Operation Time
Encyclopedia
"Operation Time" is the eighth 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 Richard Conway and Stephen J. Mattick and directed by Ken Turner
.
In this episode, when the Mysteron
s threaten to "kill time", Spectrum is baffled until they discover that the target is a military general due to receive revolutionary neurosurgery
.The Mysteron weaknesses discovered in "Operation Time" are developed in "Spectrum Strikes Back
", its sequel
.
threat to "kill time", Colonel White
dispatches his senior officers to major cities to watch for potential targets. Nothing significant comes up until Captain Magenta
learns that General Tiempo, the Commander of Western Region
World Defence, whose surname means "time" in Spanish
, is shortly due to receive a brain
operation from leading neurosurgeon Dr Magnus of London Hospital. After Magnus is flown to Cloudbase
along with Tiempo and a surgical team
, he insists that the procedure — to be carried out with the aid of the pioneering technology of a "Cerebral Pulsator" — be performed immediately as scheduled, despite security concerns in view of the Mysteron threat. Spectrum is unaware that the real Magnus is dead — killed in a car accident
brought about by Captain Black
— and that a Mysteron reconstruction has taken his place.
In the operating room, the duplicate deliberately overruns the Cerebral Pulsator, using the resulting seizure
to kill the patient. However, since their face was covered during the operation, the reconstructed Magnus had no way of knowing that Tiempo has been replaced by Captain Scarlet
. Magnus manages to escape from Sick Bay, but Captain Blue
tracks him down to the Cloudbase generator room where he is fatally electrocuted by an uncovered cable. During this time, a strange phenomenon has appeared in one of Tiempo's head X-ray
s: Magnus's hand, which was inadvertently also X-rayed, has not been penetrated by the scan and is instead registering as a plain photographic image. Later, after Scarlet has been revived, Colonel White announces that Spectrum will develop devices to exploit the Mysteron weaknesses of imperviousness to X-rays and apparent vulnerability to electricity.
. In the script, it was proposed that the sequences presenting the development of Tiempo's cranial X-ray
s be filmed on location
at Wexham Park Hospital
in Slough
, a short distance from the Century 21 Studios, but this ultimately proved to be unnecessary. Incidental music
for "Operation Time" was recorded by Barry Gray
on with tracks for the later episode "Renegade Rocket
" in a session which ran for four hours and 30 minutes and used a 12-musician orchestra.. This is also the only episode where all the Spectrum male staff get speaking roles in the same episode (Captain Scarlet, Captain Blue, Lieutenant Green, Colonel White, Captain Black, Dr.Fawn, Captain Ochre, Captain Magenta, Captain Grey). The episode also marks the first appearance of actor Gary Files
, who at the time was unable to be involved with the recordings for the first five episodes. This is because he was currently providing voices for the film Thunderbird 6
, which was a "try-out" for Captain Scarlet.
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, was written by Richard Conway and Stephen J. Mattick and directed by Ken Turner
Ken Turner (director)
Ken Turner is a British television and film director and screenwriter who has worked extensively on series created by Gerry Anderson....
.
In this episode, when the 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...
s threaten to "kill time", Spectrum is baffled until they discover that the target is a military general due to receive revolutionary neurosurgery
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
.The Mysteron weaknesses discovered in "Operation Time" are developed in "Spectrum Strikes Back
Spectrum Strikes Back
"Spectrum Strikes Back" is the ninth 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...
.
Plot
When Spectrum receives a puzzling MysteronMysteron
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...
threat to "kill time", Colonel White
Colonel White
Colonel White is a character in the 1960s Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is the commander-in-Chief of Spectrum, the security organisation dedicated to defending Earth against the Mysterons from Mars...
dispatches his senior officers to major cities to watch for potential targets. Nothing significant comes up until Captain Magenta
Captain Magenta
Captain Magenta is a character in the 1960s Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is a senior officer of the Spectrum organisation, but seldom leaves Cloudbase....
learns that General Tiempo, the Commander of Western Region
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
World Defence, whose surname means "time" in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, is shortly due to receive a brain
Human brain
The human brain has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times larger than the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size. Estimates for the number of neurons in the human brain range from 80 to 120 billion...
operation from leading neurosurgeon Dr Magnus of London Hospital. After Magnus is flown to Cloudbase
Cloudbase
Cloudbase is the fictional skyborne headquarters of international security organisation Spectrum, from Gerry Anderson's science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons .-Appearance in Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons:...
along with Tiempo and a surgical team
Surgical team
A surgical team is a team of people who perform surgery and related tasks. Roles in the team include surgeon, nurse, anaesthetist and surgical practitioner....
, he insists that the procedure — to be carried out with the aid of the pioneering technology of a "Cerebral Pulsator" — be performed immediately as scheduled, despite security concerns in view of the Mysteron threat. Spectrum is unaware that the real Magnus is dead — killed in a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
brought about by Captain Black
Captain Black (Captain Scarlet)
Captain Black is the fictional nemesis of Captain Scarlet and recurring Mysteron agent in the 1960s British supermarionation science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and its CGI remake Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet...
— and that a Mysteron reconstruction has taken his place.
In the operating room, the duplicate deliberately overruns the Cerebral Pulsator, using the resulting seizure
Seizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
to kill the patient. However, since their face was covered during the operation, the reconstructed Magnus had no way of knowing that Tiempo has been replaced by 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....
. Magnus manages to escape from Sick Bay, but 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....
tracks him down to the Cloudbase generator room where he is fatally electrocuted by an uncovered cable. During this time, a strange phenomenon has appeared in one of Tiempo's head X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
s: Magnus's hand, which was inadvertently also X-rayed, has not been penetrated by the scan and is instead registering as a plain photographic image. Later, after Scarlet has been revived, Colonel White announces that Spectrum will develop devices to exploit the Mysteron weaknesses of imperviousness to X-rays and apparent vulnerability to electricity.
Production
Writers Richard Conway and Stephen J. Mattick named Dr Magnus's colleague Dr Turner after the director for this episode, Ken TurnerKen Turner (director)
Ken Turner is a British television and film director and screenwriter who has worked extensively on series created by Gerry Anderson....
. In the script, it was proposed that the sequences presenting the development of Tiempo's cranial X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
s be filmed on location
Filming location
A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage...
at Wexham Park Hospital
Wexham Park Hospital
Wexham Park Hospital is an NHS hospital at the northern fringe of Slough, Berkshire, part of the Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.The hospital opened in 1965 in a "countryside" setting....
in Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
, a short distance from the Century 21 Studios, but this ultimately proved to be unnecessary. 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 "Operation Time" was recorded by Barry Gray
Barry Gray
Barry Gray was a British musician and composer who is best known for his work for Gerry Anderson.-Life:...
on with tracks for the later episode "Renegade Rocket
Renegade Rocket
"Renegade Rocket" is the 16th 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 Ralph Hart and directed by Brian Burgess...
" in a session which ran for four hours and 30 minutes and used a 12-musician orchestra.. This is also the only episode where all the Spectrum male staff get speaking roles in the same episode (Captain Scarlet, Captain Blue, Lieutenant Green, Colonel White, Captain Black, Dr.Fawn, Captain Ochre, Captain Magenta, Captain Grey). The episode also marks the first appearance of actor Gary Files
Gary Files
Gary Files was born in Melbourne, Australia and is an Australian-Canadian actor, writer and director who has resided in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. He has lived in Australia since 1976.-Early life:...
, who at the time was unable to be involved with the recordings for the first five episodes. This is because he was currently providing voices for the film Thunderbird 6
Thunderbird 6
Thunderbird 6 is a 1968 British science-fiction and adventure film written by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, directed by David Lane and produced by Century 21 Cinema...
, which was a "try-out" for Captain Scarlet.
External links
- "Operation Time" 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...
- "Operation Time" at CliveBanks.co.uk
- "Operation Time" at TheVervoid.com