Supercar (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Supercar |
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| Genre | |
| Created by |
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| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Voices of |
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| Composer(s) | Barry Gray |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 39 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Gerry Anderson |
| Cinematography | John Read |
| Editor(s) | Gordon Davie |
| Camera setup | Single |
| Running time | 25 mins approx. |
| Production company(s) | AP Films |
| Distributor | ITC Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | ATV |
| Picture format |
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| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | 28 January 1961 – 29 April 1962 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Four Feather Falls |
| Followed by | Fireball XL5 |
Supercar is a classic British children's TV show. It was made by Gerry Anderson and Arthur Provis' company, AP Films. The show aired between 1961 and 1962, with 39 episodes in total. It was Gerry Anderson's first series where each episode lasted half an hour.
Supercar was shown in the UK on ITV. It also became popular overseas, airing in Canada and the United States. This made it the first Anderson series to be shown outside the UK. The show used a special puppet technique called Supermarionation. This method used complex marionette puppets, which were difficult to make move realistically. Gerry Anderson wanted a vehicle-based show to avoid showing puppets walking, as he felt it looked unnatural.
Contents
Meet Supercar: The Amazing Vehicle
The main star of the show is Supercar itself. It's a super cool vehicle invented by Professor Rudolph Popkiss and Dr. Horatio Beaker. The car is piloted by a brave test pilot named Mike Mercury.
What Can Supercar Do?
Supercar is not just any car; it's a special machine that can do many things:
- It can take off and land vertically, like a helicopter. This is called VTOL.
- On land, it doesn't use wheels. Instead, it glides on a cushion of air.
- It has jets at the back, allowing it to fly like a jet plane.
- Retractable wings can pop out from the back of the car for flying.
- Special Retrorockets on the sides help the vehicle slow down.
- It has a "Clear-Vu" system. This is like an inside TV screen that lets the pilot see through thick fog or smoke.
Supercar's Home Base
Supercar is kept in a secret laboratory. This lab is also a living facility located in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA.
Supercar's First Mission
In the very first episode, called "Rescue," the Supercar team goes on their first mission. They need to save passengers from a crashed private plane. Two of the people they rescue are a young boy named Jimmy Gibson and his pet monkey, Mitch. Jimmy and Mitch are then invited to live at the Supercar facility. They join the team on many exciting adventures.
The Launch Sequence
Supercar introduced a cool feature that became famous in Gerry Anderson's shows: the launch sequence. Almost all his later series had these detailed launch scenes. For Supercar, it involved:
- Charging and firing the engines on both sides.
- Activating a special interlock system.
- Opening the hangar doors above the car.
- Finally, Supercar would take off straight up into the sky!
Episodes
To see a full list of all the adventures, check out the List of Supercar episodes.
Characters of Supercar
The show features a team of heroes and some recurring villains.
The Supercar Team
- Michael "Mike" Mercury: He is the brave test pilot of Supercar. He is voiced by Graydon Gould.
- Professor Rudolph Popkiss: One of the brilliant inventors of Supercar. He is voiced by George Murcell in season 1 and Cyril Shaps in season 2.
- Dr. Horatio Beaker: The other clever inventor of Supercar. He is voiced by David Graham.
- James "Jimmy" Gibson: A young boy who joins the team after Supercar saves his life. He is voiced by Sylvia Anderson.
- Mitch the Monkey: Jimmy's loyal pet monkey. He is voiced by David Graham.
Recurring Villains
- Masterspy: A sneaky foreign spy who always tries to steal Supercar. He is voiced by George Murcell in season 1 and Cyril Shaps in season 2.
- Zarrin: Masterspy's helper. He is voiced by David Graham.
- Mr. Harper: A fancy English criminal. He is voiced by George Murcell.
- Ben Judd: A less fancy criminal who speaks with a Cockney accent. He is voiced by David Graham.
Other Characters
- William "Bill" Gibson: Jimmy's older brother. He owns a shipping business and can fly planes. He is voiced by David Graham.
- Felicity Beaker: Doctor Beaker's cousin. She owns land in Africa but only appears in two episodes. She is voiced by Sylvia Anderson.
Voice Actors Behind the Characters
The actors who voiced the characters recorded their lines in a special studio. They often recorded several episodes in one day.
Graydon Gould, who voiced Mike Mercury, was offered the part without even trying out for it. He was happy for the job because he needed the money for his family. Sylvia Anderson, who also voiced Jimmy Gibson, helped him get the accent right.
David Graham voiced many characters, including Doctor Beaker, Zarin, and Mitch the Monkey. He was very good at doing different voices. For Mitch, he even visited the London Zoo to study how monkeys sound!
George Murcell voiced Professor Popkiss and Masterspy for the first season. He was known for doing many "European voices." When he left the show, Cyril Shaps took over his roles for the second season. Sylvia Anderson, who later married Gerry Anderson, voiced Jimmy Gibson and all the female characters. She also directed the voice recording sessions.
Supercar Around the World
Supercar became very popular in the United States. It first aired in New York in January 1962. After just four weeks, it was the most popular children's show in its time slot! A year later, Supercar had been sold to 140 places in the US and 49 other countries. This success helped make sure a second season of the show would be made.
Supercar in Comics
The adventures of Supercar also appeared in comic books!
- In the UK, comics based on the series were published in TV Comic from 1961 to 1964.
- Later, more Supercar comics appeared in TV Century 21 from 1965 to 1966.
- Supercar was the first Gerry Anderson series to be made into a comic book in America. The Gold Key company released four issues between 1962 and 1963.
Music of Supercar
The music for Supercar was created by Barry Gray.
- In 1998, a fan club called Fanderson released an album with music from Supercar and another show, Fireball XL5.
- In 2013, a second album was released, this time with only music from the Supercar series.
Images for kids
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Supercar TV series titlecard
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Mike Mercury flying Supercar in the opening title sequence.
See also
In Spanish: Supercar (serie de televisión) para niños
