Operation Time

Last updated

"Operation Time"
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons episode
Episode no.Episode 6
Directed by Ken Turner
Written by
  • Richard Conway &
  • Stephen J. Mattick
Cinematography byJulien Lugrin
Editing byJohn Beaton
Production codeSCA 6 [1]
Original air date17 November 1967 (1967-11-17)
Guest character voices
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Point 783"
Next 
"Renegade Rocket"
List of episodes

"Operation Time" is the sixth episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons , a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and produced by their company Century 21 Productions. Written by Richard Conway and Stephen J. Mattick and directed by Ken Turner, it was first broadcast on 17 November 1967 on ATV Midlands.

Contents

Set in 2068, the series depicts a "war of nerves" between Earth and the Mysterons: a race of Martians with the power to create functioning copies of destroyed people or objects and use them to carry out acts of aggression against humanity. Earth is defended by a military organisation called Spectrum, whose top agent, Captain Scarlet, was killed by the Mysterons and replaced by a reconstruction that subsequently broke free of their control. Scarlet's double has a self-healing power that enables him to recover from injuries that would be fatal to anyone else, making him Spectrum's best asset in its fight against the Mysterons.

The plot of "Operation Time" sees the Mysterons threaten to "kill time", confusing Spectrum until the target is found to be a military general who is about to undergo experimental neurosurgery. The episode uncovers two weaknesses in the Mysterons that are explored further in "Spectrum Strikes Back".

Plot

When the Mysterons bizarrely threaten to "kill time", Colonel White sends the Spectrum captains to major cities to watch for potential targets. No promising intelligence surfaces until Captain Magenta discovers that the Commander of Western Region World Defence, General J.F. Tiempo – whose surname means "time" in Spanish – is at a clinic in England to undergo neurosurgery. Believing that Tiempo's life is in danger, White has him flown to Cloudbase with his surgeon, Dr Magnus, who insists that the operation – to be carried out with the aid of a pioneering medical device called the "cerebral pulsator" – go ahead as planned. White reluctantly agrees and allows him to use their sickbay as an operating theatre, with Cloudbase's medical officer Dr Fawn assisting Magnus and his subordinates.

Unknown to Spectrum, Magnus is a Mysteron reconstruction of the original doctor, who has been killed in a road accident engineered by Captain Black. During the operation, the reconstruction deliberately overruns the pulsator, inducing a seizure that kills his masked patient. Fawn removes the mask to reveal the face of Captain Scarlet, who unknown to Magnus had substituted for Tiempo. Exposed as a Mysteron agent, Magnus breaks out of the sickbay and flees to Cloudbase's generator room. He is cornered by Captain Blue and killed when he is knocked against a bare cable.

During this time, an abnormality has appeared on one of pre-operative radiographs taken of Tiempo's head: Magnus' hand, which was accidentally caught in the image, has blocked the X-rays and is registering as solid flesh. With Tiempo saved and Scarlet revived thanks to his retro-metabolic powers, White announces that Spectrum will develop technology to exploit the Mysterons' imperviousness to X-rays and vulnerability to electricity.

Regular voice cast

Production

Writers Richard Conway and Stephen J. Mattick named Magnus's colleague, Dr Turner, after the episode's director, Ken Turner. In the script, Conway and Mattick suggested that Wexham Park Hospital could be used as a location to shoot footage showing the development of Tiempo's radiographs. In the end, however, the episode was filmed entirely at Century 21's studios on the Slough Trading Estate. [2]

Filming began on 20 February 1967 and was completed in two weeks. [3] One of the medical students that appear in the opening scene was played by a puppet that was originally sculpted as the prototype of Captain Scarlet. [4] The episode's incidental music was recorded in a four-and-a-half-hour studio session held on 14 May 1967, where it was performed by a group of 12 instrumentalists conducted by series composer Barry Gray. The music for "Renegade Rocket" was recorded during the same session. [5]

"Operation Time" features voice actor Gary Files' first contributions to Captain Scarlet. Files was unavailable during the production of the series' earlier episodes because he was voicing characters in the film Thunderbird 6 , for which he had been cast as a "try-out" for Captain Scarlet. [6]

Reception

Andrew Pixley and Julie Rogers of Starburst magazine note the "cryptic" nature of the Mysterons' threat to "kill time", humorously remarking that it could "[suggest] they'll be passing a few hours playing cards or watching Oprah ." They also consider the "rather graphic" electrocution of the reconstructed Magnus to be one of the series' more violent moments. [7]

Noting that the episode "expands on the mythology of the Mysterons", writer Fred McNamara credits "Operation Time" for its "precise delivery [...] pushing the world of Captain Scarlet to new levels whilst also acting as a confident episode in its own right, with a clear beginning and end." He criticises some elements of the story, calling Captain Magenta's solving of the Mysteron riddle "as frustrating as it is hilarious" given that while other Spectrum captains have been posted to major cities to scout for threats, Magenta makes the connection to Tiempo from a mere newspaper on Cloudbase. McNamara also expresses dissatisfaction with the fact that nothing of the other captains' assignments is shown, a move he states was "probably due to the limited running time" and the constraints of the "TV format". In the episode's favour, McNamara praises the characterisation of Captain Black and Dr Magnus, describing the former as "deliciously evil" while hunting down the original Magnus and believing the latter to be unusually well developed for a Mysteron victim. He also commends Ken Turner's direction, calling the car chase "fantastically executed in terms of pace and its visuals" and noting that the regular use of close-ups gives the episode a "claustrophic" feel. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Captain Scarlet vs. the Mysterons</i> 1981 American television film

Captain Scarlet vs. the Mysterons is a 1981 television film based on the 1960s British puppet TV series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Produced by the New York office of the series' distributor, ITC Entertainment, the film is a compilation of the Captain Scarlet episodes "The Mysterons", "Winged Assassin", "Seek and Destroy" and "Attack on Cloudbase". It follows an earlier Captain Scarlet compilation, Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colonel White</span> Fictional character from Captain Scarlet

Colonel White is a character in the 1960s British Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and its 2005 CGI remake, New Captain Scarlet. In both series, he is the commander-in-chief of Spectrum, the security organisation dedicated to defending Earth against the Mysterons, a race of Martians. He is also the commander of Spectrum's airborne headquarters, Cloudbase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mysterons</span> Episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

"The Mysterons" is the first episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by the Andersons and directed by Desmond Saunders, it was first officially broadcast on 29 September 1967 on ATV Midlands, although it had received an unscheduled test screening in the London area five months earlier.

"Point 783" is the fifth episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Peter Curran and David Williams and directed by Robert Lynn, it was first broadcast on 22 December 1967 on ATV Midlands.

"The Inquisition" is the 32nd and final episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Tony Barwick and directed by Ken Turner, it was first broadcast on 12 May 1968 on ATV London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attack on Cloudbase</span> Episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

"Attack on Cloudbase" is the 31st episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions for ITC Entertainment. The series' penultimate episode, it was written by Tony Barwick and first broadcast on 5 May 1968 on ATV London.

"Winged Assassin" is the second episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Tony Barwick and directed by David Lane, it was first broadcast on 6 October 1967 on ATV Midlands.

"Spectrum Strikes Back" is the tenth episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Tony Barwick and directed by Ken Turner, it was first broadcast on 24 November 1967 on ATV Midlands.

"Shadow of Fear" is the 12th episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Tony Barwick and directed by Robert Lynn, it was first broadcast on 2 February 1968 on ATV Midlands.

"Dangerous Rendezvous" is the 22nd episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Tony Barwick and directed by Brian Burgess, it was first broadcast on 9 February 1968 on ATV Midlands.

"White as Snow" is the eighth episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Peter Curran and David Williams and directed by Robert Lynn, it was first broadcast on 3 November 1967 on ATV Midlands.

"Manhunt" is the fourth episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and produced by their company Century 21 Productions. Written by Tony Barwick and directed by Alan Perry, it was first broadcast on 20 October 1967 on ATV Midlands.

"Model Spy" is the 18th episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Bill Hedley and directed by Ken Turner, it was first broadcast on 29 December 1967 on ATV Midlands.

"Flight to Atlantica" is the 20th episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Tony Barwick and directed by Leo Eaton, it was first broadcast on 24 March 1968 on ATV London.

"Special Assignment" is the fourteenth episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Tony Barwick and directed by Robert Lynn, it was first broadcast on 1 December 1967 on ATV Midlands.

"The Heart of New York" is the 16th episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Tony Barwick and directed by Alan Perry, it was first broadcast on 8 December 1967 on ATV Midlands.

"Place of Angels" is the 27th episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written and directed by Leo Eaton, it was first broadcast on 8 March 1968 on ATV Midlands.

"Noose of Ice" is the 23rd episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Peter Curran and David Williams and directed by Ken Turner, it was first broadcast on 12 March 1968 on ATV Midlands.

"Expo 2068" is the 28th episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions. Written by Shane Rimmer and directed by Leo Eaton, it was first broadcast on 26 March 1968 on ATV Midlands.

<i>Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars</i> 1981 American television film

Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars is a 1981 television film based on the 1960s British puppet TV series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Produced by the New York office of the series' distributor, ITC Entertainment, the film is a compilation of the Captain Scarlet episodes "Shadow of Fear", "Lunarville 7", "Crater 101" and "Dangerous Rendezvous".

References

  1. Bentley 2017, p. 46.
  2. Bentley, Chris (2001). The Complete Book of Captain Scarlet. London, UK: Carlton Books. p. 64. ISBN   978-1-84222-405-2.
  3. Bentley 2017, p. 53.
  4. Bentley 2017, p. 47.
  5. de Klerk, Theo (25 December 2003). "Complete Studio-Recording List of Barry Gray". tvcentury21.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  6. "Gary Files Interview". thevervoid.com. Archived from the original on 26 June 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  7. Pixley, Andrew; Rogers, Julie (December 2001). Gillatt, Gary (ed.). "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons: By Numbers". Starburst . No. 280. London, UK: Visual Imagination (published November 2001). pp. 46 and 48. ISSN   0955-114X. OCLC   79615651.
  8. McNamara, Fred (2020). Simpson, Paul (ed.). Spectrum is Indestructible: An Unofficial Captain Scarlet Celebration. Chinbeard Books. pp. 30–33. ISBN   978-1-913256-05-0.

Works cited