History Series / CaptainScarletAndTheMysterons

* WeAllLiveInAmerica: There are a lot of people over the years who have asked why this British-born show calls him LEFT-tenant Green, not LOU-tenant Green. Thanks to EaglelandOsmosis, there seem to be just as many Brits asking the question as Americans.

Followed by ''Series/Joe90''. For the 2005 CGI [[TheRemake Remake]], see ''WesternAnimation/GerryAndersonsNewCaptainScarlet''. See also ''Series/{{UFO}}'', the series' DarkerAndEdgier SpiritualSuccessor.

** And it doesn't just end at crushing, other grisly deaths include a character being chained to a submarine, ''fully conscious'', as it dives into the sea. In another episode, Captain Black murders a gas station attendant by running him over backwards with his car. You get to hear his screams and all. How the series got past the British censors is bewildering.

Like the earlier ''Series/{{Thunderbirds}}'', ''Captain Scarlet'' was produced by animatronics expert Gerry Anderson. The difference here is that the puppeteers used an upgraded design that places the internal mechanisms in the chest area of the puppets as opposed to the head. This change allowed the creation of puppets to forgo the characteristic oversized heads of previous super-marionettes for more realistic proportions. As a result, the show looks a bit like the old 12" ''Franchise/GIJoe'' action figures have come to life, which Anderson later noted made them feel [[UncannyValley less lifelike]] as a result.

** A sharp-eyed viewer will notice there's a window in the shots that shows scenery moving past in the "wrong" direction, making it obvious that the SPV crew are seated in the rear and facing away from the front of the vehicle (presumably for safety reasons). There are also several occasions where they open the doors showing the seats face backwards. And of course the toys showcased the feature. This was mentioned in the first episode.
--->'''Undercover Agent:''' It must be difficult, driving backwards and looking at video monitors.\\
'''Captain Blue:''' Oh, you'll get used to it.
** The ejector seat is also used during "The Winged Assassin". Or more accurately, Captain Blue's ejector is forcibly triggered by Captain Scarlet, so the latter can try to be a {{Big Damn Hero|es}}.

Leading the fight, one man fate has made indestructible. His name: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV8YbLvGrb0 Captain Scarlet."]]''

* AwesomeMccoolName:
** Captain Scarlet
** Destiny Angel
** Captain Black

* NiceHat: The Spectrum hats. Oh so much.

* AlmostOutOfOxygen: In "Avalanche," a network of missile complexes is attacked, killing those inside. The team sent in to investigate scans for all manner of poisonous gasses, but finds nothing. Then one of them takes off his breathing mask, and quickly discovers that all the oxygen has been removed.

* TheBadGuysWin: In numerous episodes, including one of the very earliest ones, just to establish that yes, Spectrum ''can'' lose. [[spoiler: The Mysterons succeed in "Winged Assassin", "The Heart of New York", "Shadow of Fear" and "Inferno". They also get a partial victory in "Noose of Ice".]]

* GoneHorriblyWrong: In "The Heart Of New York," three criminals use the Mysterons to their advantage by pretending to be Mysteronised in a plot to rob the Second National Bank while the city's been evacuated. [[spoiler: Unfortunately that's the very place the Mysterons are targeting -- and they're trapped in the bank when it's blown up.]]

* ALmostOutOfOxygen: In "Avalanche," a network of missile complexes is attacked, killing those inside. The team sent in to investigate scans for all manner of poisonous gasses and nerve agents, but find nothing. Then they take off their pressurized suits, and quickly discover that all the oxygen has been removed.

* DisproportionateRetribution: The Mysterons have reason to be angry since Captain Black destroyed their city, but since they could instantly rebuild it and there's no hint any Mysterons died, they seem to be rather irrational in their desire to destroy all life on Earth in retribution. When Spectrum apologises on behalf of mankind and asks for peace, the Mysterons [[spoiler:pretend to be ready to negotiate so they can set a trap but actually never even consider making peace. They state explicitly they are not capable of forgiveness]].

* RasputinianDeath: In his original, Mysteron-controlled form, Captain Scarlet is shot by Captain Blue and falls off a bomb-rigged skyscraper, which then ''explodes and collapses on him''.
** Actually it was the "London Car-Vu", a high rise car park. It collapsed and fell on Scarlet due to the damage it sustained after a Mysteron-controlled Spectrum helicopter crashed into the support column.

* AtrociousAlias: [[Film/ReservoirDogs "Why I gotta be Captain Magenta?"]]

* TheBadGuysWin: [[spoiler: In "Winged Assassin", "The Heart of New York", "Shadow of Fear" and "Inferno".]]

For the 2005 CGI [[TheRemake Remake]], see ''WesternAnimation/GerryAndersonsNewCaptainScarlet''. See also ''Series/{{UFO}}'', the series' DarkerAndEdgier SpiritualSuccessor.

* DoNotAdjustYourSet

* ExpositoryThemeTune: The ending credits theme (after the original instrumental version was replaced); the opening has NoThemeTune as such, although it does have musical backing.

* AmazonBrigade: The Angels, an all-female squadron of fighter-pilots.

* AntiClimaxBoss: GadgeteerGenius Professor Carney spends ages managing to successfully dupe Spectrum... only to die by [[DeathByFallingOver falling over a tripwire.]] With Mysterons being resilient to all except electricity or major explosions, it's unknown whether he is even killed afterwards, up is maybe taken into custody.