Thunderbirds

Will you win the FAB Challenge?

Posted on by Parker

Something we’ve been asked for many times over the years is now, thanks to club members Matthew Teevan and Mark Whyte, finally available – the exclusive FAB Challenge card game from Fanderson!

Easy to play, but fiendish to master, FAB Challenge presents 40 of the greatest vehicles from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s productions in a card game. Accompanying the brand-new vehicle artwork on each card is the FAB Spec & Tech, from which you must choose one item to beat your opponents and seize the hand!

LIMITED TIME INTRODUCTORY OFFER: We know that some members will want to play FAB Challenge with their friends and family, whilst keeping a set pristine (possibly unopened!). So, put two in your basket together and apply the coupon code FABChallenge before you pay and you’ll save £4! This offer will expire on 1st October 2023.

IMPORTANT: Members must apply the coupon code to get the discount. It cannot be applied after you have paid, and we cannot apply it retroactively.

 

UPDATED: New Stingray and FAB 1 coming soon

Posted on by Parker

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!

Easter Egg Hunt auction and raffle winners

Posted on by Parker

Thanks to everyone who enjoyed the freebies and offers in our Easter Egg Hunt over the last couple of weeks, and to everyone who bid in the charity auction, or bought tickets in the charity raffle.

We’re delighted to report that Kouichi Miyazaki bid the highest for the Terrahawks soundtrack CD, and Mrs LM Jones has won the Thunderbirds ‘Hackenbacker’ watch.

Both prizes will be on their way to the lucky winners in the next few days.

UK: Fanderson to again sponsor Anderson On Film

Posted on by Parker

Fanderson is the proud sponsor once again of the Anderson On Film presentation as part of the Southend Film Festival, enabling fans to enjoy Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s work with other fans this summer… on film!

In this digital world it’s easy to watch programmes on your phone, to stream, or even to watch from DVD or Blu-ray Disc. This year’s Southend Film Festival gives Anderson fans a chance to have that collective experience of watching with fellow fans, thanks to the beauty that is celluloid film!

This year’s programme of Anderson goodies on 11th June 2023 – all on the big screen and all shown from 16mm film – includes:

  • Thunderbirds The Uninvited
  • Joe 90 See You Down There
  • Terrahawks Expect The Unexpected – extended version, only previously seen as part of the compilation feature presentation

The popular Southend Film Festival has been running for fourteen years in two parts – as well as the main festival, the Film Festival Fringe encourages various venues around Southend to put on film screenings. The festival’s patrons are actors Ray Winstone, Vicki Michelle and Phil Davis, and you can see more at www.southendfilmfestival.com (the website is in the process of being updated for 2023).

Fanderson is delighted to be able to support fan-organised events such as this. If you need help or support with your Anderson event, please drop us a line at fanderson.org.uk@outlook.com.

UPDATED: Lego Thunderbird 2 for summer review

Posted on by Parker

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!

 

UK: Thunderbirds Are Go on Film4

Posted on by Parker

 

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s 1966 feature film Thunderbirds Are Go will be broadcast in the UK on Film4 (and a hour later on Film4+1).

Thunderbirds Are Go will be shown on Film4 at:

  • 17:20 on Wednesday, 22nd February
  • 12:40 on Saturday, 25th February

Film4 (+1) is available in the UK on Freeview/Youview 14 (47), Freesat 300 (301), Sky 313 (314) or Virgin Media 428 (in HD on 429).

If you know of an Anderson production being broadcast, anywhere in the world, please email details to fanderson.org.uk@outlook.com so we can share the news!

 

UPDATED: Limited stock… back in stock!

Posted on by Parker

Fanderson is surprised, but delighted, to report that limited stock of some of our most requested titles will be available again very soon.

Our triple-CD Space:1999 Year One soundtrack and Century 21 mini album sets 1, 2 and 3 will all be available soon once again via our Shop. The stock was found during the relocation of Fanderson Sales a few weeks ago, and preparation for our advent calendar. Some had been inadvertently packed into boxes with other titles, whilst other boxes had been incorrectly labelled.

Once Christmas preparations are out of the way (including our fantastic advent calendar), we need to carefully check and count what we’ve got for stock control purposes, but we hope to have them available again in time for a happy new year!

One or two other items are already available once again – just click on the Low Stock Remaining category when you go to the Shop.

Keep an eye on the website for further news, and save those Christmas pennies!

 

UK: Anderson series now available free on ITV X

Posted on by Parker

Many of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s classic productions are now available, free of charge, on ITV’s new streaming service ITV X. Anderson programmes owned by ITV are usually free of commercials on the platform.

All episodes are available of Supercar, Thunderbirds (including the crowdsourced ‘anniversary episodes’, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons, The Secret Service, UFO, The Protectors, Space:1999, Terrahawks and New Captain Scarlet.

For some reason, only selected episodes are available of Stingray and Joe 90, whilst Fireball XL5 isn’t there at all! Curiously, only selected episodes of ITV’s own 2015 reboot Thunderbirds Are Go are available.

ITV X is free to view, with most of the above content available ad-free too. There’s a free seven-day trial of the subscription Premium service (normally £5.99 a month) which offers even more content, all ad-free, with access to additional content over on BritBox.