Attack on Cloudbase

Infobox Television episode
Title = Attack on Cloudbase
Series = Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Season = 1
Episode = 31
Airdate = May 7, 1968
Production = 30
Writer = Tony Barwick
Director = Ken Turner
Episode list = List of "Captain Scarlet" episodes
Prev = Flight to Atlantica
Next = The Inquisition

"Attack on Cloudbase" is the 31st episode of the Supermarionation television series "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons". It was the 30th episode to be produced. Its original UK air date was May 7, 1968 on ATV Midlands. It was written by Tony Barwick and directed by Ken Turner.

ynopsis

Symphony Angel ejects from her damaged aircraft over a desert before the Mysterons themselves arrive on Earth to launch a devastating assault on Cloudbase.

Plot

While on aerial patrol, Symphony Angel is forced to eject from her fighter after the rear of the aircraft suddenly explodes. She lands in a desert and passes out in the heat. Meanwhile, the Mysterons warn that they will destroy Cloudbase.

Destiny Angel is launched to search for Symphony, but is recalled by Colonel White in view of the threat against Cloudbase. This sparks a fierce argument between White and Captain Blue, who is attracted to Symphony. However, White refuses to let his officer join the ground search.

That night, a large trace is detected on the Cloudbase radar. Rhapsody Angel is launched to investigate and is shocked to discover that it is a spinning Mysteron spacecraft, which destroys her jet in mid-air. When more hostile craft arrive, Captain Scarlet volunteers to replace Destiny Angel to challenge the enemy, but crash-lands on the Cloudbase flight deck after his interceptor is damaged. As the Mysterons open fire on Cloudbase itself, it is discovered that Scarlet's retro-metabolic powers will not be enough to revert his injuries and that therefore the captain is permanently dead.

The Mysteron attack continues until eventually only White, Blue and Lieutenant Green remain alive. As the stricken Cloudbase loses altitude, Green is killed by another explosion and Blue is injured. White, meanwhile, resolves to go down with his command.

Just as the sound of Cloudbase's destruction is heard, Symphony regains consciousness in the desert facing Scarlet and Blue. The events of the episode were all part of a delirious nightmare of Symphony's and never actually happened.

Cast

*Captain Scarlet — Francis Matthews
*Captain Blue — Ed Bishop
*Colonel White — Donald Gray
*Lieutenant Green — Cy Grant
*Captain Magenta — Gary Files
*Destiny Angel — Liz Morgan
*Symphony Angel — Janna Hill
*Rhapsody Angel — Liz Morgan
*Voice of the Mysterons — Donald Gray

Notes

*The Mysterons first try to destroy Cloudbase in "Dangerous Rendezvous".
*Dr Fawn's assistant is played by the Captain Black puppet. The character does not speak, but shakes his head when Captain Blue asks whether Scarlet is permanently dead. Whether the assistant is a real character or an element of Symphony's nightmare is left unexplained.
*In a sense, the Mysterons complete three of their previously failed threats: the destruction of Cloudbase ("Dangerous Rendezvous"), the death of a Spectrum Angel ("Seek and Destroy" - although more than one Angel is killed in this episode) and the death of Colonel White ("White as Snow").
*Barry Gray was asked to compose a separate score for "Attack on Cloudbase" due to Gerry Anderson’s belief that none of the series’ pre-existing incidental music was suitable for the episode.cite video
people = Anderson, Gerry
title = "Attack on Cloudbase" (DVD audio commentary)
medium = DVD
publisher = Carlton
date = 2001]
*In the original script for this episode, Captain Magenta's role was filled by a new Spectrum officer, Captain Sienna. The part was transferred to Magenta after it was decided that making a brand-new Spectrum uniform would prove too costly.cite book
author = Bentley, Chris
title = The Complete Book of Captain Scarlet
year = 2001
pages = p.89
publisher = Carlton Books
id = ISBN 1-84222-405-0]
*For the high-altitude attack sequence, Mysteron spacecraft models were only used in the foreground, while small light bulbs were made to flash in the background to give the impression of rotating space vehicles.
*Footage from "Attack on Cloudbase" was re-edited and used in the "Captain Scarlet" compilation movie "Captain Scarlet vs the Mysterons". An additional sequence created specially for the film featured a CGI pyramid and a voiceover implying that the attack on Cloudbase was in fact real and not a dream.cite book
author = Bentley, Chris
title = The Complete Book of Captain Scarlet
year = 2001
pages = p.121
publisher = Carlton Books
id = ISBN 1-84222-405-0]

References

External links

* [http://www.fanderson.org.uk/epguides/scarleteg3.html#Episode%20Thirty Fanderson.org.uk: "Captain Scarlet" Episode Guide: "Attack on Cloudbase"]
* [http://www.tv.com/captain-scarlet-and-the-mysterons/attack-on-cloudbase/episode/165472/summary.html TV.com: "Captain Scarlet" Episode Guide: "Attack on Cloudbase"]
* [http://www.clivebanks.co.uk/Capt%20Scarlet%20Timeline.htm# Clivebanks.co.uk: "Captain Scarlet" Episode Guide]