Winged Assassin
Encyclopedia
"Winged Assassin" is the second episode of the Supermarionation
television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands. It was written by Tony Barwick
and directed by David Lane
. In this episode, Captain Scarlet
establishes his indestructibility as Spectrum tries to prevent the Mysteron
s from assassinating the Director General of the United Asia
n Republic.
Due to similarities between the plotline and the September 11 attacks, "Winged Assassin" was held back in the BBC Two
transmission schedule when Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons was re-run
on British television in 2001. Footage from "Winged Assassin" was re-edited and included in the Captain Scarlet compilation film Captain Scarlet vs the Mysterons
in 1980.
s threaten to assassinate the Director General of the United Asian Republic, Xian Yoh, who is completing a tour of the United Kingdom. One night, a sniper
targets the Director General in his London hotel room, only for Spectrum officer Captain Grey
, acting as bodyguard, to shoot him dead. Maximum security is imposed at London International Airport
, from which the Director General is due to leave Britain. On the permission of Colonel White
, the Mysteron reconstruction of Captain Scarlet
, who has assumed the consciousness of the deceased human agent and is now "indestructible", returns to official duties to lead the protection operation with Captain Blue
. Elsewhere, the Mysterons engineer a power failure on airliner Delta-Tango 19, which plunges into the Atlantic Ocean
with the deaths of all onboard. An unmanned reconstruction of the plane continues on the original flight path from New York to London.
An impersonator Director General is driven to London Airport in a false motorcade
. Meanwhile, the real Xian Yoh arrives in Yellow Fox, a secure Spectrum transporter with the appearance of a fuel tanker. When DT19 lands a short distance from the Director General's private jet, Scarlet experiences a sudden nausea which precedes the revelation to the Control Tower
personnel that the airliner is a weapon: breaking off from the terminal building, it charges forward, threatening to crush the jet. Leaving the Control Tower in their Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle
, Scarlet and Blue attempt to fire at DT19's undercarriage, but the projectile gun is jammed. Activating Blue's ejection seat, Scarlet rams the wheels and succeeds in halting the airliner, but then collides with a radar bunker, sustaining fatal injuries. Meanwhile, the jet lifts off but fails to gain sufficient altitude, clipping DT19's wing, crashing into a field and killing all including the Director General. Blue assures the airport chief that, despite Spectrum's defeat, Scarlet will return to face the Mysterons again.
to the death of the original Captain Scarlet
and Captain Brown
in "The Mysterons
" does not include the blue monochrome
effect which was used to indicate the Mysteron presence in the first episode. It is in this episode that the "Mysteron
rings" make their first appearance, trailing the reconstruction of DT19. According to character dialogue, the events of "Winged Assassin" are set on July 10, supposedly along with those of "Treble Cross
" and the end of "Flight to Atlantica
". Writer Tony Barwick often inserted references to this particular date into his scripts since July 10 was his birthday.. This episode is the first to feature Neil McCallum
as a guest character. McCallum provides the voice of the Airport Controller and the DT19 Pilot. He went on to make three further uncredited contributions to the series: "Big Ben Strikes Again
" , "Codename Europa
" and "Expo 2068
".
for "Winged Assassin", a suite running to 4 minutes 38 seconds, was recorded by Barry Gray
in a four-hour studio session on .
the same day. A tribute programme was run in its place. The British Board of Film Classification
notes that "Winged Assassin" contains "some action
and mild horror
" in spite of its "U" certificate
. When a digitally-remaster
ed re-run
of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons began in the United Kingdom in September 2001, "Winged Assassin" was originally to be broadcast as the second episode as recommended by the continuity. However, it was postponed from its BBC Two
transmission date of due to parallels between the plot, which revolves around the Mysteron
"hi-jacking" of an airliner
, and the September 11 attacks which occurred during the previous week. At the same time, the Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons pages on the Carlton
website were taken down. The episode was eventually broadcast much later in the run.
Supermarionation
Supermarionation is a puppetry technique devised in the 1960s by British production company AP Films. It was used extensively in the company's numerous Gerry and Sylvia Anderson-produced action-adventure series, the most famous of which was Thunderbirds...
television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill...
. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands. It was written by Tony Barwick
Tony Barwick
Tony Barwick was a British television scriptwriter who worked extensively on series created and produced by Gerry Anderson....
and directed by David Lane
David Lane (director)
David Lane is a British television and film director, best known for his association with series produced by Gerry Anderson's AP Films.Lane directed several episodes of the Thunderbirds television series, including "Attack of the Alligators!", as well as the two cinema films Thunderbirds are GO and...
. In this episode, Captain Scarlet
Captain Scarlet (character)
Captain Scarlet is the fictional main character in Gerry Anderson's British Supermarionation science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and its CGI remake Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet....
establishes his indestructibility as Spectrum tries to prevent the Mysteron
Mysteron
The Mysterons are a fictional race of extraterrestrials, native to the planet Mars, which appear in the British science fiction Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet, symbolised by ubiquitous projected green rings and the deep...
s from assassinating the Director General of the United Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n Republic.
Due to similarities between the plotline and the September 11 attacks, "Winged Assassin" was held back in the BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
transmission schedule when Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons was re-run
Rerun
A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. There are two types of reruns—those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Reruns can also be, as the...
on British television in 2001. Footage from "Winged Assassin" was re-edited and included in the Captain Scarlet compilation film Captain Scarlet vs the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet vs the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet vs the Mysterons is a 1980 television film based on the 1967 British Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It is a compilation film incorporating re-edited footage from the series episodes "The Mysterons", "Winged Assassin", "Seek and Destroy" and...
in 1980.
Plot
The MysteronMysteron
The Mysterons are a fictional race of extraterrestrials, native to the planet Mars, which appear in the British science fiction Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet, symbolised by ubiquitous projected green rings and the deep...
s threaten to assassinate the Director General of the United Asian Republic, Xian Yoh, who is completing a tour of the United Kingdom. One night, a sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
targets the Director General in his London hotel room, only for Spectrum officer Captain Grey
Captain Grey
Captain Grey is a characters in the 1960s Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is a senior officer of the Spectrum organisation, but seldom leaves Cloudbase....
, acting as bodyguard, to shoot him dead. Maximum security is imposed at London International Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
, from which the Director General is due to leave Britain. On the permission of Colonel White
Colonel White
Colonel White is a character in the 1960s Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is the commander-in-Chief of Spectrum, the security organisation dedicated to defending Earth against the Mysterons from Mars...
, the Mysteron reconstruction of Captain Scarlet
Captain Scarlet (character)
Captain Scarlet is the fictional main character in Gerry Anderson's British Supermarionation science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and its CGI remake Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet....
, who has assumed the consciousness of the deceased human agent and is now "indestructible", returns to official duties to lead the protection operation with Captain Blue
Captain Blue (Captain Scarlet)
Captain Blue is a character in the 1967 Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is a senior officer of the Spectrum organisation and a close friend of Captain Scarlet....
. Elsewhere, the Mysterons engineer a power failure on airliner Delta-Tango 19, which plunges into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
with the deaths of all onboard. An unmanned reconstruction of the plane continues on the original flight path from New York to London.
An impersonator Director General is driven to London Airport in a false motorcade
Motorcade
A motorcade is a procession of vehicles. The term motorcade was coined by Lyle Abbot , and is formed after cavalcade on the false notion that "-cade" was a suffix meaning "procession"...
. Meanwhile, the real Xian Yoh arrives in Yellow Fox, a secure Spectrum transporter with the appearance of a fuel tanker. When DT19 lands a short distance from the Director General's private jet, Scarlet experiences a sudden nausea which precedes the revelation to the Control Tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
personnel that the airliner is a weapon: breaking off from the terminal building, it charges forward, threatening to crush the jet. Leaving the Control Tower in their Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle
Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle
The Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle is a fictional pursuit and attack vehicle from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons .-Appearance in Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons:...
, Scarlet and Blue attempt to fire at DT19's undercarriage, but the projectile gun is jammed. Activating Blue's ejection seat, Scarlet rams the wheels and succeeds in halting the airliner, but then collides with a radar bunker, sustaining fatal injuries. Meanwhile, the jet lifts off but fails to gain sufficient altitude, clipping DT19's wing, crashing into a field and killing all including the Director General. Blue assures the airport chief that, despite Spectrum's defeat, Scarlet will return to face the Mysterons again.
Continuity
A flashbackFlashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
to the death of the original Captain Scarlet
Captain Scarlet (character)
Captain Scarlet is the fictional main character in Gerry Anderson's British Supermarionation science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and its CGI remake Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet....
and Captain Brown
Captain Brown
Captain Brown is a character in the 1967 Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. A Spectrum officer, he is killed by the Mysterons in the first episode of the series...
in "The Mysterons
The Mysterons (Captain Scarlet episode)
"The Mysterons" is the first episode of the 1960s Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was first officially broadcast in the UK on ATV Midlands on , although it had been granted an unscheduled test transmission for the London area on...
" does not include the blue monochrome
Monochrome
Monochrome describes paintings, drawings, design, or photographs in one color or shades of one color. A monochromatic object or image has colors in shades of limited colors or hues. Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale or black-and-white...
effect which was used to indicate the Mysteron presence in the first episode. It is in this episode that the "Mysteron
Mysteron
The Mysterons are a fictional race of extraterrestrials, native to the planet Mars, which appear in the British science fiction Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet, symbolised by ubiquitous projected green rings and the deep...
rings" make their first appearance, trailing the reconstruction of DT19. According to character dialogue, the events of "Winged Assassin" are set on July 10, supposedly along with those of "Treble Cross
Treble Cross
"Treble Cross" is the 21st episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands, was written by Tony Barwick and directed by Alan Perry....
" and the end of "Flight to Atlantica
Flight to Atlantica
"Flight to Atlantica" is the 30th episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands, was written by Tony Barwick and directed by Leo Eaton....
". Writer Tony Barwick often inserted references to this particular date into his scripts since July 10 was his birthday.. This episode is the first to feature Neil McCallum
Neil McCallum (actor)
Neil McCallum was a British Canadian actor, trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His first major appearance on stage was with Sam Wanamaker in The Rainmaker in the mid-1950s. He appeared in many British TV series in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. He also appeared in several films...
as a guest character. McCallum provides the voice of the Airport Controller and the DT19 Pilot. He went on to make three further uncredited contributions to the series: "Big Ben Strikes Again
Big Ben Strikes Again
"Big Ben Strikes Again" is the third episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands, written by Tony Barwick and directed by Brian Burgess...
" , "Codename Europa
Codename Europa
"Codename Europa" is the 27th episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands, was written by David Lee and directed by Alan Perry...
" and "Expo 2068
Expo 2068
"Expo 2068" is the 25th episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands, was written by Shane Rimmer and directed by Leo Eaton...
".
Music
The incidental musicIncidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
for "Winged Assassin", a suite running to 4 minutes 38 seconds, was recorded by Barry Gray
Barry Gray
Barry Gray was a British musician and composer who is best known for his work for Gerry Anderson.-Life:...
in a four-hour studio session on .
Broadcast
"Winged Assassin" was postponed on its scheduled first airdate in ATV London region, , due to the death of former British Prime Minister Clement AttleeClement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
the same day. A tribute programme was run in its place. The British Board of Film Classification
British Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
notes that "Winged Assassin" contains "some action
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
and mild horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
" in spite of its "U" certificate
History of British film certificates
-Overview:The UK's film ratings are decided by the British Board of Film Classification and have been since 1912. Previously, there were no agreed rating standards, and local councils imposed their own - often differing - conditions or restrictions...
. When a digitally-remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed re-run
Rerun
A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. There are two types of reruns—those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Reruns can also be, as the...
of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons began in the United Kingdom in September 2001, "Winged Assassin" was originally to be broadcast as the second episode as recommended by the continuity. However, it was postponed from its BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
transmission date of due to parallels between the plot, which revolves around the Mysteron
Mysteron
The Mysterons are a fictional race of extraterrestrials, native to the planet Mars, which appear in the British science fiction Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet, symbolised by ubiquitous projected green rings and the deep...
"hi-jacking" of an airliner
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
, and the September 11 attacks which occurred during the previous week. At the same time, the Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons pages on the Carlton
Carlton Communications
Carlton Communications was a British media company. It was led by Michael Green and listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1983 until 2 February 2004, when it taken over by Granada plc to form ITV plc with Carlton gaining 32% of the new company....
website were taken down. The episode was eventually broadcast much later in the run.
External links
- "Winged Assassin" at Fanderson.org.ukFandersonFanderson is the official appreciation society for the works of Gerry Anderson. It is a not-for-profit organisation endorsed by Anderson Entertainment Ltd, Gerry Anderson Productions plc and ITC Entertainment Group Ltd...
- "Winged Assassin" at CliveBanks.co.uk
- "Winged Assassin" at TheVervoid.com