Author: 1266 Nick Williams

UPDATED: David Nightingale RIP

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

It is with great sadness that we report that David Nightingale, one of Fanderson’s founding members and biggest personalities, has died.

David created Supermarionation Is Go! magazine in 1981 and it was to be the bedrock of the club when Gerry Anderson worked with fans to create Fanderson. The quality of SiG was exemplary for a fan magazine, and continued in SiG’s successor Century 21 and the classic television magazine Timescreen. David’s quality ethos was to spur him on to open not one but two Thunderbooks stores, and then to embrace online trading by opening Star Trader. His most recent work for the club brought him full circle as he worked with Mike Jones on the SiG 21 anniversary special.

Larger than life, with a great bubbly, friendly personality, David was a huge fan of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s work. He was a regular fixture behind a merchandise table at conventions, where he made many friends.

We will have a full obituary for David Nightingale in FAB 100.

UPDATE 7th December: You should be able to join the live stream of David’s funeral at https://www.blackpoolfunerals.live/

UPDATE: David’s son Stephen advises that the funeral will be held at 12:15 on Wednesday 15th December at  Lytham Crematorium, Regent Ave, Lytham Saint Annes FY8 4AB followed by the wake at Blackpool Cricket Club, West Park Drive, Blackpool FY3 9EQ.

The family would like to thank everyone for their kind words and would love to see as many faces as possible at the funeral but understand not everyone can make the day. With that in mind, they have arranged for the funeral to be streamed (details to follow).

The family have discussed donations (“My dad wasn’t a flower man, he was more into his Thunderbird puppets”) and ask that any donations go towards his grandson’s tour with Foxhall Under 11s football team:

  • account: Foxhall Juniors FC
  • sort code: 201003
  • account: 33535924
  • swiftbic code: BUKBGB22
  • iban: GB90 BUKB 2010 0333 5359 24

30% off in Network’s To Santa promotion

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Four Feather Falls, Terrahawks volumes 1, 2 and 3 and Dick Spanner DVDs are all available with 30% off in Network’s To Santa promotion.

Also included, and of interest to Supermarionation fans, is The Adventures Of Rupert Bear complete series DVD. This is the series Mary Turner and John read made for ITC once the Century 21 puppet stages had closed.

Network’s To Santa promotion ends at 16:00 on Thursday 9th December 2021.

You’ve Never Seen These, 25th November

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

 

Network has announced another Anderson-themed night of programmes on their streaming service.

The trailer for the free You’ve Never Seen These event on 25th November gives little away of the content other than promising “four complete early Gerry Anderson programmes”. The trailer is full of clips from Supercar and Fireball XL5 (both released by Network on Blu-ray Disc) and You’ve Never Seen This – a light-hearted 1955 documentary series for Associated-Rediffusion and previously screened at Fanderson conventions.

UPDATE: The line-up consisted of the sole known surviving episode of You’ve Never Seen This, Supercar Pirate Plunder and Fireball XL5 The Granatoid Tanks in ‘Supercolourisation‘. Finally, after playing Stingray Treasure Down Below in HD, Network confirmed that it’s working on a full HD release of the series with the cryptic “Anything can happen in the next half-year”…

PRE-ORDER: Space:1999 Super Space Theater Blu-rays!

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Network have announced a superb new Super Space Theater Blu-ray Disc boxset!

In the late-70s/early-80s ITC (capitalising on the success of Star Wars) edited episodes of several Gerry and Sylvia Anderson productions to create what would ultimately become thirteen full-length movies for cable and home video under the banner Super Space Theater. The four made from episodes of Space:1999 – Alien Attack, Journey Through The Black Sun, Cosmic Princess and Destination Moonbase Alpha are being released in a Blu-ray Disc boxset from Network.

All four movies can be watched in their original 4:3 aspect ratio or in a new 16:9 widescreen special edition. Extra features include (dependant on the film) original episode or movie soundtrack, trailers and original titles. The boxset also includes Spazio 1999 – the Italian cinema edit, eschewing the original Barry Gray score for one by Ennio Morricone.

With delivery expected from 31st January 2022, the boxset is available for pre-order now for just £40 (rising to £50 in January).

FAB: Incoming on runway 99!

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Have there really been 99 issues of FAB magazine? Yep, we’ve popped FAB 99 in the post today!

In this issue:

  • Inspecting Morse – Ian Fryer’s examination of Barry Morse’s seven decade career
  • Love it? Hate it? Chris Drake is affected by the lambda variant as he takes a look at Space:1999 The Lambda Factor
  • Alistair McGown goes back in time to Blackpool in 1977 to recover Gerry Anderson’s Space City exhibition from his personal memory bank
  • John Wilkinson takes a trip round the UK to see when Anderson shows were first seen in colour in the various ITV regions
  • Jonathan Baxter loves Lady Penelope so much that he surrounds himself with her various Tracy Lounge portraits
  • club members give their views on Joe 90 Project 90 in our regular Timelash column, with an exclusive cutaway painting of the Darota Clinic by artist Graham Bleathman
  • Alistair McGown looks at the life and career of Joe 90 Project 90‘s director – Peter Anderson
  • the fifth part of our exclusive Thunderbirds Are Go photo-strip by Jonathan Baxter
  • obituaries to Shaun Whittacker-Cook and George Gibbs
  • take a look through Lady Penelope’s wardrobe in our competition
  • plus FAB news, FAB Mail and more

With this FAB we’ve mailed a third set of our 40 FAB Years picture cards. Stick with us and by the end of the year you should have a full set (and an album to put them all in – photo corners/Gloy gum not included)!

FAB 99 also sees the second wave of deliveries of our 2021 membership gift – the oft-requested 7″ Barry Gray EPs from 1986 and 1988, together on our exclusive new CD! We can only give this CD away as part of our membership package, so if you get a renewal notice with FAB 99, make sure you renew by the date given on it so that you don’t miss out!

This mailing also includes your 40th anniversary badge, which we stupidly missed out of the FAB 98 mailing!

If you were late renewing your membership, and so haven’t been included in the FAB 99 mailing, we haven’t forgotten you. Your membership will re-start with FAB 100.

Mail is still being affected by the pandemic, so please be patient whilst your FAB 99 wings its way to you. Amazingly, we know from experience that members living in the same town can receive their packages days apart! Nonetheless, if you’re worried your package might have gone missing in the post (having allowed a reasonable amount of time), please check our Shipping And Returns page before contacting us.

Anyone who missed FAB 98 can now buy it as a back issue, and last year’s membership item – Century 21 Complete Puppet Catalogue – is also now available to buy in the Shop.

How to get FAB magazine? Join Fanderson!

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

 

UPDATED: Puppets for auction on 17th November

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Two puppets created by Century 21 sculptor Terry Curtis will be up for auction at Bonhams’ Film, Rock and Pop sale on 17th November.

From the collection of Terry Curtis, both have original heads, with Travers having an original Jeff Tracy body, whilst Blue has a replica body.

You can see the full auction catalogue, which includes items from the estate of Dame Diana Rigg, at Bonhams website.

Update

  • Captain Blue sold for £6,375 inc premium
  • Paul Travers sold for £12,750 inc premium

Sixteen12 KitBrix Eagle Transporter cancelled

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

UPDATE: Sixteen12 have confirmed that due to poor pre-orders as of 25th November 2021, this line has been cancelled and will not go into production.

Premium die-cast model makers Sixteen12 have announced the first in their new line of KitBrix construction sets.

This highly detailed brick construction system enables you to create vehicles and playsets from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s Space:1999: Eagle Transporter:

  • completed model over 25″ (60cm) long
  • over 3000 pieces!
  • full colour step-by-step instruction booklet, guiding you through building one section at a time
  • Alan Carter and Commander Koenig figures – exclusive to this set
  • removable passenger pod with full play interior
  • cockpit interior detail and seating for figures
  • self-adhesive vinyl decals for enhanced decoration
  • moonbuggy included
  • skill level 16 +

Recommended retail price is £199.99, but order within the eight weeks early bird pre-ordering and get 10% off! Shipping is expected March 2022.

KitBrix is compatible with all leading brand construction systems so you can expand and build even bigger creations, add accessories, and recreate scenes from Space:1999. Whether it’s launching an Eagle Transporter to intercept an approaching Mark IX Hawk (coming soon) or controlling operations from the heart of Moonbase Alpha’s Main Mission, (coming soon) you control the action!

NEW: ITC Entertained The World magazine

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Jaz Wiseman (former consultant on Carlton’s ITC releases and now host of the excellent ITC Entertained The World podcast) is launching ITC Entertained The World – the magazine.

Issue 1 features articles on Gideon’s Way, Danger Man, The Saint, ITC in high definition, ITC’s move from black and white to colour productions and an archive interview with Danger Man producer Sidney Cole. Writers include Andrew Pixley, Rodney Marshall, Mike Richardson, Rick Davy, Jonathan Wood and Al Samujh. Designed and edited by Jaz Wiseman and illustrated with images from his extensive ITC archive.

Priced at just £10.99 (UK) – see Quoit Media website for other territories and to order.

Captain Scarlet LP now available to pre-order

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Hot on the heels of their limited edition Captain Scarlet 7″ single, Silva Screen’s next Anderson soundtrack album is Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons. As with their other recent Anderson releases, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons has been produced for Silva Screen by the Fanderson team of Mike Jones on design with Tim Mallett on mastering, editing and compilation.

The album will be available on both translucent scarlet double LP and Compact Disc, with shipping expected from 3rd December and 19th November respectively (vinyl albums are currently taking longer to produce as supplies of PVC are affected by the worldwide demand for Covid-19 testing kits and vaccination syringes).

Once again, we’ve negotiated a great price on this album for club members, and remember that the price you see is the price you pay – no hidden shipping charges will be added as you checkout!

Of course, Fanderson’s own Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons 3-CD soundtrack boxset is still available too, as well as a raft of top quality Captain Scarlet goodies by fans, for fans!

The album will also be available as a digital download from the Silva Screen website from 19th November.