Sixty years ago today Gerry & Sylvia Anderson's, Fireball XL5 series made it's first appearance on UK television.
I don't know if my own TV region, Granada screened it that same day, but as a very young space cadet I do remember watching the thrilling adventures of Colonel Steve Zodiac, Doctor Venus and Prof. Matthew Matic around that time.
Here's a cutting from a TV Times Granada edition dated 1964 which featured a photo from the series. I also would have occasionally read the Fireball XL5 comic strip that was running in TV Comic at the time.
As a much older space cadet, I still enjoy the occasional visit to Space City and the exploits of the World Space Patrol, taking me back to those cosmic days way back in 2062.
Happy Diamond Anniversary, Fireball XL5!
Lovely post. I do like XL5. Great design and a cool robot too!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'm certainly fond of it myself, Kev. I'd love Network to colorise them all eventually.
DeleteGreat post Scoop and a fab reminder of the glory days of Kids' TV we enjoyed. I really do think it was a golden period, although I imagine every generation thinks that about their fave children's programmes. There's a wonderful illustration of the XL5 named as Century 21 I think. Do you think Fireball XL5 is a better name?
ReplyDeleteAnd as the prototype Super R rocket, in one of the later Supercar annuals!
DeleteThat's right Woodsy, Century 21 was the original name for the ship. I've got some postcard size prints of concept art done by designer, Reg Hill and one of the Century 21 by Derek Meddings.
DeleteSpot on Lewis, I've got that annual featuring the Super R .
DeleteAnother ace post, Scoop. Lovely tribute to a classic childhood favourite!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tony, I think we all have 'Fireball' in our hearts! ;)
DeleteNow I know where I was 60 years ago and what I was doing!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny to think it was broadcast in B/W as memory has now added colour after having seen the toys and comics.
I know what you mean, Terra. The TV21 front covers and comic strip filled the colour gap for me.
DeleteI was living in the Granada TV region when FIREBALL first aired and, in fact, was present when the first episode debuted (I also saw the first episode of CAMBERWICK GREEN when that was broadcast -- but that's another story!).
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't my decision to watch XL5; I was at the house of a friend -- and he was a devotee of both FOUR FEATHER FALLS and SUPERCAR -- neither of which I was aware of -- and he wanted to see this "new" show. So he, I have suddenly realised -- introduced me to Supermarionation.
I have to say that PLANET 46 absolutely terrified me -- especially the scene where FIREBALL is sinking into the planet's surface. I would have been around five years old...
Although FIREBALL was aimed at children (according to a piece I read in an old Australian TV Week, it was only with STINGRAY that A.P. Films started to write their shows on two levels, and aim them at a family audience) it was superbly crafted, and what impresses me all these years later is how perfectly it all fits together.
The characters are vivid, credible and engaging -- and it fascinates me that the core grouping of Commander + Scientist + Doctor is exactly the formula STAR TREK (and, latterly, SPACE: 1999...) would follow years later.
It's superbly crafted; there are nice touches in the lighting (when XL5 takes off, and we see Ninety and Zero watching from the Space City Tower, the control room lights up as if illuminated by the glare of the rockets...) -- the clever use of split-screen when Zero is talking to his wife -- and, of course, the "non-interference directive" turns up in PRISONER ON THE LOST PLANET!
It should also be said that Barry Gray's phenomenal talent is a key component of the whole thing.
It's also the show where Dennis Spooner (by his own account) was taught to write narrative fiction by Gerry Anderson -- and, considering the contributions the writer made to TeleVision subsequently, that's really something to celebrate!
So... although the appearance of some of XL5's secondary characters may be crude, and some of the plots are targeted at young minds, I find the series incredibly impressive and feel it displays more imagination, intelligence and charm than the cookie-cutter "adult" sci-fi movies and TV shows of today.
D.C.
An excellent critique of the show, D.C. I imagine the Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon serials would have influenced the premise, certainly the characters of Flash, Dale and Zarkov. As you point out the Andersons carried the idea of hero, girlfriend and scientist over to Space 1999. I also wonder if Dan Dare might have drawn some input too, what with the military aspect and space ship design.
DeleteIn spite of it being a children's series it was quite dark and eerie at times, and some of the aliens were quite nasty!
Gosh!
DeleteYou're right about the BUCK ROGERS/FLASH GORDON precedent of the hero/scientist/girlfriend grouping!
I never thought of that.
I'm mortified!
And: yes, to the scary aliens.
I remember watching MYSTERY OF THE TA2 (also at my friend's house), and being absolutely terrified by the aliens in that..
As for DAN DARE -- you're right there, too. The look of FIREBALL JUNIOR is very DAN DARE-ish!
On an entirely different note: whenever the six foot FIREBALL turns up in an episode, I weep at the thought of its ultimate fate -- being smashed into pieces with sledge-hammers -- as described in an issue of ANDERSONIC.
Criminal!
D.C.
Yeah, it's a shame to read of the fate of some of the models, D.C.. Although I've never read an issue of Andersonic I have heard that once each series was completed a lot of the models were destroyed by the crew who were glad to see the back of most of them after the headaches they'd caused during filming. Some obviously survived for a time after and were tidied up for TV21 covers etc.
DeleteI suppose that large model of Fireball would have presented storage problems, and as it was no longer of any use to the studio, it was destined for the skip!
Thankfully, an original Steve Zodiac puppet does still survive, but only as it was converted to the A.P.Films bowling trophy!
I have very few memories of Fireball, as my parents did not have a TV at that time. I do have an image of a ghostly B&W image of the show glimpsed through somebody else's front room window. Stingray in B&W was my entry into the worlds of Gerry Anderson. I remember getting excited at seeing a giant explosion on TV promos and thinking it was "Stand by for Action!" when it was actually promos for the film "Battle of the River Plate"...
ReplyDeleteHa,ha! I suppose one undersea explosion is much the same as another so an easy mistake to make Lewis.
DeleteAlthough I don't recall actually watching Fireball XL5 making its first appearance on TV, I do vividly recall watching Stingray making its debut ( in glorious black & white, of course). My Dad knew I already liked the puppet shows of Supercar and Fireball, and called me in from playing outside saying there's something about to start on TV you'll probably like!
Beautiful pix of a beautiful machine!
ReplyDeleteThanks Zigg!: )
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