FROM THE XMAS POSTBAG

A couple of lovely real Xmas cards that made their way to Moonbase this year:

left, Arto and right, Kevin.

Thanks very much guys!

SPACEX AND SWORD ON FILM AT CHRISTMAS IN THE SIXTIES

Well readers, its nearly the Big Day. It might be Christmas Eve but there's still time to get a last minute prezzy for someone.

To help with ideas for gifts here's my traditional Christmas Eve post where we nip back to Oxford Street, London, Christmas 1964 courtesy of British Pathe.

Here you'll find a SWORD Apollo Saturn in a shop. This version of the Rocket was either the Japanese Tomy version or the American Sears version and was apparently sold in the UK. It appears unboxed at 1.02 minutes for a few seconds along with a working Dux Astroman robot! It'd look great under someone's tree!

And here's a lovely boxed SpaceX Superset in a shop window in Carnaby Street, London, Xmas 1969 or 1970? Quick, go and get it, its the last one!

Films owned by British Pathe.

EXTRA TV TIMES WITH ANDERSON

Keeping up the TV Times nostalgia that  gives a nod to Gerry Anderson's TV series, here's a few articles from some old TV Times Christmas Extra magazines.

This first one is from 1962, and features a quick quiz showing ATV's top stars, including our own Mike Mercury.

  The second example is from 1966, showing a children's party with some extra special guests.

Finally, the well known photo article as seen in the 1970 TV Times Extra a.k.a. Christmas With The Stars,  featuring fashions from UFO.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FOLKS

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful New Year

From your old mate, Scoop

THE STORY OF ZERO XMAS

ZERO XMAS LEFT FOR MOONBASE WITH THE XMAS TREE

ZERO SCROOGE WAS HOT ON ITS TAIL. 

THERE WOULD BE NO XMAS AT MOONBASE THIS YEAR!

ZERO SCROOGE LOCKED ON FOR A FINAL ROASTING

ZERO XMAS FIRED ITS FAIRY PHASERS. 

ZERO SCROOGE WAS HIT.

ZERO XMAS PREVAILED ONCE AGAIN.

MOONBASE WILL HAVE ITS XMAS.

MOONBASE CENTRAL: GOT THE T-SHIRT!

My daughter got me these neat Project SWORD Moonbase Central T-Shirts for my birthday! Cool or what! One is a spare and I will offer it as a prize on the blog in 2015.

CHRISTMAS TV TIMES WITH ANDERSON

In the build up to Christmas, I've been leafing through some pages from old scans of  Christmas TV Times dealing with the North West Granada ITV region from the mid to late sixties, which featured Gerry Anderson's puppet series near the Christmas Break.  I'd certainly like to thank those selfless scanners who've gone to the trouble of getting hold of these little gems and making them available to grateful fans like me. Please accept some virtual mince pies and several cyber sherry's.

This first one that caught my eye is from 1964.  Although it wasn't shown on Christmas Day, Fireball XL5 and Steve Zodiac were featured a few days earlier along with an accompanying  photo.

ITV viewers on Christmas Day that year did  get the chance to watch an episode of Four Feather Falls, but I'd have probably been more excited about that little ad for TV Comic.

Television viewing on Christmas Day for the Gerry Anderson fan was like being in heaven in 1965. Kids (and adults) were treated to no less than four puppet episodes being shown that day, Starting with Supercar in the morning, followed by Fireball XL5, and then, the Stingray Christmas episode, Christmas to Remember. Thunderbirds' episode 'The Vault Of Death' was shown during early evening. I love the way the puppet characters are listed.

Also, worthy of note in that Christmas issue was a page from the Tivvy club (remember him TV Comic readers!) 

 Although Christmas Day TV in 1966 wasn't the puppet frenzy of the previous year, ITV did show the brand new Thunderbirds'  Christmas episode, 'Give Or Take A Million'.

No Gerry Anderson TV series showing on Christmas Day in 1967, but if you tuned into the game show, The Golden Shot on Christmas Eve you'd get to see Captain Scarlet and the Spectrum pop group, among the guests.

By Christmas, 1968, Joe 90 would have been well into it's first run. On  the Sunday, a few days before that year's Christmas, the Joe 90 episode, 'International Concerto', premièred. The TV Times even had a little photo tucked in the corner of the page to advertise the show.

   Stingray's, 'A Christmas To Remember' was repeated on Christmas Day.

Thunderbirds episode, ' Martian Invasion' , rather than 'Give or Take a Million' was shown on Boxing Day.

The 1969 Christmas edition of the TV Times didn't feature any of Gerry's series on or around Christmas. The Secret Service TV series wouldn't feature during the season as it would have finished it's initial (and only run?!) in the few  ITV regions that showed it.

By some way of a consolation View - Master did feature an ad in that 1969 edition of one or two of it''s products.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Chri..er Birthday, Woodsy!