Out to Launch

"Out to Launch" is the ninth episode (part one) of The Thing season one, and came as a segment of Fred and Barney Meet the Thing. It aired on November 3, 1979 on NBC.

A new boat at the shipyard is in danger of an attack from a revenge-seeking demolition expert.

Characters

 * style="background-color:#clear"| Kelly Harkness
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Noelle North
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Betty Harkness
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Marilyn Schreffler
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Benjy Grimm
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Wayne Morton
 * style="background-color:#clear"| Ronald Radford
 * style="background-color:#clear"| John Erwin
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Mayor
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Clumpley
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Manfred von Wreckerstein
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Mayor's brother-in-law
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Receptionist
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Marilyn Schreffler
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Cameraman
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Music conductor
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#FDB56C" colspan="2"| Mayor's brother-in-law
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Receptionist
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Marilyn Schreffler
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Cameraman
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Music conductor
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#d2d2ff"| Music conductor
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable
 * style="background-color:#aaffaa"| Unavailable

Locations

 * Earth
 * United States
 * Centerville
 * Radford residence
 * Centerville City Hall
 * Shipyard

Objects

 * Benjy's rings
 * Glow

Vehicles

 * Ronald's car
 * Von Wreckenstein's tow-truck
 * S.S. Seaworthy
 * Crane

Music
The score was composed by Hoyt Curtin.

Release
Dates are in order of release:


 * United States: November 3, 1979 on NBC

Behind the scenes

 * The episode title is a play on "Out to lunch." You're welcome.
 * Von Wreckenstein tears the arms off a statue making it resemble the Venus de Milo.
 * How a naked woman trying to hide her obvious semi featured breasts got approved is anyone's guess. And to think, the Scooby-Doo movie in 2002 had to have all of the women's cleavage digitally removed.

Errors

 * When Benjy runs into the crate to transform, it didn't have all of its sides closed (making for a risky transformation in public), yet when he attempts to transform, four panels drop to the floor.

Home availability

 * Warner Bros. owns the show, while Disney owns the characters, making it difficult to release this episode onto DVD.