Space Patrol (1962 TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Space Patrol
Genre	Children's science fiction
Created by	Roberta Leigh
Written by	Roberta Leigh
Directed by	Frank Goulding
Voices of	Dick Vosburgh Libby Morris Ysanne Churchman Ronnie Stevens Murray Kash
Composer(s)	Fred Judd
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	39
Production
Producer(s)	Roberta Leigh Arthur Provis
Cinematography	Arthur Provis
Editor(s)	John Beaton Roy Hyde Len Walter
Running time	25 minutes approx.
Production company(s)	National Interest Pictures Wonderama Productions
Release
Picture format	Black-and-white 35 mm film
Audio format	Mono
Original release	7 April 1963 (1963-04-07) – 11 June 1964 (1964-06-11)

Space Patrol is a British science-fiction TV show from the 1960s. It features special puppets called marionettes. The show was made in 1962 and first aired in 1963. Roberta Leigh created and produced the series.

Meet the Space Patrol Crew

This exciting show has 39 episodes, each about half an hour long. It's also known as Planet Patrol in the United States. This was to avoid confusion with an older American show called Space Patrol. The puppets in the show were very special. Their mouths could move exactly when they spoke, just like real people!

The story takes place in the year 2100. By this time, Earth, Mars, and Venus have joined together. They formed a group called the United Galactic Organization (UGO). The Space Patrol is the UGO's space army. The show follows the adventures of a small team led by the brave Captain Larry Dart. His crew includes Slim, a clever elf-like character from Venus. There's also Husky, a strong and funny character from Mars who loves sausages!

Back on Earth, Professor Aloysius O’Brien O’Rourke Haggarty helps the team. He is a super smart inventor. His daughter, Cassiopeia, calls him "Pop," which he doesn't like much. The Professor also has a talking Martian "parrot" named Gabblerdictum. This bird sometimes joins the crew on their missions. Colonel Raeburn and his super-efficient Venusian secretary, Marla, keep everyone organized from Earth. Marla often reminds people that "There are no dumb blondes on Venus." Roberta Leigh, who created the show, was the first woman in Britain to own her own film company.

Space Patrol was shown in many countries, like the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Even though it had a small budget, kids loved the show! It was very popular, especially in places like New York City. Even J. Michael Straczynski, who created the famous show Babylon 5, said Space Patrol was his favorite as a child.

Space Travel and Technology

Space Patrol tried to be more realistic about space travel than some other shows. Trips to other planets in our solar system could take weeks or months. To make these long journeys, the crew would go into a special freezer chamber. They would be put into a deep sleep called suspended animation. A robot would then fly the ship. A special "zirgon ray" could be sent from Earth to wake them up if there was an emergency. In the show, the word "galaxy" was used to mean a "solar system." So, "Galactic Control" only looked after the planets nearby.

When visiting other planets, the crew used "dial-selector translators." These devices helped them talk to aliens. Unlike other shows, these translators didn't work instantly. They had to be programmed on Earth first. This took a long time and needed recordings of the alien language. To breathe in dangerous atmospheres, the crew used a "Mo-lung." This was a clear helmet that provided air. They also rode around on "Hover Jets" or sometimes an "Ion Gun."

The main spaceship, the Galasphere, could travel very fast, about 800,000 miles per hour! It used "meson power." In one episode, they used "Boost Speed" to go almost a million miles per hour. The Galasphere also had a force field. This protected it from enemy missiles and even from mind control! The ship was made of a strong material called Plutonite from Pluto. It could even travel underwater.

Sometimes, the Galasphere went far beyond Pluto. Once, it went to a new planet with giants who thought the ship was a toy! Another time, an alien helped the Galasphere travel faster than light. This allowed them to visit a planet 25 trillion miles away! In "The Planet of Light," Captain Dart and Slim traveled to a planet orbiting Sirius (which is 8.7 light-years away) in just a few hours.

You might notice that sometimes the ship is called Galasphere 024 and other times Galasphere 347. This happened because the show often reused old video clips from the first episode.

Adventures in Space

There are 39 exciting episodes in Space Patrol, split into three series.

Series One

• "The Swamps of Jupiter" – Captain Dart and his team go to Jupiter. They investigate why a science base stopped communicating. They find Martian fur trappers harming local creatures.
• "The Wandering Asteroid" – The Space Patrol crew must destroy a dangerous asteroid. It's heading right for the Martian capital!
• "The Dark Planet" – Professor Haggerty finds a plant from Uranus that has a mind of its own. The crew goes to Uranus to find bigger versions of the plant, which are not friendly at all!
• "The Slaves of Neptune" – A spaceship carrying settlers to Pluto disappears near Neptune. Dart and his crew fall under the control of Tyro, a Neptunian leader. He is forcing Earth settlers to work for him.
• "The Fires of Mercury" – Professor Haggerty invents a device that can send warmth from Mercury. This could help the freezing colony on Pluto.
• "The Shrinking Spaceman" – On an asteroid, Husky gets a mysterious shrinking disease. Professor Haggerty tries to find a cure while Husky is in suspended animation.
• "The Robot Revolution" – Robots at an undersea farm are damaged. They go wild and try to take over Space Headquarters!
• "The Cloud of Death" – A cloud of metal particles covers Earth in darkness. The Neptunian leader Tyro threatens to freeze Earth unless humans are sent to work for him.
• "The Rings of Saturn" – Dart and his crew find a Saturnian spacecraft. They accidentally offend the Saturnians by picking leaves from their sacred tree.
• "Volcanoes of Venus" – A virus is paralyzing parts of Venus. Slim's uncle plans to use a powder to cause this paralysis and take power. Slim goes to investigate.
• "Mystery on the Moon" – A person on the Moon threatens Space Headquarters with a laser beam. Dart investigates and finds a strange artificial crater.
• "The Miracle Tree of Saturn" – A fungus is destroying crops. Professor Haggarty discovers a piece of a sacred Saturnian tree can stop it. Dart must go to Saturn to get more.
• "The Forgers" – Fake money is appearing everywhere. Dart and Husky investigate a disease killing plants on Mars. They find the source of the fake money.

Series One/A

• "The Planet of Thought" – Tyro from Neptune visits Earth. He uses his mind control powers to take Marla back to Neptune and make her his princess. Dart follows to break the spell.
• "The Glowing Eggs of Titan" – Husky finds a glowing egg on Titan. It might solve Mars's energy problems. Slim gets hurt during an egg-gathering mission and hears a strange humming.
• "The Planet of Light" – Dart and Slim are invited to the planet Lumen. Dart's oxygen tank is damaged. They must find oxygen plants in the "cave of death" before the sun boils them alive.
• "Time Stands Still" – Stolen art treasures are being moved into space. Professor Haggarty invents a special watch. It makes the wearer super fast, helping Dart sneak into a suspect's palace.
• "Husky Becomes Invisible" – Dart goes to Mars to find special bird eggs for a cure. Professor Zeller shows him a machine that can make things disappear.
• "The Walking Lake of Jupiter" – Scientists discover water on Jupiter that makes objects move on their own. Dart investigates and follows a scientist whose spacesuit is energized by the water.
• "The New Planet" – After a comet hits their ship, Dart and his crew find a new planet beyond Pluto. They meet giant inhabitants there.
• "The Human Fish" – Fish in the Venusian ocean are changing fast and attacking fishermen. The crew discovers that dumped building materials might be causing this.
• "The Invisible Invasion" – On Uranus, the Duos plan to take over Earth by controlling minds. Professor Haggarty seems unaffected, thanks to his electronic hair-restorer!
• "The Talking Bell" – Raeburn and Haggarty find a strange, bell-shaped object from another planet. Dart must help "Mr. Bell" return to its home ship.
• "The Buried Spaceship" – Marla suggests moving ice through space to help with a drought on Mars. The Galasphere has a problem and must land for repairs.
• "Message from a Star" – Signals from Alpha Centauri suggest intelligent life. An alien from planet Delta visits Earth. He installs a device that lets the Galasphere travel faster than light.
• "Explosion on the Sun" – An explosion on the Sun causes Earth and Venus to heat up. A scientist is causing the explosions and demands weapons and robots from Earth and Venus.

Series Two

• "The Unknown Asteroid" – An asteroid made of Plutonite is found, solving a supply problem. But a rich Venusian buys it first. Raeburn sends Dart to complete the deal.
• "The Evil Eye of Venus" – Professor Borra invents a mechanical eye that can destroy ships made of certain metals. What happens when the Galasphere, made of Pluto metal, comes close?
• "Secret Formula" – Husky gets trapped in a spider web on Venus. Professor Haggarty frees him and finds the web acts as a truth serum. Raeburn investigates a stolen formula for storing heat.
• "The Telepathic Robot" – Haggarty invents a robot that can read thoughts. Dart tests it near a new planet where Neptunians are hiding. Only the robot escapes their mind control.
• "Deadly Whirlwind" – To stop a virus on Mars, Dart uses a special spray. It gets caught in a whirlwind and heads for Earth!
• "The Jitter Waves" – A strange shaking affects Earth. Haggarty discovers it's caused by radio waves from Uranus, where the Duos are planning another invasion.
• "Sands of Death" – Tyrig plans to use a nerve gas on Mars. Dart and his crew are captured by Tyrig on the Martian moon Phobos. They are trapped in a dungeon filling with sand.
• "The Hairy Men of Mars" – The Galasphere breaks down in a jungle. Husky disappears. Dart finds him captured by a giant primitive man. Husky talks to the giant, and they are freed.
• "The Grass of Saturn" – Saturn has a new leader. He sends rockets to Earth with Saturnian grass seeds. This grass absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.
• "Force Field X" – The Neptunians create a force field around Earth. It causes a complete blackout by disrupting electricity.
• "The Water Bomb" – The Galasphere goes to Mars to make rain. It carries oxygen and hydrogen. An escaped criminal needs these ingredients for a bomb he's building.
• "Destruction by Sound" – An alien from Alpha Centauri asks Raeburn for help. An evil computer superbrain is trying to take over their planet.
• "The Shrinking Gas of Jupiter" – On Jupiter, Slim disappears in the swamps. Dart finds him, but Slim has shrunk to a tiny size!

Where Space Patrol Was Shown

Space Patrol first aired on Sunday, April 7, 1963, in the UK. It continued to be shown in parts of the ITV network until 1970. After these broadcasts, the series was never repeated in the UK.

In the London area, Space Patrol was shown on weekdays.

Around the World

Planet Patrol was shown in the U.S. by M & A Alexander Productions. It first appeared in New York on Sunday, January 12, 1964. It was sponsored by Drake's Cakes. The show also appeared in Los Angeles in September 1964. It was also broadcast in Malta and Australia.

Space Patrol Comics

Space Patrol also appeared in comic books!

• TV Comic: It was featured in 52 issues, with two-page stories in the middle. Roberta Leigh wrote these herself. The drawings showed Venusians with blue skin and Martians with green skin.
• The Beezer: This comic featured 26 two-page color episodes.
• Two Super Mag comics.
• A 1965 annual from Wonderama Productions. It included stories by Roberta Leigh and was called Space Patrol and the Secret Weapon.