Captain Midnight or Jet Jackson? 1950s Adventure

JET JACKSON

[diviningdragon]

Another classic! Interestingly enough, Captain Midnight (Jet Jackson) would serve as the template for many spoofs, satires, or send-ups in the future for other shows to mimick or mock. However, one cannot deny the appeal and thrills this would give young viewers of the era before NASA and government sponsored space exploration that would take off in the 1960s. For me, as a child in the Sixties, Saturday mornings were usually subject to animated fare from the likes of Hanna-Barbera. As the Sixties moved on and shows moved to color in 1965, black-and-white repeats from the Fifties were quickly phased out. So, it is hard to find someone younger than their seventies now who remember actually watching Captain Midnight on the small screen. Nevertheless, it is worth rewatching to understand how a show like this would actually serve as a template for the genre action shows that would follow in future decades. Strong male lead, supportive companion, some kind of bureaucratic hierarchy to report to, hard action to take down baddies, feel-good resolutions to each story. In fact, one thing that was original was the focus on a returning character. As the Sixties dawned, the move in SF was on anthology shows in which each story was original and separate such as Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. We would not see a regular return to classic ensembles and strong leads until the mid-Sixties move to color. Thanks for sharing, Doug!