Was it me or...

[colcool007]

Did anyone else note the more than passing resemblence of the Valiant in the latest Doctor Who episode to the old flying superbase that Spectrum had in Captain Scarlet?

[Lew Stringer]

Did anyone else note the more than passing resemblence of the Valiant in the latest Doctor Who episode to the old flying superbase that Spectrum had in Captain Scarlet?

Cloudbase, (or "Skybase" in the new Captain Scarlet series). But there's another nod to the Anderson show too: an indestructible Captain...?

More than coincidence.

Lew

[Kremmen]

Glad it wasn't just me, then.

Alternatively it could have been a nod to SHIELD's Helicarrier?

[philcom55]

Alternatively it could have been a nod to SHIELD's Helicarrier?

Yes. It's funny how many people are now taking it for granted this was a deliberate homage to Captain Scarlet (not least the Radio Times' own reviewer). To my mind the SHIELD helicarrier is just as likely - especially when you remember that Russell T Davies more or less confirmed Jonathon Ross's theory that Captain Jack Harkness had been named after the Fantastic Four's old babysitter!

Of course there's a third possibility that nobody seems to have mentioned yet: can anybody think of examples of flying aircraft carriers that appeared in the pages of the Valiant comic itself - maybe on the cover in Mike Western's 'It Could Happen' series...?

- Phil Rushton

[colcool007]

Alternatively it could have been a nod to SHIELD's Helicarrier?

Yes. It's funny how many people are now taking it for granted this was a deliberate homage to Captain Scarlet (not least the Radio Times' own reviewer). To my mind the SHIELD helicarrier is just as likely - especially when you remember that Russell T Davies more or less confirmed Jonathon Ross's theory that Captain Jack Harkness had been named after the Fantastic Four's old babysitter!

Of course there's a third possibility that nobody seems to have mentioned yet: can anybody think of examples of flying aircraft carriers that appeared in the pages of the Valiant comic itself - maybe on the cover in Mike Western's 'It Could Happen' series...?

- Phil Rushton

Alternatively a similar series featured in Warlord in the early 80's as back cover art and was beautifully drawn by Ian Kennedy. But considering Russell T Davies' tastes, the US art is a more likely influence.

[Lew Stringer]

Glad it wasn't just me, then.

Alternatively it could have been a nod to SHIELD's Helicarrier?

True, and that pre-dates Captain Scarlet by about two years.

Lots of comic-influenced stuff in the latest Doctor Who stories by Russel T. Davies: Gridlock's City was inspired by Mega City One (RTD has even admitted that), and it even featured a max Normal type character, and as for the rhino-type aliens in the first episode.... well, let's just say it's not a million miles away from Obidiah Horn of Elephantmen....

http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/f ... k/horn.jpg

Lew

[Brendan McGuire]

Gentlemen, gentlemen, please! It's obviously a nod to Swift's flying island, Laputa in Gulliver's Travels, is it not?


That's a not then.