FAB 81 is go!

Posted on 19th August 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

FAB 81

FAB 81 is on its way to all Fanderson club members!

As always, we have all the latest news from the Andrson universe. We profile the opening 13 episodes of ITV’s smash hit new series Thunderbirds Are Go, and chat to the voice artists about their involvement. We also have news of Vivid Imagination’s return to Tracy Island and three vintage audio adventures of International Rescue that will be filmed with your help!

Following the sad news of Judith Shutt’s death earlier this year, we remember the puppeteer who brought the characters of Thunderbirds, Stingray and Fireball XL5 to life with her talents.

In this issue’s major article, Ian Fryer takes a close look at Century 21’s only live action series: UFO. We take you through all 26 episodes, exploring the world of SHADO and discussing the key themes of the series. We also catch up with special effects model maker Alan Shubrook and his memories of working on the series. Oh, and our amazing front cover is courtesy of Chris Thompson!

Did you grow up with any of the Anderson activity books? For many fans these books became their first collectables. Steve Kyte explores the early years of this fascinating type of merchandise in the first part of a new series of articles.

The Thunderbirds 2004 movies gets the Timelash treatment this time. Has history been kind to it? Read on to find out…

Finally, and incredible though it may seem, it’s been 10 years since New Captain Scarlet burst onto our screens. To mark the anniversary, Stephen Baxter analyses the series comic, and the small selection of associated books based upon New Captain Scarlet.

How to get FAB magazine? Join Fanderson!

FAB magazine is available exclusively to Fanderson club members – we deliver three times a year, and we do our very best to make each issue a joy to read for every fan – regardless of your favourite series!

Find out how to join Fanderson and receive FAB

New Thunderbirds books: Parker’s cars, Brains’s physics and Penelope’s cocktails

Posted on 11th August 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Thunderbirds, Octopus Publishing has published three special gift books in which Parker, Brains and Lady Penelope speak about their favourite topics!

In Parker’s Cars, Parker gathers together a collection of facts and figures of the greatest motors from the past 50 years, with one car for every year since the creation of the greatest car of all time – FAB1.

Parkers cars book

In Brains Explains Quantum Physics, Brains guides us through a series of seemingly complicated scientific theories and shows how quantum physics plays a central part in all our lives.

Brains explains quantum physics book

And perhaps best of all, in Lady Penelope’s Cocktails, Lady Penelope shares her top 50 Thunderbirds-inspired cocktails, as well as personal anecdotes on other characters’ favourite tipples, and which drinks were used to celebrate successful missions.

Lady Penelope' s cocktail book

By the way, we plan to test some of these splendid cocktails at The Future is Fantastic! in October. Anyone for a Tracy Island Iced Tea…?

Tracy island iced tea

In the meantime…it’s Competition Time!

The lovely people at Octopus Books have given us copies of all the books to give away as prizes to Fanderson club members. To be in with a chance of winning a set of the three books, simply answer these three questions:

1) What is the formula Brains gets Braman to calculate to save the Sun Probe?
2) Which tyres are “best for speed” at Parola Sands?
3) When In Paris, what is Lady Penelope’s favourite tipple?

Send your answers to query@fanderson.org.uk and be prepared to quote your club membership number.

Good luck, and see you for that drink in October!

What would you like to watch at The Future is Fantastic!?

Posted on 5th August 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

As Fanderson’s first full-weekend convention in five years draws closer, we’d love to know what you would like to see screened during the event.

We have received a few requests for a confirmed programme of events, but we know from past experience that attendees like to be surprised!

Things may change right up to and during the weekend, as more people decide to join us, participate, and offer things to be displayed and give interviews.

Let us know

So there’s still time for you to let us know what you would like to see in the programme (both Anderson and Anderson-related) that we might have in the club archive.
If there’s a particular TV interview, rare foreign edit of a episode or other such ephemera that you’d really like to revisit, let us know at fabmail@fanderson.org.uk and you may just see it on a big screen at The Future is Fantastic!

Thunderbirds Are Go watched by over 1 million UK kids

Posted on 21st July 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

Thunderbirds Are Go

According to the ITV GE Kids July Newsletter, over 1.3m unique kids in the UK have so far watched Thunderbirds Are Go on ITV and CITV. More boys 6-11 have watched Thunderbirds Are Go than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Wars and Power Rangers for the same age group. In Australia and New Zealand, it was the top-rated show for 5-12 year olds across all channels at the time of launch.

Thunderbirds Are Go is also ready to launch in the Middle East and Israel later in the year. MBC3 will air the series from August. ITV Studios Global Entertainment has appointed MBC as the licensing agent for the market, and Toy Triangle as the master toy partner, with products launching from January 2016.

The series will air on Noga in Israel from December, with toys from Ilanit launching just after the TV broadcast. ITVSGE has appointed LDI as the licensing agent for the region.

Meanwhile, the Tracy Island playset has been listed as one of the ‘Top 10 toys for Christmas’ by Argos, Hamleys and Tesco in the UK. Initial sales of the Thunderbirds Are Go toy range in Australia and New Zealand have proven to be strong. The DVD is also a success, reaching top of the charts at all major retailers according to ITV.

Fans who are signed up to the series official website, www.thunderbirds.com will already be aware of the imminent launch the Thunderbirds Are Go: Bootcamp, featuring a host of weekly activities, downloads, videos, fun facts, polls and quizzes to keep fans engaged until the main site returns with episode 14 in autumn 2015. ITV reports 33,000 active users and over half a million page views per month, with an average 7 minute dwell time.

Original Captain Scarlet mini albums now on sale!

Posted on 11th July 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

Specially recorded versions of 3 Captain Scarlet episodes
Special narration from Captain Blue

Around fifteen years ago Fanderson released two special mini albums containing four Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons episodes that had previously never been released.

What made them unique was they had been given the ‘mini album treatment’, and contained specially recorded narration by Captain Blue voice artist, Ed Bishop.

Ralph Titterton selected the episodes whilst Cathy Ford and Ros Connors took the scripts and wrote the linking dialogue. The recordings took place at TVS Studios Maidstone in September 1993.

The first two stories, Manhunt and Model Spy were released by Fanderson in 1999 under the title The Manhunt For Captain Black. A second release including Big Ben Strikes Again and The Heart Of New York appeared on the CD The Power Of The Mysterons.

Four other titles were recorded but never released as the club focused on developing its range of highly successful soundtrack albums, the most recent of which is the hugely popular Thunderbirds 50th anniversary 4-disc set.

We have received several requests to re-release the first four Captain Scarlet episodes. Rather than do that, we thought we would take the opportunity to incorporate two of the previously unreleased stories, Flight 104 and Special Assignment, together with Big Ben Strikes Again into a new set. This will form the first of a special range of Captain Scarlet mini albums.

Buy your copy online now!

Please remember that our merchandise is available exclusively to Fanderson club members. If you are not yet a member and want the chance to buy a fantastic range of items from Fanderson sales, you can join Fanderson by completing our online form.

Judith Shutt obituary to appear in FAB

Posted on 11th July 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

An obituary covering the work of AP Films and Century 21 puppeteer Judith Shutt will appear in the next issue of Fanderson’s FAB magazine, to be be released at the end of July. Judith passed away at the age of 74 in May.

From the early days of AP Films at Islet Park, through the move to Ipswich Road and AP Film’s transition to Century 21, Judith Shutt was an essential part of the sculpting and puppeteering team on shows like Fireball XL5, Stingray and Thunderbirds.

New Thunderbirds episodes are go on Kickstarter

Posted on 9th July 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

New Thunderbirds episodes Fans have been delighted by news of a new Kickstarter campaign to raise £75,000 for a brand new episode classic Thunderbirds.

Led by director Stephen La Riviere, Thunderbirds 1965 will see the creation of up to three new episodes based on the audio-only ‘mini albums’ released in the 1960s.

The Thunderbirds 1965 project will launch on crowdfunding website Kickstarter on 10th July, and backing the project is the only way that fans from around the globe will be able to watch these new episodes.

In addition to a DVD / Blu-ray of the finished production, project backers have the opportunity to receive other rewards including a photo-book featuring rare and previously unpublished stills from the original series. Backers will also be able to visit the Thunderbirds 1965 production studio and experience the classic model and puppet filmmaking techniques developed fifty years ago.

Stephen La Rivière says: “We have shot new sequences with the puppets using the old-fashioned techniques. Whilst many of the methods used seem a little archaic and time-consuming by today’s standards, we thought that it would be very special to do a one-off project bringing Thunderbirds back to life 1960s style. Sadly, many of the original voice cast have passed away since 1965. However, thanks to the original audio footage we’ve rediscovered, we have new, authentic stories that have never been adapted for screen.”

If you’re interested in backing the project go to the Kickstarter page and donate now!

Thunderbirds are go!

Win a De luxe Thunderbirds jigsaw puzzle!

Posted on 4th July 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

Fanderson has teamed up with Jumbo Games to offer fans the chance to win one of five de luxe Thunderbirds jigsaw sets.

Released to mark the 50th anniversary of the original Thunderbirds series, this beautiful Collector’s Box Set contains three 500-piece jigsaws depicting craft, characters and famous scenes from the series. Measuring roughly 49cm x 35cm, each jigsaw puzzle comes packaged in its own individual presentation box, and is made from high-quality cardboard to ensure that every piece is hard-wearing.

To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is enter the competition that will appear in FAB 81, which will be on its way to Fanderson members at the end of July.

And if you just can’t wait until then, you can buy the box set from Amazon right now!

Not yet a Fanderson member? You can join here.

Mike Trim to attend The Future is Fantastic!

Posted on 26th June 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

Fanderson is excited to announce that Mike Trim will be attending The Future is Fantastic! in October.

A popular figure with fans at conventions, Mike began working for Gerry and Sylvia Anderson as a modelmaker and designer in the final days of Stingray. He then went on to work on Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Joe 90, The Secret Service, and UFO, as well as the Thunderbirds and Doppelganger feature films.

Having worked closely with Derek Meddings for many years, Mike will be able to offer an invaluable insight into how the Century 21 series were produced. He joins a great list of special guests for what will be Fanderson’s first full-weekend convention in five years.

We accept walk-ins!

Not sure yet if you can make it to TFIF!? Never fear. Fans should note that we will be accepting walk-ins over the course of the weekend. However, if you wish to book a room at our venue – the Holiday Inn Maidenhead – we strongly advise that this is done in advance, as rooms are in limited supply.

Parker and Light Fingered Fred figurines to launch at The Future is Fantastic!

Posted on 18th June 2015 by 1266 Nick Williams

22/07/15: Update! Here’s the latest photo of Robert Harrop’s new Parker and Light Fingered Fred figurines. Initially these will be exclusive to attendees at Fanderson’s upcoming convention – The Future is Fantastic!

Fanderson, in association with Robert Harrop, is delighted to announce that these beautiful limited edition Parker and Light Fingered Fred figurines will premiere at Fanderson’s upcoming convention, The Future Is Fantastic.

The early pre-sculpt versions pictured above show the characters in memorable poses from the classic Thunderbirds episode “Vault of Death”, with Parker polishing a boot and Fred complete with fag in mouth.

Sculpted by Anthony Halls, these two figurines will initially be exclusive to attendees at the event, and on sale at a special convention price.

Stock of these fabulous figures will also be available from Robert Harrop after the event through the normal channels…

Another very a very good reason to join us in October!

The Future is Fantastic! So, have you booked your ticket?

The Future is Fantastic! will take place over the weekend of 2nd to the 4th October 2015 at the Holiday Inn Maidenhead.

As well as a wonderful array of special guest panels and interviews, Fanderson’s first full-weekend convention in five years will also feature rare screenings;model, puppet and artwork displays, interactive workshops and games…

…plus a few other surprises!