Supercar is a 1960s British children's TV show produced by Gerry Anderson. This was his first series to declare itself "Made... in Supermarionation!". (His previous series, the western Four Feather Falls, had pioneered the technology, but this was when they came up with the catchy name.)
Invented by Professor Popkiss and Doctor Beaker and piloted by Mike Mercury, Supercar is an amazing vehicle that can fly, go underwater, and even be driven. When pilot Bill Gibson, his little brother Jimmy and their pet monkey Mitch are rescued by the team in the first episode "Rescue," Jimmy and Mitch become part of the Supercar family coming to the aid of people in distress around the world while fending off evil Masterspy and his henchman Zarin, who'll stop at nothing to get Supercar for themselves.
Supercar provides examples of the following trope:
- Absent-Minded Professor: Dr. Horatio Beaker, and to some extent Professor Popkiss.
- All Just a Dream: Like most Gerry Anderson series, on more than one occasion.
- Audience Surrogate: Jimmy's main reason for being in the show was for the (primarily male child) audience to have someone to relate to.
- Biting-the-Hand Humor: Masterspy's physical appearance was modeled upon Lord Lew Grade, owner of ITC Entertainment and Anderson's new boss; at the time, Anderson hated how his company had been bought by Grade (before he realized how, with Grade's financial support, he could increase the scope of his productions), so he gave instructions to his employees that Masterspy be designed to look like Grade.
- Cassandra Truth: In "Transatlantic Cable", when Jimmy sees a light in a sunken submarine, none of the adults believe him. As it turns out, criminals were using it to tap into the cable.
- Comic-Book Adaptation: The only Supermarionation series to get its own American comic book adaptation during its original run, courtesy Gold Key Comics.
- Cool Car/Plane/Boat: Supercar.
- Curious as a Monkey: Jimmy's pet monkey, Mitch.
- Kid Hero: Jimmy, both in a dream of his, and a dream of a French girl wanting to be rescued by him in Supercar (she reads the comics).
- Nonhuman Sidekick: Jimmy's pet monkey, Mitch.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Dr. Beaker's cousin, Felicity Farnsworth, looks like Beaker in drag.
