SuperTed and The Pearl Fishers was the sixth SuperTed episode on The Biggest Ever SuperTed Video and the second episode of Series 1 of SuperTed. It was broadcast on BBC1 on 6 October 1983. It originally aired in Wales on 11th October 1982.
Synopsis[]
Texas Pete wants to take over all the oyster beds of the South Pacific Islands, but he has to beat SuperTed first!
Plot[]
In the waters of the South Pacific ocean, the seabed is covered with beautiful pearl bearing oysters. A girl is diving for pearls as her ancestors have been doing for hundreds of years. When her net is full, she swims to the surface, only to see the face of Bulk waiting for her.
In a tree house, thousands of miles away, SuperTed and Spotty are quietly sleeping. Suddenly, an alarm on a monitor goes off, waking up SuperTed and Spotty, who becomes tangled up in his hammock. SuperTed heads over to the monitor. A male islander tells Super Ted to head over to the South Pacific to help as three thugs have taken over the island, but he is pulled away by a lasso. SuperTed immediately recognises it as that of Texas Pete's. After freeing Spotty, he examines a map of the South Pacific. SuperTed says his secret magic word and he and Spotty head off to the rescue.
In a lagoon in the South Pacific, Texas Pete orders Skeleton to open a oyster. Tex swallows it but nearly chokes, discovering there was still a pearl inside. He angrily berates Skeleton for this, reminding him to remove the pearls first. He then orders Bulk to hurry up the divers. One of the girls returns with more pearls and ends up splashing Bulk, much to his confusion. But when he leans over to call the divers for more pearls, the boat tips forward, then when Bulk sits back down, the weight causes the pearls to fly out of the boat and into the ocean, where they scatter on the sea bed and on to an octopus.
The furious Tex threatens the terrified Bulk and Skeleton, but Skeleton notices SuperTed in the sky behind Tex and tries to warn him. However, the cowboy is too angry to notice and states Skeleton isn't fooling him. SuperTed and Spotty have reached the island. Spotty states it is pleasant, but SuperTed mentions it makes his stomach feel funny. Spotty just considers it to only be rocket sickness, stating SuperTed landed much too quickly. SuperTed adds that is not the problem, and that he doesn't like the island being too quiet.
Just then, a monkey throws a coconut on Spotty's head. Angered, he shakes the tree to get the monkey down, but more coconuts fall off the tree and onto Spotty's head! SuperTed laughs at what he has just seen, but Spotty is not badly hurt and laughs the whole thing off as well. SuperTed instructs Spotty to follow the monkey. The animal leads the two heroes along a winding path which takes them through the subtropical undergrowth of the island. SuperTed feels the jungle is closing in on them. Spotty is becoming nervous and wants to head back, but SuperTed tells him they need to go on, as the Pearl Fishers need their help.
Suddenly, they reach a cave and jump at the sight of strange noises and a red glow coming from within. Despite their fear, they proceed inside, and find the cages containing the other villagers, including the leader who sent out the mayday call to SuperTed earlier. The villagers are relieved to see them, but fear there is no way for them to get out as the cages are reinforced steel.
Spotty suggests that SuperTed try using his super strength to loosen the bars, and after some difficulty, SuperTed succeeds, much to the villagers' relief. After Spotty commends SuperTed for not knowing his own strength, the leader tells them that Texas Pete still has the Pearl Fisher girls and they need to save them. As SuperTed and Spotty take to the air, the villagers head down to the shoreline, only to find Texas Pete's boat abandoned, with the girls bound and restrained inside.
Tex has taken Bulk and Skeleton with him underwater to recover the pearls that were thrown out of the boat earlier. As SuperTed and Spotty head underwater, Spotty quickly takes down Skeleton unintentionally, leaving Skeleton flapping his gums foolishly. SuperTed manages to fling Bulk out of the water, but while Tex is collecting the pearls and thinking of the money and riches he'll get from them, he's soon caught by the octopus, who the pearls fell onto earlier. He takes a romantic interest in Tex, trying to kiss him as he struggles to escape.
Some time later, the villagers celebrate around a large bonfire, with the monkey that helped Spotty and SuperTed earlier, throwing coconuts on Tex and Skeleton's heads. Elsewhere, a crying Bulk is stuck in a palm tree, begging someone to help get him down. In the meantime, with their mission complete, SuperTed and Spotty head for home, with their rockets tracing patterns in the evening sky.
Starring:[]
- Derek Griffiths as SuperTed
- Peter Hawkins as The Narrator & The Male Islander
- Jon Pertwee as Spottyman
- Victor Spinetti as Texas Pete
- Roy Kinnear as Bulk
- Melvyn Hayes as Skeleton
Home Media Releases[]
The Biggest Ever SuperTed Video
Trivia[]
- Although this is the second episode, it is the sixth episode on all media releases.
- This is the first episode that begins at SuperTed's tree house.
- The footage of Super Ted after he changes into his super form and says "Let's go, Spotty" was later used in the next episode.
Gallery[]
- Main article: SuperTed and the Pearl Fishers/Gallery