A female Captain Scarlet
Moderator: Spectrum Strike Force
So what do people think on this subject, do the people who work on the show and post here know if there were any plans in pre-production to make Scarlet female?
Your thoghts and opinons on this subject is much welcome, thanks.
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DanDud88
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Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!
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Captain Indigo
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Chris C
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I am in favour of there being female Captains in Spectrum - just not of them replacing established male characters. (so Captain Ochre could have stayed male and the current Lady Ochre could have been Captain Some-other-colour... same with Lt. Green.
I would not like to see a female Captain Scarlet, but I don't see why he shouldn't work alongside female Captains. Even the obnoxious Simone whatever-her-name-is could be a Captain - and we could have a Destiny Angel back who was an effective team leader of her squadron of female top-gun pilots.
Doctor Who is slightly different - the Doctor regenerates into a new body every so often - so it might be possible to change sex with that character, but I wouldn't think it would be very successful.
The popular version of James Bond is a different case again- and no female character that showed any of his personality traits would be anything like even remotely believable.
Original CS was unusual in having the 5 Angel pilots as females and letting them take part in missions beyond the (then) traditional one of making the tea for the men and screaming alot when things got hairy. I don't see why NCS has to resort to the politically correct gloss of 'letting the girls play too'....
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Marion
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Of course there can be female captains from their respective fields, but not to replace the male captains. Those are too defined already. Scarlet the most.
I have tried writing an AU story with all female captains, just out of curiosity. It didn't work at all. Just couldn't make it believable, within the context of society, and just personal drives/abilities that women could be in that position. Am a feminist and not doubting female abilities, just not in that context.
Scarlet has the experience/training of a soldier and that shows in his actions and attitudes.
Just don't see how that could credibly work for a female. Women cannot serve in those roles within the military. So wouldn't have the necessary training and experience.
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Sage
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Sage wrote:Women cannot serve in those roles within the military. So wouldn't have the necessary training and experience.
What about Pain Killer Jane, G.I. Jane and Starship troopers (there were female solders in that.
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DanDud88
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shudders at the thought.
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Daveyblue
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I agree with Marion about replacing the established characters - up to a point. I think it would have been harder to give stories to new female characters without bloating the core cast.
Lt Green and Captain Ochre are controversial but I think the producers made the right choice.
As an aside, I never really liked the idea of a fully female Angel squadron in OCS; it reminded me too much of Pussy Galore's team of pilots and instead of emalgamating femaile officers into the Spectrum staff, drew attention to them.
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steviep
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As an aside, I never really liked the idea of a fully female Angel squadron in OCS; it reminded me too much of Pussy Galore's team of pilots and instead of emalgamating femaile officers into the Spectrum staff, drew attention to them
I think that might have been the point in the 1960s....
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Marion
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Pauline Metcalfe? Absolutely not!
I have tried writing an AU story with all female captains, just out of curiosity. It didn't work at all.
Our own Marion did write a slightly different take of the... er... problem in one of her many fanfic. If you want a good read, go and try this Multiverse story:
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chrisbishop
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Marion wrote:Steviep saysAs an aside, I never really liked the idea of a fully female Angel squadron in OCS; it reminded me too much of Pussy Galore's team of pilots and instead of emalgamating femaile officers into the Spectrum staff, drew attention to them
I think that might have been the point in the 1960s....
You're right and I'm pretty sure that Gerry Anderson is on record as saying that the Angels were created to give women a strong role in OCS. However, it smacks of being very Swinging Sixties, in a way that I see as slightly patronising (maybe that's just me) when it would have been just as easy to have had some female captains and show them as true equals.
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steviep
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Female characters in Anderson shows - perhaps with the exception of Lady Penelope - were very much secondary ones; or so it seemed to me. Even Marina and Venus - members of the crew in Stingray and Fireball XL5 respectively, and certainly Atlanta Shore in Stingray - rarely got to do exciting things on their own and were often there more as 'damsels in distress'.
It's been noted elsewhere on the forum that Classic CS was 'formulaic' and that few of the other characters got starring roles - (pretty much like NCS) but at least the Angels were an identifiable unit within Spectrum - with clearly defined duties and responsibilities of their own. In a few episodes they got to participate in missions and their role was always seen as an important one. They were each of them identified in the opening credits, for a start.
That was pretty 'advanced' for 1967/68. I agree it would have been nice to have had some lady captains too - but that was maybe too far ahead of its time?
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Marion
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Obviously the gender changes for NCS were done to promote a healthy politically correct ratio of male/female in the colour ranks......(well I ASSUME they were.) although it seems like Destiny acts like a field agent in NCS anyway..oh, am I a bitch or what...
Personally I think there isn't a lot of point changing the sex of established characters unless it gives a new twist to the plot or adds insight into the storylines.
So they could have been really adventurous and made Captain Black a woman! .
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Carrie
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I like it!
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Marion
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I apologise for my incoherent outburst earlier. I was just too horrified by the idea of changing Scarlet's sex to come up with a sensible response.
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Captain Indigo
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