“Captain Video! Electronic wizard! Master of time and space! Guardian of the safety of the world! Fighting for law and order, Captain Video operates from a mountain retreat with secret agents at all points of the globe. Possessing scientific secrets and scientific weapons, Captain Video asks no quarter and gives none to the forces of evil. Stand by for Captain Video and his Video Rangers!”

In 2254, space-age adventures will be had and crime will be fought, all thanks to Captain Video, our technological genius-turned-hero.  With the help of his teenaged sidekick, the Video Ranger, they would save the Earth day in and day out on the DuMont Television Network.  Geared towards children, yet popular with adults, Captain Video debuted June 27, 1949 and was put into a cozy timeslot just before primetime programming would kick in, nightly between 7 and 7:30 PM.  Captain Video took up 15 of the 30 minutes, the rest typically devoted to showing old cowboy movies. 

Though popular, it was produced on a shoestring budget.  In fact, Captain Video didn’t originally have his own space ship.  As the advertising dollars started flowing, Captain Video got more than just the one he should have had to begin with, he got three: the X-9, the Galaxy and then later, the posh Galaxy II.  Fancy ride, there, Captain Video! 

Its low production quality has been the subject of some humor: Dave Barry, in his book Dave Barry Does Japan noted that the Captain Video Rocket Ring “seemed to have a higher production value than the actual TV show.”  Despite its budget issues, Captain Video started a science fiction television revolution and lives on in the minds of a generation that was hooked in, day in and day out.  As the show’s popularity increased, so did the number of sci-fi luminaries who took part in scriptwriting, including the famous Isaac Asimov. 

When DuMont went out of business, apparently someone didn’t see the worth in keeping around all that old film, the scripts, none of it – better off to destroy it for its silver content.  Gone are much of the history and evidence of the show that would inspire countless creations.  Gone are the chances for a new generation to find the magic and mystery of a by-gone vision of the future.  Captain Video was there before Buck Rogers.  He was there before Tom Corbett.  And he will continue to live on in fond childhood memories.  With all the interest in making the past new with remakes, maybe Captain Video is one that Hollywood should take a look at.