MovieChat Forums > Joe 90 (1968) Discussion > Joe 90 debate....

Joe 90 debate....

posted 20 years ago by demonhorse
10 replies | jump to latest

Just a thought here, but Joe 90 features a 9/10 year old (he turns 10 in the final episode) doing things adults would usually do.

With that in mind, is this the very show that's responsible for the whole Spy Kids type stuff? even way back in 1968?

Think of it this way, without this type of show, we may never have been subjected to Spy Kids etc and the new Thunderbirds movie may have been closer to the original tone, which would have made it a better movie. Looking at it this way, it seems Anderson is responsible for the poor quality and tone change of his own show's remake.

[–] tabaddon 20 years ago

I've been watching Supercar (1959) and Jimmy, who's about 8, is pretty involved in the grown-up rescue exploits of Mike Mercury & co. It's not quite on the level with Joe 90, but certainly on that path. Even then, while making childrens' series, the group was careful to treat kids intelligently and offer them strong characters their age to identify with along with the adult heros.

From a fortune cookie: "Be Quicker of Mind Than of Tongue"

[–] jadzia92 20 years ago

The writers of the Thunderbirds movie obviously got Joe 90 confused with Thunderbirds.

[–] freefall79 19 years ago

does anyone think it's a bit crual that a man adopts a son, basically uses him as a lab rat-big rat anyone ands used him to do his spy bitch work...where are social services whilst this is going on?

Thunderbirds Aren't Slow

[–] jadzia92 19 years ago

I think the adoption of Joe came way before the BIG RAT came along and the father actually objected to Joe being used as a spy at first. So this suggestion that he adopted Joe for an ulterior motive is just not true. Things happen that's all.

[–] sci-fi-fan 19 years ago

Freefall79 said...

-does anyone think it's a bit crual that a man adopts a son, basically uses him as a lab rat-big rat anyone ands used him to do his spy bitch work...where are social services whilst this is going on?

You may not have seen the first episode, but in it we see an arguement, towards the end, between Mac and Shane Weston. Shane wanted Joe to join WIN and Joe wanted to himself, but it was Mac who originally didn't want him to join because of his age. In the end he agreed, but he still wasn't 100% happy with the idea.

Aimi

[–] sci-fi-fan 19 years ago

I think the whole movie thing with kid superheros, is because so many children have a super hero as their idol, like Batman, x-men... And in a way, they wish that they could be superheros themselves. These kiddie superhero films are simply presenting them with an imaginery reality that they can relate to.

Aimi

[–] apostasia 17 years ago

It is very Spy Kids, yes, so your argument that Anderson is ultimately responsible for the poor remake does carry some weight. Rather amusing.

Just a painted face on a trip down suicide row

[–] powersroc 13 years ago

I would have to disagree.Gerry Anderson was never invited by the producers to participate at all in the Thunderbirds film.If he had been we would have gotten a fine movie.To blame his 1968 Joe 90 TV show for influencing the Thunderbirds producers is also a stretch,is there any proof they were so influenced? And even if they were influenced by Joe 90,you cannot fault Anderson for that fact.Again,he wasn't included at all at any level of the Thunderbirds movie...& it showed.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Mimi-16 13 years ago

Let's not forget the early 1960s Japanese anime series "Prince Planet" and "Gigantor" among many other child super-agents and/or superheroes. :-)