MOONBASE CENTRAL

Thursday, 10 September 2015

BEER DASH

What beer or tipple do you drink readers?

I'll get some in for the 15th!

SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES KIDS' TV

Childrens' television enjoyed a golden age during the Sixties and Seventies in the UK, as I'm sure it did everywhere. The austerity of the Fifties had waned and the dawn of colour seeped onto our screens.

There were so many great kids' TV shows its hard to know where to start. They graced our tellies every afternoon and certainly in the UK the prized slot during the week was just before the news at 5.40. The culmination was of course Saturday morning, when the world once more righted itself with our favourite cartoons. Not sure about Sunday, where there any kids' programmes on?

Anyhoo, with the worlds of Gerry Anderson regularly explored on Moonbase here is a breakfast bowl of some of my other favourite shows from back then, shows that have stayed with me ever since unlike any other decade's output. See if you remember them too!

[pics: you tube/ wiki]

Crystal Tips and Alistair: the Seventies in a nutshell! From the moving bits of paper school of animation!

Charlie Says: not strictly cartoons: these were safety films for us tearaways.

Again, wonderfully simple and jerky animation.

The classic trio from 'my' Blue Peter: John Noake's northern twang was unusual on the BBC at the time. Who will ever forget 'Get down Shep!'. I was saddened to learn that John now has Alzheimers.

Astronut: one of many brilliant Terrytoons. I adored this little guy's squeaky voice.

Marine Boy: Anime zero! I can still hear that Japanese kids chorus at the start. Now where's my oxygum!

Hectors House: a more relaxed show combined with a French lesson: one of the gems on at 5.40 before the adult stuff started.

Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop: I could have watched her and that sock all day long!

The Arabian Knights: part of the era-defining Banana Splits show and just one of countless Hanna-Barbera treasures. Just don't pull the donkey's tail!

The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe: one of the saddest theme tunes ever!

Champion the Wonder Horse: one of the most uplifting theme tunes ever!

Tales from the Riverbank: who can forget Hammy Hamster and his gang or that beautiful opening theme.

Belle and Sebastian [not the band]: European kids TV par excellence about life in the mountains with a cherub-faced boy and a huge shaggy dog.

The TV test card: I've forgotten when this was on. Midnight? A moment in television history. I bet she put an X in the corner! Whatever happened to that Test Car girl?

What where your favourite kids shows back in the golden age of TV readers? Do you think every generation had it so golden?

THE PRISONER COMIC STRIP BY JACK KIRBY

Yesterday I mentioned that the editor of TV Century 21, Alan Fennell had decided against a comic strip version of The Prisoner, and I speculated how it might have been.

During the mid seventies, Marvel Comics toyed with the idea of producing a Prisoner comic strip, with Stan Lee eventually giving the job to artist, Jack Kirby.

Unfortunately, Stan Lee decided to cancel the project prior to publication. However Jack did produce a first instalment based on the first episode, 'Arrival', and although some of the artwork was not inked and had incomplete dialogue, temporarily pencilled in, it does give a flavour of what would have been the first Prisoner comic strip.

Wednesday, 9 September 2015

SCOUT'S HONOUR

OUR SEVENTH SWORDTASTIC BIRTHDAY APPROACHES!

Well, the blog's 7th birthday is fast approaching folks.

We' ll have some fabulous articles from readers on Project SWORD, SpaceX, space toys, models and gum cards.

As well as these we'll have some great goodies on offer as prizes and exclusives - a taste of which are stuck above - which I personally think are rather cool!

All will be revealed on the 15th!

So join us for the Bloggiversary number Seven on the 15th September and all week after that if you can.

It'll be SWORDtastic.

In the meantime watch counting to seven with the one and only Sesame Street gang. The ending is hilarious!

LOFT PROFITS: HE MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: BUT ARE THEY SPACE TOYS?

One of the biggest toy lines of the Eighties, He-Man and MOTU as it's known to collectors, was a joy to find at boot sales. Usually it would be brace of fine loose figures and very occasionally a boxed toy like the Slime Pit or the Fright Zone. If you found the Eternia Playset you could retire! I'm still working.

MOTU toys were often nuzzling up against Ghostbusters and Thundercats stuff and, aside from the ubiquitous Star Wars merch, the three of them formed the holy trinity* of 80's action figure lines and would appear downstream at the same time at boot sales a few years later. Anyone else collect MOTU readers?

* Ninja Turtles and GI Joe could also be seen as Eighties biggies but for me it was the three lines I mention. Which were the big 80's toys for you readers?

THE PRISONER & CENTURY 21

It seems that apart from it's own in house productions, Century 21 also handled the merchandising rights for, amongst other things The Prisoner, and at some point several story ideas landed on the desk of Alan Fennell, editor of TV Century 21.

I can imagine a Prisoner comic strip story, during that time might have helped the reader answer a few questions regarding the more obscure aspects of the series.

I'm speculating, rightly or wrongly, that the TV 21 scripts might have concentrated more on the fantastical side of The Prisoner, rather than the allegorical aspects.

Science fiction themes did feature quite heavily in the series. Apart from'Rover', the mysterious autonomous guardian of The Village,, there was cloning, mind transfer, and rockets!

However it was not to be in any event. Mr Fennell felt that The Prisoner wouldn't have sat well with the comic's content and so the scripts were rejected.

It does lead me to wonder what did Century 21 licence regarding The Prisoner. I've heard stories that Patrick McGoohan was averse to any merchandise or comics related to his series, and was reluctant to get involved in that side of things.

The only thing I can think of that Century 21 did relating to The Prisoner was a painted front cover on TV Tornado drawn by Mick Anglo.

In fact, the only piece of official merchandise I can think of that was released at the time of The Prisoner's first showing was the Dinky Mini Moke, painted to look like the Village Taxi.