Ultra Q

Ultra Q
Created by Tsuburaya Productions
Starring Kenji Sahara, Yasuhiko Saijou, Hiroko Sakurai
Country of origin Japan
No. of episodes 28
Production
Running time 24 minutes (per episode)
Release
Original network TBS
Original release January 2 – July 3, 1966
Chronology
Followed by Ultraman

Ultra Q (ウルトラQ Urutora Kyū) is a tokusatsu science fiction/kaiju series made in the tradition of Toho's many tokusatsu sci-fi/horror films.

Produced in black and white by Tokyo Broadcasting System/Tsuburaya Productions, this is actually the first of the long-running Ultra Series, and was broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) from January 2 to July 3, 1966 (the final episode was preempted until December 14, 1967), with a total of 28 episodes. This series was followed two weeks later by the more popular Ultraman (Urutoraman, 1966), the second Ultra Series.

Ultra Q can be described as a half-hour Toho kaiju series. Executive Producer Eiji Tsuburaya intended this series to be more like the American television series The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, featuring all kinds of strange and unusual stories. After a survey, the TBS network convinced Tsuburaya Productions to add more giant monsters, as children were intensely interested in them, since Godzilla (Gojira) and Gamera were all the rage at the time (the first "Kaiju Boom" took off after Ultra Q became an enormous hit).[1] Much like the The X-Files, the series features continuing characters who investigate strange supernatural phenomena, including giant monsters, aliens, ghosts, and various other threats.

The original planned title of this project was Unbalance, and was subsequently rechristened Ultra Q (the English word, "Ultra" had become popular because of the Gold Medal winning Japanese gymnast during the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, who used a technique called "Ultra C", which caused the word to becoming a catch phrase.) The series began production in 1964, with the premiere set for January 1966. At the time, this was the most expensive television series ever produced in Japan. The "Q" stands for "Question" and also tied with another hit TBS series, Obake no Q-tarō, an animated series based on the manga by Fujiko Fujio.[2]

Characters

Monsters

List of Ultra Q monsters
The monster Gomess from episode 1. The monster was brought to life with a modified Godzilla suit from the films Mothra vs Godzilla and Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster.

Because of his stature as a filmmaker, and with his close relationship with Toho (they were investors in Tsuburaya Productions),[3] Eiji Tsuburaya was able to use various suits and props from the various Toho Kaiju films for his series. The Manda prop was used for the dragon Kairyu as well as the head being used as the front portion of a Viking ship seen in episode 12, the giant octopus prop from King Kong vs. Godzilla was used to portray Sudar, while the Maguma suit from Gorath was used to portray Todora. As well, various other suits and props were refurbished to play some of the monsters such as Godzilla for Gomess, King Kong for Goroh, Baragon for Pagos, and a small Rodan prop for the birds Largeus and Litra.

Episodes

  1. Defeat Gomess! (ゴメスを倒せ! Gomesu o Taose!)
  2. Goro and Goroh (五郎とゴロー Gorō to Gorō)
  3. The Gift From Space (宇宙からの贈りもの Uchū kara no Okurimono)
  4. Mammoth Flower (マンモスフラワー Manmosu Furawā)
  5. Peguila Is Here! (ペギラが来た! Pegira ga Kita!)
  6. Grow Up! Little Turtle (育てよ! カメ Sodateyo! Kame)
  7. S.O.S. Mount Fuji (SOS富士山 Esu Ō Esu Fujisan)
  8. Terror of the Sweet Honey (甘い蜜の恐怖 Amai Mitsu no Kyōfu)
  9. Baron Spider (クモ男爵 Kumo Danshaku)
  10. The Underground Super Express Goes West (地底超特急西へ Chitei Chōtokkyū Nishi e)
  11. Balloonga (バルンガ Barunga)
  12. I Saw a Bird (鳥を見た Tori o Mita)
  13. Garadama (ガラダマ)
  14. Tokyo Ice Age (東京氷河期 Tōkyō Hyōgaki)
  15. Kanegon's Cocoon (カネゴンの繭 Kanegon no Mayu)
  16. Garamon Strikes Back (ガラモンの逆襲 Garamon no Gyakushū)
  17. The 1/8 Project (1/8計画 Hachibun-no-Ichi Keikaku)
  18. The Rainbow's Egg (虹の卵 Niji no Tamago)
  19. Challenge from the Year 2020 (2020年の挑戦 Nisen-nijū-nen no Chōsen)
  20. The Undersea Humanoid Ragon (海底原人ラゴン Kaitei Genjin Ragon)
  21. Space Directive M774 (宇宙指令M774 Uchū Shirei Emu Nana Nana Yon)
  22. Metamorphosis (変身 Henshin)
  23. Fury of the South Sea (南海の怒り Nankai no Ikari)
  24. The Idol of Goga (ゴーガの像 Gōga no Zō)
  25. The Devil Child (悪魔ッ子 Akumakko)
  26. Blazing Glory (燃えろ栄光 Moero Eikō)
  27. The Disappearance of Flight 206 (206便消滅す Ni Maru Roku Bin Shōmetsu-su)
  28. Open Up! (あけてくれ! Aketekure!)

English dub

Page from United Artists Television's Press Kit

In 1967, Ultra Q was licensed from Tsuburaya and TBS by CBS Films, producers of The Twilight Zone. It was a package deal that not only included Ultra Q, but also Ultraman. For the task of dubbing, CBS hired Film House in Toronto, Canada, what is now DeLuxe Toronto. Tsuburaya provided translated scripts, plus English language opening and closing credits, and a custom, swirling title-card. The series itself was dubbed in its 28 episode entirety. At some point, CBS Films backed out of licensing the series, and it was picked up, along with Ultraman, by United Artists Television, producers of The Outer Limits. Subsequently, United Artists Television hired Titra Studios to dub Ultraman. Ultraman was syndicated, however, Ultra Q was not, due to being in Black-and-white at a time when most television was switching to color. After Ultraman finished its run in syndication, audio and film masters, and other materials, of both series were stored in the MGM vaults (stumbled upon by the author of Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, August Ragone, while researching materials concerning Ultra Q).[4]

Before Ragone uncovered this information, it was commonly believed, even by Tsuburaya Productions, that only one episode, Episode 3 ("Gift From Outer Space"), was dubbed into English as a pilot.[5] Over the last decade, other episodes have been discovered in the hands of private US collectors on the 16mm film format.

Legacy

In the years following the show's original run, a live action film called Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars was released in 1990. As well, a radio program featuring the voices of the three original stars of the show (playing their classic characters) called The Ultra Q Club aired on Japanese radio from 2003-2004. Also in 2004, a new series called Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy was produced while another series called Neo Ultra Q began airing in early 2013.

The original concept of the show (when it was going to be called Unbalance) was ultimately used for a 13-episode horror anthology series entitled Horror Theater Unbalance that was produced by Tsuburaya Productions in 1973.[6]

Various Ultra Q monsters were reused or redressed for various monsters in Ultraman. The Kemur Man and Ragon (now giant sized) returned, while the Garamon suit was reused and repaired to serve as Pigmon. Other suits were altered to play other monsters such as, Peguila being altered into Chandorah, Kemur Man being altered into Alien Zetton, Pagos being altered into Neronga (and later Magular and Gabora), while the head of the Cicada Man was modified to become the head of Alien Baltan. Finally, Peter's suit was modified to become that of Gesura.

Home Media

Shout! Factory released the complete series of Ultra Q on DVD on August 13, 2013.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Ragone, August (2007, 2014) Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, Chronicle Books, ISBN 978-0-8118-6078-9
  2. ↑ Ragone, August (2007, 2014) Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, Chronicle Books, ISBN 978-0-8118-6078-9
  3. ↑ Ragone, August (2007, 2014) Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, Chronicle Books, ISBN 978-0-8118-6078-9
  4. ↑ Ragone, August (2007, 2014) Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, Chronicle Books, ISBN 978-0-8118-6078-9
  5. ↑ Ragone, August (2007, 2014) Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, Chronicle Books, ISBN 978-0-8118-6078-9
  6. ↑ Ragone, August (2007, 2014) Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters, Chronicle Books, ISBN 978-0-8118-6078-9
  7. ↑ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Urutora-Q-The-Complete-Series/18445

Bibliography

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