Supercar (TV series)

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Television series
Original title Supercar
Country of production United Kingdom
original language English
Year (s) 1961–1962
Production
company		 AP Films
length 25 minutes
Episodes 39 in 2 seasons
genre Science fiction ,
children's and youth series
Theme music Supercar by Barry Gray
idea Gerry Anderson ,
Sylvia Anderson
production Gerry Anderson
camera John Read,
Julien Lugrin
cut Gordon Davie
First broadcast Jan 28, 1961 (USA) on Associated Television
synchronization

Supercar is a British science fiction - television series by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson , were produced by the 1960-1962 39 episodes. It was the Andersons' first puppet series in the science fiction genre and initiated a good dozen other series, such as the Thunderbirds and UFO . At the same time it was the first European science fiction television series. The focus of the series is on the air-cushion vehicle supercar , which is suitable for flying, swimming and diving, with its test pilot Mike Mercury . The last 13 episodes were produced in the Supermarionation format.

action

The storyline of the series begins with the preparations for the first test flight of supercar in the laboratory of Professor Popkiss , which is located in Black Rock , Nevada . In the first episode, Rescue , a civil aircraft crashed at sea in which Jimmy and his monkey Mitch are also. The passengers are rescued and Jimmy and Mitch are members of the supercar team.

In the following episodes, the supercar team helps rescue scientists ( Trapped in the Depths ), chase pirates ( Pirate Plunder ), prevent Washington, DC from being destroyed by a mad scientist's missile ( The Lost City ) or the USA through hidden atomic bombs ( Atomic Witch Hunt ). Many episodes deal with the trials of the Albanian secret agents Masterspy and his assistant Zarin , Supercar steal.

Production history

After the previous series Four Feather Falls, located in the Wild West , had proven to be a commercial success, the Andersons decided to enter the science fiction milieu. Mike Mercury was therefore named after the US Mercury program .

Supercar is an all-round hovercraft that looks like a futuristic , streamlined passenger car without wheels. It is a whiz , has a jet and rocket drive , is buoyant and can be used as a submarine . With its Clear-Vu technology, the pilot can see through clouds, fog and smoke.

Three different supercar models were constructed for the trick shots ; an extremely light and sensitive model made of balsa wood was used for the simulated aerial photographs . A special aquarium was constructed for the underwater simulation that was only a few inches wide. The underwater scenes were shot through this transparent tank.

In the last third of the production time, Gerry Anderson introduced the term Supermarionation ; the term was obviously inspired by Ray Harryhausen's technique of dynamation . To increase the realism of the series, real plants and trees were for the Design design related. Rear projection images were used for the simulated flight shots and trips in cities . The scene used in the opening credits, in which the supercar shoots out of the sea, was shot in a swimming pool , in which the model was lowered to the bottom and weighed down. However, you can see the fishing line on which the model was pulled out of the water.

Supercar's experience flowed into the successor series Fireball XL5 , which was produced immediately after Supercar was phased out .

synchronization

Mike Mercury, Supercar Test Pilot : Graydon Gould

Professor Rudolph Popkiss, designer of the “Supercar”: George Murcell

Doctor Beaker, Popkiss' assistant: David Graham

Jimmy Gibson, a ten year old boy, member of the “Supercar” team: Sylvia Thamm, later married Anderson

Mitch the monkey, Jimmy's pet : David Graham

Masterspy, an Albanian secret agent : Cyril Shaps

Tsarina, Masterspys assistant: David Graham

literature

  • Simon Archer / Marcus Hearn: What made Thunderbirds Go! The authorized biography of Gerry Anderson , London (BBC Worldwide Limited) 2002. ISBN 0-563-53481-8
  • Adam Pirani: The Complete Gerry Anderson Episode Guide , London (Titan Books Ltd) 1989. ISBN 1-85286-216-5
  • Stephen La Rivière: Filmed in super marination. A History of the Future . Foreword at David Elliott, Neshannok, PA (Hermes Press) 2009. ISBN 1-932563-23-7
  • Simon Archer: FAB Facts. Behind the Scenes of TV's Famous Adventures in the 21st Century , London (HarperCollinsPublishers) 1993. ISBN 0-00-638247-9

Web links