Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons

Bonus Captain Scarlet 7″ vinyl with Electronic Sound magazine

Posted on by Parker

Accompanying issue 124 Of Electronic Sound magazine is a 7″ vinyl disc of Barry Gray Music

Captain Scarlet’s on the cover and inside the magazine there’s a deep dive into the music of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s sci-fi TV shows, much of it the work of cult British composer Barry Gray. Gerry and Sylvia produced some of the most exciting children’s television of the 1960s and 1970s, and Barry Gray’s music, which was initially orchestral but later increasingly electronic, was crucial to the success of them all. The former RAF pilot was responsible for the sonic magic of both the Andersons’ puppet shows and their live action dramas like UFO and Space:1999.

Accompanying the magazine is a cool white vinyl EP featuring six musical excerpts from three of the Andersons’ shows:

  • side A ‘Spectrum Of Sound’ is dedicated to Captain Scarlet and The Mysterons, starting with the footsteps and gunfire of the opening credits, before sliding into the eerie The Power Of The Mysterons and ending with the memorable main theme.
  • side B has the theme tunes of both Thunderbirds and UFO, plus a dramatic incidental segment from Thunderbirds called Heading For The Sun.

See more and order your magazine and/or disc here.

 

 

Get ready Canada – your FAB Annuals will soon be on their way!

Posted on by Parker

We’re getting FAB Annual 2025 ready to mail to club members in Canada

Fanderson members in Canada will be aware that we chose not to mail their FAB Annuals in December along with everyone else, due to the effects of the postal strike there. Although the strike was resolved a while ago, we were advised to wait until the huge backlog of post had been cleared and services were back to normal. Canada Post suggested that we should steer clear of January, so we’ll start mailing again to Canada in the next few days, and catch up with FAB Annuals to those who are owed them as part of their club membership.

SIG – Scalextric is green!

Posted on by Parker

Will Spectrum agents beat Parker around your race track?

The popularity of last year’s FAB 1 model has encouraged Scalextric to expand their range with two new slot-racing cars from Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons – the SPV and SPC.

Expected this autumn (but available to pre-order now) the Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle (SPV) and Spectrum Patrol Car (SPC) will be exciting additions to anyone’s Scalextric slot-car hobby. We’ve yet to even see pre-production versions but, if their work on FAB 1 is anything to go by, there will loads of happy Scarlet fans later this year. Let’s hope that at least some of the cars will come out of their boxes and take a spin around a track occasionally!

FAB Annual 2025 on its way in time for Christmas, for most club members

Posted on by Parker

Finally! We can confirm that FAB Annual 2025 has been mailed to Fanderson members today!

Hopefully, this will give enough time for the majority of members to find their annual under the tree this Christmas – certainly those in the UK should and maybe those in parts of Europe too. Unfortunately, due to ongoing industrial action in Canada we’ve been advised not to mail to members there, but we’ll keep your FAB Annuals safe and post them as soon as the action is over and the backlog of mail has cleared.

Together with FAB Express 108, mailed recently, our winter mailing is complete and we can get on with welcoming all the new club members who have been waiting patiently for their membership packages!

[UK] “Can you hear us, Earthmen?” Captain Scarlet on Talking Pictures TV

Posted on by Parker

 

Talking Pictures TV is delighted to announce that Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons is coming to the channel from Saturday 1st June at 15:00, taking Stingray‘s slot (that series’ current run ends with Tune Of Danger on 25th May). You can view TPTV’s trailer here.

The acclaimed British children’s science fiction television was filmed in 1967, using a combination of electronic marionette puppetry and scale model special effects. The adventure series features the officers of Spectrum, protecting Earth from the weekly threats from the Mysterons.

Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons follows the Talking Pictures TV’s acquisitions of Fireball XL5, Stingray and Thunderbirds last year and shows the channel’s proud and continued support of classic TV, and to bring these series to a new audience!

Talking Pictures TV is available on Freeview/Youview 82, Freesat 306, Sky channel 328 and Virgin 445, with the Encore catch-up service also available.

Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction: London 2024

Posted on by Parker

Propstore has released details of lots in their upcoming Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction that will be of interest to fans of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s productions.

In the Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction: London 2024, running 14th to 17 November you’ll find:

  • Lot 407: “Slim” puppet, from Thunderbirds Martian Invasion (starting bid £10,000, estimate £20,000 – £40,000)
  • Lot 408: Ambulance model miniature from Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons Winged Assassin (starting bid £10,000, estimate £20,000 – £40,000)
  • Lot 967: Three Derek Meddings drawings from Thunderbird 6 and Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons (starting bid £200, estimate £400 – £800)
  • Lot 1605: Light-up Luxorian Ice Power Source prop from Space Precinct The Power (starting bid £1,000, estimate £2,000 – £4,000)
  • Lot 1773: Thunderbird 4 model built by Martin Bower (starting bid £1,500, estimate £3,000 – £6,000)
  • Lot 1774: Thunderbird 1 model built by Martin Bower (starting bid £1,000, estimate £2,000 – £4,000)
  • Lot 1775: Sylvia Anderson’s Thunderbirds Are Go premiere dress (starting bid £1,000, estimate £2,000 – £4,000)
  • Lot 1799: S.H.A.D.O. Mobile 3 large-scale replica model built by Sean Robinson and Mike Trim (starting bid £1,500, final estimate £3,000 – £6,000)

See the full auction details and catalogue and register for online bidding here.

Special launch offer for exclusive Thunderbirds To The Rescue soundtrack

Posted on by Parker

To celebrate the third in our series of exclusive soundtracks to the Super Space Theater compilation movies, we’ve got a special offer for the rest of October!

Buy all three SST movies and get our Super Space Theater book and art prints half-price!

  • Log on to our website
  • Click here to go to our SST page, then put all three SST soundtracks and the SST book in your basket
  • Add anything else from our Shop that you’d like
  • Click on basket, then apply coupon code SSToct24 before moving on to pay. This will deduct 50% off the price of the book and art prints.

OFFER TERMS AND CONDITIONS (in addition to our standing Ts&Cs)

  • This offer is for Fanderson members only.
  • Members must buy both all three soundtracks and the SST book in the same transaction.
  • Each member can only use the coupon code once.
  • Apply the coupon code SSToct24 before you pay to get the SST book half price.
  • Members must apply the coupon code themselves to get the discount. It cannot be applied after you have paid, and we cannot apply it retroactively.
  • This is an online-only offer. It cannot be redeemed via the post.

[UK] Network titles live on, thanks to Spirit Entertainment

Posted on by Parker

Some of Network’s amazing HD restorations of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson productions are becoming available once again, thanks to Spirit Entertainment.

Fireball XL5, Stingray, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons, Joe 90 and both Ultimate and Super Space Theater  Space:1999 Blu-ray Discs are available for pre-order now (due 5th August), with Supercar appearing on DVD too.

[UK] All Fireball XL5 episodes and Century 21 Slough now on ITVX

Posted on by Parker

Although most episodes of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s productions have been available for some time on ITVX, free of charge, inexplicably only two episodes of 1962’s Fireball XL5 have been included. Now that’s been remedied, with all 39 episodes available from today on the streaming service.

Also added to ITVX today is the Century 21 Slough documentary:

On the eve of demolition, the former film studios where Stingray, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons and Thunderbirds were launched are brought to life one last time. Join original AP Films team members as they say goodbye to the buildings, sharing memories as they tour recreated sets, models, and puppets alongside studio originals.

ITVX is free to view, with most of the Anderson content available ad-free too. There’s a free seven-day trial of the subscription Premium service (normally £5.99 a month/£59.99 a year) which offers even more content, ad-free, from the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Studio Canal.

An heroic deed indeed!

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Over the last 12 months Fanderson members have helped to raise £750 for Hearing Dogs For Deaf People, from activities including 2022 advent calendar, Easter Egg Hunt and special items available for a donation to the charity.

Fire control expert Jason Smith, just back from his latest assignment, graciously accepted a cheque from Fanderson on behalf of the charity before he was called away to an incident at an oil rig in the Middle East. Before leaving he thanked the club and its members and wished everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Sarah Squirrell, of Hearing Dogs, said:

“Thanks to everyone at Fanderson for the kind gift of £750.

Your special gift will help train life-changing hearing dogs and allow us to provide long-term support for our hearing dog partnerships.

At Hearing Dogs, the training and support we provide does not end when the dog is placed with their partner. We provide ongoing help and further training to deal with life changes whether they are planned or unexpected.

Starting university is a huge change for anyone but as a deaf student with a hearing dog, there were some extra things Ana had to think about, including some additional training for her hearing dog, Valley. Together with a Hearing Dogs trainer, Valley was gradually introduced to lecture theatres and labs and learnt how to settle under Ana’s chair during lectures. Ana has now been invited to train with the England Deaf Women’s football team and, as for Valley, she is loving all the extra attention from Ana’s teammates!

Once again, we would like to thank you very much for your support.”

Fanderson has a great reputation for supporting worthwhile causes, and over the club’s 42 years members have raised in excess of £50,000 for the likes of Alzheimers Society, Baby Lifeline, Children In Need, Diabetes UK, The Film And TV Charity, Macmillan Cancer Support, Orchid, Silverline, Terrence Higgins Trust, Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal and many more. To the left of Jason in the photo is our statue of SHADO, from our funding of a guide dog for the blind in 1996.

Our 2023/4 fundraising is in aid of Actors’ Benevolent Fund. Remember that the 2023 Advent Calendar is still running with most offers valid until 31st December.

Special thanks to Lynn Simpson and Stephen Brown for the cheque presentation.