FAB Express 106 is on its way

We’re delighted to report that FAB Express 106 was posted today to all Fanderson members!

We also had so many contributions to this issue’s FlashBack that we couldn’t fit them all in. We don’t want to leave anyone out, so here are our regular contributors Pat and Doug’s thoughts on Thunderbirds Ricochet

Pat Gardner, Lancing, West Sussex

I have mixed feelings about the extra six episodes. Thunderbirds was, for me, about Scott and Virgil undertaking a rescue with the use of whatever exciting new vehicle was in the pod. The other characters were an ensemble cast to provide variety and some light relief. By the time the extra episodes were made the focus was more on these subsidiary characters, there were no pod vehicles apart from a dull cherry picker (Path Of Destruction), and in two of the episodes no rescue (the Christmas story and also Lord Parker’s ‘Oliday, the latter also contradicting what we are told in Atlantic Inferno that International Rescue is there to save people – Monte Bianco could have been evacuated and no-one would have died)! And the episodes that did have rescues had rather lame ones, mostly involving cutting gear. Ricochet is a good example – Loman is rescued by simply being picked up, and the rescue of O’Shea is consists of cutting through a door (OK, the black eye is an added extra).

There are other changes for these episodes. When I was a child, my favourite character was Virgil, with his steady calm voice in total contrast to Scott. I don’t like the replacement voice. I recall my sister commenting on the different hidden microphone on Jeff’s desk. Children notice these things. In some episodes Tracy Island looks different, and there are variations in the design of the craft. As a child I felt things should be a fixed way and I did not like the changes at all (I am less bothered now). Some of the puppets seem to be a half-way house between the caricatures and those of later series, particularly Prof Marshall.

I was a bit puzzled by the second stage separation fault in the rocket, since it continued firing in the atmosphere when presumably it would have no fuel left. However, by the time it reached space it has stopped firing. The rocket launch scenes are rather long-winded, giving the impression of padding to increase the running time. Also puzzled as to why Thunderbird 2 was launched when the obvious thing would have been to only launch Thunderbird 3 – the eventual need for Thunderbird 2 was not obvious at the start of the rescue. Jeff clearly takes a belt and braces approach.

This is the second episode in which Alan exhibits jealousy (the other being End Of The Road). Tin-Tin, don’t go out with him, he will be a nightmare in the future!

Pirate station KLA is presumably inspired by the pirate radio stations of the 60s. It is rather prescient, written long before satellite television or MTV. And using the broadcast to issue a call for help really did eventually happen, at Radio NorthSea International in the early 70s when a naughty rival set fire to their ship. There are some oddities though. KLA is not in geostationary orbit so a viewer would only receive the station for a short time (if at all, given the lack of a dish on Tin-Tin’s set). And although O’Shea is on screen to introduce the tracks, these appear to be on audio tape – so what is shown on screen while the music plays? We may never know.

I like the special effects sequence when Thunderbird 2 tries to divert the space station from the refinery, especially the way in which KLA disintegrates. But I don’t like the sequence when Thunderbird 2 reverses into its hanger. The smoke reverses into the pipes! Anyone would think they’d run the film backwards instead of creating a new scene…

Ricochet has a novel story and it was great that more Thunderbirds episodes were made (my memory of the first screening in the London area was that the new episodes were shown every second week, interleaved with repeats). If only there had been fewer changes between the first 26 episodes and the extra six.

 

Doug Pelton, Mississauga, Canada

Just got watching Ricochet once more. Graeme Walker passed on his old A&E sets to me so I viewed it again. Loved these things. How despicable Rick was throughout/putting the show ahead of the well-being of the station and scaredie-catting his refusal to be saved by Alan.

I loved the newer interior look of the Sentinel Base and the ICS interior all looking like one to come in the C21 shows. The circular ICS control desk and much of the electronics flat against the wall. The rocket is the best one of the series, all smooth and minus the earlier fins etc of Sun Probe and Mars Probe ones. Most likely this was one of Mike Trim’s earliest conceptions. Like it foreshadowed the ones he did for C21 and UFO. And the silo it was housed in. Also the mid section shots of TB3 as Alan exits and then returns with Loman, plus TB2 return to base landing on the strip then backwarding into the hangar. And the angst exhibited by Virgil and Brains thinking that rick died with the KLA desert crash. Plus the good work done to paint on the bruise on Rick’s face.

Another good one, an early one from Tony Barwick and Mike Trim here. Rare one without TB1 or Lady P. And Jeff’s concern for pirate space stations like KLA impairing normal orbital items orbits too. Like the UFO space junk in Conflict.

 

In FABruary we dropped the price of all back issues of FAB and FAB Express, so there’s never been a better time to catch up on any missing issues. And don’t forget that we still have limited stock of FAB Annual 2023 if you missed that, or want a second copy.

 

[UK] Stingray coming to Talking Pictures TV on 2nd March!

Talking Pictures TV is delighted to announce that Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s Stingray is coming to the channel from Saturday 2nd March at 15:00.

The acclaimed British children’s science fiction television was filmed in 1963, using a combination of electronic marionette puppetry and scale model special effects. The marionette adventure series about a futuristic submarine patrol that’s responsible for policing the Earth’s oceans.

Stingray follows the Talking Pictures TV’s acquisitions of Thunderbirds and Fireball XL5 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.

[AUS] Thunderbirds on 9Gem

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s Thunderbirds is showing on 9Gem in Australia from 18th November.

You can see Thunderbirds in 30-minute instalments on 9Gem:

  • Saturday 18th November at 06:00 AEST (when it’s followed by Adventures In Rainbow Country, starring Stingray‘s Lois Maxwell)
  • then daily from Sunday 19th November at 04:00 AEST

You can also watch 50-minute versions on the 9Now online service.

If you know about one of Gerry and Sylvia Andersons’ productions being broadcast, please let us know so we can share the news!

FAB 98: Winging its way to you!

We’re delighted to report that FAB 98 is now winging its way to hundreds of Fanderson members around the world. Hopefully, for many it should arrive just in time for the club’s 40th anniversary – 20th August 2021.

In this issue:

  • Ian Fryer looks at the birth of ITV, and how Noddy led to The Adventures Of Twizzle (via The Woodentops)
  • club members give their views on UFO Kill Straker! in our regular Timelash column
  • Chris Drake looks back at Stingray The Cool Caveman
  • we return for a fourth visit to the UFO comic strips in Countdown and TV Action
  • Alistair McGown explains how FOMO (fear of missing out) isn’t a new phenomenon – he experienced it with Space:1999
  • Andrew Clements’ account of adapting the 60s Thunderbirds novel for a new audience
  • we celebrate 60 years of the first Supermarionation series – Supercar – including an exclusive cutaway of Black Rock Base by Graham Bleathman
  • the fourth part of our exclusive Thunderbirds Are Go photo-strip by Jonathan Baxter
  • enter our competition to win a UFO Visual Archives book
  • plus FAB news, FAB Mail and more

With this FAB we’ve mailed a second set of our 40 FAB Years picture cards. Stick with us and by the end of the year you should have a full set (and an album to put them all in)!

FAB 98 also sees the first deliveries of our 2021 membership gift. For this special year we wanted to revisit two of our most popular and oft-requested gifts – the 7″ Barry Gray EPs given to members in 1986 and 1988. We’ve given them a bit of a brush-up and they’re both on our exclusive new CD! We can only give this CD away as part of our membership package, so if you get a renewal notice with FAB 98 or 99, make sure you renew so that you don’t miss out!

If you missed out on last year’s membership gift (or just want a second copy), the fantastic Century 21 Complete Puppet Catalogue is now available in the Shop.

Note that we made a mistake with the competition closing date and ‘renew by’ date – they should both read 30th September 2021. Sorry!

Annoyingly, as we completed the mailing we also noticed the box of this year’s anniversary enamel club badges – one of each should have gone in the packages! We’ll keep them safe and mail them with FAB 99.

If you were late renewing your membership, and so haven’t been included in the FAB 98 mailing, we haven’t forgotten you! Your membership will re-start with FAB 99.

UPDATE 26th August 2021

Although FAB 98 was mailed last week, it seems that quite a few members still haven’t received their packages. There is a distribution problem in the UK caused by a shortage of HGV drivers, coupled with people in the logistics industry isolating due to covid. In some areas post only being delivered every third day. 

Overseas packages seem to be relatively unaffected. 

Thank you for your patience, and we hope all UK packages will be delivered by the end of the week.

If you’re ever worried something we’ve sent might have gone missing in the post, please check our Shipping And Returns page before contacting us.

Anyone who missed FAB 97 can now buy it as a back issue, and last year’s membership item – Century 21 Complete Puppet Catalogue – is also now available to buy in the Shop.

How to get FAB magazine? Join Fanderson!

FAB magazine is available exclusively to Fanderson club members – we publish three times a year, and we do our very best to make each issue a joy to read for every fan – regardless of your favourite series!

UK: Fireball XL5 in high definition!

Hot on the heels of their Supercar Blu-ray Disc announcement (and before that’s even arrived) Network have confirmed that Fireball XL5 will be their next Anderson production on the high definition disc format.

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s 1962 Supermarionation series Fireball XL5 has been remastered in high definition from original 35mm film elements for this Blu-ray edition.

The year is 2062, and World Space Patrol ship Fireball XL5 is assigned to Sector 25, where intrepid pilot Steve Zodiac, ably assisted by Doctor Venus and Professor Matthew Matic, faces such dangers as planetomic missiles, explosive gas clouds, space spies, and alien races both warlike and benign!

As well as all 39 episodes, this exclusive limited-edition set includes a brand-new Fireball XL5 comic by Martin Cater, brand-new Fireball XL5 scrapbook, Fireball XL5 WSP astronaut license and badge, Robots In Distress: brand-new Robert the robot animation, Cloud Of A Billion Lights: brand-new Fireball XL5 CD audio adventure, Walton 8mm home movie show, A Wonderland Of Stardust documentary, Drawn In Supermarionation documentary, colourised episode A Day In The Life Of A Space General, Zoom Ice Lolly Adverts and image gallery… all in deluxe packaging!

The set is due for release on 18th October 2021, amd you can pre-order your copy now for just £60!

 

Fanderson Podcast goes Down Under!

Click here for Podcast 9.

THIS EPISODE: Your host Ros Connors is joined all the way from Australia by Gary Files, best known as the voice of puppets Captain Magenta (Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons), Black Phantom and Captain Foster (Thunderbird 6) and Matthew Harding (The Secret Service) but also numerous other voices in all three Century 21 puppet series, plus a guest spot as Phil Wade in UFO Identified.

Ros also welcomes Mark Anthony Craig, who most club members will know as the winner of Look-in’s 1977 competition to design a space city, but more recently has become known for his model dioramas.

There’s a link to all the podcasts in the menu bar above, or click here.

You can also subscribe to Fanderson podcasts at the iTunes and Google podcast stores.

Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons clip ©1967 ITC, The Secret Service clip ©1969 ITC, UFO clip ©1970 ITC, licensed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment

Vote for the Fanderson Podcast!

We hope you’re continuing to enjoy the Fanderson podcasts and, if so, ask you to vote for us in the British Podcast Awards!

Established in 2017, the British Podcast Awards were created to highlight the best podcasts of the year, made for Great Britain. The BPAs welcome all podcast makers to enter: from big brands to bedroom publishers, charities to comedians…

Whilst the winners in most categories will be decided by a panel of judges, anyone can nominate any podcast listed in the Apple Podcasts directory for the Listeners’ Choice award, which is being sponsored by BBC Sounds.

Please vote for the Fanderson Podcast at the Listeners’ Choice page before Sunday 4th July.

NEW! Cereal promotions book and more!

Now available in the Fanderson Shop are four new, exclusive club items:

Click on the links to see more and place your orders!

ITC Entertained The World Podcasts

Fans of the wider ITC catalogue beyond the Anderson productions are sure to be interested in the ITC Entertained The World podcast.

Host Jaz Wiseman is joined by Rodney Marshall and Al Samujh to discuss a single series or film in each issue. Each lasting around an hour, there are 11 in the series already, featuring The Baron, Danger Man, Gideon’s Way, Hammer House Of Horror, Man In A Suitcase, The Persuaders! The SaintStrange ReportThe Zoo Gang and the feature film The Tamarind Seed.

They’re all available from the link above, or you can subscribe at either iTunes or Google podcast store.