KOOL TV CLASSIC IMAGE: "JOE 90"

Inside the BIG RAT device, JOE 90 gets ready for his next big mission. Image: ITC.

What little boy hasn't grown up wanting to be a secret agent, eh? Well, in 1968/9, legendary SUPERMARIONATION experts Gerry and Sylvia Anderson-probably the UK's greatest sixties and seventies sales export figures since THE BEATLES, brought that fun idea to exciting, action packed reality with their entertaining series JOE 90, one of their last forays into the world of characters animated by strings (having now entered the live action universe with top iconic series like UFO and, late into the seventies, SPACE:1999), which had a unique and clever central format-like all their show did- in which a happy-go-lucky nine year old, Joe McClaine, recruited by the spy organisation, the WORLD INTELLIGENCE NETWORK, uses his adopted father's special augmentation device (called BIG RAT (Brain Impulse Galvanascope Record and Transfer) so as to have the abilities of a grown adult implanted into his brain, and where, depending on his assigned mission, and making the series even more unique, he can be harmlessly adapted to do anything, and utilize any specialised skill, ranging from learning kung-fu to stealing and flying the latest jet fighter. The potential for the character and the series in general proved limitless. In no time at all, Joe 90 soon proved what a "most special agent" he was!

Despite criticisms that the show was overtly violent for its youthful weekend afternoon viewing audiences (something which plagued the Anderson's excellent earlier series, CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE MYSTERONS, of which this new show kept the same basic, more properly proportioned style of puppets) and that it lacked any female characters (a fair point to make as this series seemed made more to the boys market), JOE 90 was a reasonable one season only success at the time, becoming more appreciated over the years thanks to the renewed interest in the late eighties onwards, by viewers of all ages, of the entire range of Anderson's series in general (especially THUNDERBIRDS and CAPTAIN SCARLET), linked to the rise in VHS and DVD releases, and resulting in the show memorable theme tune from composer Barry Gray being a big hit in the UK music/dance scene in the mid eighties (psychedelic title sequence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gtpks_0V3U)

It may be showing in a godforsaken early, very early morning time-slot on the UK's SYFY channel on certain weekdays, but I'm sure, once kids track it down, that they'll greatly enjoy the series timeless adventure stories, beautifully rendered and excellent puppets, and great model/effects work from the likes of the talented Derek Meddings, in the same way that their sixties counter-parts once did.

JOE 90 truly is the definition of a kid-ult!

The entire series of JOE 90 is also available on DVD from CARLTON.