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"We will destroy President Roberts within the next twelve hours"


The Launching is the 29th produced, and the 27th broadcast, episode of the British television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

Plot[]

Mervin Brand, a reporter for The Tribune newspaper, is killed in his jet Tribune 3 by lightning while en route to the press conference with President Roberts. When reconstructed promptly by the Mysterons - so that Tribune Control doesn't suspect that the real Mervin Brand has crashed and died - the Mysteronized Brand continues his flight to the press conference, but is stopped by the Angels, who have strict instructions to attack & destroy any aircraft violating the restricted airspace over the President's residence (due to his life being under siege by the Mysterons). His arrogance and egotism don't help matters, as he believes the enemies preparing to kill him will not achieve their latest ploy of revenge, and ignores the fact that the Mysterons killed the Director-General of the United Asian Republic...

Spectrum continues to pursue his residence, but when the President reveals the new atomic-liner ship built by the Trans-Pacific Shipping Corporation, is being named after him - and is set to be released from port today - Captain Scarlet grasps that the Mysterons intend to destroy the President Roberts ship, and not the man himself...

Cast[]

Regular Cast[]

Guest Cast[]

Cameo Roles[]

Equipment Used[]


Locations[]

Trivia[]

  • The festive music being played at the site of the launching was previously heard in the Fireball XL5 episode Flying Zodiac.
  • Oops: when the episode was originally written and filmed, the Tribune newspaper was called the Chicago Tribune, which is a real daily newspaper. Seemingly it took until after filming for the producers to realise that the name may have potentially infringed trademark rights - because each and every scene that somehow involved the words "Chicago Tribune" had to be reshot.
  • Also, for one reason or another, almost every scene of the presidential residence required reshooting. All of the remounted scenes were shot in the latter half of 1967.
  • All original scenes, as well as those that did not have to be reshot, were filmed in late May 1967 (and possibly in the June of that year too).
  • When Mervin Brand presents his press ID to Harmony Angel, it contains a picture of Captain Indigo, which is a coincidence as they are both voiced by Gary Files.
  • Director-General Xian Yoh was mentioned by Captain Scarlet to telling President Roberts that the Mysterons success assassination him in the London Airport.



v - e - d
CaptainScarlet Logo
Characters
Spectrum
Spectrum Officers: Captain ScarletCaptain BlueColonel WhiteLieutenant GreenCaptain BlackCaptain BrownCaptain GreyCaptain OchreCaptain MagentaDoctor FawnCaptain Indigo
The Angels: Destiny AngelSymphony AngelRhapsody AngelMelody AngelHarmony Angel
Other Staff: Spectrum Guards
Other Characters: The Mysterons
Revamp Puppets: World President YoungerLieutenant DeanNavigator ConwayDirector-General Xian YohDelta Garage AttendantDT19 PilotDT19 Co-PilotAirport ChiefAirport OperatorDirector-General ImpersonatorSpectrum Agent 042AssassinMacey1st London Police Officer2nd London Police Officer3rd London Police Officer4th London Police Officer5th London Police Officer6th London Police OfficerWoman DriverHarris (Manhunt)Security Chief RichardsGeiger OperatorDelta Garage MechanicCulver Guard 1Culver Guard 2General WardEddieSergeant MarshallLieutenant BurroughsTrapperRed Deer Sentry JoeCariboo SentryBig Bear SentryDead BodyBob LynnTVR-17 ControllerHelijet PilotUSS Panther II CaptainLieutenant BelmontSoamesDavidsonClarkCommodore GoddardCaptain HoltMortonDistillery AttendantDr. Theodore MagnusGeneral TiempoDr. Turner1st Medical Student2nd Medical StudentPorter BensonRadiographerNurse (Operation Time)MorganDoctor (Operation Time)General PetersonDoctor Giadello1st Warden (Post 14)2nd Warden (Post 28)MasonSteeleKramerDice Club CroupierBarmanNuclear City Security ChiefAttendant Delta garageKrugerDoigCarlFire WardenLunar ControllerOrsonS.I.DShuttle PilotSupreme Commander of Earth ForcesColonel StormMajor BrooksGeneral CopeCaptain HasselPeteMCA Tanker Driver's MateArabAndre VerdainHelgaGabrielleCasino commissionaireModelFairfieldJacksonFire ChiefMajor StoneJoe JohnsonPhil MachinMajor ReevesLinda NolanFrazerShroederDoctor BreckDoctor CarterDoctor AngeliniDoctor KurnitzDoctor Kurnitz' SecretaryKinleyCharlie HansenJason SmithMajor GravenerDoctor BaxterDoctor MitchellNurse (Treble Cross)Harris (Treble Cross)Doctor ConradBill WilliamsNewspaper ReporterJoe (Flight 104)Airport AnnouncerDoctor DentonJudith ChapmanAirport MechanicGeneral RebusNeilsonRhodesCaptain (Expo 2068)Doctor SommersDriver (Expo 2068)Seneca PilotLumberjack (Expo 2068)RaynorMervin BrandPresident RobertsVice PresidentVice-president's WifeProfessor Gabriel CarneyPresident Conrad OlafsonPresident John L. HendersonSKR4 CaptainSKR4 NavigatorMajor MoranSergeant (Inferno)Commander WilliamsMaxwell Airbase SergeantColganMysteron Agent (The Inquisition)
TV Series Episodes
The MysteronsWinged AssassinBig Ben Strikes AgainManhuntAvalancheWhite as SnowThe TrapOperation TimeSpectrum Strikes BackSpecial AssignmentThe Heart Of New YorkLunarville 7Point 783Model SpySeek and DestroyTraitorRenegade RocketCrater 101Shadow Of FearDangerous RendezvousFire at Rig 15Treble CrossFlight 104Place of AngelsNoose of IceExpo 2068The LaunchingCodename EuropaInfernoFlight to AtlanticaAttack on CloudbaseThe Inquisition
Audio Adventures
Introducing Captain ScarletCaptain Scarlet and the MysteronsCaptain Scarlet is IndestructibleCaptain Scarlet of SpectrumCaptain Scarlet versus Captain Black
Compilation films
Captain Scarlet Vs. The MysteronsRevenge of the Mysterons from Mars
Books
Young CorgiThe Vault
Vehicles and Craft
Spectrum Saloon CarSpectrum Pursuit VehicleMaximum Security VehicleAngel InterceptorSpectrum Passenger JetSpectrum HelicopterSpectrum HovercraftSpectrum Radar VanMagnacopterZero-X
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