First shown: 11/24/88
Movie: (episodes originally aired 1967; compilation released 1981): The commanders of Spectrum battle against a subversive alien force.
Opening: Joel and Crow discuss the Thanksgiving parade
Host segment 1: Joel uses Gypsy to demonstrate a horn of plenty
Host segment 2: Joel is explaining Thanksgiving to Crow until Tom arrives and turns it into a game of “Pyramid.”
Host segment 3: Joel leads the “puppet bots” in an arts and crafts project.
End: Dinner, such as it is, is served.
(19 votes, average: 4.16 out of 5)
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• On Nov. 25, 2016, 28 years and one day after this show aired on KTMA-TV in the Twin Cities, Joel Hodgson announced that the master tapes for this and episode K01- INVADERS FROM THE DEEP had been found, and he made them available to backers of the relaunch kickstarter. There was much rejoicing -— well, some.
• When this episode and episode K01 were released to Kickstarter backers, Joel offered thoughts about them on the Kickstarter site.
• Again, as with K01, this is a compilation of four episodes of TV series “Captain Scarlet.” They are: episode 12: SHADOW OF FEAR, episode 15: LUNARVILLE 7, episode 21: CRATER 101 and episode 22: DANGEROUS RENDEZVOUS.
• I am adding the “From Mars” to the title because that’s what the title card says.
• After a bit of a slow start, the riffing picks up to a more typical KTMA frequency.
• Trace is doing Crow, unlike in episode K01. This makes this Trace’s first true episode.
• A Geraldo joke starts things off. Shows you how long he has been in the public eye.
• Joel enters the theater alone, then Crow joins him. Both seem to have less trouble getting in and out than the previous episode. A path must have been made.
• The voice of Captain Scarlet is basically an impression of the legendary actor Cary Grant by Francis Matthews.
• After the first break. Servo pops us with a “What’s going’ on here?” He sounds a little like Gomer Pyle. Tom later asks Joel why he gave him such a silly voice. I was wondering that too.
• We get the very first “…at first” riff, which makes Servo laugh.
• Servo extends his neck at one point.
• Movie question: What exactly is the rolling countdown thingy measuring?
• Servo reacts with terror at the first gunfire.
• Servo: “I personally don’t think that puppets should be on TV.”
• Col. White kinda looks like James Brolin, no?
• The characters keep saying “S.I.G.” Turns out it means “Spectrum is green,” more or less equivalent to “A-okay.”
• Before the second segment, Tom just sort of ducks down, saying “I have to go do some radiator maintenance.” Because he can’t leave with the others?
• Early Servo is more than a little Beeperish.
• When they come back into the theater, Tom pops up again. I think they hadn’t worked out the details of Tom coming and going with Joel and Crow.
• Joel seems to have popcorn in the theater at one point. There is much crunching into the mics. Then he pours it into Tom’s bubble. Tom seems to approve.
• At one point Crow calls Joel “Hoel Jodgson.”
• Again Tom leaves by ducking down, saying “Time for me to drain my radiator.”
• And, again, they do not have nomenclature. They don’t have a word for what would later be called The Bridge. Tom refers to it as “the front thing.”
• Gypsy is Gypsy sometimes and Gypsum other times.
• Cast and crew roundup: Many of the same people worked on “Invaders from the Deep,” of course, including executive producer Lord Lew Grade (he may have also been that for “Cosmic Princess”) Gerry (who also worked on “Cosmic Princess”) and Sylvia Anderson, supervising director Desmond Saunders, puppetry supervisor Christine Glanville, assistant director Bob Bell, production designer Keith Wilson (who also worked on “Cosmic Princess”) and score composer Barry Gray (who also worked on “Cosmic Princess”).
• Fave riff: “You know there was an off switch, dumb-o.” Honorable mentions: “Be careful! It’s the worst special effect yet!”

NEXT WEEK WE BEGIN SEASON EIGHT.

First shown: 11/24/88
Movie: (episodes originally aired 1967; compilation released 1981) A submarine pilot and his cohorts battle an evil aquatic civilization.
Opening: Joel introduces the movie briefly and then it’s movie sign
Host segment 1: Joel shows off his airbag helmet
Host segment 2: Joel shows off his vacuum-flowers and discovers they are sick
Host segment 3: Gypsy has caught the mysterious illness
End: The flowers and bots are recovering; Joel shows off his electric bagpipes
(29 votes, average: 4.03 out of 5)
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• On Nov. 25, 2016, 28 years and one day after this show aired on KTMA-TV in the Twin Cities, Joel Hodgson announced that the master tapes for this and episode K02- REVENGE OF THE MYSTERONS had been found, and he made them available to backers of the relaunch kickstarter. There was much rejoicing -— well, some.
• When this episode and episode K02 were released to Kickstarter backers, Joel offered thoughts about them on the Kickstarter site.
• This is the first of many “movies” the show would riff that is actually an edited-together compilation of episodes from a TV series. In this case, the show was a “Supermarionation” series from British producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson called “Stingray.” The episodes cobbled together are episode 4: “Hostages Of The Deep,” episode 27: “Deep Heat,” episode 6: “The Big Gun” and episode 11: “Emergency Marineville.”
• The opening contains none of the dour “people of Earth” stuff we saw in the pilot. Instead, Joel is all business. He refers to “the station,” introduces the movie and gets out.
• Joel calls Gerry and Sylvia “Gene” and Sylvia.
• Joel arrives in the theater after the movie’s opening credits rolled. He seems to be climbing over the little monitor on the floor and the wires. It takes some effort to climb past it all. Ever the polite Midwesterner, he says “Excuse me” to the row of empty seats.
• Joel’s first real riff: “Lettuce man!”
• Listen carefully as the first missile battle begins: Joel slurps up the last of some beverage through a straw.
• Joel, and, later, Crow come and go several times in the theater, other than when it’s time for a host segment. The first time Joel leaves there is quite a bit mic noise. They were still figuring it out.
• I do like PLACE COMMERCIAL HERE. Do that!
• Joel again seems to be stepping delicately over things as he re-enters the theater.
• We get the first use of “pull my finger,” which then it becomes a running gag.
• There’s a point where the mic picks up the sound paper shuffling, I think Joel is straightening his script.
• The airbag helmet, a prop from Joel’s standup act, would be reused in episode 102- THE ROBOT VS. THE AZTEC MUMMY.
• Okay, where’s Trace??? That is clearly Josh doing Crow. Trace wasn’t there for the FIRST SHOW?? Joel expresses similar surprise in his comments.
• Joel wanders out of the theater and leaves a confused Crow behind. We’re used to expecting a host segment to come next when the riffers leave, so it’s disorienting to have nothing come of it. Joel just wanders back in.
• Then-current reference: Crow says a character looks like a “governor of Massachusetts” and it took me a minute to realize they were talking about Michael Dukakis.
• At one point, Joel irritatedly says “cut it out!” to Crow. It’s unclear what’s happening, but it’s presumably Josh causing trouble.
• Crow then wanders out a couple of times (to get some WD-40, to check on Gypsy).
• Segment 2 is essentially a redo of segment 4 in the pilot, even to the extent that Joel mentions an unseen Beeper.
• Note that in segment 3, Gypsy is a he.
• At one point Joel asks at what point a puppet stops being a puppet and becomes a costume. This issue was further addressed in a host segment in episode 318 – STAR FORCE: FUGITIVE ALIEN II.
• Note that the electric bagpipes, a prop from Joel’s standup act, would be used again in episode 101- THE CRAWLING EYE.
• Note that nobody has thought of calling the main SOL set as the “bridge.” Joel calls it “the main part of the show.” Huh?
• One last comment: that IS a brass band version of the Beatles “Yellow Submarine” during the movie’s closing credits, right? How did Lord Lew Grade get the rights to THAT?
• Cast and crew roundup: Many of the same people worked on “Revenge of the Mysterons,” including director Desmond Saunders, cinematograher John Read, editors Harry McDonald and David Lane, special effects guy Derek Meddings, puppetry supervisor Christine Glanville, assistant director Bob Bell and score composer Barry Gray (who also worked on “Cosmic Princess”). 
Performers who also appeared in “Revenge of the Mysterons include Lois Maxwell, who also appeared in “Operation Double 007” and Robert “you been hittin’ the BOOZE agin!” Easton, who also appeared in “Giant Spider Invasion” and “Touch of Satan.” This may not be a complete list and may be amended later.
• Fave riff (not much to pick from): “Are they sweating or is that sap?” Honorable mention: “I’d be tired too if I had a diving board on my head.”