HL-10 Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 A bit before my time, but I have a DVD and an annual somewhere. This was the only one of his programmes that Gerry Anderson did a voice for. He was the robot's voice. Great memories! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dambuster Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Got the full set on DVD...... I'm only 7, honestly..... Sadly b&w only but a real hoot to watch. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roymattblack Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 And the comic TV21! I couldn't wait for Wednesdays, when it came out. I now have the whole run of comics from issue 1 to 156, which was the very end of the 'proper' TV21. OK....They are all CBR files, to read on my tablet (or PC) but I still love them. BTW.... If anyone wants the comic files, PM me...... (freebie on CD if you want them.) Roy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 TV21, I loved that. I also remember... I must have been about 5 years old, and I got a Fireball XL5 from somewhere (circa 1965). I cannot remember if I won it in a competition or whether it was a collect XXX tokens and get one, but it came with a catapult, and a small parachute, for launching into the great blue yonder. I probably managed about 15 feet if I was lucky. - and No, I have no idea what happened to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzn20 Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 My cousin had a friction drive XL5 and a Stingray. I had the Corgi Supercar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Belbin Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Jeepers - I feel quite young!! Stingray was the first of these for me . . . Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carts Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 TV21, I loved that. I also remember... I must have been about 5 years old, and I got a Fireball XL5 from somewhere (circa 1965). I cannot remember if I won it in a competition or whether it was a collect XXX tokens and get one, but it came with a catapult, and a small parachute, for launching into the great blue yonder. I probably managed about 15 feet if I was lucky. - and No, I have no idea what happened to it Yep,had one of those,last I saw of the body was my dad letting go on the catapult!And if memory serves Nicolas Parsons did the voice of the main character in four feathers falls. Great XL5 btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngstROM Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 What a great bit of nostalgia. My childhood was absolutely dominated by Anderson's tv programmes. From pre school all the way through school and still going after I left home. I think that monkey looking animal was Zooney (the) lazoon. Anderson did Twizzle and Torchy the battery boy before so Four Feather Falls (with Tex Tucker sheriff) was the 3rd Anderson production ( pretty sure) followed by Supercar, XL5, Stingray etc. Does anyone remember another space with puppets tv show? I think the spaceship was something like Galasphere 347 and might have been called Space Patrol. It was on UK TV in the mid 60s. Not as good as Anderson's efforts but I still watched it every week. Anyway, thanks for the trip back with the XL5.I Love it Yessir! Space Patrol was more edgy and lacked the glitz-factor of Anderson's contemporary work. It was probably the finest hour of Roberta Leigh and Arthur Provis, who worked with Anderson on Twizzle and Torchy. According to legend, it was all set to transfer to U.S. networks and make Anderson-magnitude stars of its creators, but the wife of a senior American TV exec took exception to S.P.'s robots, deeming them unacceptably threatening for a young audience. The exec obviously caved in with "...I guess you're always right, honey!" and the deal collapsed. Subsequent Leigh/Provis collaborations like Paul Star or the live-action Solarnauts were best described as 'unfit for purpose', whilst the bizarre Send For Dithers defies any attempt at appraisal. There are a couple of interesting interview excerpts on YouTube with Roberta Leigh (still extremely attractive in 'maturity'!) and Provis. Also, in the same place you can find a truly cringe-making audio recording by Ms Leigh about 'the birds and bees'...listen if you dare! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 This thread is so cool!!! My first crush was on Venus the space doctor! Sadly at the age of four, I didn't realise she was a puppet. Strangely enough, my band is recording a song on that very subject on our upcoming album. The Lyons Maid kit was, in fact, tooled and produced by Airfix; come on lads re-release it, you know you want to and I bet it would sell like hot cakes. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roymattblack Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Interestingly enough, as a follow-on from the above, Destiny Angel is in the top 200 downloaded 'celebrity' pictures on the web. The XL5 kit though wasn't tooled by Airfix - it was made by Kitmaster who were bought out by Airfix, and Airfix acquired the tooling. I read on a Gerry Anderson forum somewhere not too long ago that the tools still exist, and there has been growing pressure on Airfix to re-release the kit but they claim too small an audience for what would now be big licencing fees. Roy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cameraman Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Fabulous memories, my own fave was Thunderbirds, followed by Stingray and somewhere there's a photo of me, in a pool, sat in an inflatable Stingray!!!! Later there was UFO. Now that was something else but I daren't recollect in full here as to what happened many, many years later when my girlfriend and I were invited to s fancy dress party and the theme was Science Fiction. I dressed as one of the Dr Who characters and Jen had seen one of my old video copies of UFO and thought the kit worn by Gabrielle Drake was worth copying. Needless to say she got dressed up with a metallic purple wig, silver boots, silver top and a zip off silver mini skirt! She looked absolutely stunning, so much so that we never got to the party! Now that was memory and a half! Regards Reggie 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roymattblack Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Fabulous memories, my own fave was Thunderbirds, followed by Stingray and somewhere there's a photo of me, in a pool, sat in an inflatable Stingray!!!! Later there was UFO. Now that was something else but I daren't recollect in full here as to what happened many, many years later when my girlfriend and I were invited to s fancy dress party and the theme was Science Fiction. I dressed as one of the Dr Who characters and Jen had seen one of my old video copies of UFO and thought the kit worn by Gabrielle Drake was worth copying. Needless to say she got dressed up with a metallic purple wig, silver boots, silver top and a zip off silver mini skirt! She looked absolutely stunning, so much so that we never got to the party! Now that was memory and a half! Regards Reggie Your description got me going there..... (hers, not yours...) Didn't want to go to the party anyway......... Roy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyG Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 This certainly is a trip down memory lane. I think Fireball XL5 was the first Anderson series I saw (and just remember), followed by Stingray. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabberwocky Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 Ditto Tony. You and I must have followed a similar path through these shows. They developed and got more sophisticated at about the same rate that I was growing up, starting with Fireball, then Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet. I lost it when Joe 90 hit the screen because by that time I wasn't interested in what 9-year-old kids were doing, but that series would have engaged with a new generation coming along. UFO and Space 1999 brought me back into the Gerry Anderson fold, and I've never left it since. Cheers, Paul 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Ahh the wonderful Gabielle Drake (sigh)! Not forgetting Sherlock's mum Wanda Ventham in UFO as well as Col Virginia Lake... Ahem, a bit off topic from Fireball XL5... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albeback52 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Interestingly enough, as a follow-on from the above, Destiny Angel is in the top 200 downloaded 'celebrity' pictures on the web. The XL5 kit though wasn't tooled by Airfix - it was made by Kitmaster who were bought out by Airfix, and Airfix acquired the tooling. I read on a Gerry Anderson forum somewhere not too long ago that the tools still exist, and there has been growing pressure on Airfix to re-release the kit but they claim too small an audience for what would now be big licencing fees. Roy. I'm not sure how they figure "too small an audience". They certainly didn't think there was "too small an audience" for a relatively obscure British jet which had a protracted development, a short service life & was built in limited numbers!! Still, who am I to argue. I'm sure they could do a deal on licensing fees. If the Kitmaster model was of the same quality as their railway kits it would certainly be worth getting. Personally, I'd prefer the model in a larger "scale" because the Fireball was huge in "real" life! However, I guess that's just fantasising now. Thinks - anti flash white with a Blue Steel missile slung under it................................!!!!! Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 You mean something like this: Taken from the incredibly fertile imagination of Clavework Graphics here: http://www.clavework-graphics.co.uk/aircraft/fantasy_5/fantasy_404.html 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roymattblack Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) If it's a BIG Fireball kit you want, how about this one: http://www.monstersinmotion.com/cart/spaceships-vehicles-item-listj-c-13_192/fireball-xl-5-32-studio-scale-model-replica-p-18511 Failing that, how about scratch-building one like this 40" monster: http://www.davidsissonmodels.co.uk/xl5.htm Roy. Edited February 13, 2014 by roymattblack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzn20 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Wanda Ventham. She must have lived near Brize Norton. I was filling my car and I looked across the forecourt and there was Wanda V. filling her car up, a few months later I saw her driving through Carterton. I don't know about you but I hate being stalked. I haven't seen Gabrielle Drake though, she might not have a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngstROM Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I haven't seen Gabrielle Drake though, she might not have a car. Maybe not; however she did have a brother.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idcaRTg4-fM (And yes, this thread is spreading out in all directions -ain't that the best kind?!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roymattblack Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Almost as nice as Katie and the Dalek,,,,,, Roy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzn20 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Sir Francis Drake? His boat was a bit old but he was a good actor. That was good old TV! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albeback52 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 You mean something like this: Taken from the incredibly fertile imagination of Clavework Graphics here: http://www.clavework-graphics.co.uk/aircraft/fantasy_5/fantasy_404.html That just looks SOOOOOO right!!! Come on Airfix! Release that kit NOW!! Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabberwocky Posted February 25, 2014 Author Share Posted February 25, 2014 Righto, a little more progress. Well, two steps forward and one back. I put some blue on for the stripes around the fuselage. The stripes were masked off and some metallic paint applied. I liked the look of Tamiya's silver titanium paint, as it has a sort of pearly silver which I felt gives the ship a bit of a fifties feel. For contrast a couple of sections were given a coat of Mr Color buffable aluminium and given a bit of a shine. Unfortunately when I removed the masking the paint came away from the fins on Fireball Junior. The primer hadn't taken to the white metal for some reason, so I had to take them off, remove the rest of the paint and redo them. Getting parallel 1mm stripes is a right PITA, but I managed in the end. These little guys have to go back on now. I've also been playing with an idea for Space City. I need to get the working parts of this little turntable... ...which look like this... ...to fit inside the circular base of the building, here. For the curved wall I've stuck kitchen foil onto thin styrene card so it should bend easily into a circle. That should give me shiny windows, while the building framing will be narrow styrene strips stuck on top of that. I've no idea whether this is going to work or not, so I'm keeping all fingers, legs and eyes crossed. Thanks for all the comments btw. There's clearly a number of chaps of a certain age here who have fond memories of Fireball. Cheers, Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 ooh I do like a bit of scratch building - looking forward to seeing how this develops Did you use etch primer or just standard primer on the white metal parts? I always use etch primer on metal and have never had a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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