text:
Talk:Carol Ann Duffy

Moved
Moved to new page to correct spelling of "Carol". Mswake 12:10 Jan 8, 2003 (UTC)

Pls dear i am a poor gentle man who want to be friend to u pls Aniah Dominic (talk) 10:40, 2 January 2017 (UTC)

Pls i truly nw your reply pls Aniah Dominic (talk) 10:42, 2 January 2017 (UTC)

Homophobia allegation
"Carol Ann Duffy was almost appointed the British Poet Laureate in 1999 (after the death of previous Laureate Ted Hughes), but lost out on the position to Andrew Motion. A Downing Street official said that Prime Minister Tony Blair was 'worried about having a homosexual poet laureate because of how it might play in middle England."

Is this definitely true? There were rumours at the time but it seems a bit unlikely that "a Downing Street official" would have said anything quite so frank, admitting to disgraceful if not illegal bias by a highly image-conscious PM. Statement would appear to need verifying, attributing and/or toning down. Flapdragon 02:51, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)

"She regards Andrew Motion as a friend and says that the idea of a contest for the position between her and him for the post was entirely invented by the newspapers."

Added the above summary of her comments heard on the BBC Radio 4 programme Book Club on Sun 5 Dec 2004. Harry 01:04, 6 Dec 2004 (UTC)

NPOV
"She is one of the few poets in the UK to combine academic integrity with accessibility and popularity."

This may be perfectly true but doesn't seem like NPOV somehow -- who says so? Added a rather pusillanimous little "perhaps" to tone it down. Harry 01:07, 6 Dec 2004 (UTC)
 * I cut it completely, looked ugly to me, and is pretty much mirrored in the other sourced statements anyway. On the subject of sourcing, I'm uneasy about "According to the Sunday Times…" since we haven't actually got a link to the relevant Sunday Times article itself, and I'm not at all sure of the validity of knittingcircle as a source, especailly a tertiary one. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Benmachine (talk • contribs) 16:30, 8 January 2008 (UTC)

OBE and CBE
I have read that she has been awarded an OBE and a CBE. Can anyone verify this?

 * OBE in 1995, CBE in 2001, Hon DLitt (Warwick), ditto (Keele), Honorary something-or-other (Dundee), FRSLit. Prof (Creative Writing School) at Manchester. All that and The World's Wife still makes me laugh out loud. Angus McLellan 00:57, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

Maureen Duffy disambig
Do we really need this? Guinnog 19:49, 26 March 2006 (UTC)

 * I don't think it's necessary.From my layman's point of view, she's not nearly so famous. Maybe it's because they share a surname, and are both homosexual. I guess if a few more people post saying they don't think it's necessary and noone posts otherwise, we could remove it. Kymara 20:40, 26 March 2006 (UTC)

 * I agree it shd probably be deleted. Once we start disambiguating people whose names aren't even the same where will we stop? Flapdragon 21:23, 26 March 2006 (UTC)

 * If all they share is the same last name, I agree: delete. Kdammers 02:38, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

 * Done Guinnog 03:26, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

Civil partnership?
Is it true Murice Oldamon is her lesbian partner, and that they had a civil partnership in 2004?

AQA Anthology
Carol Ann Duffy has had some poems put in to the AQA Anthology (ISBN 019 831881 2). It may be worth including this in the article, and others. I would do it now but I'm supposed to be revising for an English Literature Exam tomorrow! Stwalkerster talk review 18:41, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

Also i'm sure Education for Leisure has not been removed from the AQA Anthology, its just not a named poem anymore, which means they won't ask you about it in the exam, but you can still refer to it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.12.64.21 (talk) 18:22, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

No pics?
Surely we can find some interesting pics to liven up the site a bit. Some covers of books? Receiving OBE etc? Spanglej (talk) 23:34, 13 April 2009 (UTC)

Controversies
'Controversy' is defined as "disagreement, typically when prolonged, public, and heated". The information placed under the section 'Controversies' was not controversial, simply biographical. I therefore moved the information to the Background section of the article. None of the information was changed or deleted - simply relocated.

Controversy sections are for disagreement about 'facts', not about information over which there is no disagreement but about which an editor might not like. For example, it is not controversial that Carol Ann Duffy was passed over for Poet Laureate in 1999 because of her sexuality - it is just a matter of fact. Whether or not an editor (or members of the public at large) likes that decision is of no consequence to the article.

On the other hand, there are instances where the facts of an event are not clear, and experts are documented to have heated public disagreements about the facts. This is the proper use of a Controversy section. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.156.252.49 (talk) 10:14, 1 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I agree entirely. Alboran (talk) 14:57, 1 May 2009 (UTC)

Nationality
Legally, the Scottish nationality does not exist!!!. It's British. Sorry if I'm wrong, I'm not a Brit. --Maru-Spanish (talk) 05:45, 2 May 2009 (UTC)

 * I agree; see Francis Bacon (painter) who was of British parentage, but born in Dublin, Ireland. There has been much rather futile and circular debate about whether he should be termed Irish or British. I think Duffy should be described as a British poet born in Glasgow, Scotland. She was raised and educated in Stafford, England, where she spent all her formative years. My ten cents on this thorny issue. Peter morrell 06:14, 2 May 2009 (UTC)

Well that figures, when I saw her live five years ago she spoke with an Scottish-English Accent. And I suppose Scotland not being a sovereign state means that there is no Scottish nationality. But nationalists (Who follow NPOV most of the time but when it comes down issues of nationality they seem to magically forget it) like to think over wise, letting there agenda interfere. 88.109.131.187 (talk) 11:41, 2 May 2009 (UTC)

 * Has anyone any information as to how she defines herself in this respect? If you're reading this, Carol Ann, please tell us! SamuelTheGhost (talk) 17:29, 2 May 2009 (UTC)

 * Well I have changed my mind...if she was born in Scotland to Scottish parents, then she is Scottish! period, no matter where she ended up later, so I have no objection whatever to her being called Scottish in this article. Just to clarify FWIW. Peter morrell 19:33, 2 May 2009 (UTC)

 * On the Andy Murray article there was a similar debate, and in the end we went for Scottish because that is what he defined himself as. So does anyone know what she calls herself? Because if she says Scottish, then I think it should be Scottish, not British. And it isn't POV as some people try and say. Alan 16  talk  08:54, 12 May 2009 (UTC)
 * That's very oddly worded. "if she says Scottish, then I think it should be Scottish". Yes. Also "if she says English, then I think it should be English" and "if she says British, then I think it should be British", so why didn't you say those too? SamuelTheGhost (talk) 17:34, 12 May 2009 (UTC)
 * There is no need to try and act clever Samuel. The British was certainly implied, so you are either being stupid or deliberately obtuse. I did't mention English, because it really isn't up for debate. The debate is between Scottish and British, not English. Alan 16  talk  18:33, 12 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your kind words. I do hope we can find evidence that she describes herself as English. SamuelTheGhost (talk) 18:39, 12 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Stop making these ridiculous edits. Adding a get-out clause on to every single mention of her nationality is not an improvement. Alan 16  talk  18:53, 12 May 2009 (UTC)

The situation as to her nationality is as follows: SamuelTheGhost (talk) 20:14, 12 May 2009 (UTC)
 * If she has expressed her own preference, explicitly or implicitly, whatever it may be, that should be our choice too.
 * In the absence, as far as I know, of such expression, we have to proceed from the facts, namely
 * She was born in Scotland to a Scottish father and a mother of Irish descent and lived in Scotland as a small child.
 * The entire rest of her life has been spent in England. Her schooling, from primary through to University, was in England. As an adult she has continued to live solely in England.
 * The word "British" was brought into common use after 1707 precisely to cover both English and Scottish nationality, and particularly cases where there was any ambiguity. Clearly "British" is appropriate for C. A. D.
 * Neverthless I used "Scottish-born", which is clearly also accurate, for her nationality in the article, as a gesture of goodwill to those who wish to emphasise the Scotish part of her background.
 * To call her unambigously a "Scot" is at best half-true, and a breach of WP:NPOV
 * To delete the category "people from Stafford" is little better than vandalism
 * Those who resort to insults, such as those above, betray the weakness of their position.
 * I have to say that in cases of nationality, Scotland hasn't been a country for quite some time and should be treated like a state rather than a country. How about reforming the statement to say .."was born in Glasglaw, Scotland, in the United Kingdom, and was a prominent British poet (blah blah blah). I mean it doesn't seem like that touchy of an issue since they have been in the UK for 300 years. Mrathel (talk) 20:23, 12 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I'd be happy with something on those lines. SamuelTheGhost (talk) 20:46, 12 May 2009 (UTC)
 * If you want to go down that line, look at people like Siegfried Sassoon. It calls him "English", not "British". England is no more of a country than Scotland is if we go by your logic, as England is a "state" as you say, then we would need to go around changing almost every Wiki article on a British literary figure. I think the fact that she is Scottish is important, as it is the first time a Scot has had the post. All notable news sources say that she is "the first Scot", and I think it is therefore something we should mention. And calling her Scottish is not NPOV. It is her nationality. And there is no half-truth in it. Born in Scotland to Scottish parents equals a Scot. And the "people form Stafford" bit was an accident, as I believed I was reverting your edits, and it must of therefore been somebody an edit by somebody before, which you could have easily found out. And you were the one clearly looking for some sort of response when you were being obtuse. Therefore I would not agree with Mrathel's possible edits. Alan 16  talk  23:29, 12 May 2009 (UTC)

It's a pity this argument has erupted. A similar situation existed at Francis Bacon (painter) about his Irishness, and it is all rather futile. As Alan says, "Born in Scotland to Scottish parents equals a Scot." I have to say I entirely agree with him. That is more NPOV than calling her Scottish born or British IMO. I am English on both sides of my family for at least 8 generations but regard myself as human, regarding nationalities as such pitiful human constructs. That's my ten penn'orth on this one. Someone should ask CAD what she thinks about this. thanks Peter morrell 05:08, 13 May 2009 (UTC)

 * She wrote a poem on the subject, called "Originally". Do you know it? I say CAD is British, like Tony Blair, who was also born in Scotland and raised in England. --John (talk) 05:21, 13 May 2009 (UTC) Oh, and Tony Blair's mother was Irish. Don't forget. Ausseagull (talk) 10:45, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

 * From my experience on other articles, it comes down to what they call themselves. I've not seen anything in interviews whilst I've been trawling the internet, so I think it could still go either. I've never read the poem John, but I imagine that unless she states it clearly (an innovative idea for a poet) it would be original research. Alan 16  talk  07:52, 13 May 2009 (UTC)

She's British, if she identifies herself as Scottish, she is British... It's not a matter of what I want to be... I could say "I identify myself as Micronesian"... but, I am not a Micronesian! --190.49.101.168 (talk) 16:43, 13 May 2009 (UTC)
 * No. That is wrong. Scotland is a country, read the first sentence of that article. If she defines herself as Scottish then she is Scottish. And don't be so obtuse, the debate here is between Britain and Scotland, so your stupid example is not necessary.
 * Also, as a comment for everyone, I am going to change the British to Scottish because major news sources call her "the first Scot" to be poet laureate. They are saying she is Scottish, so I think having it as British would be contrary to other parts of the article. Alan 16  talk  17:02, 13 May 2009 (UTC)
 * When talking with a friend, he brought up an interesting point. Calling her British is probably more POV than calling her Scottish, as all evidence points to her being Scottish. Just a thought. Alan 16  talk  17:11, 13 May 2009 (UTC)

Greetings, i have changed the nationality back to British.. -She is poet laureate of the UK. -She was raised mostly in England. -Scotland is not a sovereign state, there fore no legal nationality. -She has not identified as Scottish. Misortie (talk) 09:41, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

In addition, the media calling her Scottish is a total irrelevance to this article. When they are referring to her being Scottish, it was only because she was the first ETHNIC Scott to become poet laureate. Moreover, being poet laureate of the UK is the strongest reason for her being described as British in nationality. If she does not consider herself British, then she would have most likely turned down the role and snubbed the royal family.Misortie (talk) 09:51, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

Ok i have gone half/half, a bit like Chris Hoy. Theres a good reason to call her Scottish as well as British, i think you will find. Misortie (talk) 10:08, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

Well, there is no such nationality category as Scottish on wikipedia - it is not classed as a nationality. Also, under Duffy surnames CAD appears listed under British...go figure that one. Just a few thoughts. Peter morrell 05:52, 15 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Actually, if you read the nationality article you would see that it mentions the following: association, affiliation, loyalty, self-determination, semi-autonomous status, cultural ties. So stop it with the crap that someone cannot be Scottish simply because Scotland is part of the United Kingdom. It is not true. One might say: go figure... Alan 16  talk  15:34, 15 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I can not believe this argument has gone this far. In the US, one can be from say Florida, but their nationality is not Floridian, even though Florida is a provence in the US just as Scotland is a provence in the UK. If she identifies as a Scot, that does not mean she does not identify as a Brit, and having the term "British" in her description in no way suggests that she is not also a Scot; it is just a term for nationality rather than statehood. I have to stick with my suggestion that the article describe her as being a Brittish poet from Scotland. Mrathel (talk) 15:53, 15 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Will people stop it with these inaccurate analogies. If you want a better example: think more Native American than Floridian. Their nationality is Sioux or (enter name of another Native American tribe here). Scotland is an autonomous region of the United Kingdom, and as such people from their can legally define themselves as Scottish. Scotland is not a Provence. It is a country. What we need is some evidence for what she calls herself. As the nationality article states, nationality can and commonly is self-determination. Alan 16  talk  16:38, 15 May 2009 (UTC)
 * In terms of the strength of feeling that it evokes, a closer analogy might be with the Confederate States of America. It is well established, in wikipedia as elsewhere, that people who are Scottish can be described as such. Alan is right to say "What we need is some evidence for what she calls herself", but unfortunately we have no such evidence, so have to proceed without it. If CAD had spent her entire formative years in Scotland, or lived there now and asserted a Scottish identity, or wrote in a distinctively Scottish language, I would have no problem with calling her a Scot. But none of those condition apply. As it is, "Anglo-Scottish", or "Scottish born" or "British" give us an adequate range of valid descriptions. SamuelTheGhost (talk) 17:31, 15 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I agree with Samuel on this one. --John (talk) 00:04, 16 May 2009 (UTC)
 * It seems that there is pretty close to an agreement that if and when we have a statement from the poet, we'll use that. Until then....  I don't see any indication that she has given up her "Scottishness," which leans me toward "Scottish."  But her life in England and her title argue for call ing her "British."  "Anglo-Scottish" is unclear, and "Scottish born" seems to me to indicate that we know she didn't remain Scottish - so I'm against it.Kdammers (talk) 04:50, 17 May 2009 (UTC)
 * +Encarta, not a particularly good source, calls her a British poet. +http://britologywatch.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/carol-ann-duffy-first-female-correction-first-scottish-poet-laureate/, which is only a sort of blog,  calls her Scottish, while apparently complaining that a Scot could get the position, if I understand it.

+http://www.scotland.org/ calls her the first Scottish p.l. +www.theherald.co.uk/ calls her Scottish +http://www.spl.org.uk/about/index.html: "In 2009, she accepted the post of Poet Laureate, making her the first female, Scottish Poet Laureate in the role's 400 year history. " + The official pl site does not mention Scotland or Scottish at all, only noting Glasgow. But there is an implicit reference to Scotland: it says her family moved to England. In the general pl information section, it says, "The honorary Royal post of Poet Laureate is awarded to a poet whose work is of national significance." It also includes a postal contact address for the poet. Perhaps a wik editor in the UK could write and ask. Kdammers (talk) 05:11, 17 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Let's try a thought-experiment. Suppose a poet was born in England, to English and Welsh parents. When the poet is a small child the family moves to Scotland. The poet goes to school solely in Scotland, then to University in Scotland, and continues to reside and work in Scotland. The poet is honoured. Would it be considered reasonable for this hypothetical poet to be labelled just "English"? SamuelTheGhost (talk) 11:30, 17 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Going back to a point somebody made earlier on. The poem Originally I think clearly shows that she is Scottish. To summarise it, it is about her moving from Scotland to England. She talks about losing her culture and identity. My only problem with this is that it may be OR as she never explicitly says I am Scottish. Alan 16  talk  16:48, 18 May 2009 (UTC)
 * There's nothing wrong with a bit of OR on a talk page if it's done intelligently. The poem Originally is about her coming to terms with her double nationality, which she clearly has done. Everyone accepts that Scottishness is part of her identity. Why are you so bent on denying that Englishness is also a part? SamuelTheGhost (talk) 19:56, 19 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I am denying that she is English because I do not believe she is. And I disagree with your opinions on the poem. I took it to as her fear of losing her national identity, not coming to terms with a double nationality. That is the problem with poetry on Wikipedia, any interpretation is going to be OR and can't be used for the article. Alan 16  talk  20:19, 19 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Why don't you respond to my "thought-experiment", above? I'd like to know your answer. SamuelTheGhost (talk) 20:41, 19 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I think it is a bit extravagant to call it a "thought-experiment" as my answer would be the same as for Duffy. Does he/she consider her/himself to be English or Scottish. I would go for English until evidence to the contrary, because that is where he/she was born. Alan 16  talk  21:23, 19 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Duffy is clearly Scottish (being born in Scotland) and the article text is fine, but I would have thought it would be clearer if the nationality in the infobox just said United Kingdom. MilborneOne (talk) 22:06, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Am not sure that removing the Scottish word in the first sentence is such a good idea. Can we discuss this again? Scottish is surely as good as anything? She was born in Scotland, which makes her Scottish IMO. However, some may prefer it to say "Scottish-born British poet," for example. No big rush and no need to edit war, but can we reach consensus on this matter please? thanks Peter morrell 07:29, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

 * Rather than seeing it in terms of "removing", let's just look at what's there now, namely "Carol Ann Duffy, CBE, FRSL (born 23 December 1955, Glasgow) is a poet, playwright, and freelance writer, who currently holds the position of Britain's poet laureate" Is this accurate? Yes. Does it read smoothly? Yes (though I'd be inclined to de-link "poet"). Is any information about her nationality missing? No, since we can assume that most of our readers are aware that Glasgow is in Scotland. This version is preferable on stylistic grounds, quite apart from the arguments about nationality above. SamuelTheGhost (talk) 11:02, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Your answer misses the point. Scottish is not simply a quasi-nationality it is also an identity and being born in Scotland certainly makes her Scottish. Your answer also ignores the legitimate concerns and sensitivities of the Scottish people and subsumes and subordinates her natural identity as British, which basically means English, which has been the numerically dominant ethnic group in these isalnds for centuries. As protesters against English Imperialism, the Welsh, Scots and Irish have a genuine case for recognition of their own separate and distinctive identities. I therefore think we should have further input on this, not just from you, to achieve a genuine consensus. As it stands, the wording seems inadequate and offensive to non-English British people and it is therefore likely to get repeatedly reverted and edit warred over, perhaps endlessly. Peter morrell 12:18, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

 * OK here goes. In the wiki article Scottish people it says this: "In modern use "Scottish people" or "Scots" refers to anyone born in Scotland. In another sense, it applies to people who are descended from the Scots and who identify ethnically as Scots." I would venture therefore to say that Carol Ann Duffy is Scottish on both of the three counts mentioned here. I propose therefore to change the article to say in the first sentence "Scottish poet". Are there any massive objections to this? thanks Peter morrell 16:18, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

 * There is a massive objection from me on several counts. First, the reference to another wikipedia article is irrelevant, since it is neither a statement of wikipedia policy nor allowed as WP:RS. Second CAD is not known on any evidence to "identify ethnically as Scots". Third, and most obviously, in the context we are discussing there is no need for any describing adjective at all, and it seems pointlessly provocative to propose to insert one. SamuelTheGhost (talk) 16:49, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

 * What I think is the most ludicrous thing in all this is that Samuel, you seem to think that the burden of proof lies with those of us who call her Scottish. All available evidence points to her being Scottish: born in Scotland to Scottish parents. It should be up to you to prove her non-Scottishness, not us to prove that she is Scottish. Something else which is extremely annoying is some people's inability to accept that you can be Scottish. Alan 16  talk  20:50, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

 * I've been asked to comment on this discussion as an uninvolved editor. Reading over the sources, I think it is abundantly clear that she has been described as a Scot in multiple newspaper articles. Wikipedia articles must follow what the sources say, so this article should also describe her as a Scot. Tim Vickers (talk) 17:03, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

 * May we enquire who asked you, and by what means? SamuelTheGhost (talk) 18:27, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

 * You could certainly ask, but as that isn't relevant to my opinion on the text of the article and its sourcing, such a discussion would be a diversion from the issue at hand. As a proposal, list the sources we are discussing, then we summarise the contents of these sources in the article. Tim Vickers (talk) 20:50, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

 * Your very first words on this page, above, were "I've been asked to comment" yet when pressed you pompously refuse to explain. Your user page shows you to be a Scottish biochemist and your contribution record has been exclusively on scientific matters, with no previous sign of interest in the arts. All very odd. SamuelTheGhost (talk) 21:27, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

 * We now have a list of many sources that describe her as a "Scottish poet", a few that describe her as a "British poet", some that don't mention her "nationality", but none that describe her as a English poet. How do you think we should summarise these sources in the article? Tim Vickers (talk) 21:39, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

 * By describing her as a poet. Born in Glasgow, brought up in England. SamuelTheGhost (talk) 21:49, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

 * That would ignore a point mentioned in many reliable sources listed below, if sources as authoritative as the BBC and The Times considered this worth mentioning, I don't think we should omit this. We can attribute this statement directly to one particular source if you think that would help, what about: "Writing in The Independent Peter Forbes described the appointment of a Scot to the post of poet laureate as part of a renaissance in Scottish poetry." Tim Vickers (talk) 21:55, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

I can't find that particular quote, but if that's what he said, I'd be perfectly happy to include it. SamuelTheGhost (talk) 22:12, 29 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Samuel, why are you so opposed to her being described as Scottish? Almost all the reliable sources call her Scottish, not British. There really is no debate here. It is 8 reliable sources calling her Scottish, and 2 calling her British. The evidence speaks for itself. Alan 16  talk  22:28, 29 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Can we put an end to this? The sources describing her as Scottish is just getting longer and longer. Alan 16  talk  12:04, 30 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Hopefully this version diff will solve the problem by attributing this opinion to a notable and reliable source. If necessary we can also attribute the second part of the statement as well (ie "..with writers such as Joe Bloggs describing Duffy as the first Scottish poet laureate"), but that would read rather clumsily. Tim Vickers (talk) 16:01, 30 May 2009 (UTC)
 * OK, I think that's fair. Thanks. SamuelTheGhost (talk) 16:12, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

I'm sorry but I don't think that solves any of the current issues. We could say she is "a Scottish [refs] and British poet [refs]" and then choose 2 or 3 good cites from the lists here. Please also bear in mind there are now more than 9 times as many reputable sources saying she is Scottish as compared to those saying she is British, so we could even drop the British altogether in my opinion. just a suggestion, thanks Peter morrell 16:11, 30 May 2009 (UTC)
 * With all due respect Tim, I don't think your edits have made the slightest bit of difference. It still reads as if her Scottishness is a second thought. Alan 16  talk  16:54, 30 May 2009 (UTC)
 * OK, I've changed the order, does that improve how it reads for you? Tim Vickers (talk) 17:04, 30 May 2009 (UTC)
 * It does, yes. Thanks. Alan 16  <sup style="color:DarkGreen;">talk  21:43, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

This is all a bit strange. I mean Andrew Motion is described as an English poet and I couldn't find any debate as to whther he was English or British.Ausseagull (talk) 10:45, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Sources describing Duffy as Scottish

 * Daily Mail
 * The Herald
 * LA Times
 * CSMonitor.com
 * The Independent
 * Sean Obrien, The secret weapon of his generation, The Times, February, 2006
 * The Times, December 2003
 * BBC News
 * Daily Telegraph
 * BBC News Wales
 * Carol Ann Duffy appointed first Scottish Poet laureate, Scotland News, 1 May 2009
 * Mark Savage, Profile: Carol Ann Duffy, BBC News, 1 May 2009
 * Glen Levy, Carol Ann Duffy, Time, 1 May 2009
 * Vanessa Thorpe, Duffy likely to be first woman to follow Tennyson and Betjeman as laureate, The Guardian, 18 May 2008
 * Carol Ann Duffy: two poems, Poetry Dispatch, 14 May 2009
 * Scottish Poetry Library
 * Nigel Horne, Carol Ann Duffy set to be first female Poet Laureate, The First Post, 29 April 2009
 * Jessica Green, Carol Ann Duffy is the first lesbian Poet Laureate, Pink News, 1 May 2009
 * Laura Marcus & Peter Nicholls, The Cambridge History of Twentieth Century English Literature, Cambridge University Press, 2005, p.675
 * Angelica Michelis & Antony Rowland, The Poetry of Carol Ann Duffy, Manchester University Press, 2003, p.83
 * Janet Stobart, Britain names first woman as poet laureate, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2009
 * Tom Hubbard & Ronald D S Jack, Scotland in Europe, Editions Rodopi, 2006, p.147
 * Maurice Lindsay & Lesley Duncan, The Edinburgh Book of Twentieth Century Scottish Poetry, Edinburgh University Press, 2005, p.94
 * Antonia Fraser, Scottish Love Poems, a Personal Anthology, Canongate, 2002, p.32
 * Gordon Liddell & Anne Gifford, New Scottish Poetry, Heinemann, 2001, p.30
 * Aileen Christianson & Alison Lumsden, Contemporary Scottish Women Writers, Edinburgh University Press, 2008
 * Tabarés Pérez, Patricia/Pérez Ruiz, Leonor, Carol Ann Duffy’s Poetry as a Return to the Kristevian Chora, ANGLOGERMANICA ONLINE 2008
 * Roderick Watson, Living with the Double Tongue: Contemporary Poets in Scots, Book review, University of Stirling, p.2

Sources writing at length about her without making any statement on nationality

 * Manchester Metropolitan University, Profile: Professor Carol Ann Duffy
 * Aida Edemariam, Carol Ann Duffy: I don't have Ambassadorial Talents, The Guardian, 26 May 2009
 * Xan Brooks. "Profile: Carol Ann Duffy", The Guardian, 20 January 2006.
 * Hephzibah Anderson. "Interview: Carol Ann Duffy", The Observer, 4 December 2005.
 * Aida Edemariam, Carol Ann Duffy: I don't have Ambassadorial Talents, The Guardian, 26 May 2009
 * Xan Brooks. "Profile: Carol Ann Duffy", The Guardian, 20 January 2006.
 * Hephzibah Anderson. "Interview: Carol Ann Duffy", The Observer, 4 December 2005.

Sources describing Duffy as British

 * Daily Telegraph
 * The Independent
 * Charlotte Mendelson, The gospel truth: book review of Duffy's Feminine Gospels, The Observer, 13 October 2002

Citation problems in Career section
THe career section contains many lines that need to be cited as well as certain adjectives that show either original research or opinion. I have attempted to mark these to help identify lines that need to be referenced or reworded to keep from showing opinion. I don't know enough about the subject to offer any real help, but would be willing to look up sources for some of the more common phrases if needed. Mrathel (talk) 12:44, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

Her awards
According to her university webpage these below are her listed awards and dates -- they do not all tally exactly with those listed on the wiki article.

 * • C. Day Lewis Fellowship, 1982
 * • Eric Gregory Award, 1984
 * • National Poetry Competition (for ‘Whoever She Was’), 1986
 * • Somerset Maugham Award (for Selling Manhattan), 1988
 * • Dylan Thomas Award, 1989
 * • Scottish Arts Council Book Award (for The Other Country), 1990
 * • Cholmondeley Award, 1993
 * • Scottish Arts Council Book Award (for Mean Time), 1993
 * • Forward Poetry Prize: Best Poetry Collection of the Year (for Mean Time), 1993
 * • Whitbread Poetry Award (for Mean Time), 1993
 * • Lannan Literary Award (Poetry), 1995
 * • OBE, 1995
 * • Signal Poetry Award (for Stopping for Death), 1997
 * • CBE, 2001
 * • T. S. Eliot Prize (for Rapture), 2005

Perhaps a change is in order using the above citation? Peter morrell 07:10, 17 May 2009 (UTC)
 * The issue is sourcing, it would be more helpful to have non-partisan sources that confirm these awards. -- <u style="font-size:14px; font-family: cursive;color:#8000FF">Banj e  <u style="font-size:14px;font-family: Zapfino, sans-serif;color:deeppink">b oi   08:43, 25 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Nearly all these awards are confirmed in the York Notes reference, but with some variations in the dates. I think in some cases a book of poems was published in one year, then an award for it given in a subsequent year. If so we need to sort out which year to use (if not both). SamuelTheGhost (talk) 11:24, 25 May 2009 (UTC)
 * A Bibliography section should list the year published, an Awards section should list the year the award was given. A couple references that cover all the awards could lead the section ala - Duffy has recieved numerous awards and honors; and add the refs to this intro sentence to the list. -- <u style="font-size:14px; font-family: cursive;color:#8000FF">Banj e  <u style="font-size:14px;font-family: Zapfino, sans-serif;color:deeppink">b oi   11:31, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

L or B?
The lead states she is bisexual, but she is in the lesbian writers category. She is on the List of bisexual people, but is listed as L on the List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people. Alfred Kinsey (talk) 15:08, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

First openly LGBT Poet Laureate
Were any of the others closeted? Alfred Kinsey (talk) 15:08, 3 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Tennyson may have been. His father disapproved of his relationship with Hallam. Valetude (talk) 12:15, 7 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Correction, it was Hallam's father who disapproved. Valetude (talk) 18:58, 9 April 2019 (UTC)

Recent revert
I removed this, but Peter put it back:

"Duffy was featured in a South Bank Show television special with Melvyn Bragg late on the evening of 6th December 2009 and on Monday 7th December 2009 she made the presentation to Glasgow-born artist, Richard Wright (artist), the winner of the 2009 Turner Prize, in a ceremony in London."

I don't think we should start listing when she appears on television, makes a presentation, or cuts a ribbon. SlimVirgin 18:03, 18 December 2009 (UTC)

 * Well, a full feature on South Bank Show and presenting the Turner Prize are hardly snipping a few ribbons are they!? Many would see them as high points in the blossoming career of an important public figure. Or is that too old fashioned a view? anyway in general your other edits were fine by me, thanks Peter morrell 10:00, 19 December 2009 (UTC)

 * You're right, those are fair points. And I have no problem with old-fashioned. :) SlimVirgin  TALK  contribs 20:10, 19 December 2009 (UTC)

Chronology
It would be useful to clarify which 15 years were devoted to her ong-term Lesbian relationship and also when her relationship with Peter Benson (author) became established.--Johnsoniensis (talk) 10:25, 17 July 2016 (UTC)

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Intro
A minor point, but the sentence Her poems address issues such as oppression, gender, and violence in accessible language is crying out for an additional comma after the word "violence". 95.123.54.33 (talk) 19:11, 10 September 2022 (UTC)

 * It should be fixed now. DannyRogers800 (talk) 10:52, 16 February 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Carol Ann Duffy


text:
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often shortened to Captain Scarlet, is a British science fiction television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company Century 21 Productions for distributor ITC Entertainment. It is one of several Anderson series that were filmed using a form of electronic marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation" combined with scale model special effects sequences. Running to thirty-two 25-minute episodes, it was first broadcast on ITV regional franchises between 1967 and 1968 and has since been transmitted in more than 40 other countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Set in 2068, Captain Scarlet follows the "war of nerves" between Earth and the Mysterons, a race of Martians who possess partial control over matter. When a misunderstanding causes human astronauts to attack their city on Mars, the Mysterons vow revenge and launch reprisals against Earth. These are countered by Spectrum, a worldwide security organisation. In the first episode, Spectrum agent Captain Scarlet acquires the Mysterons' self-healing power of "retrometabolism" and is thus rendered "indestructible", being able to recover from otherwise fatal injuries. In this way, Scarlet becomes Spectrum's top asset in its fight against the Mysterons.

Captain Scarlet, the eighth of the Andersons' ten puppet series, was preceded by Thunderbirds and followed by Joe 90 and The Secret Service. In terms of visual aesthetic, it represents a departure from Thunderbirds in its use of non-caricatured puppets sculpted to realistic body proportions. Repeated several times in the UK, it has generated tie-ins from toy cars and action figures to audio plays and original novels, as well as strips in the weekly children's comic TV Century 21.

Compared to Thunderbirds, Stingray, and earlier Anderson productions, Captain Scarlet is generally considered "darker" in tone and less suited to child audiences due to its violent content and themes of alien aggression and interplanetary war. The change in puppet design has divided opinion, while the wisdom of making the protagonist "indestructible" has also been questioned. However, the series has been praised for its use of a multinational, multi-ethnic puppet cast and depiction of a utopian future Earth. A computer-animated reboot, New Captain Scarlet, was first broadcast in 2005.

Plot
The series begins in 2068. In the first episode, the crew of the Zero-X spacecraft are investigating the surface of Mars after mysterious radio signals are found to be coming from the planet. The source is discovered to be an alien city, which the astronauts destroy in a missile attack after mistaking a harmless surveillance device for a weapon. The city's inhabitants, the Mysterons, are a collective of sentient computers that possess partial control over matter and communicate in a deep, echoing voice. After using their power of "reversing matter" to rebuild their city, they swear revenge for humanity's unwarranted aggression and declare war on Earth.

Also called "retrometabolism", reversing matter enables the Mysterons to re-create people and objects as facsimiles that they can control. This ability is used to wage a "war of nerves" against Earth in which the Mysterons issue threats against specific targets (from world leaders and military installations to entire cities and continents) and then destroy and reconstruct whatever instruments are needed (whether human beings or objects) to carry out their plans. The presence of the Mysterons is indicated by twin rings of green light that are projected onto scenes of destruction and reconstruction. Although the aliens are able to influence events from Mars, their actions on Earth are usually performed by their replicated intermediaries.

Zero-X mission leader Captain Black becomes the Mysterons' primary agent when they seize control of his mind. Prior to the events of the series, Black was an officer in Spectrum, a worldwide security organisation that mobilises its personnel, vehicles and other resources to counter the threat posed by the Mysterons. Spectrum's most senior agents hold military ranks and colour codenames and are posted to the organisation's headquarters, Cloudbase – an airborne aircraft carrier stationed 40,000 ft above the Earth's surface – where they answer to its commander-in-chief, Colonel White. Cloudbase is defended by Angel Interceptor fighters flown by an all-female team of pilots headed by Destiny Angel, while the base's computer systems are operated by White's assistant, Lieutenant Green. Spectrum also incorporates a fleet of armoured Spectrum Pursuit Vehicles (SPV), which are hidden in secret locations around the world, as well as patrol cars, maximum-security transports, passenger jet aircraft and machine gun-equipped helicopters.

Captain Scarlet becomes Spectrum's main asset in its fight against the Mysterons after the events of the first episode, in which the Mysterons attempt to assassinate the World President as their first act of retaliation. The original Scarlet is killed in a car accident engineered by the Mysterons and replaced with a reconstruction. However, after being shot by Spectrum's Captain Blue and falling to his death from the top of a tower, the reconstruction returns to life with the consciousness of the original Scarlet restored and is thereafter free of Mysteron control. With his new Mysteron body, Scarlet possesses two extraordinary abilities: he can sense other reconstructions nearby, and if injured or killed, his retrometabolism will restore him to full health, making him virtually "indestructible". As hostilities with Mars continue, Scarlet repeatedly sacrifices himself to thwart the Mysterons, safe in the knowledge that he will always return to face them again.

Over the course of the series, it is found that Mysteron reconstructions are especially vulnerable to electricity and can be identified through X-rays, which cannot penetrate their alien biology. These discoveries allow Spectrum to develop two anti-Mysteron devices: the "Mysteron Gun" and "Mysteron Detector". A three-episode story arc focuses on the discovery of a Mysteron outpost on the Moon, its destruction by Spectrum, and Spectrum's efforts to negotiate with the Mysterons after converting the base's salvaged power source into an interplanetary communication device. A failed attempt to survey Mars from space, aborted military conferences and the sabotaged construction of a new Earth space fleet hinder Spectrum's progress in taking the fight to the Mysterons, and the organisation twice fails to capture Captain Black. In the penultimate episode, the Mysterons destroy Cloudbase itself, but this is later revealed to be a nightmare dreamt by one of the Angels. The final episode is a clip show that leaves the conflict between Earth and Mars unresolved.

Production
When efforts to secure an American network broadcaster for Thunderbirds fell through in July 1966, Lew Grade, owner and financial backer of the Andersons' production company AP Films (APF), capped Thunderbirds Series Two at six episodes and cancelled the production. Having overseen APF's work since the making of Supercar in 1960, Grade was keen for Supermarionation to penetrate the lucrative American market and believed that a new series stood a better chance of landing a sale than a second series of Thunderbirds.

As a result of the cancellation, Gerry Anderson was forced to come up with an idea for a new Supermarionation series. He had once been inspired by the thought of creating a live-action police drama in which the hero would have unexpectedly been murdered halfway through the series and replaced by a new lead character. Now giving fresh consideration to this idea, Anderson realised that a major selling point for his new production could be a character who is killed at the end of each episode and resurrected by the start of the next. This, coupled with contemporary theories about the possibility of life on Mars, led to the idea of an interplanetary war between Earth and its neighbour and a worldwide security organisation being called upon to defend humanity. After further thought, Anderson decided that "Scarlet" would be a suitably unusual name for this organisation's "indestructible" agent, while his partner in the field could be called "Blue". From this, Anderson reasoned that all personnel should have colour codenames and that the organisation should be called "Spectrum". Noting that white light is composed of, and can be broken down into, the colours of the spectrum, he named Spectrum's leader "White".

Intrigued by the oft-heard phrase "life as we know it", Anderson wanted to set his alien villains apart from the conventional extraterrestrials of 1960s TV and film. Working from a basis of "life as we don't know it", he made the Mysterons a collective of sentient computers rather than a race of organic lifeforms (though their exact nature is not explicitly stated in the series itself). The intention was that the original Mysterons were extragalactic beings that established a base on Mars in the distant past before abandoning the planet at the start of the 20th century, leaving their computers behind them.

Anderson's recollections of the Second World War provided inspiration for a number of design aspects. For example, he remembered that during the Battle of Britain, RAF pilots had found it difficult to counter German attacks because having to take off from the ground meant that it took a long time to intercept the enemy. He therefore made Spectrum's headquarters, Cloudbase, an airborne aircraft carrier. According to Anderson, the Mysteron rings were inspired by a TV advertisement for wool that featured the Woolmark logo being projected onto a woman.

Writing and filming

Adopting "The Mysterons" as their working title, Anderson and his wife Sylvia wrote a pilot script in August 1966. This differed significantly from the completed first episode. Originally, it was conceived that the Mysteron reconstruction of Captain Scarlet would be resurrected using an advanced computer, after which he would no longer be a true flesh-and-blood being but a "mechanical man" akin to an android. Another plan, also dropped, was for each episode to feature a "guest star" puppet voiced by a famous actor: the World President, for example, was originally intended to be voiced by Patrick McGoohan.

With Gerry Anderson serving primarily as executive producer, most of the writing was done by Tony Barwick, who had previously written for Thunderbirds. Originally Captain Scarlet's script editor, Barwick went on to pen 18 of its 32 episodes himself, besides making substantial revisions to other writers' work. Discussing his approach to scriptwriting in a 1986 interview, Barwick compared the premise and characters of Captain Scarlet to those of Thunderbirds – for example, likening Spectrum to the heroic International Rescue and the character of Captain Black to recurring villain the Hood.

Filming on the first episode, "The Mysterons", began on 2 January 1967 after two months of pre-production. The budget for the series was set at £1.5 million (approximately £ million in ). At an average cost of £46,000 per episode, or £2,000 per minute, it was the most expensive Anderson production to date. A month before, Anderson and his colleagues had dropped the name "AP Films" and renamed their company "Century 21 Productions".

By the time Captain Scarlet entered production, many of the directors on earlier Anderson series – including Alan Pattillo, David Elliott and David Lane – had either left the company or were committed to the production of Thunderbird 6, the second Thunderbirds feature film. Although Lane, Brian Burgess and Desmond Saunders were able to reprise directorial duties for at least one episode each, the Andersons were forced to promote some of the junior production personnel to replace the outgoing directors. To this end, Alan Perry and Ken Turner were promoted from the camera operator and art departments. Other directors were recruited from outside the company; among them was Robert Lynn, who had been assistant director on films including Black Narcissus, Dracula and The Revenge of Frankenstein. Although Saunders directed only the first episode, he stayed with the production as "supervising director" to guide the new recruits.

Captain Scarlet was filmed in a set of converted factory units on the Slough Trading Estate, which had served as Century 21's studios since the production of Stingray in 1964. Continuing a practice that had started with earlier Anderson series, episodes were filmed in pairs on separate stages to speed up production. Filming overlapped with that of Thunderbird 6, which was being shot on a different stage. Production design duties were split between Keith Wilson and John Lageu, the latter being responsible for the technical elements of the sets. The Mysteron rings were created by panning a transparency of two green circles across the sets using a slide projector, a method suggested by producer Reg Hill.

The scale model-making and special effects were handled by a separate unit headed by effects director Derek Meddings. It comprised two full-time effects crews and a "second unit" responsible for shots presenting flying aircraft. One of the series' technical innovations was that the noses of miniature vehicles would now "dip" as they came to a stop, to imitate the sudden application of brakes on a real-life vehicle. The vehicles were designed by Meddings or his assistant Mike Trim: the former created Cloudbase, the SPV and the Angel fighter (the last of these during a flight to New York), while the latter produced many of the less prominent vehicles. The Cloudbase filming model, which was 6 ft long, proved too heavy to be held up with wires so was instead mounted on a pole. Some of Trim's creations, including the Spectrum Patrol Car, were originally meant to appear in only one episode, but proved so popular with the producers that they became regular features. As production continued, Trim's responsibilities grew, as Meddings was having to devote more and more of his time to the concurrent Thunderbird 6 shoot.

When the series began airing in September 1967, principal photography had been completed on the first 20 episodes. The puppet footage for each episode usually took two weeks or 11 working days to shoot. Although filming was originally expected to be completed in eight months, the demands of the Thunderbird 6 shoot meant that it went on until November.

Puppet design

Supermarionation, a technique by which the movements of the puppets' mouths were electronically synchronised with recorded dialogue, was first employed during the production of Four Feather Falls in 1960. In all Anderson series prior to Captain Scarlet, the puppets' heads had been disproportionately large compared to the rest of their bodies as the cranium contained the solenoid that powered the automatic mouth movements. Scaling up the bodies to match the heads was not possible, as the puppets would have become too heavy to operate and there was not enough studio space to enlarge all of the sets. This gave the puppets a caricatured look that frustrated Gerry Anderson, who wanted their design to reflect natural anatomical proportions. Before Captain Scarlet entered production, Reg Hill and associate producer John Read created a new type of puppet with the solenoid built into the chest, thus enabling the heads to be reduced to a realistic size.

After being sculpted in Plasticine, the puppet heads were moulded on a silicone rubber base and finished in fibreglass. At heights ranging from 20 to 24 in –approximately one-third life size –the next-generation puppets were no taller or shorter than their predecessors. As in earlier series, the main characters were given interchangeable heads with a range of expressions; these included "smiler", "frowner" and "blinker" heads. Because episodes were to be filmed in pairs on separate stages, the "expressionless" heads were made in duplicate. Costumes were designed by Sylvia Anderson, who drew inspiration from the work of French fashion designer Pierre Cardin (in particular, his 1966 "Cosmonaut" collection) in devising the Spectrum uniforms.

Despite their realistic form, the new puppets were harder to animate on set, making the design ironically less lifelike than Gerry Anderson had intended. Compared to the Thunderbirds cast, the Captain Scarlet puppets had inferior weight distribution: when standing, characters often had to be held in place with clamps and tape to prevent wobbling. The smaller heads made close-up shots difficult to obtain and because most of the wires were headmounted, significantly reduced the puppeteers' level of control, with the result that head movements and other actions became jerkier. To reduce the amount of movement required, characters were frequently shown standing on moving walkways or sitting at moving desks: for example, Lieutenant Green operates the Cloudbase computer from a sliding chair and Colonel White's desk rotates. Puppeteer Jan King commented:

"The Captain Scarlet puppets were not built to walk. They were too heavy and not weighted properly anyway ... It is virtually impossible to get a string puppet to walk convincingly on film unless it is a very caricatured puppet. In Captain Scarlet, if a puppet had to move off-screen, it was done in a head-and-shoulders shot – the floor puppeteer would hold the legs of the puppet and then move the puppet physically out of shot at the right time, trying to make the body and shoulders move as if the puppet were walking."

The "under-controlled" puppets described by King had no wires and were manipulated from the waist. One advantage of this method was that a puppet could pass through a doorway without necessitating a break in the shot. For shots of characters sitting in aircraft cockpits, variations of the "under-controlled" design were made comprising only a head and torso; these were operated using levers and wires located beneath the set.

Scarlet's appearance has been compared to that of his voice actor, Francis Matthews, as well as Roger Moore. Ed Bishop, the voice of Captain Blue, believed that his character was modelled on him; Terry Curtis, who sculpted the Blue puppet said that he used himself as the template and simply added a blond wig after he learnt that Bishop would be supplying the voice. Curtis, a James Bond fan, based Captain Grey on Sean Connery and Destiny Angel on Ursula Andress, Connery's co-star in Dr No (1962). Lieutenant Green was modelled on Cy Grant, who voiced the character, while Rhapsody Angel was based on Jean Shrimpton, Melody Angel on Eartha Kitt and Harmony Angel on Tsai Chin.

Prior to Captain Scarlet, guest characters had been sculpted in clay on an episode-by-episode basis. For Captain Scarlet; these roles were played by a "repertory company" of over 50 puppets made to the same standards of workmanship as the regular characters. Called "revamp puppets", or just "revamps", these puppets were superficially altered for each new role by changing the colours or styles of their wigs, or adding or removing facial hair. Puppets from Captain Scarlet appeared in supporting roles in the final two Supermarionation series, Joe 90 and The Secret Service.

Response to the puppets
The redesigned puppets have drawn a mixed response from crew members and commentators. Some members of the crew believed that the new marionettes lacked the charm of the previous generation due to the natural body proportions that were now being used. Director David Lane recalls that when he first saw the prototype, "it was as if there was a little dead person in [the box] ... because it was perfect in all its proportions it just looked odd." Sculptor John Brown remembers putting the prototype next to the Lady Penelope puppet from Thunderbirds and gauging his colleagues' response: "When they saw it, some people were horrified by the difference. Some didn't like it, some did." It has been argued that facial expression was sacrificed to make the appearance more realistic. Sculptor Terry Curtis recalls:

"The changes of expression on those puppets had to be perfect and in no way exaggerated like the old ones were. I remember when [fellow puppet designer] Tim Cooksey did Colonel White, he had a lot of trouble doing different expressions as the face was just so realistic. I had a similar problem with Captain Blue. I remember I did a Blue 'smiler' head and people could hardly tell the difference between that and the normal one."

Fellow sculptor John Blundall called the new design "ridiculous", criticising the attempts to make the puppets appear more lifelike on the basis that "we always try to do with puppets what you can't do with humans." He suggested that the transition from caricature to realism was at the expense of the marionettes' "character and personality", arguing that "if the puppet appears completely natural, the audience no longer has to use its imagination." Effects director Derek Meddings thought that although the new puppets were "very convincing miniature people", they were flawed in that audiences "couldn't identify one from the other. The heads were so small they didn't have any character to their faces." Supervising puppeteer Christine Glanville considered the puppets "awful" from a practical perspective, recalling that their smaller, lighter heads rarely moved fluidly: "If you wanted them to turn their heads then more often than not there would be someone out of shot, with their fingers just above the puppet's head, actually turning it round."

Gerry Anderson said that he pushed for the new design to satisfy the audience, regarding it not as "a case of moving to a new technique, but more a case of incorporating new ideas with existing methods." In later years he expressed doubts about the wisdom of the redesign: "[T]he problem was that exact and precise movements became more vital than ever and that caused us terrible difficulties."

The new design has been praised by Vincent Terrace, Jeff Evans and John Peel. Applauding the transfer of the electronics from the heads to the bodies, Evans describes the puppets as "perfect in proportion", while Peel argues that the increased realism would not have put off audiences familiar with the earlier design. A contrary view is held by Daniel O'Brien, who writes that the loss of the puppets' "idiosyncratic character" reduced them to the level of "de luxe Action Men". On the costume design, Mark Bould writes positively of the series' "commitment to fashion" and singles out the design of the Angel uniforms for particular praise.

Characters and voice cast
Captain Scarlet had the largest regular puppet cast of any Supermarionation production. Its use of a British protagonist was a departure from earlier series like Thunderbirds, whose lead characters had been written as Americans to increase their appeal to the profitable US market. Stephen La Rivière suggests that Century 21 had been encouraged to give greater prominence to British characters due to the transatlantic success of British programmes like The Avengers, The Baron and The Saint, which had made it "altogether more acceptable to have English lead characters". Chris Drake and Graeme Bassett argue that the general style of the voice acting in Captain Scarlet was less exaggerated than before, relating this increased realism to the puppets' transition from caricatured to natural proportions. According to Simon Archer and Marcus Hearn, the proliferation of British accents between Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet changed the sound of Supermarionation and its impression on the viewer.

Francis Matthews, who supplied the voice of Captain Scarlet, had turned down offers to voice characters in Thunderbirds. According to Matthews, Gerry Anderson went to great lengths to cast him after being impressed by his imitation of Cary Grant in a radio programme, and indeed the actor based the voice of Scarlet on Grant's Mid-Atlantic tones. Anderson, however, stated in his biography that the Grant impression was Matthews' choice at audition, and that while it was not the voice that had been intended for Scarlet the production was happy to use it.

Matthews' co-star in the film Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) had been Charles Tingwell, who was chosen to voice Cloudbase medical officer Dr Fawn. Tingwell, who had provided voices for Series Two of Thunderbirds as well as the feature film Thunderbirds Are Go, had been recommended by fellow Australian Ray Barrett, a regular voice artist on Stingray and Thunderbirds. Due to theatre commitments, Tingwell left the series following the completion of the first 12 episodes. Departing at the same time was Paul Maxwell, the voice of Captain Grey (and previously Steve Zodiac in Fireball XL5 and Captain Travers in Thunderbirds Are Go), who left to take up the role of Steve Tanner in Coronation Street. In Tingwell and Maxwell's absence, Fawn and Grey's roles were reduced to a handful of non-speaking appearances, though guest characters voiced by the actors can be heard in flashbacks to earlier episodes.

Cy Grant, the voice of Lieutenant Green, was known to the Andersons for his appearances on Tonight, in which he sang calypsos inspired by current affairs. The casting of Grant led to that of Ed Bishop as Captain Blue. Bishop, who was working in theatre and had the same agent as Grant, recalled in an interview: "And [my agent's representative] said, 'Oh, by the way, Mr Anderson, we've just taken on a new, young American actor' – shows you how long ago it was – 'a new American actor, name of Edward Bishop. And we know how much you like American voices. Would you like to meet him as well?'"

Donald Gray, who had found himself typecast after playing the lead role of detective Mark Saber in The Vise, was having to resort to voice work to sustain his acting career. He had three regular roles in Captain Scarlet: Colonel White, the Mysterons and Captain Black (who, after being taken over by the Mysterons, speaks in their voice). The deep, echoing tones of Black and the Mysterons were created by recording Gray's lines at high speed and then playing them back at normal speed. However, this was not always applied consistently, resulting in the pitch of the Mysteron voice differing from episode to episode.

The voice of Captain Ochre was provided by Jeremy Wilkin, who had voiced Virgil Tracy in Thunderbirds Series Two. Captain Magenta, meanwhile, was voiced by Gary Files, who had provided supporting voices in Thunderbird 6. Liz Morgan was new to the Anderson productions and voiced Destiny Angel, leader of the Angel squadron, and one of her comrades, Rhapsody Angel. Sylvia Anderson, the voice of Lady Penelope in Thunderbirds, took the role of Melody, while Canadian actress Janna Hill voiced Symphony. Morgan was additionally cast as Harmony Angel and voiced the character in five episodes. About a third of the way through the dialogue recording sessions, the role was reassigned to Chinese actress Lian-Shin, who voiced the character in only one episode ("The Launching") but was credited for 20.

Supporting character voices were performed by Anderson, Files, Hill, Maxwell, Morgan, Tingwell and Wilkin. Completing the credited cast were David Healy and Martin King. Shane Rimmer, previously heard as Scott Tracy in Thunderbirds, made a number of uncredited vocal contributions besides writing for the series. Neil McCallum voiced guest characters in four episodes but was also uncredited. After Captain Scarlet, six members of the voice cast would continue their association with Century 21. Healy voiced Shane Weston in Joe 90 and Files voiced Matthew Harding in The Secret Service. Wilkin, Morgan and King all had various supporting roles in these two series. Bishop later appeared in the lead role of Commander Ed Straker in UFO, the Andersons' first live-action series.

Character dialogue was recorded once a fortnight, at up to four episodes a session, at the Anvil Films Recording Studio (now Denham Film Studios) in Denham, Buckinghamshire. Each actor was paid 15 guineas (15 pounds and 15 shillings; ) per episode, plus repeat fees, no matter how many lines he or she spoke. They were not given the opportunity to tour the Century 21 studios in Slough until their work was finished and therefore had no visualisation of their characters during the recording sessions. This was to Morgan's regret: "We all said that we wished we had seen the puppets before doing the dialogue, as it would have been helpful to have something physical to base the voices on. I knew that Destiny was French and that Rhapsody had to be frightfully 'Sloaney', but that was about it."

Music

The music for Captain Scarlet was composed by Barry Gray, who had scored all prior Supermarionation series. The opening theme – titled "The Mysterons" – was produced electronically and accompanied by a seven-note staccato drumbeat to introduce the protagonist, Scarlet. Gerry Anderson, who had intended this to be more a traditional fanfare, said of his initial reaction: "I thought, 'Christ, is this all he could produce?' Looking back on it, however, I can see that what he came up with worked very well." The drumbeat also had two other functions: to cut from one scene to another, with the shot alternating between the previous scene and the next in time with each beat; and to cut into and out of each episode's midpoint advert break, where it was accompanied by a zooming image of the Spectrum logo (a stylised "S" on a background of concentric rings in the colours of the rainbow).

Two versions of the closing theme – "Captain Scarlet" – were recorded. The first version, used on the first 14 episodes, was mostly instrumental with the words "Captain Scarlet!" sung at intervals by a group of vocalists including Ken Barrie; each instance was immediately followed by a vocoded repetition supplied by Gray himself, until the last two instances which instead form a ternary with the word "Indestructible!". It was later reworked as a song with lyrics performed by The Spectrum, a London boy band who happened to share their name with the fictional Spectrum Organisation. Originally formed in 1960, at the time of their involvement with Captain Scarlet the group were signed to RCA Victor and being promoted as an English imitation of The Monkees. They were brought to the Andersons' attention by Gerry's chauffeur, who had heard them on pirate radio, and signed a contract with Century 21 worth £100,000.

As well as the opening and closing themes, between March and December 1967 Gray recorded incidental music for 18 episodes. Music for the other 14 was supplied by re-using these scores, supplemented by excerpts of music originally produced for earlier Anderson series. Compared to Thunderbirds, the incidental music for Captain Scarlet was recorded using smaller ensembles: no episode featured more than 16 instruments.

In their notes on the CD release, Ralph Titterton and Tim Mallett write that the Captain Scarlet soundtrack has a "military feel" that favours percussion, brass and wind instruments, contrasting with the full orchestral sound of Thunderbirds. Gray preferred traditional instruments for much of the action, generally restricting his use of electronic music to scenes set in outer space as well as a four-note echoing motif used to identify the Mysterons. Scarlet's motif, used in incidental music as well as both versions of the closing theme, is a variation emphasising the captain's nature as an ex-Mysteron. Gray performed some of the series' electronic music himself.

Reviewing the soundtrack, Bruce Eder of AllMusic describes the collection of theme and incidental music as "a strange mix of otherworldly 'music of the spheres', late–50s/early–60s 'space-age pop', 'British Invasion' beat, Scottish folk-inspired tunes, kids-style 'Mickey Mouse' scoring, martial music, light jazz, and light classical". He singles out the two versions of "White as Snow" from the episode of the same name, "Cocktail Music" from the episode "Model Spy" and a piano piece from "The Inquisition" (which Gray performed himself) for particular praise. In his BBC Online review, Peter Marsh suggests that the music's grim tone reflects the series' use of realistic puppets and presentation of death as well as its frightening alien villains and lack of humour, noting that "dissonant vibraphone chords shimmer under hovering, tremulous strings contrasted with urgent, militaristic drums and pulsing brass – driving the action ever onto its climax (and, no doubt, a big explosion)."

Commercial releases
In 1967, Century 21 Records (a label founded by Century 21 and Pye Records) released an extended play titled TV Themes from Captain Scarlet, which included commercial re-recordings of the series' opening and closing theme music. The soundtrack has since had two CD releases: the first by Silva Screen Records, the second by Fanderson, the official Gerry Anderson fan club. Fanderson's version was available exclusively to club members and contained music from every episode except "The Heart of New York" and "Treble Cross" (which contain no original music) and "Traitor" (whose cue recordings are lost). Both CD releases' tracks are listed below.

Silva Screen Records (2003)

Fanderson (2015)

Title sequences and end credits

All episodes, except the first, incorporate two title sequences. The first of these, incorporating the title card and principal production credits, is set in a run-down alleyway and presented from the point of view of an unseen gunman; turning a corner, he comes face to face with Captain Scarlet and opens fire, only to be shot dead by a single round from the captain's handgun. The words "Captain Scarlet" appear letter by letter in time with the seven strikes of the series' signature drumbeat composed by Barry Gray. This sequence is intended to demonstrate Scarlet's indestructibility, the bullets from the assassin's machine gun having no effect on the captain.

The sequence is accompanied by a voiceover from Ed Bishop that states:

"'The Mysterons: sworn enemies of Earth. Possessing the ability to recreate an exact likeness of an object or person. But first, they must destroy... Leading the fight, one man fate has made indestructible. His name: Captain Scarlet.'"

A number of variations have been used. In the first episode, the voiceover runs:

"'The finger is on the trigger. About to unleash a force with terrible powers, beyond the comprehension of man. This force we shall know as the Mysterons. This man will be our hero, for fate will make him indestructible. His name: Captain Scarlet.'"

An alternative version, rarely used, runs: "One man. A man who is different. Chosen by fate. Caught up in Earth's unwanted conflict with the Mysterons. Determined. Courageous. Indestructible. His name: Captain Scarlet." Later prints feature an additional voiceover by Donald Gray, warning the audience: "Captain Scarlet is indestructible. You are not. Remember this. Do not try to imitate him." This served to establish the background to the series and warn younger viewers not to put themselves at risk by copying Scarlet's actions. It was used either on its own or following Bishop's "One man ..." voiceover.

From the second episode, "Winged Assassin", the establishing scenes are followed by a secondary title sequence introducing Captain Blue, Colonel White, the Angels and Captain Black. As the Mysterons announce their latest threat against Earth, the Mysteron rings pass over the characters in various environments, thus demonstrating the aliens' omnipresence. At the same time, the characters' codenames are flashed on-screen. The Mysterons invariably begin their threats with the words: "This is the voice of the Mysterons. We know that you can hear us, Earthmen."

The closing titles were originally intended to feature images of printed circuit boards and other electronic components to reflect the Andersons' initial conception of Scarlet as a "mechanical man". In the finished sequence, these were replaced with a series of paintings depicting Scarlet in various moments of peril. In earlier episodes, the paintings are accompanied by the instrumental version of the Captain Scarlet theme music; in later episodes, this was substituted by a lyrical version sung by The Spectrum. The paintings were created by comic artist Ron Embleton, who would later illustrate the adult comic strips Oh, Wicked Wanda! and Sweet Chastity for Penthouse magazine. In 2005, the Animation Art Gallery in London released limited-edition prints of the paintings signed by Francis Matthews.

In Japan, the original opening titles were replaced with a montage of action clips from various episodes accompanied by an upbeat song performed by children. This version is included in the special features of the Captain Scarlet DVD box set.

Broadcast history
Captain Scarlet had its official UK premiere on 29 September 1967 on the ATV Midlands franchise of the ITV network. The first episode was seen by an estimated 450,000 people, a number considered promising. Exactly five months earlier, this episode had been broadcast in the London area as an unscheduled late-night test transmission. The series officially debuted in London and Scotland on 1 October, with the Granada, Anglia, Channel, Southern and Westward franchises all following later that month. By the end of 1967, 4.95 million UK households – the equivalent of 10.9 million people – were watching the series. In the Midlands, viewing figures had risen to 1.1 million halfway through the run.

By the start of 1968, Captain Scarlet was being broadcast in all parts of the UK. The series was also shown in more than 40 other countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. In the United States, it aired in first-run syndication. Only six episodes were shown in the Netherlands.

UK re-runs varied markedly by franchise. Granada, Harlech and Tyne Tees Television repeated the series until 1972, while in the Midlands, it aired four times in colour between 1969 and 1974. By contrast, Yorkshire Television did not show any repeats until the mid-1980s, when the series was re-broadcast on Saturday and Sunday mornings by various franchises across the network. The series was later shown in segmented form on Night Network.

Captain Scarlet was subsequently acquired by the BBC, which on 1 October 1993 began the series' first UK-wide network run on BBC2. The first episode drew an audience of four million, the channel's third-highest viewing figure of the week. In September 2001, the BBC started repeating the series in digitally-remastered form. Following the September 11 attacks, the episode order was changed: "Winged Assassin" (in which the Mysterons destroy an airliner) and "Big Ben Strikes Again" (in which they hi-jack a nuclear device), were postponed due to perceived similarities between the plots and real-world events. These episodes were eventually broadcast in November and December 2001.

In June 2024, the British free-to-air vintage film and nostalgia television channel Talking Pictures TV commenced a rerun of the series on Saturday afternoons. Whilst in the United States, the series, along with other Anderson Supermarionation series, was shown on MeTV Toons from June 25th.

Reception
Although Thunderbirds had run for two series, Grade's unexpected cancellation of that production led Gerry Anderson to assume that there was no possibility of Captain Scarlet lasting more than one. In Anderson's words: "I didn't expect it to continue. I simply went to Lew and asked, 'What's the next thing you want us to do?

Captain Scarlet is widely regarded as "darker" or more "mature" in tone than earlier Supermarionation productions. According to Andrew Billen: "Whereas Thunderbirds was about rescuing people, Scarlet was about damnation, the soul of a resurrected man being fought for between Captain Scarlet and the equally indestructible Captain Black. It was Anderson's Gothic period." Marcus Hearn writes that the series has a "militaristic" feel, with less emphasis on "characterisation and charm" compared to its precursors and Joe 90. For Jim Sangster and Paul Condon, the optimism of Stingray and Thunderbirds is noticeably absent, the heroism and unqualified victories in those series being replaced by desperate games of "damage limitation" as Scarlet and Spectrum rush to counter every Mysteron move, sometimes unsuccessfully. Discussion of the series' presentation of death and destruction has led some commentators to question its suitability for younger viewers: media historian Daniel O'Brien notes that Captain Scarlet is "rated by some as the most violently destructive children's show ever". The horror of the Mysterons has also been recognised: in 2003, the depiction of the aliens was ranked 82nd in Channel 4's list show 100 Greatest Scary Moments.

Commentators have drawn parallels with the state of international relations at the time the series was made. Robert Sellers writes that Captain Scarlet arose from "1960s sci-fi obsession with alien forces infiltrating society", which he suggests were derived from fears about the Cold War and communism. For Nicholas J. Cull, the "war of nerves" between Earth and Mars is a reflection of contemporary geopolitical conflict, while the "enemy within" scenario of Martians taking over human beings is comparabe to plots of films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Mark Bould argues that the series "seemed in tune with a decade of civil disobedience and anti-imperialist guerrilla wars" – a view echoed by Rebecca Feasey of the University of Edinburgh, who regards it as one of several series that "exploited the fears of 1960s America" in its portrayal of "civil disobedience and the potentially negative impact of new technologies". Since 2001, comparisons have also been made to the September 11 attacks and the ensuing War on Terror. Sangster and Condon argue that for a 1960s series, Captain Scarlet was "incredibly perceptive" in its conception of the Mysterons, whose tactics they liken to terrorism.

To others, Captain Scarlet remains a "camp classic". According to Bould, it is one of several Anderson productions to depict "a utopian future benefiting from world government, high technology, ethnic diversity, and a generally positive sense of Americanisation. They articulate the commonly made connection between technological developments and economic prosperity." He also writes that the series espouses "Euro-cool consumerism". A recurring concept in the Supermarionation productions, world government was inspired by Gerry Anderson's thoughts on the subject: "I had all sorts of fancy ideas about the future ... we had the United Nations and I imagined that the world would come together and there would be a world government." On the depiction of technology, Peter Wright notes the "qualified technophilia" that Captain Scarlet shares with Thunderbirds.

The series has been criticised for its camerawork, which some view as too static due to the crew's inability to move the puppets convincingly. Criticism has also been directed at the characterisation and writing. Sangster and Condon consider the plots uncomplicated and the characters perhaps "even more simplistic" than those of Stingray. Some have blamed the return to 25-minute episodes, coming after Thunderbirds' 50-minute format, for a lack of subplots and perceived drop in the quality of the storytelling. In a 1986 interview, script editor Tony Barwick described Captain Scarlet as "hard-nosed stuff" that lacked humour, adding: "It was all for the American market and to that extent there was no deep characterisation. [The characters] all balanced one against the other." Sylvia Anderson likened the presentation to that of a "comic strip", arguing that the action format came at the expense of the character development. In contrast, Jeff Evans believes the characters to be "more detailed" than before, arguing that Captain Scarlet was the first Anderson production to give them "private lives and real identities". Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping praise the writing, judging it "neither as silly as previous Anderson efforts, nor as po-faced as later ones".

In a comparison to Thunderbirds, writer John Peel sums up Captain Scarlet as "better puppets, bigger action and a huge step backwards in stories", arguing that the advances in Century 21's special effects were to the detriment of the writing. He compares this to the relative failure of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom following the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark: "Anderson made the same mistake that George Lucas made, assuming that if the effects were praised in Thunderbirds, the public wanted a show with more effects." Peel also finds fault with Scarlet himself, arguing that an "indestructible" hero who freely risks his safety to foil the enemy served as a poor role model for children and made the episode endings too predictable. Sangster and Condon echo the latter point, writing that Scarlet's abilities weaken the suspense and make him "a difficult hero to believe in".

Considered a cult programme by some, Captain Scarlet came 33rd in a 2007 Radio Times poll to determine the greatest science fiction series of all time. It was ranked 51st in Channel 4's 2001 list show 100 Greatest Kids' TV Shows. Cornell, Day and Topping argue that the series is perhaps Gerry Anderson's best production. However, Anderson's own verdict was clear: "Nothing was as successful as Thunderbirds. Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons was very successful, but once you've had a smash hit, everything tends to look less successful in comparison."

Race, gender and symbolism
Captain Scarlet has attracted both positive and negative commentary on its use of female and mixed ethnicity characters – an aspect that according to Daniel O'Brien gives the series a "more cosmopolitan" feel compared to Thunderbirds. During its 1993 re-run on BBC2, the series drew some criticism for its use of the codenames "Black" and "White" in reference to the benevolent Colonel White and the villainous Captain Black, which some commentators interpreted as a form of negative black-and-white dualism. Defending the series against claims of racist stereotyping, Gerry Anderson pointed out that it features heroic non-white characters in the form of Lieutenant Green and Melody and Harmony Angels. Green is the only black male regular character in any of the Supermarionation series.

For Sellers, the inclusion of Green and especially Melody Angel, a black female character, shows that Captain Scarlet was "actually ahead of its time in respect to race relations". He also regards the Angel squad's all-female composition as significant from a point of view of women's emancipation. O'Brien is less complimentary on this latter point, arguing that while it was progressive for the 1960s, to newer audiences it comes across more as a "conventionally sexist male fantasy".

The diversity of the characters in terms of race and gender has been viewed highly in academic publications. Bould praises the "beautiful, multi-ethnic, female Angel fighter pilots" and "secondary roles played by capable women". In a 2003 interview, Anderson noted the effort made to feature ethnic minorities: "... I think people who make television programmes have a responsibility, particularly when children are watching avidly and you know their minds can be affected almost irreversibly as they grow up. We were very conscious of introducing different ethnic backgrounds."

Cy Grant, the voice of Green, believed that Captain Scarlet had both positive multicultural value and an allegorical nature. He argued that religious symbolism was implied, with Colonel White serving as an analogue for God, Captain Black as the Devil and Scarlet as the Son of God; the allegory extended to Cloudbase, which represented Heaven and was guarded by a fleet of fighters codenamed "Angels". On dualism, he argued: "The 'darkness' of the Mysterons is most easily seen as the psychological rift – the struggle of 'good' and 'evil' – of the Western world as personified by Colonel White and his team. Dark and light are but aspects of each other. Incidentally, green is the colour of nature that can heal that rift."

Other media

The ATV game show The Golden Shot, hosted by Bob Monkhouse, used Captain Scarlet as the theme for its 1967 Christmas special. Broadcast live on 23 December, the programme featured guest appearances from Francis Matthews and The Spectrum.

Since its first appearance, the TV series has been supplemented by merchandise ranging from toy action figures to video games. Among the early tie-ins were a series of five audio plays released by Century 21 Records in 1967. Taking the form of a vinyl EP record, each play was approximately 21 minutes long and featured the voice cast from the TV series. Angus P. Allan wrote the first play, Introducing Captain Scarlet (set during the denouement of the first TV episode) as well as Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Captain Scarlet of Spectrum. The other two – Captain Scarlet is Indestructible and Captain Scarlet versus Captain Black – were written by his assistant, Richard O'Neill. To mark Captain Scarlet's 50th anniversary in 2017, Big Finish Productions digitally remastered the plays and re-released them on CD; the seven-disc set also includes audio adaptations of eight of the TV episodes with narration by Ed Bishop as Captain Blue.

During the 1960s, Century 21 granted more than 60 licences for Captain Scarlet products and released a range of friction-drive model vehicles through its subsidiary Century 21 Toys. Meccano Ltd manufactured Captain Scarlet Dinky Toys to great success: its SPV was its best-selling die-cast toy of all time and continued to be produced until 1976. Waddingtons released a Captain Scarlet board game based on snakes and ladders. In 1993, Vivid Imaginations launched a new range of toys to coincide with the BBC2 repeats.

Books and comics
Between 1967 and 1968, Armada Books published three Captain Scarlet children's novels by John William Jennison (who wrote under the pseudonym "John Theydon"): Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Captain Scarlet and the Silent Saboteur and The Angels and the Creeping Enemy. As implied by its title, the third novel features the Spectrum Angels as the main characters. In 1993, Young Corgi Books released children's novelisations of "The Mysterons", "Lunarville 7", "Noose of Ice" and "The Launching".

From September 1967, comic strips based on the series were printed in TV Century 21 (later TV21), published by City Magazines in association with Century 21. The comic had already featured Fireball XL5, Stingray and Thunderbirds strips as well as crossovers between the three, indicating that they were set in a shared fictional world of the 2060s; Captain Scarlet was integrated into this setting. Elements of the new series, including Captain Black, had been introduced as early as June 1967. The initial Captain Scarlet strips were drawn by Ron Embleton, succeeded first by Mike Noble and then Jim Watson. Frank Bellamy also drew five cover strips of the Captain Scarlet story. After the TV series finished its original run, the comic continued the story of Spectrum and the Mysterons, with subsequent adventures showing that the Mysterons deactivate their city on Mars and relinquish their control over Black while Scarlet leaves Spectrum to fight Earth-bound threats. The Mysterons eventually reawaken, prompting Scarlet and Spectrum to resume their struggle. Captain Scarlet was also featured in TV21 and Century 21 annuals for 1967, 1968 and 1969. In September 1969, the series was dropped from TV21.

The series' TV21 debut had been preceded by spin-off adventures in the sister comics Lady Penelope and Solo. In January 1967, Lady Penelope launched a comic strip about the Angel pilots; this ran until May 1968 but introduced no elements of the Spectrum Organisation until August 1967. Solo printed two strips: the first from June to September 1967; the second, following a merger with City Magazine's TV Tornado, from September 1967 to February 1968. The first, The Mark of the Mysterons, bore little relation to Captain Scarlet besides featuring the Mysterons as villains; it was set in the 1960s and the presentation was similar to that of The Invaders. The second, simply titled The Mysterons, saw the aliens travelling to the Andromeda Galaxy on a campaign of conquest.

After the series' discontinuation in Century 21 and City titles, Polystyle Publications printed further strips in Countdown comic and annuals between 1971 and 1972. From 1993 to 1994, Fleetway Editions published a dedicated Captain Scarlet comic to coincide with the series' first run on BBC2. New annuals were published by Grandreams in 1993 and 1994 and Carlton Books in 2001.

In Japan, Weekly Shōnen Sunday serialised a manga adaptation of Captain Scarlet between 1967 and 1968. A separate adaptation was published in Shōnen Book from January to August 1968.

Home video
The series' first VHS release in the UK was by Precision Video in 1982. Precision was later acquired by Channel 5 Video (a partnership of PolyGram and Heron International), which issued further Captain Scarlet cassettes over the course of the 1980s. Between 2001 and 2002, Carlton Video re-released the series in volumes and as a box set. These featured the remastered picture and sound quality that had been introduced for the 2000s repeats. The box set includes an extra tape containing Captain Scarlet: The Indestructible, a behind-the-scenes feature.

Since September 2001, Captain Scarlet has also been available on Region 2 DVD in both its original mono soundtrack and new Dolby Digital surround sound. Bonus features include audio commentaries by Gerry Anderson on two episodes, "The Mysterons" and "Attack on Cloudbase", as well as the five audio adventures from the 1960s. As with the VHS releases, the DVDs have also been released as a box set; this includes an extra disc featuring a production documentary, Captain Scarlet S.I.G., along with a set of five alternative title sequences. A Region 1 box set by A&E Home Video was released in 2002. In 2004, Imavision released a French-language box set for the Canadian market.

On the series' 50th anniversary in September 2017, British company Network Distributing announced that it was releasing Captain Scarlet on Blu-ray Disc with all episodes remastered in high definition using the original 35 mm film negatives. The Blu-ray range was released between 2017 and 2018 both in volumes and as a box set.

Siouxsie and the Banshees performed a version of the Captain Scarlet theme tune with extra lyrics mocking the character at their early concerts in 1977.

Video games
Between 2002 and 2006, three Captain Scarlet video games were released. A further game was cancelled.

Later productions
Since the 1980s, the rights to the ITC catalogue have changed hands a number of times. They were acquired first by PolyGram Entertainment, then, following a partial sale to the BBC, by Carlton International. In 2004, Carlton merged with Granada to form ITV plc; the rights to Captain Scarlet and other Anderson series now reside with its subsidiary ITV Studios.

In the early 1980s, Robert Mandell and ITC New York combined several episodes of Captain Scarlet to create two compilation films: Captain Scarlet vs. the Mysterons and Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars. Promoted as "Super Space Theater", these were broadcast on American cable TV with the aim of reviving transatlantic syndication sales. Other Anderson productions, including Stingray and Thunderbirds, received similar treatments. Released on British VHS in January 1982, Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars was Captain Scarlet's UK home video debut. In November 1988, it aired as the second episode of the movie-mocking series Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Minnesota TV station KTMA.

Plans for a live-action film adaptation of Captain Scarlet, announced by Gerry Anderson in 2000 and 2002, remain undeveloped.

Remake
In 1999, Anderson supervised the production of a computer-animated test film, Captain Scarlet and the Return of the Mysterons, to explore the possibility of updating some of his 1960s puppet series for a 21st-century audience. Produced by the Moving Picture Company under the working title Captain Scarlet – The New Millennium, the four-minute film was made using a combination of Maya animation software and motion capture technology and saw Francis Matthews and Ed Bishop reprise the voices of Captains Scarlet and Blue. Set a few years after the Mysterons apparently cease hostilities against Earth, the film features the reappearance of Captain Black, setting the stage for a revival of the war with Mars. The film was screened at a Fanderson convention in 2000 and a science lecture in 2001. It was released on Blu-ray in 2017.

Plans for a full computer-animated Captain Scarlet series eventually resulted in New Captain Scarlet. A reboot of the original, this was first broadcast on the ITV children's show Ministry of Mayhem in 2005. In a nod to Supermarionation, the animation used to make the series was promoted as "Hypermarionation". New Captain Scarlet was the last TV series to be produced by Anderson, who died in 2012.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons


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User talk:JeremyR

Hi, welcome to Wikipedia! I'm sure one of our official greeters will be a long in a while with links & things. sadly I'm not that organized. There's a FAQ page around somewhere though, and the village pump page for general chat & "arg! what is this place!" sort of questions. Have fun! -- Tarquin 12:14 Jan 8, 2003 (UTC)

title: User talk:JeremyR