Lunarville 7
Encyclopedia
"Lunarville 7" is the 12th episode of the Supermarionation
television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands. It was written by Tony Barwick
and directed by Robert Lynn
, and forms the introduction to a story arc
which is resumed in the later episode, "Crater 101
".
In this episode, Captain Scarlet
, Captain Blue
and Lieutenant Green
are dispatched to a lunar base to investigate reports of an unauthorised complex being built on the far side of the Moon
. Footage from "Lunarville 7" was re-edited and included in Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars
, a compilation film.
is neutral
in the war between Earth
and Mars
. Meanwhile, intelligence shows that an unauthorised facility is being built in the Humboldt Sea
on the far side of the Moon
. Captain Scarlet
, Captain Blue
and Lieutenant Green
are sent to Lunarville 7 ostensibly to hand over the World President
's written response to the Controller's controversial statement. However, the officers must also secretly investigate Lunarville 7 and the Humboldt Sea.
On arrival, Scarlet, Blue and Green are met by the Controller, his assistant, Orson, and Lunarville 7's AI
Control Computer, the Speech Intelligence Decoder ("SID"), which identifies humans via recognition discs. After the men hand over the World President's letter, Orson agrees to take them on a trip of the lunar surface in a Moonmobile, a vehicle reliant on the Moon's low gravity to jump and glide over the ground. However, Orson refuses to travel to the Humboldt Sea, and the men become even more suspicious of their hosts when they discover that their accommodation at Lunarville 7 has been fitted with concealed listening devices
.
In the early hours of the morning, Scarlet is unable to request a Moonmobile from SID, which the Controller has programmed to accept only his commands. The Controller has also declared a state of emergency
and ordered the evacuation of all personnel from Lunarville 7. Scarlet switches recognition discs with the sleeping controller to allow himself, Blue and Green access to a Moonmobile. Arriving in the Humboldt Sea, the officers discover that a Mysteron
complex is under construction in an unnamed crater marked "101" on the map.
Returning to Lunarville 7, the officers confront the Controller and Orson, who are Mysteron agents. As Scarlet is wearing the only authorised recognition disc, SID obeys his order to prepare a shuttle for departure. The insane Controller opens fire on SID with a gun after it rejects his commands, causing an explosion which kills him and Orson. Scarlet, Blue and Green blast off in the shuttle before further explosions obliterate Lunarville 7.
is home to about 4,000 humans. In Tony Barwick
's script for this episode, the character was then to discuss the self-sufficiency of Earth
's lunar bases in greater detail, stating, for example, "We were all born on Earth, but I see a future where men will be born, spend their lives and die on the Moon." This dialogue, however, was edited out of the final cut of the episode. The appearance of the Moonmobiles which feature in this episode and "Crater 101
", its sequel
, influenced the design of the SHADO Moonmobiles which feature in the later Gerry Anderson
series, UFO
. Incidental music
for this episode extensively features the notes of an Ondes Martenot
, operated by composer Barry Gray
himself, for sequences set in and around Lunarville 7. The music was recorded in the same studio session as tracks for another episode, "The Launching
". The session was held on and was attended by a group of four musicians.
describes the episode as containing one "mild" instance of violence in spite of its "U" rating
.
Supermarionation
Supermarionation is a puppetry technique devised in the 1960s by British production company AP Films. It was used extensively in the company's numerous Gerry and Sylvia Anderson-produced action-adventure series, the most famous of which was Thunderbirds...
television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill...
. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands. It was written by Tony Barwick
Tony Barwick
Tony Barwick was a British television scriptwriter who worked extensively on series created and produced by Gerry Anderson....
and directed by Robert Lynn
Robert Lynn (director)
Robert Lynn was a British film and TV director.He was the son of actor Ralph Lynn.-Selected filmography:* Information Received * Postman's Knock * Victim Five * Coast of Skeletons...
, and forms the introduction to a story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
which is resumed in the later episode, "Crater 101
Crater 101
"Crater 101" is the 17th episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands, was written by Tony Barwick and directed by Ken Turner....
".
In this episode, Captain Scarlet
Captain Scarlet (character)
Captain Scarlet is the fictional main character in Gerry Anderson's British Supermarionation science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and its CGI remake Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet....
, Captain Blue
Captain Blue (Captain Scarlet)
Captain Blue is a character in the 1967 Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is a senior officer of the Spectrum organisation and a close friend of Captain Scarlet....
and Lieutenant Green
Lieutenant Green
Lieutenant Green is the assistant of Colonel White in the Supermarionation television series series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is of Trinidadian origin, and as well as being the only non-white male on Cloudbase, he is the only officer to hold the rank of lieutenant...
are dispatched to a lunar base to investigate reports of an unauthorised complex being built on the far side of the Moon
Far side of the Moon
The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that is permanently turned away, and is not visible from the surface of the Earth. The far hemisphere was first photographed by the Soviet Luna 3 probe in 1959, and was first directly observed by human eyes when the Apollo 8 mission orbited the Moon...
. Footage from "Lunarville 7" was re-edited and included in Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars
Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars
Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars is a 1981 television film incorporating re-edited footage from the 1967 British Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Created by ITC Entertainment's New York offices, the film is a compilation of the original episodes "Shadow of...
, a compilation film.
Plot
In a transmission from lunar colony Lunarville 7, the Lunar Controller declares that the MoonMoon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is neutral
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
in the war between Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. Meanwhile, intelligence shows that an unauthorised facility is being built in the Humboldt Sea
Mare Humboldtianum
Mare Humboldtianum is a lunar mare located within the Humboldtianum basin, just to the east of Mare Frigoris. It is located along the northeastern limb of the Moon, and continues on to the far side...
on the far side of the Moon
Far side of the Moon
The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that is permanently turned away, and is not visible from the surface of the Earth. The far hemisphere was first photographed by the Soviet Luna 3 probe in 1959, and was first directly observed by human eyes when the Apollo 8 mission orbited the Moon...
. Captain Scarlet
Captain Scarlet (character)
Captain Scarlet is the fictional main character in Gerry Anderson's British Supermarionation science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and its CGI remake Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet....
, Captain Blue
Captain Blue (Captain Scarlet)
Captain Blue is a character in the 1967 Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is a senior officer of the Spectrum organisation and a close friend of Captain Scarlet....
and Lieutenant Green
Lieutenant Green
Lieutenant Green is the assistant of Colonel White in the Supermarionation television series series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is of Trinidadian origin, and as well as being the only non-white male on Cloudbase, he is the only officer to hold the rank of lieutenant...
are sent to Lunarville 7 ostensibly to hand over the World President
World government in science fiction
In both science fiction and utopian/dystopian fiction, authors have made frequent use of the age-old idea of a global state and, accordingly, of world government.- Overview :...
's written response to the Controller's controversial statement. However, the officers must also secretly investigate Lunarville 7 and the Humboldt Sea.
On arrival, Scarlet, Blue and Green are met by the Controller, his assistant, Orson, and Lunarville 7's AI
Ai
AI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
Control Computer, the Speech Intelligence Decoder ("SID"), which identifies humans via recognition discs. After the men hand over the World President's letter, Orson agrees to take them on a trip of the lunar surface in a Moonmobile, a vehicle reliant on the Moon's low gravity to jump and glide over the ground. However, Orson refuses to travel to the Humboldt Sea, and the men become even more suspicious of their hosts when they discover that their accommodation at Lunarville 7 has been fitted with concealed listening devices
Covert listening device
A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, is a common technique in surveillance, espionage and in police investigations.A bug does not have to be a device...
.
In the early hours of the morning, Scarlet is unable to request a Moonmobile from SID, which the Controller has programmed to accept only his commands. The Controller has also declared a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
and ordered the evacuation of all personnel from Lunarville 7. Scarlet switches recognition discs with the sleeping controller to allow himself, Blue and Green access to a Moonmobile. Arriving in the Humboldt Sea, the officers discover that a Mysteron
Mysteron
The Mysterons are a fictional race of extraterrestrials, native to the planet Mars, which appear in the British science fiction Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet, symbolised by ubiquitous projected green rings and the deep...
complex is under construction in an unnamed crater marked "101" on the map.
Returning to Lunarville 7, the officers confront the Controller and Orson, who are Mysteron agents. As Scarlet is wearing the only authorised recognition disc, SID obeys his order to prepare a shuttle for departure. The insane Controller opens fire on SID with a gun after it rejects his commands, causing an explosion which kills him and Orson. Scarlet, Blue and Green blast off in the shuttle before further explosions obliterate Lunarville 7.
Production
In his speech at the start of "Lunarville 7", the Lunar Controller states that the MoonMoon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is home to about 4,000 humans. In Tony Barwick
Tony Barwick
Tony Barwick was a British television scriptwriter who worked extensively on series created and produced by Gerry Anderson....
's script for this episode, the character was then to discuss the self-sufficiency of Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's lunar bases in greater detail, stating, for example, "We were all born on Earth, but I see a future where men will be born, spend their lives and die on the Moon." This dialogue, however, was edited out of the final cut of the episode. The appearance of the Moonmobiles which feature in this episode and "Crater 101
Crater 101
"Crater 101" is the 17th episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands, was written by Tony Barwick and directed by Ken Turner....
", its sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, influenced the design of the SHADO Moonmobiles which feature in the later Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
series, UFO
UFO (TV series)
UFO is a 1970-1971 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth, created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson with Reg Hill, and produced by the Andersons and Lew Grade's Century 21 Productions for Grade's ITC Entertainment company.UFO first aired in the UK and Canada...
. Incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
for this episode extensively features the notes of an Ondes Martenot
Ondes Martenot
The ondes Martenot , also known as the ondium Martenot, Martenot and ondes musicales, is an early electronic musical instrument invented in 1928 by Maurice Martenot. The original design was similar in sound to the theremin...
, operated by composer Barry Gray
Barry Gray
Barry Gray was a British musician and composer who is best known for his work for Gerry Anderson.-Life:...
himself, for sequences set in and around Lunarville 7. The music was recorded in the same studio session as tracks for another episode, "The Launching
The Launching
"The Launching" is the 26th episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was first broadcast in the UK on 2 April 1968 on ATV Midlands, was written by Peter Curran and David Williams and directed by Brian Burgess....
". The session was held on and was attended by a group of four musicians.
Reception
Critics Chris Drake and Graeme Bassett sum up "Lunarville 7" as a good episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. The British Board of Film ClassificationBritish Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
describes the episode as containing one "mild" instance of violence in spite of its "U" rating
History of British film certificates
-Overview:The UK's film ratings are decided by the British Board of Film Classification and have been since 1912. Previously, there were no agreed rating standards, and local councils imposed their own - often differing - conditions or restrictions...
.
External links
- "Lunarville 7" at Fanderson.org.ukFandersonFanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of Gerry Anderson. It is a not-for-profit organisation endorsed by Anderson Entertainment Ltd, Gerry Anderson Productions plc and ITC Entertainment Group Ltd...
- "Lunarville 7" at CliveBanks.co.uk
- "Lunarville 7" at TheVervoid.com