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CAPTAIN
SCARLET and the MYSTERONS UNOFFICIAL WEBSITE
by
Chris Bishop
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NEWS PAGE
News to upcoming events regarding the world of Captain Scarlet - and
sometimes other Gerry Anderson's related shows - will be posted here for your
information!
If
you ever learn of interesting news, you're invited to contact me, and we'll let
people know about it. And if you have any comments to offer, regarding a
subject offered on this page, you can also write and tell me about
it.
CAUTIONARY
NOTE: In view of all the contradictory information circulating
presently on the net - especially in regard of the upcoming CGI series -
readers must be advised that although this site makes all in its powers to
verify every bits of news and its veracity, some details over information may be
revealed as FALSE over time. This site will provide with updates and
detailed info as it will become available, and will make amendments when
necessary.
FOR
OLDER NEWS SEE OUR NEWS ARCHIVES
UPDATES, NOVEMBER 19, 2011
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NEW FROM BIG FINISH…
FROM THUNDERBIRDS TO PTERODACTYLS
Shane Rimmer’s Autobiography on CD in
November 2011
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Shane Rimmer’s
voice is familiar to millions from his role as Scott Tracy, the pilot of
Thunderbird 1, but there are many other facets to his remarkable career.
In
From
Thunderbirds to Pterodactyls
Shane recalls the years he spent as an actor, voice artist and writer
for Gerry Anderson’s classic productions, as well as his appearances in
other memorable shows such as
Doctor Who,
Coronation Street
and
Lipstick
On Your Collar.
Equally at home
in
Star Wars
or
Out of
Africa,
Shane’s talents as a character actor have been called upon by some of
the film industry’s leading directors. He worked for Stanley Kubrick in
Dr Strangelove
and Christopher Nolan in
Batman
Begins.
Between the two he notched up appearances in three James Bond movies and
had a close encounter with a low-flying dinosaur in
The People
that Time Forgot.
This wry and
refreshingly frank autobiography sheds new light on some of the
best-loved films and television series ever made, as well as revealing
what life is really like for a jobbing actor in the sometimes less than
glamorous world of showbusiness.
This three-disc audio CD is read
by Shane and is released on 31 November 2011, RRP £16.99. A download
version will also be available from
bigfinish.com, priced at £14.99.
Buy
the From Thunderbirds to Pterodactyls Audiobook
from Amazon.co.uk
Buy
the
Download Version only, from Big Finish.
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Buy the audiobook at Amazon.co.uk |
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BOOK: SHANE RIMMER,
MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY - FROM THUNDERBIRDS TO PTERODACTYLS
Product Details from Signum Books:
Already available since October 25, 2010, the book
From Thunderbirds to Pterodactyls,
in which actor Shane Rimmer recalls the years he spent as a
voice artist and writer for Gerry Anderson’s classic
productions. Shane’s autobiography also includes details of his
appearances in Doctor Who,
Star Wars, two James Bond films
and much more.
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Signum Books (Imprint of Flashpoint Media Ltd) (25
Oct 2010)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0956653405
ISBN-13: 978-0956653406
You can buy the book at Amazon.co.uk
or directly
at Signum Books, where you can also get a signed copy for a
slight additional fee. |
Buy the book at Amazon.co.uk |
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ANDERSONIC ISSUE 12 - SUMMER 2011
Interview with former APF sculptor John Blundall in which he discusses
his time working on series from Supercar up to Thunderbirds. John
discusses how he got involved in puppetry, working with Christine
Glanville, Wolfgang Manthey and Mary Turner, his favourite creations and
what went into designing characters such as Robert the Robot, Professor
Matic and of course Parker.
Robin McDonald Interview - Century 21's Clapper Loader/Focus Puller
recalls his time working on series from Thunderbirds to Space:1999,
working with alligators, Ed Bishop & Mike Billington and even The
Sweeney and Terrahawks.
A Breath of Death - a look at an unfilmed Space:1999 script by Irving
Gaynor Nieman.
Supermarionation Stamps - the Royal Mail's special issue commemmorating
50 years of Supermarionation. With comment from artist Gerry Embleton
The Return of Victor Bergman - Robert Wood outlines the making of this
touching fan-made short film.
Space 1999/ The Last Sunset - Alpha's finest are stranded on the lunar
surface with only a corroding Eagle and a crazed Paul Morrow for
company.
UFO /Destruction - Four writers give their view on Dennis Spooner's sole
contribution to UFO.
Fireball XL5/ Space City Special - The Subterrains' plan with Manchurian
overtones...
plus more of our Joe 90 A-Z, a free competition to win a trip to Vostula
and more!
To order your copy of
Andersonic, simply go to their
website. |
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UPDATES,
FEBRUARY 7, 2011
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THE SPECTRUM HEADQUARTERS WEBSITE
CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY!
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TO CELEBRATE THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY
OF SPECTRUM HEADQUARTERS! |
Time flies, and how! Would you believe it has been 10
YEARS already?
On
February 10, 2011, the Spectrum Headquarters website reaches its
10th year of online existence, and it's thanks to you, the fans,
that it existed long enough to celebrate this milestone.
Instead of celebrating this event, on the anniversary day only,
it was decided that the website will use the entire upcoming
year, until February 10, 2012, to make this something
special. During this long period of time, we will
celebrate by posting new stuff on a regular basis:
information that are missing from some of our sections, stuff
that you might not find anywhere else online, new and original
pictures on our gallery... and of course, what had made the
website so popular over those 10 years, new fan fiction stories!
This will touch both the Original Captain Scarlet and the
Mysterons series, as well as the CGI New Captain Scarlet
series.
We
are trying to reach past contributors to this website as well as
long-standing, well-known Gerry Anderson fans, to ask them if
they would like to contribute anew with either new stories,
essays or articles, or stories which might have appeared in
fanzines that could be posted here, for a whole new generation
of fans to read.
And of course, present contributors are also invited to
participate - as well as completely new fans!
If
you read these lines, and want to be a part of the celebration,
CONTACT US.
Tell us what you want to write, present us your work!
There is no Challenge attached to this event. No
specific theme. But you can chose from any of our already
existing Challenges if you
want.
Check our
Letter of invitation, and
our Submission
Guidelines for more information!
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ROYAL MAIL OFFERS FREE "GENIUS OF GERRY
ANDERSON" WALLPAPERS |
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As a promotion for
their news series of stamps featuring the contribution of Gerry
Anderson to television (see article below), Royal Mail is
offering sets of free Gerry Anderson wallpapers. You have
six versions to chose from: Thunderbirds, Fireball XL5,
Stingray, Joe 90, Supercar and of course, Captain Scarlet
and the Mysterons.
Follow
this link, chose your set and fill the form provided, and
click the submit button, and you will very soon received, by
email, a zip file containing your free set. As simple as
that!
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ANDERSONIC ISSUE 11 - SPRING 2011
ISSUE
 Issue
11 of Andersonic features a new interview with Century 21's former
Visual Effects Director Shaun Whittacker-Cook in which he discusses his
time working at Century 21 on series from Thunderbirds up to UFO. Shaun
shares anecdotes of his time at the studio and reveals how certain
sequences were created, his favourite effects shots and what it was
really like trying to get a sofa on board Thunderbird 3 and make
spinning UFOs fly!
Other features include:
Starcruiser 'Run Robot Run' - we examine a recently unearthed
script for the Anderson TV series that never was.
The Anderson Collecting Gene - What fans collect and why they do
it.
Space 1999/ Force of Life - Ian McShane catches a chill as
Moonbase Alpha revisits Quatermass.
Interster - A look at the South African puppet series influenced
by Century 21
UFO /Flight Path - 'Er Indoors gets a shooter in the boat race...
An early episode examined.
Ghosts in the Machine - SHADO, the CIA and other Fictions.
Looking at information, misinformation and close encounters.
Lunarville Lip - Captain Scarlet's loose trilogy of moon-based
episodes.
Could You Fly a Thunderbird - Take our psychometric test and find
out.
To order your copy of
Andersonic, simply go to their
website. |
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CAPTAIN SCARLET: THE COMPLETE
SERIES DVD SET - 2010
REPACKAGED (NORTH AMERICA) |
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A&E
repackaged their DVD set of Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons
to offer a brand new, attractive presentation.
Basically the same content as the previous set, this new release
comes with a new, revised price that North American fans of the
series will find more than affordable.
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Region 1
Language: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: A & E Home Video
Run Time: 832 minutes
DVD
Release Date: January 26, 2010 |
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UPDATES,
DECEMBER 17, 2010
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ROYAL MAIL PAYS ‘FAB’
TRIBUTE TO PUPPET GENIUS GERRY ANDERSON AND THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO, ON ‘MOVING’
MINI SHEET |
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 The
puppet characters in Stingray, Joe 90, Captain Scarlett and Thunderbirds have
enthralled millions since they first arrived on our TV screens in the 1960s, and
they are now set to visit our homes again as Royal Mail pays tribute to their
creator in a new set of special stamps.
Issued on 11 January,
FAB: The Genius of Gerry Anderson
marks the 50th
anniversary of these ground-breaking programmes, which began with Supercar
in 1961. The set of stamps also includes Royal Mail’s first ‘motion stamps’ on a
miniature sheet which using microlenticular printing reveals the Thunderbirds
take off when tilted back and forth.
Gerry Anderson said: “I
feel incredibly proud that my work has been chosen to appear on a set of
commemorative stamps and to see actual animation of the opening scenes of
Thunderbirds on motion stamps, for me, is wonderful.”
The stamps,
split between 1st Class and 97p values, feature six of his most
popular shows: Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray,
Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90, highlighting the
ingenious characters and incredible vehicles created by Anderson.
For many of course, it’s
his most celebrated creation, Thunderbirds, that we remember, especially
its dramatic 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! opening sequence. Now people can relive that moment
through a four-stamp miniature sheet. The countdown begins with
Thunderbird 5 - the Earth-orbiting space station keeping a watchful eye from
within the miniature sheet’s border, whilst a moving image of lift off is
revealed for Thunderbirds 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Philip Parker, Royal
Mail Stamps spokesperson, said: “Gerry
Anderson’s sophisticated puppetry, combined with his taste for state-of-the-art
special effects and futuristic super-vehicles, caused a sensation in the 1960s
and his legacy lives on today.
“I’m delighted that
Royal Mail is celebrating his ingenuity and inventiveness with our first stamp
issue of 2011, and our first motion stamps. I’m sure that collectors and TV fans
alike will enjoy the chance to see the opening credits of Thunderbirds
again – but this time through the technology of stamps!”
Royal Mail is also
producing a Retail Stamp Book and Medal Cover to accompany the issue. (for more
details see Notes to Editors in the
complete news
release).
The Gerry Anderson
archive is represented by ITV Studios Global Entertainment who worked with Royal
Mail to produce
FAB: The Genius of Gerry
Anderson.
You can order the various products at
the
Royal Mail website.
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ANDERSONIC ISSUE 10 - AUTUMN 2010
ISSUE
 The
latest issue now has 44 pages, colour covers and features:
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A new interview with
former Century 21 writer and director Leo Eaton in which he
discusses his time directing the puppet series, writing for Scarlet,
what it was like working on Joe 90 and UFO, why he eventually left
the series and how he came to work with Ed Wood.
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Supermerchandisation - A
look at how Century 21 revolutionised the marketing of 'tie-in'
products in the 1960s. (See this website for additonal info on this
subject)
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Into Infinity - Script to
screen feature revealing scenes that didn't make it to the final
version plus a new interview with musician Steve Coe.
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Space:1999/ Earthbound -
a look at Anthony Terpiloff's episode where Christopher Lee gives
everyone an egg and Gerald Simmonds Esq does everything he can to
get back to where he once belonged.
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Brink of Disaster
Retrospective - four writers evaluate one of Thunderbirds' most
stylish episodes. Is complete automation a viable option? Whadda you
think!
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UFO/ Survival - Michael
Billington makes his UFO debut in a moon-based episode that explores
prejudice and, er, survival.
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Space Patrol - a look at
the 1960s series made by former Anderson alumni Arthur Provis and
Roberta Leigh, which had an interesting legacy.
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Review Section - New
merchandise reviewed.
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SHADO Staff Handbook -
What not to do in your new job. Please sign and return to the HR
department. What do you mean you don't want a lilac gull-wing
company car?
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Joe 90 A-Z - everything
you need to know about WIN's 4' 4" Most Special Agent.
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X-Planes Extra - more
inspirational designs we couldn't fit in last time. Ever wondered
what inspired the design of Thunderbird 1, FAB 1, Supercar and UFO's
Lunar Carrier?
44 pages with colour outer
and inner covers/ black and white interior.
To order your copy of
Andersonic, simply go to their
website.
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SPACE: 1999 - THE COMPLETE SEASON ONE
AVAILABLE IN BLU-RAY
For the first time ever: Season One of the popular Sci-Fi
series is available as a Blu-Ray edition in the U.K. on November 1rst,
2010.
The series had already been made
available in Blu-Ray earlier on November 30, in North
America (U.S. and Canada).
See below for more information - and for
possibility to order your own set online at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk,
depending on your location!
NORTH AMERICAN BLU-RAY BOX SET:
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Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0),
English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Region: Region 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Studio: A&E Home Video
Audio commentaries
Music-only tracks
Behind-the-scenes featurettes
Episodic image galleries for all episodes
Trailers
Textless titles
Barry Gray’s theme music demo
Alternate opening/closing titles
Martin Landau and Barbara Bain US premier intro
and outro
SFX plates and deleted SFX scenes with music
track
Added item:
September 12, 2010 |
U.K. BLU-RAY BOXSET:
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Just a few weeks after he American release, the first series of Space: 1999
was made available for U.K. and the rest of Europe. You can pre-order your copy online, at
Amazon.co.uk, by clicking the link on the right.
Number of discs: 7
Classification: PG
Studio: Network
DVD Release Date: 1 Nov 2010.
Run Time: 1200 minutes
Added item:
September 12, 2010 |
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U.K. DVD BOXSET:
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Additionally, a new release of the U.K. DVD boxset, with
new artwork, has been released by Network, to coincide with the Blu-Ray
boxset.
Format: Box set, PAL
Region: Region 2
Number of discs: 7
Classification: PG
Studio: Network
DVD Release Date: 1 Nov 2010
Run Time: 1200 minutes
Added item:
December 17, 2010 |
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SPACE
PRECINCT : COMPLETE SERIES DVD BOXSET AVAILABLE IN NORTH AMERICA
The DVD boxset of Space
Precinct, the last live action television series created by Gerry Anderson,
has finally been made available in the U.S. and Canada. Starring Ted
Shackelford, Rob Youngblood and animatronic animated characters in the role of
aliens, this series isn't just your typical 'cop buddies' story: it's also
set in space!
Available since September 12,
2010, you can order your own copy online, at Amazon.com.
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SPACE PRECINCT:
THE COMPLETE SERIES DVD BOXSET
Format:
NTSC, Full Screen
Language: English
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 5
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
DVD Release Date: November 23, 2010
Run Time: 1063 minutes
New item September 12, 2010
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