UFO

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.

 

The Anderson Collection – action figures from Big Chief Studios

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

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.

UK: Anderson series now free-to-view on ITV Hub

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Having long been available to view in the UK on Britbox, many of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s classic productions are now available on the ITV Hub.

Fans can now watch Supercar, Fireball XL5 (selected episodes), Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons, Joe 90 (selected episodes), The Secret Service, UFO, The Protectors and Space:1999. ITV’s own Thunderbirds Are Go reimagining is available too, along with the crowdsourced Thunderbirds anniversary episodes.

All are available free to view and ad-free, once the programme itself starts. Watching fully ad-free costs £3.99/month or £39.99/year, but there’s a free 7-day trial available (surely long enough for any die-hard fan to binge-watch the whole lot!).

Click on the link to go to the ITV Hub.

UK: Dolores Mantez in Rainbow City on BBC Four

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

UFO star Dolores Mantez can be seen in one of her earlier roles as a schoolteacher in Rainbow City, to be re-broadcast on BBC Four on Wednesday, 22nd June at 22:00.

Rainbow City is a groundbreaking BBC drama series from 1967 about the experience of the West Indian community living in and around Birmingham, featuring Errol John in the lead role.

Also of note in the cast is Clifton Jones (Space:1999‘s David Kano) and Ysanne Churchman, who voiced Sara Brown in 1962’s Sara And Hoppity as well as numerous voices (but particularly Marla and Cassiopeia) in Space Patrol (1966) – both for Roberta Leigh.

Posted in UFO

UK: Farewell, Forces TV

Posted on by Parker

On 30th June 2022 we’ll say goodbye to Forces TV, which in recent years has become the home to much classic British television, including UFO and Space:1999.

Forces TV was originally a military-themed factual channel but in time its primetime schedule has become the home of such comedy classics as Bless This House, Sorry! and Oh No It’s Selwyn Froggitt, and dramas including CHiPs, Doctor Who and Return Of The Saint.

Together with the bizarrely-named Horror channel, Forces TV has also broadcast Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s UFO and Space:1999 numerous times in recent years.

Forces TV is closing as the frequency spectrum used to broadcast it and other channels is being handed over to the expanding 5G mobile network. You can read more about this here.

A statement from BFBS (the charity that runs Forces TV) says:

“We are very sad to go but, as a military charity and media organisation, we’re focusing our resources on our core mission: to entertain, inform, connect and champion our UK armed forces, families and veterans.”

Farewell, Forces TV, it’s been great knowing you.

UK: UFO on Forces TV

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s UFO is showing again on Forces TV in the UK from Saturday 26th February 2022.

The series is being shown as double-bills at 22:00 on both Saturdays and Sundays, with repeats as single episodes on weekdays around 22:00.

Forces TV is available in the UK on Freeview/Youview 96, Freesat 165, Sky 181 and Virgin 274.

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!

Posted in UFO

Super special offer on Super Space Theater

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

Wanting to gen up on the Super Space Theater films whilst you await Network‘s Blu-ray Disc package at the end of the month? Why not get ready by reading the background story of the 13 SST films, and maybe even decorate your room with the beautiful cover art prints?

It’s all in our Super Space Theater book and art print pack – at a super special offer price for January!

Christmas TV – not EastEnders again!

Posted on by 1266 Nick Williams

At a loss for some quality seasonal television from the broadcasters this Christmas? Why not dig out the TVTimes special that we mailed with FAB last year (and again recently for new members)?

Surround yourself with some treats and a little something to wash it all down, then feast out all day on the very best seasonal Gerry and Sylvia Anderson entertainment (and remember, Stingray A Christmas To Remember is just one of the many programmes now available in high definition).

PS – Obviously, but just in case anyone thought otherwise, in the supplement the 40th Anniversary Quiz closed on 31st January 2021, and Six-Five Special offers were valid until 14th February 2021!