FAB Express 106 is on its way

We’re delighted to report that FAB Express 106 was posted today to all Fanderson members!

We also had so many contributions to this issue’s FlashBack that we couldn’t fit them all in. We don’t want to leave anyone out, so here are our regular contributors Pat and Doug’s thoughts on Thunderbirds Ricochet

Pat Gardner, Lancing, West Sussex

I have mixed feelings about the extra six episodes. Thunderbirds was, for me, about Scott and Virgil undertaking a rescue with the use of whatever exciting new vehicle was in the pod. The other characters were an ensemble cast to provide variety and some light relief. By the time the extra episodes were made the focus was more on these subsidiary characters, there were no pod vehicles apart from a dull cherry picker (Path Of Destruction), and in two of the episodes no rescue (the Christmas story and also Lord Parker’s ‘Oliday, the latter also contradicting what we are told in Atlantic Inferno that International Rescue is there to save people – Monte Bianco could have been evacuated and no-one would have died)! And the episodes that did have rescues had rather lame ones, mostly involving cutting gear. Ricochet is a good example – Loman is rescued by simply being picked up, and the rescue of O’Shea is consists of cutting through a door (OK, the black eye is an added extra).

There are other changes for these episodes. When I was a child, my favourite character was Virgil, with his steady calm voice in total contrast to Scott. I don’t like the replacement voice. I recall my sister commenting on the different hidden microphone on Jeff’s desk. Children notice these things. In some episodes Tracy Island looks different, and there are variations in the design of the craft. As a child I felt things should be a fixed way and I did not like the changes at all (I am less bothered now). Some of the puppets seem to be a half-way house between the caricatures and those of later series, particularly Prof Marshall.

I was a bit puzzled by the second stage separation fault in the rocket, since it continued firing in the atmosphere when presumably it would have no fuel left. However, by the time it reached space it has stopped firing. The rocket launch scenes are rather long-winded, giving the impression of padding to increase the running time. Also puzzled as to why Thunderbird 2 was launched when the obvious thing would have been to only launch Thunderbird 3 – the eventual need for Thunderbird 2 was not obvious at the start of the rescue. Jeff clearly takes a belt and braces approach.

This is the second episode in which Alan exhibits jealousy (the other being End Of The Road). Tin-Tin, don’t go out with him, he will be a nightmare in the future!

Pirate station KLA is presumably inspired by the pirate radio stations of the 60s. It is rather prescient, written long before satellite television or MTV. And using the broadcast to issue a call for help really did eventually happen, at Radio NorthSea International in the early 70s when a naughty rival set fire to their ship. There are some oddities though. KLA is not in geostationary orbit so a viewer would only receive the station for a short time (if at all, given the lack of a dish on Tin-Tin’s set). And although O’Shea is on screen to introduce the tracks, these appear to be on audio tape – so what is shown on screen while the music plays? We may never know.

I like the special effects sequence when Thunderbird 2 tries to divert the space station from the refinery, especially the way in which KLA disintegrates. But I don’t like the sequence when Thunderbird 2 reverses into its hanger. The smoke reverses into the pipes! Anyone would think they’d run the film backwards instead of creating a new scene…

Ricochet has a novel story and it was great that more Thunderbirds episodes were made (my memory of the first screening in the London area was that the new episodes were shown every second week, interleaved with repeats). If only there had been fewer changes between the first 26 episodes and the extra six.

 

Doug Pelton, Mississauga, Canada

Just got watching Ricochet once more. Graeme Walker passed on his old A&E sets to me so I viewed it again. Loved these things. How despicable Rick was throughout/putting the show ahead of the well-being of the station and scaredie-catting his refusal to be saved by Alan.

I loved the newer interior look of the Sentinel Base and the ICS interior all looking like one to come in the C21 shows. The circular ICS control desk and much of the electronics flat against the wall. The rocket is the best one of the series, all smooth and minus the earlier fins etc of Sun Probe and Mars Probe ones. Most likely this was one of Mike Trim’s earliest conceptions. Like it foreshadowed the ones he did for C21 and UFO. And the silo it was housed in. Also the mid section shots of TB3 as Alan exits and then returns with Loman, plus TB2 return to base landing on the strip then backwarding into the hangar. And the angst exhibited by Virgil and Brains thinking that rick died with the KLA desert crash. Plus the good work done to paint on the bruise on Rick’s face.

Another good one, an early one from Tony Barwick and Mike Trim here. Rare one without TB1 or Lady P. And Jeff’s concern for pirate space stations like KLA impairing normal orbital items orbits too. Like the UFO space junk in Conflict.

 

In FABruary we dropped the price of all back issues of FAB and FAB Express, so there’s never been a better time to catch up on any missing issues. And don’t forget that we still have limited stock of FAB Annual 2023 if you missed that, or want a second copy.

 

Celebrate Stingray’s TPTV launch with our exclusive soundtrack saver!

To celebrate Talking Pictures TV’s launch of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s undersea puppet adventure Stingray tomorrow, we’re making our exclusive three-CD soundtrack boxset available at a very special price:

  • UK £36.50 £25
  • Europe £40.00 £28.50
  • rest of the world £43.00 £31.50

Having already broadcast Fireball XL5 and Thunderbirds, we can only hope that Joe 90 will soon be on TPTV too, and you can can get ready with our exclusive Joe 90 four-CD soundtrack boxset now at the same great price:

  • UK £30.00 £25
  • Europe £33.50 £28.50
  • rest of the world £36.50 £31.50

These soundtracks are produced by Fanderson exclusively for club members, and they’re available at these great offer prices until 31st May 2024.

It’s FABruary!

The post-Christmas/January blues are over, and we’re into FABruary!

Since 1991, we’ve published 100 issues of our club magazine FAB, packed with news, reviews, interviews, features, cutaways, members’ letters, comic strips, script-to-screen analysis and much, much more.

If you’ve missed any issues, now’s the time to catch up as all available FAB magazines (and its successor FAB Express) are now permanently reduced in price, to:

  • UK £3.50
  • Europe £6.00
  • rest of the world £7.60

Don’t hang about, though, as some issues are already on our ‘low stock’ listing – when they’re gone, they’re gone!

You can save even more by buying three or more FAB/FAB Express magazines in the same transaction. Apply the coupon code FABBackIssues when you checkout and you’ll get 25% off.

All available issues are here, so pop some reading matter bargains into your basket now.

NOTE: Prices are reviewed periodically to take into account the rising cost of packaging and postage etc.

Talking Pictures TV’s Noel Cronin awarded BEM

Film producer, editor and founder of Talking Pictures TV, Noel Cronin has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2024 New Year Honours, for services to Television Broadcasting.

Talking Pictures TV is a free vintage film and TV channel, and is currently the UK broadcast home of Fireball XL5 and Thunderbirds. It’s available on Freeview/Youview 82, Freesat 306, Sky channel 328 and Virgin 445.

See more on this story at the Watford Observer.

Image: Talking Pictures TV

This is the sound of an Alien Attack!

Now you can listen to the sound of an Alien Attack, with our new soundtrack CD!

Fanderson is delighted to announce the first in our series of soundtrack releases to the Super Space Theater compilation movies from 1978-82. The project is the brain-child of Fanderson member Kenji Rinoie, who says “As a fan of Barry Gray, I am really glad to have been involved in producing this new soundtrack album. I know many fans are not fond of the (many) additional music cues to the Super Space Theatre compilations, however, these upcoming releases will bring us to a deeper world of the maestro for they will contain some unreleased stuff and a lot of notes about music itself. I hope you all will enjoy them.”

Alien Attack is a limited edition release of just 500 copiesorder your copy on the club website now!

Keep an eye out for Thunderbirds To The Rescue, coming soon.

[UK] The Noble Art of Fireball XL5 on TPTV

Talking Pictures have added The Noble Art of Fireball XL5 to their free Encore streaming service.

In this fascinating 17-minute documentary by Fanderson member Jeff Smart, legendary TV Century 21 and Look-in artist Mike Noble talks about his work on Fireball XL5, Captain Scarlet, Zero X and Space:1999 comic strips, among others.

The programme will also be broadcast on Talking Pictures at 14:40 on Saturday 20th January 2024. Talking Pictures TV is a free vintage film and TV channel available in the UK on Freeview/Youview 82, Freesat 306, Sky channel 328 and Virgin 445.

Don’t forget Jeff’s Talking Thunderbirds series on Encore too! Encore is a free service – watch via the red button on internet-connected Freeview TVs,  or register to gain access to a wealth of classic television and films.

UPDATED: Talking Thunderbirds

UPDATED 26/11/23: Judith Shutt added

UPDATED 6/11/23: Wanda and John Brown episode being broadcast on TPTV, Thursday 30th November at 19:40

UPDATED 1/11/23: Richard Conway added

UPDATED 19/10: Wanda and John Brown added


Talking Pictures TV’s online catch-up streaming service – Encore – is featuring exclusive short interviews with people who worked on Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s masterpiece series Thunderbirds.

Filmed by Fanderson member Jeff Smart, the Talking Thunderbirds series includes:

Puppet Operator Judith Shutt

Visual Effects Assistant Richard Conway

Puppeteers Wanda and John Brown

Art Director Bob Bell

Director and Writer Alan Pattillo

Voice Artist David Graham

Encore is a free service – watch via the red button on internet-connected Freeview TVs,  or register to gain access to a wealth of classic television and films.

Santa’s coming a little early…

Santa’s sack is full to busting with FAB Annuals and FAB Express magazines for all Fanderson members! He’s having to start his rounds early!

Our winter mailing was completed today, so FAB Express 105 and FAB Annual 2024 should soon start landing in current members’ homes (we can now start putting them in packages for new members too). Hopefully most, if not all, club members will receive their packages in time for Christmas.

Of course, when we publish a new magazine the previous issue is added to Fanderson Sales to buy, so members can now get FAB Express 104, and those who want to buy a second (or more) copy of FAB Annual 2023 can get them now. As the mailing has been a little later than we planned, we’ve extended our Annual Affair promotion until the end of December too.

 


Please ensure you order in good time for Christmas, and see the various additional postage options available with merchandise orders.


 

[AUS] Thunderbirds on 9Gem

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s Thunderbirds is showing on 9Gem in Australia from 18th November.

You can see Thunderbirds in 30-minute instalments on 9Gem:

  • Saturday 18th November at 06:00 AEST (when it’s followed by Adventures In Rainbow Country, starring Stingray‘s Lois Maxwell)
  • then daily from Sunday 19th November at 04:00 AEST

You can also watch 50-minute versions on the 9Now online service.

If you know about one of Gerry and Sylvia Andersons’ productions being broadcast, please let us know so we can share the news!

UPDATED: Captain Scarlet originals to be auctioned

12/11/23: updated with hammer prices in red


Propstore will be auctioning over 1,800 unique and original items in one of the world’s largest auctions of film and television memorabilia between 9th and 12th November 2023, including original items from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s 1967 series Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons.

Headline lots in the Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction: London 2023 auction include:

  • A screen-matched light-up C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) head from Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), from the personal collection of the longest-serving star wars cast member, anthony daniels (estimated £500,000 – £1,000,000)
  • The largest collection of Blade Runner (1980) props, memorabilia and production ephemera to ever come to market – including Harrison Ford’s director’s chair (estimated £10,000 – £20,000)
  • The iconic black cowboy hat worn by Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) in the legendary western The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly (1966) (estimated £50,000 – £100,000)
  • From the first bond girl to the last bond – Honey Ryder’s (Ursula Andress) bathrobe from Dr No (1962) (estimated £70,000 – £140,000) and James Bond’s (Daniel Craig) tuxedo from No Time To Die (2021) (estimated £20,000 – £40,000)
  • The hero screen-matched Freddy razor glove armature and schematic from the original A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984), (estimated £200,000 – £400,000)
  • Don Vito Corleone’s (Marlon Brando) coat from The Godfather (1972), (estimated £25,000 – £50,000)
  • Katniss Everdeen’s (Jennifer Lawrence) bow and quiver from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), (estimated £20,000 – £40,000)

But of particular interest to Fanderson members will be:

9th November:

    • Lot 98 Ken Turner’s personal annotated shooting script for The Mysterons (series pilot) – estimated between £1,500 and £3,000 (£2,125)
    • Lot 99 Pair of Derek Meddings’ hand-drawn sketches of mysteron rifle (£1,500 and £3,000 estimated) (£1,875)
    • Lot 100 Captain Black Head with Replica Body and Costume is estimated to fetch between £60,000 and £120,000 (£75,000)
    • Lot 101 Captain Blue Supermarionation Puppet Head (estimated £8,000 and £16,000) (£13,750)

12th November:

    • Lot 1692 Full-Size FAB 1 Rolls-Royce Bonnet “The Spirit of Ecstasy” ornament (£1,500 and £3,000 estimated) (£1,875)
    • Lot 1693 Replica Parker puppet – estimated between £800 and £1,600 (£1,125)

Propstore, one of the world’s leading entertainment memorabilia auctioneers, estimates the auction is expected to fetch over £12 million.

Global bids can be placed online, over the phone or via absentee bidding. Registration is now open online at https://propstore.com/liveauction. Online proxy bids can be submitted from October 10th 2023.

In-room bidding will be open to the public at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London on the 9th & 10th November 2023. Online and telephone bids can be placed across the whole event.