October 2002

Listen to radio interview with consultant for Space:1999 DVD!

A radio station in Wales, UK called Celtica Radio as an exclusive interview with Scott Bosco, the consultant for the Home Video and DVD release for the series SPACE: 1999. In this programme, Scott also talks about "Message from Alpha" a new featurette episode which was recently made to "bookend" the series available in Jan. 2003.

New CD with Thunderbirds music to be released in early 2003!

Silva Screen will be releasing a CD of incental music from Thunderbirds in early 2003. The CD is still in preparation stages, but reports are that it will contain original material from the archives of Barry Gray, some of which has never been available.

New Thunderbirds model kits as premiums in Japan!

In addition to the UFO models (see September), Konami of Japan will release a series of Thunderbirds model kits included as premiums in boxes of candy. The quality of these and the UFO models is reported to be excellent. They are available in boxes of 10 from Hobby Japan.

September 2002

New UFO model kits as premiums in Japan!

Konami of Japan will release a series of UFO model kits included as premiums in boxes of candy.

Details can be seen here at this web site: http://www.hlj.com/cgi-local/hljpage.cgi?KNM08679.

The candy-kits will be released in October. The premiums include a UFO, Sky1, Interceptor, Lunar Module/Carrier aircraft, SHADO Mobile, Skydiver, and a SHADO Moonbase woman. You'll be able to order a box of ten on-line from Hobby Link Japan for about $25 (US) exclusive of postage.

August 2002

Meet Gerry Anderson in New York on Thursday 29th August!

Gerry will be in New York on Thursday 29th August. He will be at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square at 7pm for a signing session. It is not clear exactly what he will be signing, as there is very little currently available in the store. He will be signing the videos and DVDs from Thunderbirds, UFO and Space:1999.

Please send news of other appearances or interviews to the above email address. Here is a report on his appearance at the New York Virgin Megastore. UPDATE

Meet Gerry Anderson in Los Angeles on Monday 26th August!

Gerry will be at the Virgin Megastore in Los Angeles at 7pm to sign copies of his videos and DVDs. Currently available on video are Thunderbirds, UFO and Space:1999.

Gerry Anderson attends "The 3rd Annual Festival of Fantasy, Horror & Science-Fiction" in California

The Cinematheque’s 3rd annual summer genre fest returns with an even more amazing line-up of demonically possessed cars, man-eating sharks, vengeance-obsessed female assassins and more!! The Festival leads off with a 20th Anniversary screening of STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN, featuring in-person appearances by director Nicholas Meyer and actor George Takei. This year’s series includes L.A. premiere screenings of COWBOY BEBOP: THE MOVIE, based on the hit anime series; the sensual Japanese swordfest PRINCESS BLADE; the astounding British werewolf movie DOG SOLDIERS; insane yakuza/zombie action flick VERSUS; and USHER, the first new film from director Curtis Harrington (NIGHT TIDE, GAMES) in over 15 years!

Sponsored by A & E Home Video, a special highlight of the Festival will be an in-person tribute to British fantasy/sci-fi pioneer Gerry Anderson, who used his delightful "SuperMarionation" process to create a rocket-fueled world of supercars, sinister aliens and ingenious scientists in classic TV series like "Thunderbirds," "Space: 1999," and "Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons." A true pop culture visionary, Anderson (and his then-wife Sylvia, who also provided voices for many of the characters) helped pave the way for later series like "Dr. Who" and "Star Trek."

Friday, August 23 – 7:00 PM

FANTASY/HORROR
"SUPERCARS AND SPACE: 1999! – A TRIBUTE TO GERRY ANDERSON – Part I"

Blast off with an episode of the first SuperMarionation series, "SUPERCAR," (1960, A&E Home Video, approx. 26 min.), in which test pilot Mike Mercury battles evil in his ingenious air/land/sea vehicle. Next, the psychedelic "FIREBALL XL5," (1962, A&E Home Video, approx. 26 min.), where Steve Zodiac and his World Space Patrol team fight to keep Sector 25 free from alien invasion. Then, an episode from the classic "SPACE: 1999," (1975, A&E Home Video, approx. 52 min.) starring Martin Landau and Barbara Baines as astronauts hurled into the unknown when the moon breaks free of earth’s orbit. Tribute Program Sponsored by A&E Home Video. Discussion following with series creator/producer/writer Gerry Anderson.

Saturday, August 24 – 4:00 PM

FANTASY/HORROR
"THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO! -- A TRIBUTE TO GERRY ANDERSON – Part II"

First, an episode of "STINGRAY," (1963, A&E Home Video, approx. 26 min.), in which Troy Tempest and members of WASP (World Aquanaut Security Patrol) guard the seas in their futuristic submarine. Followed by "CAPTAIN SCARLET & THE MYSTERONS," (1967, A&E Home Video, approx. 26 min.), where the alien Mysterons try to take over the earth by creating duplicates of their victims. Only Captain Scarlet and his color-coded Spectrum agents (Lt. Green! Captain Ochre! Captain Magenta!!) stand in their way. Finally, an episode of Anderson’s most beloved series, "THUNDERBIRDS" (1964, A&E Home Video, approx. 52 min.), where Jeff Tracy, ultra-stylish Lady Penelope, her loyal chauffeur Parker and the rest of International Rescue use an astounding gallery of special vehicles to respond to worldwide emergencies. Tribute Program Sponsored by A&E Home Video. Discussion following with series creator/producer/writer Gerry Anderson.

Tickets are $8 general admission. The event is at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California.

June 2002

New Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet Games!

Europress and SCI - the folks behind the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games has released a game for the PC based on Thunderbirds. Entitled Vault of Doom, it is available in the UK and features gameplay derived from the Thunderbirds episode of the same name. It appears to be geared toward younger children and is fundamentally an educational title.. Information is posted here.

The same folks have created the first computer game based on Captain Scarlet! It is called "Captain Scarlet in the Shadow of Fear". This game looks more "conventional", but is also a game with education as the primary agenda. Information is posted here.

Thunderbirds Land in Canada

The action-adventure Supermarionation series is due to be broadcast on YTV in Canada - the #1 kids cable/satellite channel with over 8 million subscribers (27% of the total population of Canada). They will be screening the half-hour format of the series (64 in total) from May 27th, Monday to Thursday at 9.00pm. The hour-long version of THUNDERBIRDS is also screened on BBC Kids, a new speciality channel in Canada, on Mondays to Fridays at 8.00pm, as well as weekends at 11.00am and 5.30pm.

Irwin Toys will be distributing the range of toys from Vivid Imaginations in Canada, with a launch planned for later in 2002. Irwin also distribute the THUNDERBIRDS board game created by Pressman Games. Dark Horse Comics have created a tin lunch box and New Video has released DVD's.

New DVD Releases

The upcoming weeks see a number of Anderson-related DVD releases. The second volume of the UFO set was released on June 10th. The first DVD from The Protectos is releases on June 24th and Terrahawks makes its UK DVD debut in July.

Tech TV Wants your Thunderbirds puppets!

If you reside in the US and own one or more original Thunderbirds puppets, Tech TV wants to borrow it. They are looking for puppets to help promote the show which will be airing this summer. If you own any original props or puppets from Thunderbirds and reside in the US, they would love to hear from you. Contact Lucy Anderson.

April 2002

Terrahawks available on DVD in the Netherlands!

Six DVDs of Terrahawks have appeared in warehouse stores in the Netherlands. These are cheaply made DVDs in English with Dutch subtitles. The subtitles cannot be removed. The DVDs are PAL standard region 2. Details on title etc in the current DVDs page.

Thunderbirds comes back to US TV screens!

Amazing but true: cable channel Tech TV will start showing Thunderbirds this summer! Not only that, but they should be airing the shows uncut and in the newly restored format. Nothing Turbocharged... For those who do not watch this channel, it is primarily "geek TV" containing shows about computers and computing. It seems that they are making an effort to have a wider range of shows and Thunderbirds is probably an excellent way to accomplish this. Part of the appeal of Thunderbirds has always been the stylish hardware and designs, which should fit right in with all the other techno-wiz fare found on this channel. Can't wait!

TechTV, the only 24-hour cable television network dedicated to showcasing the impact technology has on our everyday lives and the world at large, today announced that it has acquired the rights for Gerry Anderson Supermarionation production, "Thunderbirds" from Carlton International. "Thunderbirds" will premiere on TechTV Summer of 2002.

TechTV has acquired 32 episodes of "Thunderbirds" the action-packed fantasy adventure series set in 2065 that inspires and ignites the imagination with its ingenuity, exciting story lines, strong characters, unique humor and glorious special effects. The original series, first shot on 35mm film in 1965, has been digitally remastered with Dolby Surround Sound added for the first time on DVD.

"Thunderbirds is the type of programming that viewers expect from TechTV - programming that is entertaining and fun, but with a connection to technology," said Greg Drebin, senior vice president of programming and production for TechTV. "While Thunderbirds is not a purely technology driven show, the futuristic setting, the sci-fi theme and nostalgic value all make it a perfect compliment to our programming mix. We are currently working on a presentation format that will allow us to include additional information on screen to make each episode even more compelling."

Clare Alter, Vice President, US Sales added, "We are thrilled that Thunderbirds - as a drama - will be featured in TechTV's line-up. TechTV provides an ideal environment for people who appreciate just how ahead of it's time the show was - and indeed is!"

A licensing programme for Thunderbirds is being managed in the USA by Charles Day of the Sharpe Company.

Auction in London April 23rd!

CooperOwen's first Film and Entertainment auction of 2002 features a wide-ranging collection of lots from the worlds of Entertainment, Film, Theatre and TV to suit all pockets.

The original Lady Penelope and her faithful butler Parker will go under the hammer as well as the FAB 1 pink Rolls Royce car in which Parker used to chauffeur Lady Penelope on dangerous assignments, a Virgil Tracy Thunderbirds puppet and a Joe 90 puppet.

The following is a list of the relevant items up for sale at the Cooper Owen auction in London April 23rd.

Lot 51
Captain Blue limited edition reproduction puppet from the TV series "Captain Scarlet"
$7,000 - 8,400
£5,000 - 6,000
Made by Terry Curtis, who owns an original Captain Blue puppet.

Lot 119
A "Joe 90" puppet
$4,200 - 4,900
£3,000 - 3,500
Made by Chris King, and used by BBC2 television to promote their "I love the 90's" series of documentaries.

Lot 189
Model spaceship from the TV series "Space Precinct", 1994/95
$1,050 - 1,120
£750 - 800
This is the "Scavenger" spaceship from the episode "Friends".

Lot 214
An original Virgil Tracy puppet head from Thunderbirds, 1960's on a replica body.
$14,000 - 21,000
£10,000 - 15,000
Replica body made, and puppet totally restored by Chris King.

Lot 215
Lady Penelope Thunderbirds puppet
$28,000 - 35,000
£20,000 - 25,000
This was the puppet owned by Sylvia Anderson and originally sold at auction by Phillips in September 1995.

Lot 216
Parker Thunderbirds puppet
$21,000 - 28,000
£15,000 - 20,000
An original puppet, also originally sold at another Phillips auction in December 1995.

Lot 216A
FAB 1 - Lady Penelope's custom Rolls Royce car.
$16,800 - 21,000
£12,000 - 15,000
The model made for the film "Thunderbirds are go!", and again originally sold at the December 1995 Phillips auction.

Lot 217
Captain Paul Travers limited edition reproduction puppet "Thunderbirds are go!"
$6,300 - 7,700
£4,500 - 5,500
A further reproduction made by Terry Curtis, who owns the original puppet.

Captain Scarlet coming to DVD in the US!

A&E has sent out an e-mail announcing the release of the complete series of Captain Scarlet on DVD in the US for May. A 4-disc set has been listed for pre-order on A&E's website! The packaging appears different from the UK set, which has been the pattern for the other shows such as Thunderbirds and Space:1999.

Four discs, released May 28, $79.95. Total time is 832+ minutes.

At this point, it is unclear how many of the UK extras will be on the US set. There were 32 episodes at about 25 minutes each which is 800 minutes. 32 minutes of goodies? Or maybe my average episode length is off a bit. Additonal news will be added here as it is made available.

Here is a link to the DVD area of the A&E shop site. (opens in separate window - search for "Captain Scarlet")

THUNDERBIRDS ARE GOING, GOING, GONE!

The original F.A.B 1 car used in the filming of Thunderbirds is coming up for auction in London. The scaled-down pink Rolls Royce model will be sold on April 23rd by Cooper Owen along with the original puppet of its elegant secret agent owner, Lady Penelope and a replica puppet of Parker. The foot-tall Thunderbirds stars should feel at home in the celebrity venue of Planet Hollywood where the auction is to be held.

Thunderbirds memorabilia from the show has become hot property and Thunderbirds collectors are sure to be clambering to make a bid in this latest sale. But before you order the catalogue... at the last Thunderbirds auction, an original Parker puppet was sold for an F.A.B. £38,000 and a replica Lady Penelope puppet went for £28,000!

(Provided by Carlton International)

CAPTAIN SCARLET GOES ALL PC

Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons are making a take-over bid for PC game-time. Two deals have been signed through rights-owner Carlton International for a variety of computer fun and accessories in the UK. Digital Workshop will be creating both a PC game and a PC activity pack based on the series. The real-time strategy game, to be released Easter 2003, pits the heroic talents of the Spectrum Organisation's Captain Scarlet against the revenging Martian agents - including the duplicate agent Captain Black - and their attempts to take over the Earth. The activity pack will include video clips, screen-savers and simple games and will be released in early Summer 2002.

In addition, Europress have signed up for Captain Scarlet to feature in a range of educational PC games to be released from this summer. Players will be asked to undertake tasks in game topics covering science and mathematics. Captain Scarlet's classic Supermarionation stable-mate Thunderbirds has already been successfully licensed for similar purposes by Europress.

(Provided by Carlton International)

New Thunderbirds CD in Japan!

There is a new CD that has just been released in Japan by "Tokuma Japan Communications". It is a re-release of a CD that was part of a Thunderbirds boxed set released in Japan around 10 years ago that included not only this disc, but a couple of audio stories (in Japanese of course) a VCD of IMAI TB commercials and a large LP size booklet of background notes. The IMAI commercials are included with this new release, as a bonus mini DVD.

The music included on this CD are cover versions of the titles, and incidental music, from Thunderbirds, keeping as true as possible to the original arrangements. Very good it sounds too, and of course the Japanese vocal titles are there as well! It can be obtained mail order from www.cdjapan.co.jp , and the catalogue number is: TKCA-72328

KB Toys web site carries Thunderbirds toys in US!!!!

The KB Toys web site has a collectables area. They have quite a lot of the Vivid Imaginations toys including the Thunderbirds vehicles with soundtech chips. They also have some of the figures.

Go to the Collectables page at KBtoys.com.

Clicking the above link will open up a new window and go to the collectables page at KBToys.com. Once there, type "International Rescue" or "Thunderbirds" in the search form.

DVD release of The Protectors pushed back

After pre-ordering "The Protectors" from Blackstar, I got an email telling me that Carlton video has "postponed" the release of the first couple of discs. No date has been announced for a likely release date. Bummer.

Thunderbirds toys in Canada!

Toys R Us in Eastern Canada have some of the current Soundtech Vivid Imagination Thunderbirds toys. The following items have been seen in at least one of the Toronto branches:

• all 5 of the talking 12-inch figures ($19.99 Cdn each)
• TB's 1, 2, and 3 separately carded (NO FAB 1)
• The Soundtech Super Six Set (TB's 1, 2, 3, 4, Mole & FAB 1)
• Tracy Island ($89.00 Cdn each)

Of course, nothing in USA yet <cough>.

March 2002

MYSTERONS TAKEOVER CONTINUES

The Captain Scarlet campaign, 'Is Your Mate A Mysteron?' continues for Carlton International and the Supermarionation classic in the UK. Phase two of the campaign - 'Mysterons Wanted' - will run across the summer. Normal people everywhere are being encouraged to 'shop' friends and family by reporting any strange, Mysteron-like behaviour. This might include any desire to take over the world, or indeed any resemblance the person may have to an alien. The campaign will involve mixed media - at both street level and also via the campaign website www.mysteronswanted.com. The site will feature a gallery of suspected Mysterons' photographs. Other site users will be encouraged to vote - friends, families and oddball celebrities will be targeted, and rewards offered for spotting the worst offenders. Key target audience is boys aged 10-11.

In phase one of the campaign, communicated through advertorial and editorial features, kids were invited to visit the official Captain Scarlet website, www.captainscarlet.tv, and test their mates' Mysteron rating in an online detection quiz.

The Mysteron rings are upon us…

(Provided by Carlton International)

Barry Gray percussionist Ronnie Verrell has died

Percussionist Ronnie Verrell has died aged 76. During a long a varied career, Ronnie appeared with many of the worlds greatest stars including Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey.

Ronnie was a regular session player for Stingray and also worked on several of Barry Gray's commercials around that time. He returned to the Anderson fold with work on Thunderbirds, both the series and Thunderbirds are Go. He also contributed to the Thunderbirds are Go and one of Century 21 LPs. His last known work with Gray was on two episodes of UFO.

Ronnie has recently been in the public eye as the drummer with The Skinnerette, the band on comedian Frank Skinners show.

A New Gerry Anderson Biography!

Although it is almost certainly a revision to the earlier work by Simon Archer, a new biography of Gerry Anderson will be released in the UK in April. It is available for pre-order at Amazon.co.uk.

Captain Scarlet book available from Amazon in US!

Chris Bentley's excellent book about Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons is available for purchase from Amazon.com, This could mean that the book is going to be available in the US. At any rate, if you want it, and are not comfortable dealing with Amazon.co.uk, now you have no more excuses!

Vivid Imaginations increases line of Anderson-related items

Vivid Imaginations has released an updated list of new items from Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet. Full details to come in the next day or two, but the highlights are:

• Stingray 9' model
• Thunderbirds - mini playsets from 4 specific episodes
• Thunderbird 3 large vehicle
• Thunderbird 2 large remote control
• Captain Blue 12" figure
• remote control SPV
• SPV playset

February 2002

Thunderbirds Get Plastered

Imperial Home Décor has recently taken a licence from Carlton International for Thunderbirds themed wallpaper products. The range will feature several different designs, and will include both the characters and the vehicles from the favourite TV series, including the rockets Thunderbirds 1 and 2, and the Tracy brothers.

The range will also include a selection of borders, including a design that can be printed out digitally with a wider repeat. In addition, a height chart is available as well as a Sticker Pack of washable vinyl characters and vehicles, which can be bought on its own or in conjunction with either the standard wallpaper or the digital border. The stickers are suitable for wall-mounting and can be stickered and peeled off again and again.

The range will be released to shops by Crown Wallcoverings in Spring of this year.

Carlton gives us a Flashy, Captain Scarlet valentines gift!

Carlton emailed a Captain Scarlet-themed valentines's day ecard. It can be found in the multimedia area or you can download the zipfile here.