Supercar (TV series)

Supercar was a supermarionation/children's televison series created by Gerry Anderson's AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment. 39 episodes were made over 2 seasons in1961 and 1962. The series was Anderson's first series of 30 minutes per episode. Also it was the first Anderson series which was also sold to an American channel.

The series was the first who used the term supermarionation. This was mentioned in the credits of the last 13 episodes.



Content
[hide] *1 Story  ==Story[ Edit] == Unlike many of Anderson's later series Supercar plays is not turned away in the future but in the "present" (the 1960s). The series revolves around an experimental vehicle that is suitable for multiple purposes, stationed in Black Rock Laboratory in the Nevada desert. The vehicle can by land, air and underwater travel.
 * 2 History
 * 3 Episodes
 * 3.1 season 1 (1961)
 * 3.2 season 2 (1962)
 * 4 external links

Characters include pilot Mike Mercury, inventor Professor Rudolph Popkiss, his assistant Dr. Horatio Beaker, child Jimmy Gibson, and Jimmy's pet chimpanzee, the Mitch.The plot of the episodes turned especially to solve/combat of crimes and rescues, often with science fiction elements and stereotypical villains such as "Masterspy" and "Friend Za".

The series got on some points of criticism, especially with respect to political correctness and the characters. Examples were for example the stereotype scientists: Popkiss was a German who spoke with a heavy accent and wore glasses and a large Beaker an Englishman with very great love for tea. Both men were (especially in the beginning) not really satisfied about Mike Mercury, and always called him "pilot" instead of his real name. Mike itself was an example of the Idol from the 1950 's: a heroic leader who has virtually no weaknesses.

Supercar was a vehicle that could take off and land vertically. On the country drove the vehicle on an air cushion instead of wheels. To fly the vehicle used Jet engines and folding wings. By a built-in monitor the pilot could look through fog and smoke.

The series introduced the most famous characteristic of Anderson's series: the launch sequence (literally: launch scene). Each of his series to Space: 1999 contained extended scenes in which the main machine (s) were launched. ==History[ Edit] == After Granada Television failed Anderson's previous series, Four Feather Falls, new life, Anderson was approached by Lew Grade of ATV with the request to make a new series using the same techniques. Anderson then made the plan for Supercar. Grade was pleased with the idea, but wanted to trim the budget that Anderson had in mind. Anderson was able to conform to the lower budget.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The first 26 scripts for Supercar were written by the brothers Martin and Hugh Woodhouse, at the rate of 1 script per week. This connect to Andersons and Grades cost and production schedule.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Anderson always claimed that he had figured out the futuristic vehicles to make sure the dolls in the series less need to walk (something that was very difficult and never realistic enough happened to). This became apparent in later series such as Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, in which the puppets almost never ran.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The entire series is now available on dvd in England and North America. Big Bang Comics made a tribute to the series with their character Mike Merlin, who clearly was based on Mike Mercury. ==Episodes<span class="mw-editsection" len="344" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ==

Season 1 (1961)

 * 1) Rescue
 * 2) False Alarm
 * 3) The Talisman Of Sargon
 * 4) What Goes Up
 * 5) Amazonian Adventure
 * 6) Grounded
 * 7) Keep It Cool
 * 8) Jungle Hazard
 * 9) High Tension
 * 10) Island Incident
 * 11) Ice-Fall
 * 12) Phantom Piper
 * 13) Pirate Plunder
 * 14) A Little Art
 * 15) Flight Of Fancy
 * 16) Deep Seven
 * 17) Hostage
 * 18) The Sunken Temple
 * 19) The Lost City
 * 20) Trapped In The Depths
 * 21) The Dragon Or Ho Mix
 * 22) The Magic Carpet
 * 23) Supercar "Take One"
 * 24) Crash Landing
 * 25) The Tracking Of Masterspy
 * 26) The White Line

Season 2 (1962)

 * 1) The Runaway Train
 * 2) Precious Cargo
 * 3) Operation Superstork
 * 4) Hi-Jack
 * 5) Calling Charlie Queen
 * 6) Space For Mitch
 * 7) Atomic Witch Hunt
 * 8) 70-B-Lo
 * 9) The sky's The Limit
 * 10) Jail Break
 * 11) The Day That Time Stood Still
 * 12) Transatlantic Cable
 * 13) King Carbon