region 2 DVD. pub: Carlton Visual Entertainment 37115 03943. 5 DVDs 748 minutes 30 episodes with extras. Price: about £16.00 (UK) currently if you know where to look, around £75.00 if you don't) voices: Len Jones, Rupert Davies, David Healey, Keith Alexander and Sylvia Anderson.

check out websites: www.carltonvisual.com and www.joe90-dvd.com

I doubt if a programme like 'Joe 90' would be made today. All right the upcoming American TV series 'Dollhouse' is but its using adults not a nine year-old boy even if he's pulled by strings. Not since Jimmy Gibson in 'Supercar' did Gerry and Sylvia Anderson have a kid in their TV series now Joe McClaine was centre stage.

It all started with a demonstration of brain pattern transfer from inventor Professor Iain McClaine to his step-son, Joe, to show his pal and World Intelligence Network officer Sam Loover it in operation. He in turn told his boss, Shane Weston, who saw the potential of having a junior agent with the smarts to carry out assignments under a perfect disguise of not looking the part. 'Course, it took some persuading of McClaine himself even if Joe was more than willing but the WIN people were very persuasive. I suspect off-camera there was some financial shenanigans involved as the device, the Brain Impulse Galvanoscope Record And Transfer or BIG RAT, was expensive to run. The series follows agent Joe 90's adventures for WIN as their most special agent.



All Joe had to do was sit in the BIG RAT cage and have various brain patterns transferred into his head. Using a pair of thick-rimmed glasses to conceal a pair of electrodes which completed the link, Joe gains the experience and knowledge of the person who's pattern had been scanned. As this was secret, these people didn't know of the service they provided. This might be called an infringement of civil liberties if it ever got into court these days still it was top secret and known only to the four of them. Even if someone saw Joe at work, who was going to be believe them?

Watching this series again with closer scrutiny, I kept an eye on the body count and even as early as the second story 'Hi-Jacked', Joe was responsible for killing the enemy boss. One can only assume when the brain pattern in his head was neutralised that any memory of that event was purged at the same time. It might also explain why it doesn't get on the television these days.

Keeping the same scale puppets as used in 'Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons' it was inevitable that a few of its cast would appear here. If you watch 'Viva Cordova' you'll see a more clean-shaven Captain Black as well as one of the Angels and possible Captain Blue there as well.

What this show clearly demonstrates even more than 'Captain Scarlet' is the various skills of Derek Meddings special effects teams. Although Meddings was overall in charge, there was a lot more delegation here and they all clearly learnt from the master. Outside of the BIG RAT, the merchandise was restricted to books and comics and toys of McClaine's flying car, Sam Loover's car and Joe's briefcase which carried his assorted spy equipment. Looking through this in the extras and I practically ticked off half of them in my collection, mostly cos there wasn't so much. Shame I never saw let alone be able to afford his briefcase.

The other extras show behind the scenes and production photos plus info about all the machinery and characters used in the show. The only thing I was disappointed in not seeing were photographs of the voice cast as without them this series would not have been as distinctive as it was.

With the current price drop on the market for this series right now, this makes a good opportunity to complete your Century 21 TV series collection.


GF Willmetts