Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

1967

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1
  • 0
7.8| NR| en| More Info
Released: 29 September 1967 Ended
Producted By: ITC Entertainment
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

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. First broadcast on ATV Midlands from September 1967 to May 1968, it has since been transmitted in more than 40 other countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Characters are presented as marionette puppets alongside scale model sets and special effects in a filming technique that the Andersons termed "Supermarionation". This technology incorporated solenoid motors as a means of synchronising the puppet's lip movements with pre-recorded dialogue. Set in 2068, Captain Scarlet presents the hostilities between Earth and a race of Martians known as the Mysterons. After human astronauts attack their city on Mars, the vengeful Mysterons declare war on Earth, initiating a series of reprisals that are countered by Spectrum, a worldwide security organisation. Spectrum boasts the extraordinary abilities of its primary agent, Captain Scarlet. During the events of the pilot episode, Scarlet acquires the Mysteron healing power of "retro-metabolism" and is thereafter considered to be virtually "indestructible", being able to recover fully from injuries that would normally be fatal.

Watch Online

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967) is now streaming with subscription on Prime Video

Director

Production Companies

ITC Entertainment

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons Videos and Images

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons Audience Reviews

Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.
WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
Joanna Mccarty Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
StuOz I don't like the low-key opening titles and music of Scarlet. I HATE the small head puppets. The various crafts that drive and fly leave me cold. I read that Gerry Anderson was busy making a Thunderbirds motion picture at the same time as Scarlet and I just get the feeling that Gerry did not have his heart in Scarlet. The show is a bit cold, but then Thunderbirds was sometimes too light hearted, so maybe Scarlet being cold is not the issue? I don't know? The good news. If you have about two days with nothing to do, then a Captain Scarlet marathon on DVD is just the thing. Because of the short length of the series, you can watch it all in about two days (as I did in 1997) and the story lines will hold your interest enough to keep you mildly entertained.
bob the moo 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!
mazooc 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.
critic-29 Filmed in "Supermarionation", Captain Scarlet is visually one of the most interesting shows that I have ever seen. It is easy to forget that the characters are puppets. I watched the show as a young child (I was born the same year as the show - 1966) and did not hear of or see it again until 1998.I was very surprised at how well it holds up over time. The use of sound is dramatic like in many products of the 60s. The characters have an "I Spy" cool. The clothing and industrial design of the aircraft, spacecraft, land vehicles as well as the architectural styles are fantastic 60's visions of the future.Captain Scarlet is a member of an elite military group called "Spectrum". Each male "Captain" has an associated color and the female members are jet-flying "Angels" (Harmony Angel, Melody Angel etc.) The Mysterons are aliens whose main weapon is the ability to replace people and things with their own reproductions.In the first episode, Captain Scarlet is replaced in a Mysteron plot to assassinate the President. The replacement is killed by a great fall, but then mysteriously returns to life and, get this, is apparently both freed of Mysteron control AND now indestructible. Gotta love it. CAN we now trust Captain Scarlet? What will the Mysterons do next in their campaign of revenge against the Earth?The voices are superb and the writing is very good. If you get a chance to see Captain Scarlet, take it. You will be glad you did.