Gerry Anderson’s Gemini Force One launched on Kickstarter

Posted on 7th September 2013 by 1266 Nick Williams

Fans of Gerry Anderson have been given a exciting rallying call to support a fundraising campaign for one of his unfinished creative projects.

Launched on 5th September, Gemini Force One (or GF1 for short) is a series of books that follows the story of a secret organisation involved in rescues and averting disasters and terrorist events. While the initial aim is for GF1 is to publish the book series, the ultimate goal is to adapt the concept into a film or television.

Jamie Anderson has enlisted best-selling author MG Harris, who penned The Joshua Files to complete the first book in the way that his father would have wanted. She is a huge sci-fi buff and a lifelong Gerry Anderson fan. Of all the authors that Jamie spoke to about this project, she is the one who most understood what Gerry Anderson concepts were all about, and how to keep it as close to possible to the original idea.

The money needed to self-publish the book is being raised through the crowd funding platform Kickstarter. The money raised will be used to:

Have a first run
Fulfill backer rewards
Pay MG Harris (The Anderson Estate’s author of choice) to complete the book
Pay a cover designer
Record an audio version
Pay for marketing and advertising to make people aware of the book’s existence

Gerry began writing GF1 in 2008, but was unable to complete the first book due to rapidly worsening Alzheimer’s Disease, which stopped him working before his untimely death in 2012. MG Harris will be using his notes and audio recordings to complete the book in the way Gerry wanted.

The first GF1 book will be released to Kickstarter backers in April 2014, with a full launch in August 2014 – to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Anderson’s iconic Thunderbirds TV series, which entered production in August 1964.

Jamie also has a number of longer-term goals in mind, which will allow for things like translation of the book into other languages; vehicles to be designed by Andrew Probert (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica) and Dominic Lavery (New Captain Scarlet, James Bond, Event Horizon); and the beginning of serious development towards a film or TV series.

Why is this project important?

Jamie believes strongly that there are many thousands of fans who will enjoy this fantastic new Anderson creation, and that a successful Kickstarter funding campaign will enable them to make GF1 a brilliant and fitting tribute to his father’s memory.

Already, amazing progress has been made!

At the time of writing there are:

202 backers
£8,198 pledged of £24,350 goal
28 days to go!

You can make any kind of donation from as little as £1. Go on – play your part in realising one of Gerry’s unfinished projects!

You can find out more about the story and the characters and how to make a donation here: www.kickstarter.com /GF1

Fantastic Expect the Unexpected prize raffle

Posted on 31st August 2013 by 1266 Nick Williams

Have you ever dreamt of picking up Atlanta Shore at a party or owning a Terrorfish? Well, two lucky attendees at Fanderson’s Terrahawks 30th anniversary event in October will get the chance to do just that…

As part of the programme for Expect the Unexpected, Fanderson will be holding a raffle where the top prizes are special limited edition figurines from Stingray, courtesy of Robert Harrop.

Strictly limited to just 250, the Robert Harrop Atlanta Shore and Titan Terrorfish figurines have been produced in beautifully hand painted ceramic, are individually numbered and come with their own special presentation box.

So, don’t miss out on the Expect the Unexpected prize raffle !

Just to illustrate what an amazing prize this is, it’s worth pointing out that limited edition figurines of Brains and Parker that were sold at Fanderson’s TV21 convention in 2010 are now reaching up to £700 on Ebay!

Other raffle prizes include a funky ‘I’ve got Brains’ sweatshirt and baseball shirt and a special prize connected with the new TV21 reprint book, scheduled for release by Egmont this autumn.

Have you booked your ticket yet?

If not – don’t delay! There’s still time to register for Expect the Unexpected. The event be held at the Holiday Inn Maidenhead on Saturday 12th October. Tickets are available for both club members and non-members and cost £65 per person. Your ticket will include an evening meal and give you the chance to rub shoulders with the cast and crew from the series!

News from Expect the Unexpected

Thunderbirds movie FAB 1 prototype up for sale

Posted on 10th August 2013 by 1266 Nick Williams

A prototype model of the FAB 1 car used in the 2004 Thunderbirds movie directed by Johnathan Frakes has been put up for sale on www.propstore.com.

FAB 1 prototype model

Made from fibre glass and plywood, the model was created in the early stages of production to illustrate the concept for the redesign of Lady Penelope’s car FAB 1.

The model was used as a visual aid for the design of the vehicle’s new body shape, radically different from that of the design used in the original series. The main body of the vehicle has been painted baby pink with the passenger area painted black. The wheels are made of plastic and wood and are hot glued in place, painted black and silver.

The FAB 1 prototype can be yours for the sum of £1495.00 ($1939.00) and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

View the model’s listing on www.propstore.com

Joe 90 theme and Brains get remixed

Posted on 7th August 2013 by 1266 Nick Williams

“Music in the modern idiom is too repetitive for my taste. But I must admit that the rhythm has a certain hypnotic effect.”

– Brains, Ricochet

As you can see from the accompanying video, a new remix of the Joe 90 theme featuring Brains’s immortal words about modern music has been released for digital download! Brains 90 is the first track from the Me/Lp v.1 album by drummer/producer Mike Ellis.

The original Joe 90 theme by Barry Gray has been augmented by a new catchy drum track performed by Ellis and edited and mixed by Chris Taylor of Bluebarn Mixing.

The Me/Lp v.1 album is planned for release later in 2013 on Hot Foot CDs & Records and will include not only ‘Brains90’, but a longer tribute to the work of Barry Gray featuring some of his most memorable themes from the 1960s and 1970s.

Download ‘Brains90’!

Fanderson releases Supercar soundtrack CD

Posted on 5th August 2013 by 1266 Nick Williams

As readers of FAB will already be aware, Fanderson has announced that the music of Supercar will finally receive its own dedicated CD release, in an expanded and updated collection of Barry Gray’s original music for the series.

The bold and exciting music composed by Barry Gray for Supercar set a template for all the puppet series that were to follow. Many themes originally composed for Supercar were also re-used in later Anderson productions, including the iconic Thunderbirds.

The release expands on the material originally released in Fanderson’s very first soundtrack CD from 1998 – a combined ‘Supercar and Fireball XL5′ album’.

The CD is scheduled for release on 20th August and can be pre-ordered by club members online through Fanderson Sales now!

Inside the disc…

The disc offers great value for money for all Anderson fans, with a total running time of nearly 80 minutes and a 20-page colour booklet containing detailed track notes of listing musicians, original recording session dates and alternative track versions.

Supercar soundtrack CD booklet

As has become traditional with Fanderson soundtrack releases, the music is arranged in episodic suites:

Amazonian Adventure
Calling Charie Queen
The Day That Time Stood Still
Hi-Jack
Jail Break
King Cool
Operation Super Stork

Precious Cargo
Rescue
The Runaway Train
Space For Mitch
The Talisman of Sargon
What Goes Up

The sleeve notes also contain the full lyrics to all the songs that were recorded for the series, including the opening theme songs for Seasons 1 and 2 (yes, there is a difference!).

Supercar soundtrack CD booklet

So what are you waiting for? Order your copy of the Supercar soundtrack CD!

Fanderson’s merchandise is available exclusively to club members. Find out out how you can join Fanderson.

Network release two of Gerry Anderson’s early works

Posted on 10th June 2013 by 1266 Nick Williams

Devil girl from Mars DVD Over the next few months Network DVD will be releasing two of Gerry Anderson’s first encounters with real film – and not puppets! The most significant of these is Crossroads to Crime. The crime thriller for Anglo-Amalgamated was Gerry Anderson’s directorial film debut, and the only feature-length film to be made by AP Films, co-founded by the legendary puppet pioneer in 1957.

Released in 1960 between the making of Four Feather Falls and Supercar, Crossroads to Crime features the talents of several of Anderson’s later Supermarionation collaborators, including voice artists George Murcell and David Graham, Anderson’s future wife Sylvia Thamm (an uncredited continuity supervisor), and Barry Gray, whose iconic themes famously complemented the Supermarionation series of the 1960s. Released here for the first time, the film is presented in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements.

It is hoped they will try to interview the only known living member of the cast, the stalwart of the Anderson studios David Graham, who was in so many of Anderson’s productions especially as the fantastic Parker in Thunderbirds. The DVD will be available on the 19th of August 2013 price £6.98.

The other release is David MacDonald’s Devil Girl From Mars (released today and pictured here) which is a rare science fiction piece from the notorious British b-movie studio of the Danziger brothers. At this point in his career Gerry was a freelance Sound Editor, gaining his first experience in Science Fiction under the name which he was usually billed as at the time, Gerald Anderson.

This British B-movie cult classic stars Patricia Laffan as a vinyl-clad, ray gun-toting Martian on the hunt for Earthmen to repopulate her home planet. Devil Girl from Mars is to be released in a brand-new transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.

The DVD is now on sale through Network’s website, priced £6.98.

Parker goes up for sale at Bonhams

Posted on 6th June 2013 by 1266 Nick Williams

A 15-inch high model of Parker is to go up for auction at Bonhams on Wednesday 3rd July.

The model appears to have been created originally for a Christmas shop display at Selfridges, Oxford Street, London in the late 1960s.

There is sure to be plenty of interest in this unique piece of history, which is estimated to fetch between £1,200 – £1,500!

View the lot on the Bonhams website

Liz Morgan publishes first novel

Posted on 23rd April 2013 by 1266 Nick Williams

FOR_CATHERINE-cvr

Fans of Captain Scarlet and World War Two romance fiction will be interested to know that actress Liz Morgan has published her first novel! Set in Vichy France at the start of the armistice with Germany, ‘For Catherine’ tells the story of two ill-matched lovers: French resistance fighter and a German officer.

Known to fans as the voice behind Destiny and Rhapsody Angel in Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Liz also has a background in teaching English and Drama, and has written two other books about France.

The novel is available both in print and e-book formats from Amazon.

Barry Gray music re-released on EP for Record Store Day

Posted on 6th April 2013 by 1266 Nick Williams

Silva Screen has announced the release of a special edition 7″ EP of Barry Gray music based on the design of the original TV21 mini albums.

The release marks Record Store Day 2013, which takes place on 20th April this year, and includes tracks from Fireball XL5, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90, as well as “Dangerous Game”, the signature tune played by the Cass Carnaby Five in the famous Thunderbirds episode, The Cham-Cham. Limited to 1,500 copies and containing a special poster, this is an amazing collectible not to be missed by any Gerry Anderson fan !

The disc completes the 7″ Gerry Anderson Limited Edition Set that has been released to commemorate Record Store Day 2013.

The disc will only be available from record shops on the 20th of April. However, a small number will be held back for sale on the Silva Screen website two weeks later on Friday 3rd May at 10am.

Documentary premiere lifts the lid on Space Precinct amid reboot rumours

Posted on 17th March 2013 by 1266 Nick Williams

A new 90-minute documentary about the making of Space Precinct premiered at the Prince Charles Cinema in central London on Wednesday 13th March. The screening of Space Precinct Legacy was followed by a question and answer session hosted by the director Paul Cotrulia and series composer Crispin Merrell, who also scored an original soundtrack for the documentary.
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Featuring in-depth interviews with key members of the production team, Space Precinct Legacy provided a fascinating and at times controversial insight into the political, financial and creative tensions at play behind the scenes of the series.

“I think some people were shocked about how brutally honest the documentary is” said Cotrulia. “It doesn’t pretend that Space Precinct was Gerry Anderson’s best series and we reveal some shocking secrets about the making of it. I think when people see the documentary they’ll be more forgiving of some of the series flaws.”

Nevertheless, after watching the documentary it is easy to see why Cotrulia describes himself as a “hardcore Space Precinct fan”.

“It was an incredible honour to meet with and interview some of the makers of Gerry Anderson’s unique, yet under-appreciated series. I think his vision or concept for the series was brilliant even if it didn’t reach its full potential on screen.”

“I can’t tell you how exciting it was to sit in a cinema with some of those very filmmakers and Jamie Anderson and watch the documentary.”

According to Cotrulia, a decision is going to be made very shortly about the future of Space Precinct. “There is a very strong possibility of a Space Precinct reboot movie and Jamie Anderson could be involved,” he explained. “However that can only happen if the documentary is successful.”

Wow – this all sounds pretty exciting! So if you want to know the real, warts-and-all story of the making of one of Gerry Anderson’s most ambitious series and keep alive the possibility of a remake, you know what to do!

Order your copy of the Space Precinct Legacy on Blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk today!