| "See You Down There" | |||
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| Joe 90 episode | |||
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 23 |
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| Directed by | Leo Eaton | ||
| Written by | Tony Barwick | ||
| Production code | 28 | ||
| Original air date | March 2, 1969 | ||
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| Episode chronology | |||
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| List of Joe 90 episodes | |||
"See You Down There" is the 23rd episode of the Supermarionation television series Joe 90. It was the 28th episode to be produced. Its original UK air date was March 2, 1969 on ATV Midlands. It was written by Tony Barwick and directed by Leo Eaton.
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Ralph Clayton, the exploitative owner of Clayton Enterprises, is using legalised fraud to take over rival companies. Joe discovers that his next target is none other than Leto Machine Tools, manufacturers of special equipment often needed by WIN. Shane decides that it is time to confront Clayton's deception; however, in this unique situation, unorthodox methods will have to be used…
Ralph Clayton is a ruthless businessman who has no qualms about exploiting rivals to boost the market value of his company, Clayton Enterprises. His next target is Leto Machine Tools, which happens to be a manufacturer of specialised components for WIN. Infiltrating Clayton Enterprises' London offices, Joe discovers how Clayton regularly absorbs smaller businesses through what is essentially legalised fraud. Shane Weston is determined that Clayton's abuses be exposed. However, since he is not technically a criminal, WIN will have to resort to more unconventional methods...
Posing as a tea boy, Professor McClaine angers Clayton by falsely stating that his drink contained a hallucinogenic drug, and that he will receive the antidote only if he abandons his latest takeover. Clayton has him thrown out, only for the McClaines to pay him an unwelcome visit at his mansion the next morning. Joe has acquired the brain pattern of a musician from the BIG RAT and unceremoniously wakes the businessman with a series of trumpet tunes. Within 24 hours, Clayton has had security gates installed, but his hopes of preventing a repeat of the incident are dashed when Mac and Joe simply fly onto the drive in Mac's Jet-Air Car. While Mac re-wires the doorbell circuits to blare out the Westminster Quarters, Joe flies past the upstairs windows wearing a jet pack.
Clayton confides in two colleagues, Stewart and Evans, who cannot believe his claims that the boy who played the trumpet and "flew in through the window" are one and the same. The businessman angrily denies any suggestion that he is hallucinating, insisting that the father and son are playing tricks on his mind and reassuring himself that the police are investigating. Unknown to Clayton, the authorities have long been suspicious of his company and are in full co-operation with WIN. In fact, the only police officer to respond is none other than Sam – who arrives in a dry suit, claiming to be from the River Police. Enraged, Clayton dismisses his personal assistant, Molineaux.
Equipped with the brain pattern of an impressionist, Joe telephones Stewart and, mimicking Clayton's voice, orders him and Evans to join him at the mansion for a costume party. The real Clayton is speechless, accusing them of conspiring with WIN. Concerned for Clayton's health, Stewart and Evans reveal that they have called for a doctor. This prompts Shane to enter, dressed for the occasion, and Clayton to lose his temper. The following evening, while relaxing in front of the television, Clayton is aghast when programming is interrupted for a "special bulletin" and Joe appears, still speaking in his voice, to lecture on "how to squeeze the small business into submission and still stay inside the law". Shane purposely left a jammer behind.
Experiencing a nightmare, Clayton finally accepts Mac's lie. When Mac and Joe arrive the next morning, the businessman demands to know the cost of the antidote, but is instructed only to sign a declaration promising that he will cancel the Leto acquisition and compensate all the people that he has deceived in the past. In return, he is presented with a bag of jelly babies – the hallucinations were caused simply by exploiting Clayton's own fears, and ultimately succeeding in appealing to his better nature. Enlightened, Clayton re-hires Molineaux, warmly greets Stewart at Clayton Enterprises, and prepares to start his first day's work as an honest businessman.
The episode is heavily influenced by the series The Pisoner featuring Patrick McGoohan, which was being prodcast at the time. The phrase ‘See you down there’ and the hand signal given is a pastiche of the ‘be seeing you’.[1] This would not be the first time a Supermarionation production is linked to The Prisoner. The Thunderbirds episode Attack of the Alligators features the same stock footage of a stormy sky which features at the start of the title sequence of The Prisoner.[2] At the start of this episode the cover for a comic, produced by their sub-company TV21 (issue 183), can be see being held by Joe.[1] Ralf Clayton, is a revamp puppet originally used in the series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, for the character of Colonel White.[1] This would be the puppet’s third appearence on the series, having previously played Sam Loovers father, Dr Willie Loover in Relative Danger[3] and as Sir George Harris in Trail At Sea.[4] During postproduction, the scene featuring Clayton and Harris having their meeting was meant to come immediately after the scene in Shane’s office.[1]
Leo Eaton, who directed the episode, described making it as "[a lot of] fun".[5] He also notes that "it wasn't terribly successful" due to the fact "it wasn't a big bang-bang-blow 'em up [one]".[5] When asked whether he felt it was influence by The Prisoner he said "not consciously" but notes that "The Prisoner was so influential".[5] Reviewing a The Secret Service episode for FAB magazine, Ian Fryer compares See You Down There to the episode "More Haste Less Speed". He relates The Unorthodox Shepherd storytelling level as "an early flowering (the later See You Down There takes things much further) of the whimsy was to be defining feature of The Secret Service.”[6] Stephen La Rivière, in Filmed In Supermarionation, depicts the episode as "downright bizarre" when describing the plot. [7]
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