Author: 1266 Nick Williams

UK: Anderson series now free-to-view on ITV Hub

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Having long been available to view in the UK on Britbox, many of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s classic productions are now available on the ITV Hub.

Fans can now watch Supercar, Fireball XL5 (selected episodes), Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons, Joe 90 (selected episodes), The Secret Service, UFO, The Protectors and Space:1999. ITV’s own Thunderbirds Are Go reimagining is available too, along with the crowdsourced Thunderbirds anniversary episodes.

All are available free to view and ad-free, once the programme itself starts. Watching fully ad-free costs £3.99/month or £39.99/year, but there’s a free 7-day trial available (surely long enough for any die-hard fan to binge-watch the whole lot!).

Click on the link to go to the ITV Hub.

UK: Dolores Mantez in Rainbow City on BBC Four

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

UFO star Dolores Mantez can be seen in one of her earlier roles as a schoolteacher in Rainbow City, to be re-broadcast on BBC Four on Wednesday, 22nd June at 22:00.

Rainbow City is a groundbreaking BBC drama series from 1967 about the experience of the West Indian community living in and around Birmingham, featuring Errol John in the lead role.

Also of note in the cast is Clifton Jones (Space:1999‘s David Kano) and Ysanne Churchman, who voiced Sara Brown in 1962’s Sara And Hoppity as well as numerous voices (but particularly Marla and Cassiopeia) in Space Patrol (1966) – both for Roberta Leigh.

Posted in UFO

RIP Ralph Titterton

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Fanderson members will join together in mourning the passing of Ralph Titterton, who died on Wednesday.

Though not one of the club’s founding members, Ralph was incredibly important during its formative years, creating Fanderson News, being the club’s liaison with Gerry Anderson and ITC and masterminding much of our early merchandise.

More recently, Ralph’s focus has been on curating the Barry Gray archive of music, manuscripts and more, alongside his partner Cathy, and has been an invaluable help in the creation of the club’s critically-acclaimed soundtrack albums.

RIP Ralph.

35% off Network Blu-ray Discs

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Network are offering 35% off a selection of their high definition titles on Blu-ray Disc in their HD35 promotion.

The selection includes loads of classic British TV and film, and for Anderson fans the titles of most interest are likely to be Fireball XL5 A Day In The Life Of A Space General, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons, Joe 90, Space:1999 Year One, Terrahawks, New Captain Scarlet and (yes, we know it’s not an Anderson producion!) Space Patrol.

The promotion ends at 16:00 on Monday 6th June, so go shopping now by clicking this link to see all titles in Network’s HD35 promotion.

UK: Space:1999 on Horror Channel

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s second live action sci-fi series, Space:1999, returns to the UK’s Horror Channel from Monday 30th May.

Space:1999 will be shown each weeknight at 19:00, with a repeat screening at 09:00 the following morning.

Horror Channel (+1) is available in the UK on Freeview 68, Freesat 138 (139), Sky 317 (318) or Virgin Media 149 (202).

AUS: Stingray on DVD

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Australia’s cult and classic film and television label Via Vision is releasing Stingray, albeit only on DVD, unlike Network’s recent Blu-ray Disc release.

For AU$69.95 (but currently on an introductory offer at AU59.95) this Complete Series set includes all 39 episodes across five discs, with special features:

  • stills gallery
  • character biographies
  • Gerry Anderson commentaries on episodes Stingray and Stand By For Action.

Also unlike Network’s BR set, this is ViaVision’s fourth DVD release to proudly acknowledge the series’ co-creator on the front cover, as “Gerry And Sylvia Anderson’s Stingray″, following similar treatment on Fireball XL5, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons and Joe 90.

Sold! Captain Scarlet end titles paintings up for auction (updated)

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Two of Ron Embleton’s original end title paintings for Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons are included in Bonhams’ Rock, Pop & Film Online auction on 4th May 2022.

Both lots are around 54x38cm, painted in gouache and watercolour on paper, then mounted on board:

  • Lot 78 – Artwork board No.1 shows Scarlet struggling in swamp, reaching for a creeper with his left hand. This item includes with acetate overlay sheet marked to show the close-up crop marks for the credits sequence. Sold for £16,575 inc. premium (sold for £3,055 in 2002)
  • Lot 79 – Artwork Board No.7 depicts Captain Scarlet in a chamber bracing himself against advancing spiked walls. Sold for £21,675 inc. premium (sold for £3,995 in 2002)

Comic-strip artist Ron Embleton (1930-1988) is celebrated as a definitive portrayer of Captain Scarlet. In 1965 Embleton joined TV Century 21, where he illustrated 67 Stingray comic strips before producing work on Captain Scarlet. These paintings are part of a series of ten executed by Embleton, seen in the end title sequence at the end of each episode of Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons. Each scene shows Captain Scarlet seemingly in grave peril, with others depicting a giant cobra, sharks, and a tank. By 1968 Embleton had left the comic but continued to produce illustrations for Anderson merchandise.

Both items were previously sold in the TV Generation auction at Christie’s, London in 2002.

Network are about to launch Stingray!

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Network are offering Stingray fans the chance to watch yet another episode in high definition – free of charge!

Although we’ve all got to wait a little longer than planned for the complete series on Blu-ray Disc, Network are teasing us with the episode Deep Heat (having already shown us Treasure Down Below and A Christmas To Remember late last year). Not only that, but Deep Heat will be shown alongside a new documentary We Are About To Launch Stingray.

Enjoying this free treat couldn’t be easier:

  1. Create a free account at watch.networkonair.com
  2. On Wednesday 6th April, login from 18:50 (BST), then go to the We Are About To Launch Stingray page to watch the special presentation in HD.
  3. The programme will be free to watch again and again until 07:00 on Thursday April 7th.