The Launching
Encyclopedia
"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.
In this episode, the Mysteron
s appear to threaten the assassination of United States President Roberts within twelve hours. However, as the hours pass, Captain Scarlet
begins to suspect that the threat has been misinterpreted.
s warn Spectrum that they will destroy United States President Roberts within twelve hours. Mervin Brand, a journalist for the Tribune newspaper, is travelling to Washington, D.C.
to attend a presidential news conference
when his aircraft is struck by storm lightning
and crashes. Approaching the Capitol
, Mysteron reconstructions of Brand and his plane are intercepted by the Angels, who are patrolling the airspace
on the orders of Colonel White
. Forced to land at an airfield, Brand completes his journey to Washington by car. Meanwhile, Roberts has agreed to protective measures proposed by Captain Scarlet
, but insists on still holding the news conference. With one hour remaining before the Mysteron deadline, Brand arrives in his car outside the Presidential Residence
. However, rather than attempt to crash a Spectrum checkpoint set up by Captains Blue
and Ochre, Brand speeds past the Residence, almost hitting the Spectrum officers. With the Mysteron threat almost expired, Roberts is eager to attend the launching of an atomic liner
, the biggest and fastest ever constructed, at the Trans-Pacific Shipping Corporation shipyard
.
When the President reveals that the vessel is to be named
after him, Scarlet realises that the ship to be named President Roberts may in fact be the Mysteron target. At the shipyard, the Mysteron agent exploits the human Brand's friendship with the Trans-Pacific Vice President to infiltrate the private box from which President Roberts will be launched. The Mysteron influence transforms the bottle of champagne to be used for the christening into an explosive device
. Just as the Vice President's wife prepares to activate the bottle release mechanism, Scarlet arrives in a Spectrum Saloon
, warning of sabotage
and shooting Brand when the Mysteron agent turns to fire a gun at him. The shipyard is evacuated, but Brand has survived his wound and presses the bottle release. However, the bottle stops short of the keel
of President Roberts and falls back into the private box, exploding on contact and obliterating both Brand and Scarlet. One week later, Scarlet has been completely healed by his retro-metabolic powers and amazes the human President Roberts when he appears next to Blue in his office
.
Roberts hails from same home town as Symphony Angel. "The Launching" features a prominent appearance from the little-used Harmony Angel, voiced for the one and only time in the series by Chinese actress Lian-Shin. Although Lian is credited on 20 episodes of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, with the exception of this episode the character is voiced by Liz Morgan
, who also provides the voices of Destiny and Rhapsody Angels. Incidental music
for "The Launching" was recorded in the same session as the score
for the episode "Lunarville 7
", which was held on and featured an orchestra of four musicians.
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 2 April 1968 on ATV Midlands, was written by Peter Curran and David Williams
David Williams (screenwriter)
David Williams is a British television screenwriter.He co-wrote four episodes of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons in the 1960s, forming a writing duo with Peter Curran: "White as Snow", "Point 783", "Seek and Destroy" and "The Launching".-External links:...
and directed by Brian Burgess.
In this episode, 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 appear to threaten the assassination of United States President Roberts within twelve hours. However, as the hours pass, 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....
begins to suspect that the threat has been misinterpreted.
Plot
The 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...
s warn Spectrum that they will destroy United States President Roberts within twelve hours. Mervin Brand, a journalist for the Tribune newspaper, is travelling to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to attend a presidential news conference
News conference
A news conference or press conference is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions. A joint press conference instead is held between two or more talking sides.-Practice:...
when his aircraft is struck by storm lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
and crashes. Approaching the Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
, Mysteron reconstructions of Brand and his plane are intercepted by the Angels, who are patrolling the airspace
Airspace
Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere....
on the orders of 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...
. Forced to land at an airfield, Brand completes his journey to Washington by car. Meanwhile, Roberts has agreed to protective measures proposed 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....
, but insists on still holding the news conference. With one hour remaining before the Mysteron deadline, Brand arrives in his car outside the Presidential Residence
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. However, rather than attempt to crash a Spectrum checkpoint set up by Captains 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 Ochre, Brand speeds past the Residence, almost hitting the Spectrum officers. With the Mysteron threat almost expired, Roberts is eager to attend the launching of an atomic liner
Nuclear marine propulsion
Nuclear marine propulsion is propulsion of a ship by a nuclear reactor. Naval nuclear propulsion is propulsion that specifically refers to naval warships...
, the biggest and fastest ever constructed, at the Trans-Pacific Shipping Corporation shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
.
When the President reveals that the vessel is to be named
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
after him, Scarlet realises that the ship to be named President Roberts may in fact be the Mysteron target. At the shipyard, the Mysteron agent exploits the human Brand's friendship with the Trans-Pacific Vice President to infiltrate the private box from which President Roberts will be launched. The Mysteron influence transforms the bottle of champagne to be used for the christening into an explosive device
Explosive device
An explosive device is device that relies on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Explosive devices have applications as demolition devices and as weapons in the military....
. Just as the Vice President's wife prepares to activate the bottle release mechanism, Scarlet arrives in a Spectrum Saloon
Spectrum Saloon Car (SSC)
The Spectrum Patrol Car or Spectrum Saloon Car is a fictional vehicle that appears in Gerry Anderson's science-fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and in revamped form in the remake series Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet .-Appearance in Captain Scarlet and the...
, warning of sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
and shooting Brand when the Mysteron agent turns to fire a gun at him. The shipyard is evacuated, but Brand has survived his wound and presses the bottle release. However, the bottle stops short of the keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
of President Roberts and falls back into the private box, exploding on contact and obliterating both Brand and Scarlet. One week later, Scarlet has been completely healed by his retro-metabolic powers and amazes the human President Roberts when he appears next to Blue in his office
Oval Office
The Oval Office, located in the West Wing of the White House, is the official office of the President of the United States.The room features three large south-facing windows behind the president's desk, and a fireplace at the north end...
.
Production
Scenes cut from the final edit of this episode include a short sequence in which it is revealed that PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Roberts hails from same home town as Symphony Angel. "The Launching" features a prominent appearance from the little-used Harmony Angel, voiced for the one and only time in the series by Chinese actress Lian-Shin. Although Lian is credited on 20 episodes of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, with the exception of this episode the character is voiced by Liz Morgan
Elizabeth Morgan (actor)
Elizabeth Morgan is a British actress, primarily in supporting roles, in films, television, and onstage. She was often credited as "Liz Morgan".-External links:...
, who also provides the voices of Destiny and Rhapsody Angels. 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 "The Launching" was recorded in the same session as the score
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
for the episode "Lunarville 7
Lunarville 7
"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...
", which was held on and featured an orchestra of four musicians.
External links
- "The Launching" 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...
- "The Launching" at CliveBanks.co.uk
- "The Launching" at TheVervoid.com