For years, the name Gerry Anderson has been synonymous with the old TV series, “Thunderbirds.” I grew up watching the show, and remember thinking how cool the marionettes were and how badly I wanted to be a puppeteer. What I didn’t know was just how many shows Anderson had a hand in, and how little I knew about some of these favorites. Amongst the long list of series he’s created, the two I most remember were his forays into live action, “U.F.O.” and the little known (yeah, right) “Space: 1999.”

Both of these series are a part of most every older sci-fi fan’s list of favorite shows. I only learned recently of Anderson’s involvement while doing research on a new DVD set coming out that features one of his earliest creations, “Supercar.” Having worked with puppetry on three prior series, Anderson took some giant leaps forward in his work to create a new form of puppetry called supermarionation. This new form would allow a greater ability to lip-sync the voices and gain a more ‘realistic’ look with the use of finer wiring systems. Though still rather rough in “Supercar”, it certainly paved the way for some of his future successes.

“Supercar” was created in 1959, and lasted for two seasons and a total of 39 episodes, all of which are available on this new 5-disc set from A&E Home Entertainment. Though I was into some of his later shows, I had never seen this one so I was really interested in checking it out. The series itself is about the fantastic Supercar, the ‘good guys’ involved with it and their adventures. There is pilot Mike Mercury who is the heroic center of the group and the car’s creators Professor Popkiss (who looks suspiciously like the late Dave Thomas of Wendys fame) and Dr. Beaker (no relation to the Muppets…). In the first episode we are introduced to 10-year old Jimmy Gibson and his older brother, Bill, when they are saved from being stranded in the ocean. Curiously, they somehow inexplicably become a part of the team. Also saved with them, much to their misfortune was the boy’s mischievous monkey, Mitch.

The reason I say misfortune is because not only are many of the scrapes the team gets into caused by Mitch’s playful behavior, but I swear anyone watching the show HAD to hate the monkey. In the first episode, when Mitch playfully threw the emergency ration pack from the life raft into the ocean, I swear my first thought was, “Hey, throw the MONKEY overboard!!” I honestly don’t think there was a single episode where that thought didn’t run through my head. (Disclaimer: If any animal right activists are reading this review, please note that Mitch was indeed, a puppet. This reviewer would never suggest or condone cruelty to animals…)

By today’s standards, “Supercar” seems to be little more than a kiddie show, and for the most part it was. The stories were simple and the characters pretty much one-dimensional. You never really find out much about the backgrounds of the characters, or even whom they built ‘Supercar’ for. It was essentially a series with good guys fighting bad guys, people getting saved, and really cool gadgets.

However, looking beyond its simplicity, I really got into the technical aspects of the production. I took into consideration its having been made in 1959 and what limitations there were for Anderson in attempting to create something new and advanced. And not only did he have to contend with these limitations, but also that of financing. When he pitched “Supercar” to the investors of his earlier series, they backed out. When he was approached by Associated Diffusion’s Lew Grade, who wanted to produce the show, he was asked to cut the proposed budget by half. Fortunately they were able to cut a deal that only lost him a fourth of the budget, but still any loss of revenue can put serious restraints on any venture.

“Supercar” was a very important series for Anderson as it brought together a production team that would stay with him for the following ten years. It was their creativity and work that led to the success of the many shows that followed.

This DVD set has few extras, but what it does have is pretty good. A commentary on the pilot episode “Rescue” by Anderson’s former wife, Sylvia has its moments, but the documentary on Derek Meddings is very interesting. His miniature work on the series (as well as in mainstream films) makes for a fascinating watch. Surprisingly, for a series this old, the quality of the audio and video is quite good, with very little in the way of problems.

I really can’t say that everyone will find “Supercar” to his or her liking. It is an old series, and some people can be a bit thrown if they’re not watching shows featuring the latest technology (some even have a problem with black and white). It will, however appeal to younger children who I think will find it a curiosity, and it is a must have for fans of any of Gerry Anderson’s work, in part for it’s entertainment value, but more so for it’s historical significance.

Now, are you ready (you know I gotta do this)… SING WITH ME…

Supercar... Supercar...
With beauty and grace,
as swift as can be,
watch it flying through the air.
It travels in space,
or under the sea,
and it can journey anywhere.

Supercar... Supercar...
It travels on land,
or roams the skies,
through a heavens stormy rage,
It's Mercury-manned,
and everyone cries,
"it's the marvel of the age!"

Supercar... Supercar... Supercar!

Episodes:
Rescue
Amazonian Adventure
The Talisman Of Sargon
False Alarm
What Goes Up
Keep It Cool
Grounded
Jungle Hazard
High Tension
A Little Art
Island Incident
Ice-Fall
The Tracking Of Masterspy
Phantom Piper
Deep Seven
Pirate Plunder
Flight Of Fancy
Hostage
The Sunken Temple
Trapped In The Depths
Crash Landing
The Dragon Of Ho Meng
The Lost City
The Magic Carpet
The White Line
Supercar "Take One"
The Runaway Train
Precious Cargo
Operation Superstork
Hi-Jack
Calling Charlie Queen
Space For Mitch
The Sky's The Limit
70-B-Lo
Atomic Witch Hunt
Jail Break
The Day That Time Stood Still
Transatlantic Cable
King Kool

Starring the voices of: Graydon Gould, George Murcell, David Graham, and Sylvia Thamm
Extras:
Specifications: Full Screen, B&W
Studio: A&E Home Video
Release Date: 5/27/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Supercar an A.