If you were male, between the ages 9-12, wore spectacles, and attended British schools in the late '60's/early '70's, the chances were you were saddled with the unfortunate nickname 'Joe 90'. Bullies relentlessly taunted poor kids with that moniker, at least until 1975 when the I.T.V. sitcom 'Get Some In!' began. Then they would be rechristened 'Matthew Lilley' ( in honour of one of its characters ).
For the uninitiated, 'Joe 90' was a 'Supermarionation' production made by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, their first since 'Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons'. Nine year old Joe McClaine is an agent for W.I.N. ( World Intelligence Network ), run by Shane Weston. Joe's father, a brilliant scientist, has created a device called B.I.G. R.A.T. which stores brain patterns on computer tape and transfers them to people. Each week, in the course of an assignment, Joe would be given the brain patterns of either a racing driver, cat burglar, nuclear physicist etc. The thinking was that little Joe's age made him an unlikely ( and therefore useful ) candidate for the job of spy. The drawback was he would have to wear glasses at all times. If he lost these ( and frequently did ), he would also lose the skill needed for the job.
Little Joe had had a largely undeserved bad press over the years, reaching its height in 1990/97 when John Major was British Prime Minister.
Barry Gray came up with a magnificently catchy theme, the sets ( particularly the spinning B.I.G. R.A.T. ) dazzled, and the writers came up with adventures far beyond the scope of many similar live-action shows. In one episode, Joe went into outer space and, in another, blew up a Red Chinese rocket base. Plots such as these were conspicuously lacking in say 'The Champions' and 'Mission: Impossible'. The sex factor was, of course, zero. Joe was too young for it, and no-one else seemed interested in it either ( though I thought there was something suspect about 'Uncle' Sam Loover ).
It was slightly off in its timing. Spy shows were on the way out. Earlier that year, 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' was cancelled, and 'The Avengers' would not last much longer. Joe had just missed the boat.
I have heard it said children did not take to Joe because he came across as too nice, too much of a daddy's boy. Fair comment. But, had he been presented realistically as a whining, farting, nose-picking brat, he would never have gotten on air. Not at that time, anyway.
In the final episode, Joe celebrated his tenth birthday, ruling out the possibility of a sequel. As a title, 'Joe 100' did not have quite the same ring, being better suited as an I.M.D.B. user name.
Gerry and Sylvia stayed with the world of international espionage for their next show - 'The Secret Service' - in which the hero was an eccentric priest ( voiced by Stanley Unwin ) who spoke gobble-de-gook and shrank people.
There was a fair amount of merchandising. Dinky produced a model of Professor McClaine's flying car and Uncle Sam Loover's. Joe had his own comic - 'Joe 90 Top Secret' - which is best remembered today for giving the British public a foretaste of 'Star Trek'.
'Joe' enjoyed repeats throughout the '70's ( usually during school holidays ) and was seen on B.B.C.-1 in ( ironically ) the '90's. If he was not as popular as 'Thunderbirds' and 'Stingray', well, you cannot win them all. If nothing else, he meant that Michael Caine's 'Harry Palmer' was not the only '60's secret agent to wear specs.
For the uninitiated, 'Joe 90' was a 'Supermarionation' production made by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, their first since 'Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons'. Nine year old Joe McClaine is an agent for W.I.N. ( World Intelligence Network ), run by Shane Weston. Joe's father, a brilliant scientist, has created a device called B.I.G. R.A.T. which stores brain patterns on computer tape and transfers them to people. Each week, in the course of an assignment, Joe would be given the brain patterns of either a racing driver, cat burglar, nuclear physicist etc. The thinking was that little Joe's age made him an unlikely ( and therefore useful ) candidate for the job of spy. The drawback was he would have to wear glasses at all times. If he lost these ( and frequently did ), he would also lose the skill needed for the job.
Little Joe had had a largely undeserved bad press over the years, reaching its height in 1990/97 when John Major was British Prime Minister.
Barry Gray came up with a magnificently catchy theme, the sets ( particularly the spinning B.I.G. R.A.T. ) dazzled, and the writers came up with adventures far beyond the scope of many similar live-action shows. In one episode, Joe went into outer space and, in another, blew up a Red Chinese rocket base. Plots such as these were conspicuously lacking in say 'The Champions' and 'Mission: Impossible'. The sex factor was, of course, zero. Joe was too young for it, and no-one else seemed interested in it either ( though I thought there was something suspect about 'Uncle' Sam Loover ).
It was slightly off in its timing. Spy shows were on the way out. Earlier that year, 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' was cancelled, and 'The Avengers' would not last much longer. Joe had just missed the boat.
I have heard it said children did not take to Joe because he came across as too nice, too much of a daddy's boy. Fair comment. But, had he been presented realistically as a whining, farting, nose-picking brat, he would never have gotten on air. Not at that time, anyway.
In the final episode, Joe celebrated his tenth birthday, ruling out the possibility of a sequel. As a title, 'Joe 100' did not have quite the same ring, being better suited as an I.M.D.B. user name.
Gerry and Sylvia stayed with the world of international espionage for their next show - 'The Secret Service' - in which the hero was an eccentric priest ( voiced by Stanley Unwin ) who spoke gobble-de-gook and shrank people.
There was a fair amount of merchandising. Dinky produced a model of Professor McClaine's flying car and Uncle Sam Loover's. Joe had his own comic - 'Joe 90 Top Secret' - which is best remembered today for giving the British public a foretaste of 'Star Trek'.
'Joe' enjoyed repeats throughout the '70's ( usually during school holidays ) and was seen on B.B.C.-1 in ( ironically ) the '90's. If he was not as popular as 'Thunderbirds' and 'Stingray', well, you cannot win them all. If nothing else, he meant that Michael Caine's 'Harry Palmer' was not the only '60's secret agent to wear specs.