Place of Angels

"Place of Angels"
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons episode
Episode no. Episode 23
Directed by Leo Eaton
Written by Leo Eaton
Cinematography by Julien Lugrin
Editing by Harry MacDonald
Production code 21
Original air date 8 March 1968 (1968-03-08)
Guest actors

Voices of:
Jeremy Wilkin as
Dr Denton
Spectrum HQ New York Worker
Sylvia Anderson as
Judith Chapman
Gary Files as
Security Guard
Engineer
Martin King as
Airliner Captain

"Place of Angels" is the 23rd episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 8 March 1968 on ATV Midlands, and was written and directed by Leo Eaton. In this episode, a lethal synthetic virus threatens the lives of millions of people.

Plot

At the Bacteriological Research Centre near Manchester, England, Dr Denton and his assistant, Judith Chapman, activate a culture of K14, a synthetic virus. During her drive home, Chapman is killed instantly upon crashing into a fuel tanker that Captain Black is using to obstruct the road and is reconstructed by the Mysterons to carry out their threat to destroy the "Place of Angels". Returning to the Research Centre, the reconstruction strangles a guard with a pair of mechanical forceps and steals the vial containing the K14 virus from its secure locker.

Colonel White dispatches Captains Scarlet and Blue to the Bacteriological Research Centre. K14 is the most lethal virus developed, and if the vial were opened up to ten million people could die. After the Chapman reconstruction is sighted in New York, Scarlet and Blue divert their Spectrum Jet and pursue the Mysteron agent along the Interstate Highway in a Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle. Acting on the telepathic advice of Captain Black, Chapman abandons her car and evades Spectrum, leaving behind what would appear to be the unsealed vial. The area is quarantined and disinfected and Scarlet and Blue are placed in isolation on Cloudbase. However, Dr Denton's tests check negative for K14 and it becomes clear that Chapman, who has deceived Spectrum, still has the K14.

Soon, Chapman is sighted all over North America, in locations including Los Angeles. From the etymology of the name ("Los Angeles" in Spanish meaning "The Angels"), Scarlet reasons that the Californian city is the threatened "Place of Angels". Scarlet and Blue intercept Chapman as she drives along the Colorado River. White suspects that the Mysteron agent is heading for the Boulder Dam to release the K14 into the Los Angeles reservoir and infect the water supply. Scarlet ejects from the Spectrum Jet and lands on the dam, sustaining a bullet from Chapman. However, he returns fire and the Mysteron duplicate topples over the side when a grille breaks underfoot, screaming to her death. Scarlet manages to retrieve the dropped K14 vial from a ledge before it too falls into the reservoir. A frantic White radios the Spectrum officer, who replies that the "Place of Angels" is safe.

Production

Leo Eaton was a new addition to Century 21 for the production of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.[1] Initially working as an assistant director on various Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons episodes[1] as well advertising tie-ins for Gerry Anderson's previous series, Thunderbirds,[1] Eaton had quickly expressed an interest in writing for Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons[1] and was granted the opportunity to both write and direct "Place of Angels".[1] Concerning the inspiration behind the script, Eaton explains, "I'd been thinking for some time about writing a sci-fi short story about someone releasing poison into a big-city reservoir."[1] Several scripting changes were made before the voice and film recording.[2][3] The working title for this episode was "The City of Angels"[2] and in the script the Mysteron threat was to "destroy the population of the City of Angels".[2][3]

Broadcasting

The original United Kingdom network transmission of "Place of Angels" on BBC Two in 1994 was delayed from its scheduled slot when live coverage of the semi-final between Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis at the 1994 World Snooker Championship overran and postponed subsequent programming.[2][3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bentley, Chris (2001). The Complete Book of Captain Scarlet. London: Carlton Books. p. 33. ISBN 1-84222-405-0.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bentley, Chris (2001). The Complete Book of Captain Scarlet. London: Carlton Books. p. 85. ISBN 1-84222-405-0.
  3. 1 2 3 Bentley, Chris (2008) [2001]. The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide (4 ed.). Richmond, London: Reynolds and Hearn. p. 132. ISBN 978-1-905287-74-1.

External links

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