Captain Scarlet vs Captain Scarlet

[batman]

1960s version or CGI



I have just spent time with my son watching 'Four Feather Falls' and have been thinking about the technological advances made by Gerry Anderson and his team over nearly 50 years. This is demonstrated in particular by Captain Scarlet, as this is the only series Gerry has been able to update. (If only they had let him do the Thunderbirds movie).



I love the original series and so does my son. However, he also loves the CGI remake and, I have to admit, so do I. The puppet version is exciting, quite creepy at times and is brilliantly produced. The CGI on the remake is the best I have seen outside of mega-budget Holywood 'epics', and apart from the usual problems with the characters skin, the whole thing is extremely realistic and I find myself forgetting it is all CGI. It is quite magnificent.



A colleague with a son of a similar age to Josh has told me that he will not get any of the Anderson seies for his boy because they are so 'old fashioned'. I was appalled and tried to convince him otherwise but to no avail.



I would like to ask forum users of any age what they think about this.



Are the puppet series 'old fashioned'?

Do I just watch them through nostalic eyes?

Is CGI better than the puppets?



Thanks.



Bats.

[Lord Brett]

Speaking as a really big fan of all things Anderson, I prefer the CGI Scarlet to the original. In 1967, when Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons was being produced, this was the first series made with very lifelike puppets, with the result that the puppeteers had to adapt their style, as the broad movements appropriate to the older style puppets wasn't appropriate.



The result was that the series could be very static, wheras less acclaimed shows like joe 90 and the Secret Service, made later when the new style had bedded in a bit, are much more watchable now.



In short, the new Captain Scarlet is the really exiting series that was going on in the paintings on the end credits of the original show, or that could be read in TV21.



Many of the old Anderson shows are still superb, though.

[batman]

name='Lord Brett']

In short, the new Captain Scarlet is the really exiting series that was going on in the paintings on the end credits of the original show, or that could be read in TV21.

And in those chewing gum cards. I'd agree with that. Even Josh, who is 4, noticed that video Captain Scarlet (we have the original on vhs and the CGI on dvd) is a bit stiff. I used to get TV21 and was gutted when morphed into Smash!



Bats.

[ddock54]

Gerry Anderson and his amazing crew worked absolute wonders with superb attention to detail and i am proud that I grew up with those series.CGI to me is just a little too slick ,although i suppose Gerry has to move with the times considering he blew all his rights to Thunderbirds etc a good few years ago ,bad move Gerry lad ,don,t think he will make top dog again though ,every one has is day...who,s got Strakers wig now he,s gone

[christoph404]

I grew up with Gerry Andersons TV shows beginning with Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlett. The natural progression was to combine live action with the minature work as in UFO, culminating in the first series of "Space 1999" in the early seventies. Space 1999 was reported at the time to be the most expensive TV series ever produced in Britain and I can believe that because the production values look very high ,all shot on 35mm film of course,and the model work by Derek Meddings is superb, those chaps had no CGI in those days of course, it was all done in camera or using clever optical effects, the results are impressive and still stand up today on viewing the series. Im not a great fan of CGI, I personnaly prefer the stiff puppets with the visible strings but that could be for sentimental reasons!! The recent "Thunderbirds" movie was awful though. I think the puppets had a certain charm and "realism" that is missing from a CGI character, the CGI Captain Scarlett is very well done and entertaining and certainly not as creepy as those puppets as has been mentioned! How did Gerry lose the rights to Thunderbirds etc? I thought that when Sylvia divorced him she took him to the cleaners in that respect and gained control of the company they created together? I could be completely wrong about that but Im sure I read something like that somewhere.

[smudge]

As I recall, Gerry and Sylvia made some property deal in Portugal (close to a property Cliff Richard had, I think) and something happened which meant they needed finance fast, hence they then sold their rights to the puppet shows to that point, to Lew Grade.



Of the handful I've watched, I have to say that the CGI CAPTAIN SCARLET is the best attempt to date that I have seen, to make a 'full on' CGI series. If you have any doubts, compare it to the recent remake of DAN DARE which they tried to do in the same way - terrible !



CGI SCARLET also benefits (as did the original) from great designers and all in all it's a great updating of the classic puppet series. I do feel, however, that it falls down a little on script variety and the voice artistes do (to me) seem a little soullesss sometimes.



Hence I will also revisit the 'all strings attached' original, which has that nostalgic charm but which is still (I believe) strong enough to stand up today in its own right. Whereas stuff like FOUR FEATHER FALLS and SUPERCAR are now perhaps high in nostalgia factor and rather whimsical.



I still like FIREBALL XL5, STINGRAY and THUNDERBIRDS though - and again these have their own strengths still. I'd love to see the first two of these re-done in a similar way to SCARLET though. Perhaps to run back to some of the original scripts for a little inspiration too ; XL5 (to me) always seemed to have stronger stories. They may not stand 100% remakes of course, but could be cannibalised and adapted.



With CGI SCARLET Gerry Anderson has showed that he can still pull together an effective team - I wonder if he'll get any more chances to do the same...



SMUDGE

[batman]

name='smudge']

CGI SCARLET also benefits (as did the original) from great designers and all in all it's a great updating of the classic puppet series. I do feel, however, that it falls down a little on script variety and the voice artistes do (to me) seem a little soullesss sometimes.

SMUDGE

I agree that some of the scripts are a bit thin and that some of the voice artistes are a bit bland in their performance. I was surprised, however, to discover that Wayne Forrester (voice of Scarlet) is also the voice of CBeebies puppet mole 'Roly Mo'.



Bats.

[Automotivehistorian]

A pal of mine who is around 50, slightly younger than me, lives in the States and is made about Supercar! I am amazed that interest has rekindled in Supercar. I remember the series on TV, and then especially Fireball XL5: i can still remember the words to the sig tune! Sad!



In the mid-Seventies I met Ed Bishop in the lawyers where I worked as he wanted to see his deeds since his house was mortgaged to a Building Society. He had just been on It Aint Half Hot Mum, and I told him I was a mega fan of his, and used to watch him in UFO on a saturday when I worked in a TV and electrical shop. Needless to say there was no charge for him!

[ddock54]

All The Anderson Series Are Just Great ,except One, Space 1999 Is Just Awfull And Reflects The Turmoil The Pair Were Going Through At The Time ,just Naff

[batman]

name='ddock54']All The Anderson Series Are Just Great ,except One, Space 1999 Is Just Awfull And Reflects The Turmoil The Pair Were Going Through At The Time ,just Naff

While not being the best of Gerry's output Space 1999 has a lot going for it. The production values are high and the series looks good. You've got good experienced actors giving enthusiastic performances and, although some episodes are weak, the writing is quite inventive at times. Compared to the dross that TV churns out today, especially rubbish like Primeval and Torchwood, I think the series holds up pretty well.



Bats.

[ddock54]

True ,but its the downfall of the andersons empire and those horrible Bain and Landue performances are are a wooden joke

[batman]

name='ddock54']True ,but its the downfall of the andersons empire and those horrible Bain and Landue performances are are a wooden joke

To each his own but I think they did OK and I find the series very entertaining.



Bats.

[batman]

I have been watching the Captain Scarlet CGI series this morning and am still astounded by the detail and quality of the images. It is truly a magnificent achievement. However, I have to admit that I still prefer the original. I am just an old nostalgia fiend I guess.



Bats.

[ddock54]

Yep,bats your right ,the original was best ,all done hands on ,Derek Meddings was a genius ,my sister in law worked for him on Santa Claus at Pinewood ,she would pass on the odd message from me to him ,i have his autograph somewhere, a great loss to the industry when he died so young...

[christoph404]

name='ddock54']All The Anderson Series Are Just Great ,except One, Space 1999 Is Just Awfull And Reflects The Turmoil The Pair Were Going Through At The Time ,just Naff

The first series of Space 1999 in my opinion is very good indeed, well filmed and acted with good stories. The second series is naff and rubbish, Anderson went with a new American producer in order to get a second series made and the programe was transormed from an adult TV series to a childrens programe. The sets were different, there were new actors, Catherine Schnell as a morphing alien, and Tony Anholt, and lots of silly monsters. Actor Barry Morse was missing from second series and the whole thing is quite dissapointing. Are you sure your negative memories of the series are not hinged on the naff second series? I really think the first series is excellent, it was hugley succesfull in its day and I remember watching it as a boy when it was first on TV, there was nothing else like it on TV at the time.....don't be too harsh!!!!

[ddock54]

Well i may be being a little cruel ,perhaps i am thinking of the second series ,i did not rate the casting of bain and landeau though and was very dissapointed that a second series of the far superior ufo did not come about ,all i think due to american intervention.1999 also seems to suffer in the collectors market ,the toys and tie ins do not make as much as the other anderson shows it seems...don,t get me wrong ,even the second series is better than the dross served up these days.....

[christoph404]

name='ddock54']Well i may be being a little cruel ,perhaps i am thinking of the second series ,i did not rate the casting of bain and landeau though and was very dissapointed that a second series of the far superior ufo did not come about ,all i think due to american intervention.1999 also seems to suffer in the collectors market ,the toys and tie ins do not make as much as the other anderson shows it seems...don,t get me wrong ,even the second series is better than the dross served up these days.....

I think Martin Landau and Barbara Bain got the roles on the back of their "Mission Impossible" characters, I do agree that the casting is a little weak, apparently Robert Culp was almost signed for the Landau role, I think he would have been good with perhaps a younger (sorry Barbara!) female companion, ah well.....

[ddock54]

The special effect were good though ,outstanding work by brian johnson and his team at Bray studios ,I went to Bray in late seventies and a lot of the models were still kicking about ,due for the bin i think..Ouch ,that hurts

[smudge]

name='ddock54']Yep,bats your right ,the original was best ,all done hands on ,Derek Meddings was a genius ,my sister in law worked for him on Santa Claus at Pinewood ,she would pass on the odd message from me to him ,i have his autograph somewhere, a great loss to the industry when he died so young...

And one of the nicest blokes who ever walked on the face of the earth to boot !



Terrible loss when he went too soon, I agree.



Smudge

[christoph404]

Absolutley agree, Derek Meddings was the top man in his field throughout the world, he did some great work on quite a few of the Bond films as well, very sad loss but I think his assistants and colleagues and others who worked with him are carrying on the good work having learned many skills from him.