Goingggg 'ommmme...
Here's one that's not due for release until the 22nd of this month, but I received my copy today. It's the soundtrack cd album of Fireball XL5, the first of Gerry Anderson's TV puppet programmes to be set in the 21st century. Apt, considering that Century 21 was the original name intended for Fireball at the developmental stage. I've only listened to half the album so far, but it does exactly what it says on the tin and is a nice reminder of the show. If you're thinking of buying a copy, best to get it direct from Silva Screen Records as it's cheaper by a few quid than the usual online 'middle-man' sources. For example, Silva's price is £8.99 for the cd, plus £1.75 for p&p, whereas The Official Gerry Anderson Shop's price is £14.99, plus whatever they charge for p&p, which is usually a lot more than £1.75.
Anyway, here's a question for all you decrepit old farts older citizens out there who are ancient enough (like me) to recall when Gerry Anderson's shows were first broadcast. I no longer remember if I ever saw Four Feather Falls, but I was there when Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, and The Secret Service (probably best to forget about that one*) had their initial airings back in the '60s. Although Thunderbirds had great designs for the rescue craft, I'd have to say that my favourites from the GA stable are Fireball, then Stingray, with Thunderbirds a close third. Captain Scarlet was good as well of course, though I never quite warmed to speccy four-eyes - er, I mean Joe 90.
So, Crivvies, what was your favourite Gerry Anderson show - and why? The comments section is now yours.
(*Come to think of it, as far as I know, The Secret Service wasn't shown in Scotland so I've never actually seen it - apart from a few clips.)
25 comments:
Was Secret Service the one with Stanley Unwin or am I getting horribly confused? My favourite Gerry Anderson show was Space: 1999 but I suppose you mean the shows with the puppets so I'll choose Joe 90 because the others were slightly before my time but I remember watching Joe 90 on my grandmother's colour TV.
That's the one, CJ. Mixing live action with puppets? Well, it didn't seem to work as far as audiences were concerned. Better to go with either one or the other, not try and combine the two. Was never keen on Space 1999, thought U.F.O. was better. Funnily enough, I seem to hear these initials wherever I go; whatever can they be trying to tell me?
Captain Scarlet was my favourite of these followed by Thunderbirds and Stingray. I loved them as a kid but strangely , for a geek they never stayed with me past childhood as being of interest. Fireball XL5 was my favourite theme tune though.
Kid, when I say Space: 1999 I really mean the first season. The second season was never shown in my ITV region but I did eventually watch it on BBC 2 and it was total shite, completely different in style from season one. Do you remember the Space 1999 ice lolly? I had a Space 1999 annual too.
I have all the boxed dvd sets from Supercar up to Joe 90, McS, but they're a trek to watch to be honest. They'd have been best just releasing a dvd with the first episodes (actually they did - I've got it), plus another one with just the opening and closing credits, plus all the launch sequences from each show. As they used the same ones in each episode, they'd only have to show them once. That would catch the mood of the shows and you could watch it in minutes. Thunderbirds was a wee bit too long even at the time.
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I vaguely remember the ice lolly, CJ, can't recall if I ever saw the Annual. To be honest, from the few episodes I saw, I thought both series were sh*te. The best acting on the show was by Martin Landau's toupee.
Yeah that was my concern with re-watching the shows they just seemed too long. A bit of good editing would change that as you describe. One of the first toys I remember getting was a supercar replica back in the 60s but I have very few memories of the show. I forgot about Joe 90 , I always thought that was a really clever idea and would make a good film franchise.
Yeah, but without the hero being a 9 year-old boy - in dungarees, the wee cissie. What kind of Supercar, McS? Die-cast or plastic? And what size? Two of mine are on the blog, so the one you had might've been one of them.
Such a long time ago but I think it was plastic about 6 inches (it wasn't a big toy from memory). A cissie with dungarees, Oor Willie will not be happy to hear that
If it came with five small figures of the main characters, it's on the blog somewhere (just the Supercar, the figures are tucked away in a drawer). It was made by Cecil Coleman.
Ah, but Oor Wullie wore black, manly, workmen type dungarees. Speccy wore blue stripey ones like Andy Pandy.
Left a couple of comments on your blog, McS.
Four Feather Falls was great in it's day as pretty much everything on TV then was a western. I think Twizzle and Torchy predated even that show. They were both awful, with stories that just plodded along.
Supercar was great especially when it drove (with back projection) along the new M1 motorway. Overtaking old Fords along the way.
Fireball XL5 had to be the best just because the model was realistic in that it didn't stretch believability compared to Thunderbirds 1,3,4,and 5. Thunderbird 2 vs XL5 would be no contest in reality as T2 couldn't be that maneuverable for it's size.
If you want a real downer, watch any Anderson puppet show without the music. Stingray, Fireball or Thunderbirds are all about the music setting the tone.
When you think about it, T47, we really only watched the shows to see the various craft being launched and to listen to the themes - the stories were unimportant. The half-hour shows are durable if episodes are watched singly on occasion, but marathon viewings reveal their shortcomings in the entertainment stakes. The same could be said for Dr. Who, which was padded out beyond necessity merely to fill the episode quota of each story.
Interestingly, the first few Thunderbirds episodes were shot as half-hour shows (including time for ads), but Lew Grade ordered them to be expanded as he wanted hour long shows to sell to the States.
I forgot to mention that for all of us that enjoyed Supermarionation a must see is TEAM AMERICA: World Police.
Made in 2004 it will have you in stitches. I actually fell off the couch laughing uncontrollably watching it. All the things puppets didn't do for Anderson they do for this movie.
Saw it on telly years ago, T47, and really enjoyed it. I bet Gerry Anderson wished that HE'D thought of it.
Paul McScotty has a blog? This is news to me. What's it called, Kid?
Click on his avatar, CJ, which will take you to his profile. You'll see a link to his blog there. I'll add a link to my blog-list once he's done a few more posts (and responded to the comments left). It's called 'That Was Then'.
Thanks, Kid - I've now left a comment on Paul's first post (dated November 5th!)
Nae bother, CJ - I've just read your comment. It might be this November before he replies though.
I go back to Torchy the Battery Boy then Tex Tucker in Four Feather Falls. They were all brilliant. It puts all this shit that kids watch today to shame. I always thought that Gerry Anderson started his decline with Captain Scarlet as the puppets became too human where as good old Scott Tracey Troy Tempest and Steve Zodiac looked like puppets. Still though bloody good stuff !!!!!!;
Did you ever see the Mime Theatre Project's "Thunderbirds FAB"? Top piece of theatre deconstructing the whole Anderson puppet show range, while affectionately lampooning it...I certainly coveted those Thunderbirds they wore on their heads.
I was really a Captain Scarlet man myself. Had an SPV and action figure. It had a more comic book super hero feel to it. But I often felt Thunderbirds had better scripts.
It certainly seems that Gerry's shows with more realistically-proportioned puppets were less popular with viewers, LH. It's always possible that I saw Torchy and Four Feathers, but I just don't remember. I do recall Space Patrol though, but maybe that's because it had a strip in TV Comic.
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Yeah, saw photos and clips at the time, BS. That big TB2 hat was awesome. Wonder what happened to it?
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I've got that very SPV and action figure, PS, though the ones I've got now are replacements for my originals I had in the '60s. The SPV was by Dinky, and the action figure was by Pedigree, using the same body (with a different head) as their Tommy Gunn figure.
A Gerry Anderson show to avoid is Space Precinct from the mid-90s. I remember a letter to the Radio Times saying "this is the kind of show that gives science-fiction a bad name". Indeed!
Someone kindly gave me a dvd of it some years back, so it's tucked away somewhere. Never managed to get around to watching it yet. Will do one day, just to see if it's as bad as you say, CJ.
Hi Kid, Colin, thank you for leaving some replies much appreciated guys. Apologies for the delay in replying a combination of work and issue with my laptop...oh and blogger can be a bit of a pain at times. I was keeping it to myself until I sorted it all out (still have things to add to the blog etc) and could think of what to write about as I noted in my reply on my blog its not as easy as you make it seem.
Well, there's two possible explanations for that, McS, and you're free to choose whichever one you want. Either I'm incredibly gifted and talented, or I just write whatever sh*te comes into my head. Take yer pick.
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