JOE 90 stands only knee-high to a schoolboy—but £100,000 has been invested in his future as ITV's secret Weapon against the B.B.C.'s "Dr. Who."
Joe is an 18-inch tall puppet, the latest invention of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, creators of Captain Scarlet, Lady Penelope, Stingray, and ITV's other children's hour stars-on Sunday afternoons.
But Joe is special. He has been promoted to the hot spot on Saturday evenings on London Weekend TV next month as a direct challenge to "Dr. Who."
Cheeky
His voice will come from 16-year-old Len Jones hidden behind the cameras. Len, a blinder's son from Chiswick, was 'picked because the producers were looking for someone cheeky and chirpy.'
His Cockney voice will become one of the best known on TV.
Len, five-foot tall, towers over, tiny Joey, but he says : "Joe will slaughter that sloppy Dr. Who. He may only be a puppet, but he is more realistic."
Joe is a nine-year-old schoolboy with magic spectacles. When he puts them on he can turn into a Super Man, the world's greatest astronaut, champion swimmer, or brilliant surgeon. His school satchel has a secret compartment for a radio transmitter, automatic pistol, World Intelligence Network badge, and ... the spectacles.
Caption: The voice behind puppet Joe 90: 16-year-old Len Jones
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
