Flight to Atlantica

"Flight to Atlantica"
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons episode
Episode no. Episode 30
Directed by Leo Eaton
Written by Tony Barwick
Cinematography by Ted Catford
Editing by Harry MacDonald
Production code 28
Original air date 30 April 1968
Guest appearance(s)

Voices of:
Gary Files as
Commander Williams
Shane Rimmer (uncredited) as
Maxwell Field Sergeant[1]

"Flight to Atlantica" is the 30th episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, a 1960s British Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and produced by their company Century 21 Productions. Written by Tony Barwick and directed by Leo Eaton, it was first broadcast on 30 April 1968 on ATV Midlands.

In this episode, the Mysterons drug the champagne that is being consumed at a party on Cloudbase, causing Spectrum personnel to take leave of their senses.

Plot

On 7 July, Cloudbase personnel mark the first anniversary of the creation of Spectrum with a champagne party hosted by Captain Scarlet (voiced by Francis Matthews). This is quickly broken up by a furious Colonel White (voiced by Donald Gray).

Soon after, the Mysterons (voiced by Donald Gray) vow to destroy Atlantica, an undersea World Navy base. In view this threat, Spectrum take over an operation to bomb and disperse a shipwreck that is drifting towards Atlantica. Captains Blue and Ochre (voiced by Ed Bishop and Jeremy Wilkin) are selected for the mission and briefed at Maxwell Field, where they behave with unusual absent-mindedness. Before taking off in a V17 Air Force bomber, they unknowingly encounter Captain Black, who switches their flight instructions.

On Cloudbase, all except White and Scarlet fall into a trance-like state. White and Scarlet realise that the champagne is responsible and that they are both unaffected because neither of them drank any – White was absent from the party and Blue accidentally smashed Scarlet's glass. The Mysterons used their powers to taint the champagne with a compound used in pest control, which chemical analysis indicates causes amnesia and recklessness.

Failing to question their new instructions, the stupefied Blue and Ochre cross into the restricted airspace over Atlantica and bomb the base's defence system control tower. Alerted by Maxwell Field, White and Scarlet intercept the V17 in a Spectrum Passenger Jet and cripple it with an air-to-air missile before Blue and Ochre destroy Atlantica itself. Blue comes to his senses and ejects himself and Ochre moments before the V17 crashes into the ocean and explodes on the seabed.

Despite the Mysterons' partial success, Cloudbase has good cause for celebration on 10 July, since this is Spectrum's true anniversary: although its charter was drawn up on 7 July, the organisation was not officially created until the World President signed the document three days later. To celebrate, White orders several bottles of champagne – which, to Scarlet's delight, bear his name on the label.

Production

This episode is one of two (the other being "Attack on Cloudbase") to feature all of the regular characters, although not all have speaking parts.

Reception

Shane M. Dallmann of Video Watchdog magazine considers the episode "amusing" and notes that it contains "plenty of character-breaking moments". Dallmann expresses surprise that Scarlet is "treated as a hero" at the end given it was he who organised the champagne party (an "unbelievably bone-headed blunder" on his part) and is therefore indirectly to blame for the near-destruction of Atlantica.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Bentley, Chris (2008) [2001]. The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide (4th ed.). London, UK: Reynolds & Hearn. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-905287-74-1.
  2. ↑ Dallmann, Shane M. (June 2003). Lucas, Tim, ed. "DVD Spotlight: Captain Scarlet". Video Watchdog. No. 96. Cincinnati, Ohio: Tim and Donna Lucas. pp. 36–43. ISSN 1070-9991. OCLC 646838004.
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