Space Patrol (1962 TV series)
| Space Patrol | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Also known as | 'Planet Patrol (United States) |
| Genre |
Action Adventure Children's Science fiction Space Western |
| Created by | Roberta Leigh |
| Written by | Roberta Leigh |
| Directed by | Frank Goulding |
| Voices of |
Dick Vosburgh Libby Morris Ysanne Churchman Ronnie Stevens Murray Kash |
| Composer(s) | Roberta Leigh |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 39 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Roberta Leigh Arthur Provis |
| Cinematography | Arthur Provis |
| Editor(s) | John Beaton Roy Hyde Len Walter |
| Camera setup | Single |
| Running time | 24-26 minutes |
| Production company(s) | National Interest Pictures Wonderama Productions |
| Release | |
| Picture format | Film 35mm 4:3 Black and white |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | 7 April 1963[2] – 11 June 1964 |
Space Patrol is a science-fiction television series featuring marionettes that was produced in the United Kingdom in 1962 and broadcast beginning in 1963. It was written and produced by Roberta Leigh in association with the Associated British Corporation.
The series features the vocal talents of Dick Vosburgh, Ronnie Stevens, Libby Morris, Murray Kash and Ysanne Churchman, and comprises 39 half-hour episodes. This series is also known by its US title Planet Patrol to avoid confusion with the 1950s American live-action series of the same name. The marionettes used in the series incorporated some elements of Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation technique - specifically their mouths would move in synch with dialogue.
The series is set in the year 2100, by which time the indigenous and autonomous civilizations on Earth, Mars and Venus have banded together to form the United Galactic Organization (UGO). Space Patrol is the UGO's military wing, and the series follows the actions of this interplanetary force, focusing on the missions of a tiny unit led by the heroic, bearded Captain Larry Dart. The humanoids in his crew consist of the elfin Slim from Venus, and the stocky, ravenously sausage-mad Husky from the Red Planet, Mars. The imperfect Slavic accent variants and six-pointed star chest emblems of these two may have been a sly nod to the Jewish-Russian heritage of the English series creator/writer. These men would regularly use one of two interplanetary space vehicles, the Galasphere 347 and the Galasphere 024.
Providing technical support on Earth is the brilliant and inventive Irishman Professor Aloysius O’Brien O’Rourke Haggarty, called "Pop" by his daughter Cassiopeia, to his perpetual dismay. Haggarty's garrulous pet Martian "parrot" (a Gabblerdictum bird), taught to talk in "The Slaves of Neptune" episode, accompanies the crew on rare occasions. Keeping them all on a tight rein are Colonel Raeburn and his super-efficient Venusian secretary, Marla, both also based on Earth.
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