Captain Video
| Captain Video and His Video Rangers | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Created by | Lawrence Menkin James Caddigan |
| Written by |
Damon Knight James Blish Jack Vance Arthur C. Clarke Isaac Asimov Cyril M. Kornbluth Milt Lesser Walter M. Miller, Jr. Robert Sheckley J. T. McIntosh Robert S. Richardson Maurice C. Brachhausen (M. C. Brock) |
| Starring |
Richard Coogan (1949-1950) Al Hodge (1950-1955) Don Hastings as the Video Ranger |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 24 mins. (1949-53) 15 mins. (1953-55) |
| Release | |
| Original network | DuMont |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | June 27, 1949 – April 1, 1955 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | The Secret Files of Captain Video |
Captain Video and His Video Rangers was an American science fiction television series aired on the DuMont Television Network, and was the first series of its genre on American television.
The series aired between June 27, 1949, and April 1, 1955, originally Monday through Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, and then Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET. A separate 30-minute spinoff series called The Secret Files of Captain Video, aired Saturday mornings, alternating with Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, from September 5, 1953, to May 29, 1954, for a total of 20 episodes.
Researcher Alan Morton estimates there was a total of 1,537 episodes (counting the 20 Saturday morning episodes), although only four or five of them exist after the destruction of the original broadcasts, which was commonplace at that time. Sponsors included Post Cereals, Skippy Peanut Butter, DuMont-brand television sets and Power House candy bars. Premiums sold via the show included a flying saucer ring, a "secret seal" ring, cast photos, electronic goggles, a "secret ray gun," a rocket ship key chain, decoders, membership cards, and a set of 12 plastic spacemen.
The long-run series, set in Earth's distant future, tracked the adventures of a group of fighters for truth and justice, known as The Video Rangers. They were led by Captain Video (no first name ever was mentioned). The Video Rangers operated from a secret base on a mountaintop. Their uniforms resembled U.S. Army surplus with lightning bolts sewn on. Captain Video had a teenage companion known only as The Video Ranger. The Captain received his orders from the Commissioner of Public Safety, whose responsibilities took in the entire solar system as well as human colonies on planets around other stars.
Captain Video was the first adventure hero explicitly designed by DuMont's "idea man" Larry Menkin for early live television. One of its most iconic episodes was titled "I TOBOR." The robot was an important recurring character, and represented the first appearance of a robot in live televised science fiction. Its name was supposed to be "ROBOT I," but the stencil with its name was applied to its costume backward. The robot was played by 7-foot, 6-inch actor Dave Ballard.
Other villains included Doctor Pauli, the "wily Oriental" Hing Foo Sung, and Nargola, played by Ernest Borgnine before he went on to become an iconic stage and film actor. Researcher Don Glut estimated that in all, about 300 different villains appeared on the show at one time or another.
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Wikipedia