Double Agent (Joe 90 episode)
Encyclopedia
"Double Agent" is the 16th episode of the British
Supermarionation
television series Joe 90
. It was first broadcast on January 12, 1969 on ATV Midlands
.
s are killed, Shane Weston believes that there is a double agent
in the organisation. Joe is given the brain pattern of the courier chief to deliver top-secret cipher codes
– but when his behaviour becomes suspicious, the worst is feared: could the traitor be closer than was first thought?
A14 is driving along a country road at night. Carrying top-secret cipher codes
, he does not realise that two criminals, Miller and Sherman, are pursuing him. The crooks try to force A14 to stop; when the agent accelerates away from them, Miller shoots out one of his tyres. Losing control of his car, A14 crashes into a tree and is killed instantly. Miller and Sherman recover the dispatch case containing the cipher codes and drive away. However, they do not know that the case is packed with plastic explosive
; upon unauthorised opening, it blows up in their faces.
At WIN Headquarters London
, Shane Weston holds an urgent meeting with Sam Loover and the head of the Courier Section, Harry Sloane. With three operatives dead in one month, Shane suspects an inside job and concludes that there must be a double agent
in the organisation. Reminding the men that vital codes would have been stolen if A14's dispatch case had not been security-fitted, Shane announces that he is cancelling an upcoming mission to ferry ciphers for WIN's entire Eastern Network to Tehran
. Despite this, an aerial
above his desk has been secretly recording Sloane's brain pattern…
On their way to the Professor McClaine's cottage in Sam's car, Shane is confident that Sloane, who has led the Courier Section for the past seven years, is loyal. However, he is concerned that Sloane's cover
might be broken if he were allowed to ship the Eastern codes himself, so Joe 90 must carry out the assignment – in secret.
At the cottage, Sloane's brain pattern is transferred to Joe on the BIG RAT. Sam presents the boy with his dispatch case, which is set to explode
if opened without a special key
. Fully equipped for his mission, Joe is driven to the airport
by Mac but, upon donning his special glasses
, surprises his father by saying that he will travel to Paris
instead of Tehran. Mac assumes that Joe has been given additional instructions, but this idea is refuted by Sam and Shane. The men are even more alarmed when Joe boards a second plane, this one bound for Copenhagen
. The boy evades WIN officers when he reaches his destination and enters the city. In London, Shane is astonished to report that WIN Supreme Command, in Washington
, has imposed an order for all agents to shoot Joe on sight.
In Copenhagen, Joe walks to the clinic of a Dr Newman, claiming that his goods are of use. Newman is secretly a member of the organisation responsible for the courier attacks and contacts another man over the phone to discuss their "export business". The associate cannot believe that the WIN codes are being carried by a child but orders Newman to rendezvous with him in the English Channel
.
In London, a distressed Mac is unable to convince Washington to call off their Red Alert. There is no apparent reason for Joe's devious behaviour, and Mac insists that his son's duplicity can only be attributed to the brain pattern of Harry Sloane. Shane finds that the man whom he used to consider faithful has requisitioned a helijet and is flying over the Channel – Sloane was the double agent all along. Mac, Sam and Shane take off in Mac's flying car
in pursuit of the traitor.
Meanwhile, Joe and Newman wait onboard a launch
as Sloane's aircraft approaches them. However, not trusting Joe, Newman suddenly lashes out and knocks off the boy's glasses. After a brief shootout
, Joe's gun
is blasted from his hand. Newman is winched onboard the helijet with the dispatch case while Joe, now no longer under the influence of Sloane's brain pattern, is powerless to stop the two men flying away. Mac, Sam and Shane arrive too late to apprehend the criminals, but Sam has been carrying a control to remote-detonate
the case the whole time – and Sloane and Newman are killed as their craft explodes. Meanwhile, Sam assures Mac that he would never have done the same to Joe – because the boy is unquestionably WIN's Most Special Agent.
original script. It also featured a note from Barwick stating, "Please amend throughout script: Nieuwenhoff to Newman" on the cast page. A newspaper prop, used in the Thunderbirds
episode Edge of Impact was reused. It can be seen being held by Mac featuring the headline "Red Arrow Test Flight Cancelled". The establishing shot of the airport was reused footage from the Thunderbirds
episode Trapped in the Sky
. The music feautred at the start of the episode on A14's radio was recorded on 12th May 1968 at Barry Gray Studio from 7 - 11pm.
website page on Joe 90
puts the episode description in the "Memorable Moments" section.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Supermarionation
Supermarionation
Supermarionation is a puppetry technique devised in the 1960s by British production company AP Films. It was used extensively in the company's numerous Gerry and Sylvia Anderson-produced action-adventure series, the most famous of which was Thunderbirds...
television series Joe 90
Joe 90
Joe 90 is a late-1960s British science-fiction television series documenting the exploits of a nine-year-old boy, Joe McClaine, who embarks on a double life as a schoolboy turned spy when his scientist father invents a pioneering machine capable of duplicating and transferring expert knowledge and...
. It was first broadcast on January 12, 1969 on ATV Midlands
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
.
Synopsis
When three of WIN's courierCourier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
s are killed, Shane Weston believes that there is a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
in the organisation. Joe is given the brain pattern of the courier chief to deliver top-secret cipher codes
Cryptography
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties...
– but when his behaviour becomes suspicious, the worst is feared: could the traitor be closer than was first thought?
Plot
WIN courierCourier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
A14 is driving along a country road at night. Carrying top-secret cipher codes
Cryptography
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties...
, he does not realise that two criminals, Miller and Sherman, are pursuing him. The crooks try to force A14 to stop; when the agent accelerates away from them, Miller shoots out one of his tyres. Losing control of his car, A14 crashes into a tree and is killed instantly. Miller and Sherman recover the dispatch case containing the cipher codes and drive away. However, they do not know that the case is packed with plastic explosive
Plastic explosive
Plastic explosive is a specialised form of explosive material. It is a soft and hand moldable solid material. Plastic explosives are properly known as putty explosives within the field of explosives engineering....
; upon unauthorised opening, it blows up in their faces.
At WIN Headquarters London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Shane Weston holds an urgent meeting with Sam Loover and the head of the Courier Section, Harry Sloane. With three operatives dead in one month, Shane suspects an inside job and concludes that there must be a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
in the organisation. Reminding the men that vital codes would have been stolen if A14's dispatch case had not been security-fitted, Shane announces that he is cancelling an upcoming mission to ferry ciphers for WIN's entire Eastern Network to Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. Despite this, an aerial
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
above his desk has been secretly recording Sloane's brain pattern…
On their way to the Professor McClaine's cottage in Sam's car, Shane is confident that Sloane, who has led the Courier Section for the past seven years, is loyal. However, he is concerned that Sloane's cover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
might be broken if he were allowed to ship the Eastern codes himself, so Joe 90 must carry out the assignment – in secret.
At the cottage, Sloane's brain pattern is transferred to Joe on the BIG RAT. Sam presents the boy with his dispatch case, which is set to explode
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
if opened without a special key
Key (lock)
A key is an instrument that is used to operate a lock. A typical key consists of two parts: the blade, which slides into the keyway of the lock and distinguishes between different keys, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque can be applied by the user. The blade is usually intended to...
. Fully equipped for his mission, Joe is driven to the airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
by Mac but, upon donning his special glasses
Glasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...
, surprises his father by saying that he will travel to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
instead of Tehran. Mac assumes that Joe has been given additional instructions, but this idea is refuted by Sam and Shane. The men are even more alarmed when Joe boards a second plane, this one bound for Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. The boy evades WIN officers when he reaches his destination and enters the city. In London, Shane is astonished to report that WIN Supreme Command, in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, has imposed an order for all agents to shoot Joe on sight.
In Copenhagen, Joe walks to the clinic of a Dr Newman, claiming that his goods are of use. Newman is secretly a member of the organisation responsible for the courier attacks and contacts another man over the phone to discuss their "export business". The associate cannot believe that the WIN codes are being carried by a child but orders Newman to rendezvous with him in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
.
In London, a distressed Mac is unable to convince Washington to call off their Red Alert. There is no apparent reason for Joe's devious behaviour, and Mac insists that his son's duplicity can only be attributed to the brain pattern of Harry Sloane. Shane finds that the man whom he used to consider faithful has requisitioned a helijet and is flying over the Channel – Sloane was the double agent all along. Mac, Sam and Shane take off in Mac's flying car
Flying car
A flying car or roadable aircraft is an aircraft that can also travel along roads. All the working examples have required some manual or automated process of conversion between the two modes of operation....
in pursuit of the traitor.
Meanwhile, Joe and Newman wait onboard a launch
Launch (boat)
A launch in contemporary usage refers to a large motorboat. The name originally referred to the largest boat carried by a warship. The etymology of the word is given as Portuguese lancha "barge", from Malay lancha, lancharan, "boat," from lanchar "velocity without effort," "action of gliding...
as Sloane's aircraft approaches them. However, not trusting Joe, Newman suddenly lashes out and knocks off the boy's glasses. After a brief shootout
Shootout
A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups. A shootout often, but not necessarily, pits law enforcement against criminal elements; it could also involve two groups outside of law enforcement, such as rival gangs. A shootout in a military context A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups....
, Joe's gun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
is blasted from his hand. Newman is winched onboard the helijet with the dispatch case while Joe, now no longer under the influence of Sloane's brain pattern, is powerless to stop the two men flying away. Mac, Sam and Shane arrive too late to apprehend the criminals, but Sam has been carrying a control to remote-detonate
Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
the case the whole time – and Sloane and Newman are killed as their craft explodes. Meanwhile, Sam assures Mac that he would never have done the same to Joe – because the boy is unquestionably WIN's Most Special Agent.
Production
The character of Dr. Newman was originally written as Dr. Nieuwenhoff in Tony Barwick'sTony Barwick
Tony Barwick was a British television scriptwriter who worked extensively on series created and produced by Gerry Anderson....
original script. It also featured a note from Barwick stating, "Please amend throughout script: Nieuwenhoff to Newman" on the cast page. A newspaper prop, used in the Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
episode Edge of Impact was reused. It can be seen being held by Mac featuring the headline "Red Arrow Test Flight Cancelled". The establishing shot of the airport was reused footage from the Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
episode Trapped in the Sky
Trapped in the Sky
"Trapped in the Sky" is the first episode of Thunderbirds, a British 1960s Supermarionation television series co-created by Gerry Anderson, which originally aired on ATV Midlands on 30 September 1965. The plot revolves around master criminal the Hood, who sabotages the brand-new Fireflash prior to...
. The music feautred at the start of the episode on A14's radio was recorded on 12th May 1968 at Barry Gray Studio from 7 - 11pm.
Reception
The ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
website page on Joe 90
Joe 90
Joe 90 is a late-1960s British science-fiction television series documenting the exploits of a nine-year-old boy, Joe McClaine, who embarks on a double life as a schoolboy turned spy when his scientist father invents a pioneering machine capable of duplicating and transferring expert knowledge and...
puts the episode description in the "Memorable Moments" section.