 |
Fireball XL5 is the classic fun science fiction television program from 1962 and carried out with "Supermarionation." It followed "Supercar", which was an earlier super-marionette show made for the US market. Fireball XL5 is just one of a fleet of World Space Patrol spaceships and each episode begins with Colonel Steve Zodiac and Dr. Venus boarding the ship on scooter-like "hoverjet" then blasting away into the unknown with Robert the Robot and Professor Matthew Matic. A space lazoon (a lemur-like creature) named Zoonie, who is Dr. Venus' pet joins the crew on several adventures and provides comic relief. Commander Zero, Lieutenant Ninety, and engineer Angus MacPherson round out the support crew in the revolving skyscraper command headquarters. Recurring characters include such baddies as Space Spy and Grezelda, and Col. Zodiac's mortal enemies--The Subterreans. This is a very charming series with terrific voice acting and music scored by Barry Gray. The actual episodes are in black and white format, which makes sense as there were few color televisions in 1962. However, the Special Features sections offer color stills so you can see how the characters and space ship really looked. Plus the narratives feature people who were directly involve in the production of the series. The show was produced in the early sixties when manned spaceflight was rather basic with one person at a time going into orbit. The spaceships in Fireball XL5 tended to behave like ships at sea rather than as bodies in motion in a vacuum, but we can overlook the physics for the entertainment value. Fireball XL5 is fine entertainment for the whole family. It has grown-up clever dialogue, charming characters, great music and special effects that set off the imagination. I watched this show as a child and actually remember several of the episodes while forgetting several of the characters. If you were wowwed by Team America's special effects and puppetry, them you will likely enjoy this Supermarionation Space adventure series which shows where that stuff got started. I certainly got my money's worth.Read full review
This is one of the lesser known works of Jerry's, Thunderbirds being the most known of. But it happens to be the one that started my fondness for his work. The robot happens to be the finest of any model made no mater what time-period one looks to! the robot from lost in space has to take second place. Great characters that the kids can relate with, and the girls like it to!. But I am guessing that the biggest fans are us older folks that like to just kick back with a glass of wine and a little smoke. I own all of Jerry's works except space 1999 as I never liked real people in his work. The puppets are the magic here, and set to the finest of lounge music ever made, as a kid looking for the "strings" was part of the fun. After seeing these puppets in motion regular animation does nothing for me. Thank you Jerry and Sylvia for your simply wonderful work. Martin (now a robotics-electronics eng.) An absolute must for lounge lizards!Read full review
When I was a kid, my dad handed me a Fireball XL5 plastic toy that a person would fire up into the air and then it would parachute down. Always wondered about that show, but it was no where to be seen in 1980. Thirty years later, I am finally able to see a show that has not been on the air for more like fifty years. The show is amazing for when it came out, and the details of the production of the show are to be admired. I've only looked over the first disc, but what was really cute was hearing one of the voice actors as he gave his audio commentary during "The Doomed Planet" and when the episode was over, sang the closing song in various voices. That was too cool. So if you liked Space 1999, the ship designs were done by the same people. And if you liked Thunderbirds or Supercar, same people did the puppet work. My suggestion, imagine a world prior to Star Trek, and watch this show with the wide eyed amazement of a kid when this show came out. That is what I did last night, and you know, I had a blast. :)Read full review
This reviewer remembers this show as a kid in the mid 1960's. It was done with puppets. It was very innovative and the first of many such series to come out from creator Gerry Anderson. It was a bit cheesey in some ways and the puppets never wore space suits when in space. However, this is a classic show and one of the best of all time. All 30+ episodes are included in this 5 disc set. The theme song, as sung by Don Spencer, is also a classic and was on the charts. It has that 1950's/early 1960's R&R Pop sound to it and is a good ballad. I'm thrilled to have found this complete series on DVD. You will be thrilled too. Two thumbs up! 5 stars!
If you're a big fan of the "Supermarionation" TV shows of the 1960s, then you'll definitely need "Fireball XL-5" in your collection. This is the series that led into what most fans call "The Big Three" shows: Stingray, Thunderbirds, and Captain Scarlet. The story revolves around the adventures of Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol. He flies around in his ship, Fireball XL-5, covering some of the deepest parts of space against alien threats. At a time when the Cold War was just getting under way between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, this was a show that truly reflected the times, even if the show was set in the year 2063. Thanks to A&E, the 39 episodes have been digitally restored to its full glory. Although it remains in black and white, I think it's better this way because "colorizing" it would more than likely ruin the look of the series. So, have fun and enjoy the adventures of Steve Zodiac and his friends as they cruise the universe in Fireball XL-5!Read full review
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
