Australia’s cult and classic film and television label Via Vision is releasing Supermarionation – The Gerry And Sylvia Anderson Collection on 5th July.
This brings together Via Vision’s previous DVD sets of Fireball XL5, Stingray, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons and Joe 90 into a 21-disc super-set, currently available to pre-order at AU$99.95.
Though Via Vision’s Fireball XL5 is now out of stock, separate releases for the other three series remain available.
UPDATE 22nd May :
Fanderson member Lee Elliott sent us these photos of the pre-production samples on display at the UK Slot Car Festival, held over the weekend at the National Motor Museum Warwickshire.
Hornby Hobbies has announced two new iconic craft from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s productions, for release in 2024.
Scalextric’s 1:32 scale (22cm long) FAB 1 will soon be racing around slot-car tracks, and can be pre-ordered now.
Corgi has released initial images of their upcoming die-cast Stingray, also for 2024, which includes a high metal content and will feature firing Sting missiles!
Silva Screen’s Joe 90 soundtrack has jumped to the #1 spot on Amazon’s “TV Soundtracks” chart, and #4 in “Soundtracks & Musicals” – not bad for a 56-year-old television series!
The CD is also available via Fanderson Sales, as is our exclusive 4-CD boxset.
Hot on the heels of their replica Moonbase Alpha helmet collection, specialist collectible manufacturer Sixteen 12 is making it possible to own your personalised helmet!
The helmets will be complete with display stand and Space:1999 metallic base logo, and have a recommended retail price of £299.99 + shipping.
Sixteen 12 need a minimum order of 100 units to make the project viable. If you’re interested (under no obligation) simply e-mail your name, and the name you would like on your helmet to steve@sixteen12.com by 7th April.
Network are offering 35% off a selection of their high definition titles on Blu-ray Disc in their latest 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 (colourised), Joe 90, UFO, Ultimate Space:1999, Terrahawks, and New Captain Scarlet,
The promotion ends at 16:00 on Tuesday 18th April, so go shopping now by clicking this link to see all titles in Network’s HD35 promotion.
UPDATE 22nd March 2023: Read all about Andrew Clark and his creation in this Lego Ideas interview.
Andrew Clark’s Thunderbird 2 Lego Ideas project is included in the third review of 2022, with the result due this summer.
Thunderbird 2 gained the magic 10,000 supporters in October and so will go forward to be considered as an official Lego set, along with 35 other projects!
The Lego team carefully assesses each project to ensure it meets their stringent build and playability standards, doesn’t clash with any official sets in development, as well as considering any licensing requirements. The licensing team at ITV has in the past been extremely positive and excited at the prospect of such a tie-in with Lego, though as the company becomes more commercially-focussed the fees being asked have put some potential licensees off.
After 57 years, Thunderbirds remains incredibly popular worldwide, with high concentrations of Fanderson members particularly in the UK, Japan and Australia, so we can only be hopeful that Lego and ITV can work together to make this happen!
Network Distributing has confirmed that Tim Beddows, Managing Director, has died aged 59.
Founded by avid collector Beddows in 1997 with its first ever release – a VHS collection of public information films, Charley Says – Network has grown to become an independent UK publishing, distribution, production and entertainment group. Fanderson members will probably be most familiar with the releases of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s productions, and the club provided materials for some of these early releases, including their print of the only known surviving episode of The Adventures Of Twizzle for inclusion in Network’s Space Patrol DVD set.
The company is known for its work restoration work on releases including Gerry and Sylvia’s Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons, Joe 90, UFO and Space:1999 which have all benefitted from Network’s remastering for Blu-ray Disc.
In 2021, Network acquired a number of libraries, including Rapido TV, the Danziger film and TV catalogue, and the Hammer Films company. A new company, Hammer Studios, was established to manage Hammer’s interests across its library of content.
Jonathan Lack, Director at Network, said: “For the past four years, I’ve had the honour of running the company alongside Tim, as we positioned Network as the strong market leader it is today. We are all devastated by his passing but the whole Network team understood Tim’s dreams for the future of the business and we are committed to delivering that dream, and building upon his legacy for our stakeholders and customers.”
Steve Rogers, Head of Product Development and Research at Network, added: “His legacy is huge and this work will continue. Always forward-thinking, Tim had started to plan for the next five to ten years, so he will remain a very real presence at Network in both its outlook and content output. Together we will take the company forward with his vision, and he’ll be with us on the continuing journey.”
Network has announced a new two-disc Blu-ray Disc set of colourised Gerry and Sylvia Anderson productions, coming on 12th December 2022.
The first disc of the Presented In Supercolorisation set includes Four Feather Falls First Train Through, Supercar Pirate Plunder and Supercar “Take One”, Fireball XL5 The Sun Temple, The Granatoid Tanks and A Day In The Life Of A Space General in colourised high-definition!
Most of these episodes are available again on disc two, along with other programmes, as part of two compilation features previously seen on watch.networkonair.com:
The set is completed by a 16-page booklet featuring frames from the colourised episodes next to outline versions to colour.
Priced at £35, the set is available to pre-order now.
UPDATED 3rd October: We did it! The project has reached the 10,000 milestone, so will be entered for assessment by the Lego team next year (which will include licensing discussions with ITV, as required).
There’s just 100 days left to get behind Andrew Clark’s Thunderbird 2, help it reach the 10,000 milestone and be considered to be an official Lego set!
Andrew’s Doctor Who and The Flintstones ideas were both chosen to become reality. His Thunderbird 2 was originally submitted with the ability to be built as the craft from ITV’s 2015 remake or from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s iconic 1960s original Thunderbirds. This submission is purely the classic craft, together with TB4, Elevator Car and Virgil Tracy!
Lego Ideas was set up so that budding designers could see their designs made into sets that we could all buy. Fans can click to support the designs they like and, if a project gets over 10,000 supporters, it goes on to be assessed by the Lego team as a potential set.
Show your support and see thousands more ideas at the Lego Ideas website.
Big Chief Studios have announced their first range of retro collector action figures, enabling fans to create their own miniature adventures.
Designed with collectors in mind, each 3.75 inch figure in The Anderson Collection sports five points of jointed articulation, authentic character likenesses and detailed costumes. Priced at a pocket-friendly £14.99 each, the figures are made for fans to build a collection, and with a far simpler product specification manufacturing lead times are drastically improved from their previous studio scale puppet replicas.
Collection 1 is due in December and includes Troy Tempest, Scott Tracy, Captain Scarlet, Joe McClaine, Ed Straker and John Koenig. Collection 2 will follow in 2023 and is due to include Lt George “Phones” Sheridan, Virgil Tracy, John Tracy, Captain Black, Lt Green and Alan Carter.
