"A pot of tea, two eggs three-minute boiled. Is that right, Effendi?"
Original UK broadcast: November 9th, 1969 (ATV Midlands)
Written by: Tony Barwick
Directed by: Leo Eaton
Regular cast: Father Unwin, Matthew, The Bishop, Mrs. Appleby
Additional voice cast:
Officer Keith Alexander
General Keith Alexander
Operator Jeremy Wilkin
Pilot (Mercenary 1) Jeremy Wilkin
1st Native Keith Alexander
2nd Native Jeremy Wilkin
3rd Native Gary Files
After Father Unwin collapses from heatstroke, he is sent to bed and is prescribed sleeping pills by Dr. Brogan. Then, he begins to dream he and Matthew are taking medical supplies to Bishopville, and must survive against hostile native Indians and attacks from fighter jets...
This episode, along with The Deadly Whisper, proves that the series is set between 1969, setting this episode on 3rd January. Considering that this is the sixth episode of the series, it may have suggested that the ideas just weren't there for The Secret Service. To be fair though, Joe 90 had two dream episode in the 30 episode run of the series, Captain Scarlet's is a fan favourite, Thunderbirds Are Go's dream probably killed the film, and Stingray had three very unsatisfying stories that were all dreams, particularly The Cool Cave Man (sigh!). Gerry Anderson did state in Captain Scarlet: Attack On Cloudbase commentary that he was fond of dream episodes and that a dream episode, it can allow a more sophisticated storyline and do what couldn't really happen in the real world, enabling the series to go above and beyond. This is true, but waking up saying "It was all a dream" means that an entire episode is just spent on a dream and that's all that was up for this week's episode. This time, it is a rescue mission to deliver a set of urgent supplies as Father Unwin and Matthew must battle an array of fighter jets to save themselves from being burnt by a bloodthirsty tribe.
For once, there is more something more to do for Mrs. Appleby. Instead of being the person who wonders where Unwin and Matthew are off to again, she is actually involved in the dream. Seeing the car take off from the runway adds a real element to the show that is unique to the other puppet shows. Instead of a high-speed, mighty jet cruiser, it is the old Model T Ford. Cues from the Supercar episode Amazonian Adventure can be heard when the Model T flies over the forest. Also, a track from Stingray's The Golden Sea is used once again when the door opens to the Bishopville building.
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The Secret Service: The Vault
Non-FictionThe Secret Service was a 1960s British children's TV series created by Gerry Anderson and the team of Century 21 studios in Slough, from the makers of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Space: 1999. This was the final of his television series to feat...
