Captains Needed! It's Magic!

 So here's a couple of old spacemen. I reckon the bluey is Magic Robot.

They need a good caption or maybe what they're saying to each other!

Have a go!

The Great Mercury Plot 1966

This was up at Bonham's earlier this month. 

Doctor Who: The original artwork of The Great Mercury Plot from The Dalek Outer Space Book, 1966

I really like this lively artwork.

Do you?

Anyone got the book?

Sci-Fi TV this Last Week

 The Boroughs: what a breath of fresh air this series was. Clearly made for old f*rts like me and the Missus, this US sci-fi show was Stranger Things for pensioners. Indeed it was made by the same team I understand. Both of us loved it and watched the whole shabang over two nights. And not a teenager in sight! Yay!

Anyone else caught the Burroughs? 

The Expanse: this series was one for me after the Missus went to bed. I began last night. An American space drama set on Ceres with stints on Earth and Mars too. It seems to be about air and water though I'm unsure yet. It's a cocktail of ALIEN, Space Precinct, Outland and the Fifth Element, the jaded cop being Thomas Jane aka the Punisher. He also reminds me of Brogan in Space Precinct, at least to look at.

I'm not sure about the Expanse yet but I'll give episode three a go. 

I think it's based on a series of novels.

Anyone read them? Have you seen the Expanse? 

Hooked on TJ Hooker

 Avoiding watching the TV News (it's always bad!) on a morning I've opted for an old TV cop show on repeat.

TJ. Hooker

Yep, Captain Kirk going where no cop has gone before. 

I really enjoyed it. It reminded me how gritty these US shows were, like the ones I watched as a kid, like Kojak, Canon and Ironside. Too many to name.

Those shows must have seemed incredibly urban and exotic to our UK parents at the time. Maybe even shocking. Full of massive cars, skyscrapers, dope, heroin, triads, pimps, hookers (not the TJ kind either!).

We're these shows really suitable for us kids?

Did they shock American audiences?

TJ came later I think. I didn't watch it. I guess I was older and doing other stuff. But I adored it's cop predecessors and Bill Shatner would have drawn me in. I loved Star Trek in the Sixties.

Surprisingly, for shows that really weren't for kids, like Kojak et al and our gritty British cop drama The Sweeney, there were indeed toys! Lots of 'em! 

TJ Hooker too.

Here's his rack toy patrol car by Fleetwood ( I'm sure it's the same one as their CHiPS car!) as seen on the web.

And the mpc kit version too

And there's a comical look at more TJ toys on Junkman's You Tube

https://youtu.be/W3g-r0enuFg?is=qhYm2kv3af56YtMB

Did you watch TJ Hooker? Which was your fave cop show? Have you got any collectables?

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Fleetwood Toys police car comparison

CHiPs 1978

TJ Hooker 1983

Crazy Motors

These little Crazy Motors look really well designed. 

This little chrome jet ambulance is fabulous. It could be straight off the Jetsons!

It's a big range and here here's a few more Crazy Motors. Which do you like? 

Hinstar Space Station

 This Hinstar toy space orb looks super!

It opens up like a flower!

Have you anything like this? 

Brian Johnson R.I.P.

News is filtering through that special effects director, Brian Johnson has sadly passed away.  

Our sincere condolences to his family and friends. 

Hanky Panky

I saw this on auction. From 1965, I reckoned it was a Thunderbirds hanky, but the description said ...

Printed on a heavy woven substrate, the surface exhibits a distinctive textile texture. It is displayed in a frame with overall dimensions of approximately 18 × 17 inches.

Sounds like a canvas or sacking!