"Supercar" (1961) TV series 1961-1962

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

28 January 1961 (UK)

Genre:

Family | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Gerry Anderson's first science fiction Supermarionation series. Super Car was a prototype vehicle that could travel in the air...

Plot Keywords:

Supermarionation | Puppet | Kids And Family

Cast

David Graham	...	Bill Gibson / ... (39 episodes, 1961-1962)
Graydon Gould	...	Mike Mercury / ... (39 episodes, 1961-1962)
Sylvia Anderson	...	Jimmy Gibson / ... (39 episodes, 1961-1962)
George Murcell	...	Masterspy / ... (26 episodes, 1961)

Runtime:

30 min (39 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G

Company:

AP Films (APF)

Trivia:

Although Gerry Anderson had been developing the process on previous TV series for several years, Supercar is considered the first true Supermarionation TV series. The format would continue (with continuous improvements over the years) until "The Secret Service" (1969).

Quotes:

Doctor Beaker: I really must overcome this problem.
Mike Mercury: What's the trouble, doc?
Doctor Beaker: I find it most irritating. It takes far too long to bring this liquid to a suitable temperature for infusion.
Mike Mercury: Is this part of the test for the ceramic, doctor?
Doctor Beaker: Test for the ceramic? No, of course not! I'm just making a cup of tea.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Eegah! (#6.6)" (1993)

Now, that was truly TV for a kid's imagination!

This is the program my friends and I would watch in the evening; then spend our days cutting up cardboard boxes to make our own "Supercars" (and, of course, each of us was Mike Mercury).

Supercar could do absolutely anything, go absolutely anywhere and get out of absolutely any nail-biting jam. What was great about Supercar was that it didn't rely on any previous-show precedent for design or capabilities...if Supercar needed new features, good ol' Doctor Beaker and Professor Popkiss just added them!

Comic relief came in the form of Mitch (some sort of anthropomorphic monkey), and the Dr. and the Professor (who tended to bumble). I never really understood why Jimmy was there, but I figured he was the luckiest kid on earth. So my friends and I would watch each episode, living vicariously through Jimmy, then construct our banana-box Supercars, complete with all of the most recent episode's modifications.

Now, that was truly TV for a kid's imagination! Just think what would happen if it played in 2005, with Dr. James Dobson watching like a hawk -- three men, a boy and a monkey living together!