Joe 90 - The Complete Series (1968)

Joe 90 was Gerry Anderson's penultimate puppet show of the 1960s, following Captain Scarlet (1967) and preceding the little-known The Secret Service (1969). In 2112, professor Ian McClaine has invented the BIG RAT (Brain Impulse Galvanoscope, Record and Transfer), a machine for copying knowledge and experiences from person to person. WIN (World Intelligence Organization) uses this to prime their top undercover agent before sending him into the field on missions that range from foiling international terrorists to recovering a nuclear weapon from beneath the polar ice. So far so good, but in perhaps the most mind-boggling concept ever to reach children's TV, that agent is McClaine's 9-year-old adopted son, Joe.

Somehow even as it stays true to the Gerry Anderson techno-fantasy formula of secret organizations, gadgetry, and action-packed adventure full of spectacular explosions and violent death, Joe 90 remains blithely unconscious of its own implications. The missions are as globe-trotting as anything in Anderson's classic Thunderbirds series, and sometimes Joe does save lives, performing a risky brain operation or rescuing trapped astronauts. Yet even then his criminally irresponsible father brainwashes the lad each episode before placing him in a highly dangerous adult situation. Though the production values remain way ahead of anything else being done on British TV at the time, the question remains: how did this ever seem like a good idea?

Joe 90 comes complete in a four-disc boxed set of the entire 30-episode series. The 25-minute episodes are presented in superb picture quality and full, detailed mono sound. Extras include commentaries on two episodes, character biographies, a photo gallery, and varied extras such as location stills. --Gary S. Dalkin Amazon.com

Joe 90

This is wonderful! Anybody who loves Gerry Anderson's marionettes will love this! I don't think this was shown in the U.S. because kids here weren't intellectual enough to appreciate it (unless, of course, one was precocious). August 1, 2008

Fun series; another gem in Gerry Anderson's supermarionation crown

Although not as bleak as "Captain Scarlet" that proceeded it, "Joe 90" was yet another triumph for Anderson & Company with an outrageous but entertaining plot--a young boy can be transformed in mind and spirit into a super, secret agent via "Big Rat" a laboratory device of his brilliant scientist-father against evil rogue agents who threaten the UK and the free world.

Taking what worked from "Captain Scarlet"--the more anatomically correct and proportioned puppets on incredibly detailed minature sets--and refining it even more, Anderson again delivered an enjoyable half-hour program intended for children, but seems to delight all of us Gen X'ers who were probably too young to truly appreciate Anderson's genius and who are not afraid to indulge in a little childhood nostalgia.

Where as the content of "Captain Scarlet" was never lighthearted and terribly violent for children's Saturday morning fare(the Mysterons inhabiting the dead bodies of Spectrum agents and unknowing ordinary citizens), each half hour of "Joe 90" usually ended on a happy note with the bespectacled Joe thwarting yet another hostile takeover of Anderson's supermarionation universe.

The puppets in this series demonstrate a further margin of refinement from "Captain Scarlet" but not by much--that artistry would reach its ultimate apogee with Anderson's "Secret Service," technically a superior series and light years from the earlier and more crude puppets seen in "Supercar" and "Stingray," but alas, the series never really found its audience and was cancelled after 13 episodes.

In this set, the transfers are remarkably good, but there are little or none in the way of outstanding extras to speak of that most collectors demand with their multi-volume dvd editions. August 14, 2007

Another superb entry from the Anderson production team

Joe 90 is tremendously underrated, and it builds on the advances in production design and puppetry from the earlier series of the Anderson production team. I am constantly baffled by "professional" reviewers who ask about the "ethics" of this show: have they spent some time with young children? ALL of the young people I've communicated with "get it," and the humor of this show is very clear in EVERY episode I've seen, where the presence of young Joe as a super agent is one of the punch lines to the villians. As with other 60's Gerry and Sylvia Anderson productions, the material can be quite violent, but as I remember it quite well, this is one of the most exciting aspects of their shows to age-appropriate children, and made valid by the excellent character development, meticulous design, and consistently original and expressive visual storytelling. September 24, 2005

Under-rated series

Despite the outlandish plot, this is a fine series. Fans of the Captain Scarlet series (my own favorite) will find some similarities in Joe 90. The Joe 90 series was done after Captain Scarlet, and some of the puppets, sets, and even some of the background sounds were recycled for Joe 90. The series was produced in '68, and the groovy opening number shows it; the music and the psychedelic visuals remind me of Jefferson Airplane. Most of the Joe 90 episodes are similar, even formulaic, but a few of the episodes are more ambitious, or artitistic. One such unusual epsidode is "The Unorthodox Shepherd", one of the highlights from this under-rated series. After Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds, I think Joe 90 is the 3rd-best Gerry Anderson series. It's just a matter of personal taste; I also like Stingray! Terrahawks is pretty good, too! Gerry Anderson has given us a huge body of work and it's a dream-come-true to be able to own these complete sets on DVD. I'm proud to have Joe 90 on a shelf and I think it will stand up to repeated viewings over the years. March 3, 2005

JOE 90 RULES!

Excellent!! Gerry Anderson & crew are truly at their finest here. All the work done in previous series such as "The Thunderbirds" and "Captain Scarlet" have paid off towards the perfection in craft and storytelling that is "Joe 90". I am almost done with the first volume and I am happy to say that there are virtually no plot-holes. Some episodes had me raise serious questions about what was going on and were satisfyingly resolved in the endings. The gun battles, aircraft, marionettes, gadgets, and not to mention, the awesome "Big Rat" machine are at their finest.
Tired of all the mindless CGI-saturated shows of today? Go back in time and enjoy the 1968 sensation of Joe 90. Once you get past the groovy sixties vibe that it has, it becomes an awesome experience. December 13, 2004

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