phenomenally successful 'Thunderbirds', and repeated many of the same ingredients - a top secret organisation, futuristic hardware, exciting action scenes, dramatic Barry Gray music, and sinister villains, but there was a new element - violent death. Characters either got shot, blown up or electrocuted.

In 2068 A.D., an expedition from Earth touches down on Mars. As the M.E.V. ( Martian Expeditionary Vehicle ) crawls across the craggy surface, a city twinkles in the distance. Convinced they are about to be attacked, Captain Black of the security force SPECTRUM opens fire. But, minutes later, the 'dead' city reappears intact. The inhabitants of Mars - the Mysterons - have the ability to reconstruct dead matter ( a process they call 'retro metabolism' ). They were a peace-loving race, but now they are mad, vowing to destroy Mankind. Soon after the expedition's return to Earth, Black disappears. The World President's life is threatened, so SPECTRUM - whose agents are named after colours, their leader is Colonel White - dispatches Captains Scarlet and Brown to protect him. En route, their car crashes. Brown is reconstructed as a Mysteron agent. In one of the most chilling scenes ever on children's television, Brown tries to kill the World President by becoming a human bomb. The attempt fails, so that only leaves Captain Scarlet, also Mysteronised, to complete the mission. Needless to say, it also fails, but Scarlet is soon free of Mysteron control. Being indestructible, he becomes SPECTRUM's top agent in the ongoing war of nerves against the Mysterons.

Each week, the doom-laden voice of the Mysterons would issue its latest sabotage threat, and Captain Black would be duly dispatched to carry out his orders. Compared to the cosy family viewing that was 'Stingray' and 'Thunderbirds', this was nightmarish stuff indeed. Ordinary people died horribly so they could be reborn as Mysterons. One episode had a mechanic in an inspection pit being crushed when Black activated the hydraulic mechanism holding the car he was working on. 'Crater 101' saw Scarlet, Blue and Lieutenant Green heading for the Moon where the Mysterons have built a base. The scenes where they wander round the alien complex are incredibly eerie even now. 'Dangerous Rendezvous' had the Mysterons ostensibly offering to negotiate peace terms with SPECTRUM, but of course it all turned out to be a trap.

The puppetry had noticeably improved since 'Thunderbirds', and there were no comedy characters such as 'Brains'. SPECTRUM's headquarters was Cloudbase, which was a sort of airborne aircraft carrier. The show's other major stars were the Angels - the beautiful all-girl pilots who flew sleek aircraft equipped with rockets, and had names like 'Melody', 'Symphony' and 'Rhapsody'. We never saw the Mysterons though - whenever they used their powers a pair of white rings would be visible. In a comic strip in 'T.V. Tornado' published shortly before the show's debut, they were depicted as hexagonal spheres, sporting a single eye which could spit death rays. In a 1967 'C.A.' annual, however, it was said the Mysterons had abandoned Mars, and it was their computers that were waging war on Mankind. To me they were scarier than the Daleks because they seemed to have the entire world under surveillance. I often wondered why they gave up so easily. Surely when Scarlet killed one of their agents, all they had to do was reconstruct him again. They preferred to cook up an entirely new scheme instead. Perhaps 'the war of nerves' was really nothing more than an elaborate game of cat and mouse played by the aliens for reasons we can only guess at.

Like Anderson's other shows, 'C.A.' was heavily marketed ( I used to own a SPECTRUM wallet, complete with S.P.V. driving licence! ). The dinky toy of the S.P.V. ( Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle ) was for years the top selling toy of its kind. Kellogg's breakfast cereal 'Sugar Smacks' gave away badges to coincide with the original run, and the 'T.V. 21' comic featured beautifully drawn strips. The catchy pop song over the end credits was performed by 'The Spectrum'. So popular was 'C.A.' that 'The Golden Shot' ( hosted by the late Bob Monkhouse ) did a tie-in edition with the hostesses dressed as Angels! British audiences had to wait a few years to see the show in colour, but when they did it was worth it. Repeats have been plentiful over the years; the B.B.C. brought it to a new generation in 1993 ( Trevor Phillips of the Commission for Racial Equality incredibly denounced the show as racist on account of the villain being called 'Captain Black'. When it was pointed out to him that 'Lieutenant Green' was also black, he calmed down ).

In 2005, the show was reincarnated as 'New Captain Scarlet' with stop motion C.G.I. replacing the Supermarionation puppets. I like both shows enormously, but the original holds a special place in my heart. Like its hero, it has proved to be indestructible. SPECTRUM Is Green!

If your action figures came to life, this would be it.

[mazooc · 8/10 · 12 January 2004]

Simple stories are probably the result of budget and material restrictions, which is what makes this show so great. Each has some basis in science, technology, or military. All fascinating subjects for "cool" television shows. It is as though a ten year old boy imagined 24 minute plot-lines and had an unlimited amount of model-builders to create a world in which those action figures live out his stories. If you ever played with toys and honed your skills enough to see your "controlling" hands disappear, you'll love Captain Scarlett. However, like watching Knight Rider as a kid, you may not love it so much now because that was a really dumb show. You've got to be able set your frame of mind, again, to that of childhood.

Technically amazing, and with just the right dash of toyetic '60s flair

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 9 September 2013]

I became a fan of "Captain Scarlet" back in the '90s, during the Sci-Fi Channel's run of the series. It was strange, mysterious, occasionally very hokey, and otherworldly at the same time. For a kids show, it tends surprisingly to the dark, and its more realistic marionettes (at that point) give it an accessibility that separates the show from other Gerry Anderson series of the period.

It's like watching old-school GI Joe dolls come to life, in real moving vehicles, against striking sets and environments. And that idea has always intrigued me. Indeed, the model work here is impressive. Sure, they can't really walk or throw punches, but Derek Meddings' terrific production design (not to mention explosions) make for pretty cool visuals, and the intricacy of those sets is eye-popping. The precision on display here is remarkable, between the city streets, futuristic buildings and aircraft.

And when it's not a toy commercial (I say this with all due affection and respect), there are actually some interesting sci-fi ideas on this show, often surprisingly, given it's a children's TV program. The hero's (tragically) virtually indestructible but not invulnerable, and the omnipresent threat of the Mysterons makes for a nice bit of paranoia. Some of the ideas here were better fleshed out in the recent "New Captain Scarlet", but oddly enough where the CGI lends for a more action-packed show, it loses something without Meddings and those miniatures.

A big something.

7/10

Mysterious Mysterons...

[poe426 · 10/10 · 22 May 2013]

One of my favorite shows as a kid, CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE MYSTERONS was about as spooky as children's programming ever got: the Mysterons, a mysterious race of beings whose base on Mars was inadvertently destroyed by Earthlings have vowed vengeance- and, throughout the series, they often GOT it. They even managed to possess Captain Scarlet himself, Spectrum's top agent. "You are virtually indestructible," a doctor tells the good captain when he comes back to life. That's right: he comes back to life, thanks to the Mysteron's mysterious "retro metabolism," which enables him to regenerate whenever he's killed. He dies more than once during the course of the series, which makes him one of the cooler superheroes. CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE MYSTERONS rarely compromised (the heroes DID win most of the time, but they lost quite often, as well) and Captain Black (who we saw during the opening credits standing in a mist-shrouded graveyard) looked like Death itself (pale, with dark circles around his eyes). It still holds up.

Gerry Anderson (1929-2012): The Ultimate And Indisputable "Puppet-Master" Of Them All

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 27 May 2020]

"Never fear! Captain Scarlet is here!"

Believe me - "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons" is a SyFy blast from the past.

Set in the year 2068 - This 1967 puppet show was a Gerry Anderson production (Thunderbirds, Stingray) that certainly didn't skimp on violence and destruction.

This entertaining program of elaborate sets and fantastic aircraft was a bit of an "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" story where the "Mysterons" (from Mars) have come to Earth in order to avenge themselves against man who (as you'll find out) has proven to be an outer space menace.

Even though this enjoyable British production was aimed at the kids - I think that it can be appreciated (for its creativity) by all ages.

Unbelievable

[lcbarnett957 · 10/10 · 28 January 2022]

Better than Thunderbirds, far more realistic. More adult themed, just far superior. The puppets are much more life-like. The friendship between Captains Blue and Scarlet is endearing. Captain Black is a personal favourite of mine, his rugged (crack-addict) look is very appealing. He's the true hero of this story.

Another Gerry Anderson hit

[studioAT · 3/10 · 8 January 2017]

Gerry Anderson pioneered quality entertainment using puppets. 'Stingray' and 'Thunderbirds' (the huge success story) being just two examples.

But 'Captain Scarlet' was a big hit too in its time and it's easy to see why. It's certainly a step up in terms of production values, and there's enough drama to entertain kids and their parents. Taking its lead from 'Thunderbirds' maybe there is also a lot of craft, all of which could handily be turned into action figures.

It's very difficult to worry about a hero we know can't die though. It always stopped me totally enjoying this show, because you knew whatever the situation he'd be back.

It's worth a look though.

An enjoyable series – the darkest and coolest of Anderson's shows

[bob the moo · 30 July 2004]

When man reaches Mars for an exploratory mission, a misunderstanding leads to an alien race called the Mysterons being attacked and responding with a cold war against Earth. Their main power is to duplicate humans and kill the real one without anyone noticing. With one of the original astronauts (Captain Black) under their control the Mysterons plot their attacks on Earth. Only the international intelligence organisation Spectrum stands in their way with their lead agent Captain Scarlet who has become indestructible having survived an attempt by the Mysterons to duplicate him.

I will completely acknowledge that the fact that I have watched this series since I was a child will colour my opinion of it and blind me to its failings, but my review is as fair as I can be! Tea-times on a Friday evening had me polishing my uniform for BB while watching this series (and then Man from Uncle) and I have probably seen the whole series several times (but am not such a fanboy as to own a copy). The plot is simple – each week the Mysterons come up with a plan to strike at Earth like terrorists, hitting small but high profile targets for maximum effect and each week the agents of Spectrum race to stop them. It is simple but effective and, at only 25 or so minutes long, it never has to stretch to fill its time.

The reason I prefer it to Anderson's other shows is a combination of things.

The theme music is wonderful and is known to everyone – memorable, cool and cheesy it is a perfect way to end each episode. The opening sequence is always creepy and is a good example of how this series is a little darker than Anderson's other stuff. While still being a million miles from being aimed at adults, the series is more interesting looking back on it; for me the most adult aspect of it is the fact that the hero can die every week which, for those of us with a love for the morbid, is a great attraction in the midst of all those shiny toys and colourful uniforms!

Of course it is still an Anderson series and it is entirely puppets – with all the limitations that that creates. The puppets move slowly and the models don't look real but all this you know before you even tune in! The actors are typically gruff (for the men) or feminine (for the Angels) and the puppets are good for what they are. The most memorable one is Scarlet who looks great and only benefits (in my book) for having much more than a passing resemblance to Cary Grant.

Overall this is very much of its time but it continues to get child viewers even if, one suspects, it is a viewing choice suggested by their parents. The model work and puppets are typically Anderson and the writing is frequently good, producing tight and enjoyable 20 minute episodes for the vast majority of the series and the creepy Mysterons acting as very effective bad guys and a great common plot device. As an adult it is my favourite of Anderson's series because of its darker edge. Scarlet may be indestructible but his death and sacrifice many times is still effective and the dark writing can be seen right down to the fact that the Mysterons are not inherently 'bad' and that this whole war of nerves is off the back of a human mistake! I'm not implying that this is complex but it is certainly interesting. A very cool series with a darker edge for adults and one that will always have me reminiscing!

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

[jboothmillard · 10/10 · 20 April 2005]

In the 1960s Gerry Anderson coined the phrase "Supermarionation" (a portmanteau of "super", "marionette" and "animation") for his puppet television shows, this is seen by most as his popular series, and one I grew up with in childhood. Basically set in the year 2068, three men from Earth were sent on a mission to investigate signals coming from the planet Mars, they discover an extraterrestrial complex. The aliens, known as the Mysterons, wanted to welcome the humans, but their sensor device was mistaken as a weapon, the humans opened fire and destroyed the Martian base, but moments later an alien device reconstructs the wreckage. The Mysterons threaten vengeance on all life on Earth, beginning a "war of nerves", slow retaliation for this (mistaken) attack, issuing threats of death and destruction against specific targets, such as world leaders, important people, military installations, whole cities, and their primary agent to assist in these plans is human turned Mysteron agent Captain Black (Donald Gray). The Mysterons have the powers of reversing matter, or "retro- metabolism", they can destroy an object (such as vehicles) or person and reconstruct them for their own ends, the Martians are invisible, but their actions are indicated by the appearance of two light rings that appear. The Spectrum Organisation are assigned to combat the Mysterons, directed from Cloudbase, the airborne headquarters stationed thousands of miles above the Earth, commanded by Colonel White (Donald Gray), aka Charles Gray, with his assistant Lieutenant Green (Cy Grant), aka Seymour Griffiths. The first mission sees Spectrum agent Captain Scarlet (Francis Mattews), aka Paul Medcalfe, killed and turned into a Mysteron, in an attempt to assassinate the World President, however this fails, with Captain Scarlet falling to his death. However, the Mysteron powers of retro-metabolism are retained, remarkably Captain Scarlet returns to life, no longer under the control of the Mysterons, Doctor Fawn (Charles Tingwell), aka Edward Wilkie, confirms that after a few hours even a fatal wound to Captain Scarlet will heal completely, he is virtually indestructible. Captain Scarlet is often paired with fellow Spectrum officer Captain Blue (Ed Bishop), aka Adam Svenson, other Spectrum officers with colour code names include: Captain Ochre (Jeremy Wilkin), aka Richard Fraser; Captain Magenta (Gary Files), aka Patrick Donaghue; and Captain Grey (Paul Maxwell), aka Bradley Holden. Spectrum is defended by the Angels, a squadron of five female pilots who fly the Angel Interceptor fighter air crafts, they are: Destiny Angel (Liz Morgan), aka Juliette Pontoin; Symphony Angel (Janna Hill), aka Karen Wainwright; Rhapsody Angel (Liz Morgan), aka Dianne Simms; Melody Angel (Sylvia Anderson), aka Magnolia Jones; and Harmony Angel (Liz Morgan), aka Chan Kwan. Spectrum also has a number of vehicles and crafts they use on their missions, including the armoured assault vehicle the Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle (SPV), the Spectrum Saloon Car, the Spectrum Passenger Jet and many more. Captain Scarlet sometimes experiences severe nausea when there is Mysteron activity close, and along the way Spectrum discover things about the Mysterons that aid their battle with them, including they are impervious to X-rays, allowing them to detect Mysterons agents, and they are vulnerable to electricity, this is the best weapon to kill the Mysteron agents. Also starring Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, Martin King, David Healy, Lian-Shin Yang, Neil McCallum and Thunderbirds' Shane Rimmer as various characters. There were 32 episodes of this classic show, the puppet characters are all likable, the stories all have their own charm, the music by Barry Gray, including the closing credits song "Captain Scarlet" by The Spectrum, is great, and there are plenty of exciting scenes, with explosions, there may not be many laughs, it is a darker and often scary, but it will definitely keep you watching, it is a highly entertaining show for adults and children alike, a brilliant family science-fiction adventure. It was number 82 on The 100 Greatest Scary Moments (for booming voice of The Mysterons), and it number 51 on The 100 Greatest Kids' TV Shows. Outstanding!

Another childhood favourite of mine

[rt-ingram · 9/10 · 7 July 2016]

Another TV series I grew up watching, and have fond memories of, 'Captain Scarlet' is still as popular now as it was when it was first shown in 1967. I enjoyed 'Thunderbirds' enormously, so I gave 'Captain Scarlet' a go, and I wasn't disappointed.

The concept is quite dark for a children's series, with characters being killed and resurrected as villains, and the Mysterons wanting to destroy all life on earth, but it's not too upsetting for children. And the stories are just as enjoyable; with the first episode, I did find myself piecing together what was happening, but it all makes sense in the end. There were a few instances where the Mysterons won, and this adds a touch of realism that the good guys sometimes fail.

Unfortunately, the series ended with a flashback episode that provided no real sense of closure. The penultimate episode was an 'it was all a dream' story that featured the Mysterons destroying Cloudbase – had it not been a dream, this would have been an ideal conclusion.

Overall, Captain Scarlet might be a lot more serious in tone, but it's enjoyable nonetheless and will no doubt continue to entertain in years to come.

dosnt age well but closing credits amazing and awsome

[surfisfun · 8/10 · 23 April 2019]

I watched this in 69-72 I guess . I remember the song for is perfect catchiness. but I wonder if I was following the show and really liked it. I was lucky wt the puppetry era and simple Lego! Maybe The best closing credits in tv series history that is not also the beginning one.

Totally ripped off "Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD"

[trevorandrewmillar-70769 · 3/10 · 27 July 2019]

This series was one of many created in the wake of the James Bond movies; suddenly everybody wanted their own James Bond, usually a member of an acronymic intelligence agency; this series did not parody Bond as much as one of Bond's parodies; specifically "Nick Fury", produced by Marvel Comics. Both "Fury" and "Scarlet" featured acronymic agencies (SPECTRUM/SHIELD), mobile HQs aboard flying aircraft-carriers (Cloudbase/the Heli-Carrier) and heroes with the ability to apparently return from the dead; Scarlet through the power of "retro-metabolism", Fury by sending his android (or LMD) double into lethal situations ahead of himself to draw the enemy's fire.

this was fun. We thought these were actors...

[gazzo-2 · 27 November 2002]

...No joke, as a 6 year old I watched this right after seeing Giant Robot, we were in heavon. Could NOT get enough, though those Mysterons and their 'Twin orbs of light' were enough to send us scurrying behind the couch...

Haven't seen it since though.

*** from memory.

Plotless puppets

[stevenaaus · 3/10 · 29 August 2021]

Such an ordinary series. Nice production values, but absolutely none of the Thunderbird charm or humour, and basically .... plotless. 32 episodes of meandering "are you a mysteron?" . Even the babes are totaly devoid of charisma, and that tedious episode intro is unforgiving. Ep31 - "It was a nightmare!" 3/10.

Uncannily Prescient; Would Hold Up Even Today

[Scarlet-22 · 2 August 2005]

CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE MYSTERONS remains my favorite of Gerry Anderson's many puppet productions, in part because its story is both superhero-esquire and scarily timeless. Envisioned as a Cold War fable and set in a world at war with a merciless enemy who views their cause as just because they are retaliating for an unprovoked attack, the story works even better in the post-9/11 era, where your next-door neighbor you've known for years suddenly and without warning turns into a suicide bomber/hijacker/terrorist without you ever seeing the change in them or understanding why they picked your neighborhood/office/bus/train/etc.

The premise is surprisingly dark for a kid's show: Vowing revenge for an unprovoked attack on their Martian complex by an overzealous team of outer space explorers led by Spectrum officer Captain Black (the heavily processed voice of Donald Gray), the Mysterons--an unseen race of creatures with the power to recreate a destroyed item through a process called "retrometabolism"--abduct Black and turn him into their slave, then ruthlessly kill two more Spectrum agents, Captain Brown and Captain Scarlet (the impressive Cary Grant impersonation belongs to British stage actor Francis Matthews). Brown is turned into a suicide bomber--he literally blows up and nearly kills World President James Younger (INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE's Paul Maxwell)--while Scarlet is turned into an ice-cold assassin who abducts President Younger. But in a strange turn of events, a fall from the London Car-Vu breaks the Mysterons' hold over Scarlet, and he becomes Spectrum's greatest asset, an "indestructible man" who can recover even from fatal wounds and who can take on suicidal missions against the seemingly unstoppable Mysterons.

The outstanding cast, led by Matthews and UFO's Ed Bishop as his partner, Captain Blue, and the incredibly detailed sets and intricate storytelling truly elevate this series far above the average Saturday morning kid program, and even farther above Anderson's already lofty THUNDERBIRDS. This is stark, harsh, dark, and sometimes scary stuff. The good guys don't always win--in fact, sometimes they lose BIG. The Mysterons are seemingly unstoppable, not caring who gets hurt or how in their quest to destroy the Earth (again, the terrorism parallels are guaranteed to give you chills, especially when you watch an exploding Mysteron take out an entire building). And in practically every episode, Captain Scarlet dies. Really, he dies. He revives thanks to his retrometabolism, but he gets really, really bloodied and banged up in most episodes; parents, please think twice before letting really young children watch this show.

The fact that this show is now on DVD makes it possible to introduce the fantastic intricacies of this now-defunct style of children's' programming to a new generation. If you've never seen this show and like your superheroes dark, moody, and mysterious, check this one out. You won't regret it.

Technically superior but lacks charm of 'Thunderbirds'

[Markhoni · 24 February 2003]

Anderson's follow up to 'Thunderbirds' is far more brutal and pessimistic about the future. Virtually every episode begins with the Mysterons murdering someone to 'reconstruct' them under their control. The puppets are technically superior to ThunderBirds, Stingray etc and the special effects by Derek Meddings and co are excellent. There are some nice touches-the multi-racial, equal opportunity organisation 'Spectrum', the puppet 'guest stars',particularly the Robert Mitchum lookalike, and the fact that Colonel White, the Spectrum commander and the Mysterons share the same voice (is this symbolically significant as opposed to Anderson economising on actors?).However, overall it lacked the charm and innocent appeal of its predecessors. For pedants like me there were also some holes in the basic concept. It was quietly forgotten that Captain Scarlet himself was not the original but a Mysteron reconstruction. Was there no danger of him being taken over again? Like the workings of the Star Trek transporter the exact nature of his indestructibility was left vague. In the opening credits he is shown to be bullet proof, but in the series itself he just seems to be able to recover quickly from catastrophic injuries. Anyway, as far as I recall none of the other Mysteron agents were indestructible so why was he? Anderson is reputedly remaking the series as of 2003 so perhaps we'll learn some answers. Hope it's better than some of his latter day shows like 'Terrahawks' and the abysmal 'Space Precinct'

BEST GERRY ANDERSON SHOW

[Big Movie Fan · 6 March 2002]

Out of all the Gerry Anderson puppet shows this was the best of them all. I saw this as a child and to be honest it scared me. I hated the Mysterons. I know you never saw what they looked like but that's what scared me.

Firstly, the characters were all very likeable and the stories and action scenes were great. But there were a lot of things I liked about this show.

(SPOILERS AHEAD) The pilot episode began with a Martian exploration vehicle landing on Mars. The Mysterons were about to greet the humans but you know what us aggressive humans are like. The human team attempted to blast the Mysteron city but failed in their attempt. The Mysterons then declared war on Earth-and all because of man's stupid actions.

None of us know whether there is life out there in the universe. But if there is then lets hope they never come to Earth because us trigger happy humans would shoot first and ask questions later. In this show, the Mysterons may have been the villains but it was humanity that caused the war with an unprovoked attack on the Martian complex. So all the Mysterons were really doing was defending themselves and avenging an unprovoked attack. This made for a real interesting show in my opinion. Okay, when I initially watched it as a child I didn't think about any of the above. But as an adult I really think it was a thought provoking show-and quite realistic. I hate to say it but the Mysterons were not the true bad guys in my opinion.

Anyway, enough philosophical thinking. The episodes were great and I thought Captain Scarlet was cool. My favourite episode was Attack on Cloudbase where the Mysterons actually come down to Earth and start destroying Cloudbase. I won't spoil the ending but let's just say it was a good ending.

All in all, a good show which finished before it's time. Lets hope someone out there gets Captain Scarlet back on our screens one day.

It will always be swinging

[RESERVOIR SIM · 23 March 2000]

This show may have originally been made for kids but it is still loved by adults and kids alike. The voice of The Mysteron still sends shivers up my spine. I prefer it to Thunderbirds, although I still like Thunderbirds. The characters are much cooler in this, especially Captain Black - he kicks ass. I like those white aeroplane things, they're pretty cool. I always seem to like the bad guys more. Why will this show always be swinging? It so 60ish and it is 4 decades since then and it is still pretty popular. I remember when it made a comeback back in 93, that's how I first got into it. The one thing I did not like about the show was when the scene changed the picture would flash. I think Gerry Anderson's creations are the greatest.

Great show

[WTH61 · 16 February 2002]

While most people talk about Thunderbirds, for my money Captain Scarlet was the better show. The puppets were real life looking and for a programme produced in the 60's, the sets and models were very futuristic, and way ahead of their time.

I'm every hopefully that either this show or Thunderbirds will be made into a movie with real actors as the technology today in films makes it very possible. However, as with any updated movie of an old TV show there is always a 50% chance they will mess it up.