BIGRAT Bytes: An Overview of First Episode Experiences

[@GerryAndersonTV]

What was the first episode of a Gerry Anderson show that you ever saw? Was it the pilot or half way through the series? Let us know!

[@VBaskin2010]

ThunderBirds who else!

[@davidbanan.]

Captain Scarlet and The Mysterons Episode 1: The Mysterons, also what bout "Thunderbirds are Go" the reboot?

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

THUNDERBIRDS, for sure. WHICH episode did I see first? NO idea. I _also_ saw STINGRAY on tv, but I do not remember if I saw it before 'BIRDS.

[@George_06.]

I remember it clearly that I used to watch pit of peril over and over and over. Thank you Gerry Anderson

[@Neil070]

Supercar. I remember having a plastic Supercar in the bath, and having major trauma / sulk because we got back from a day out late and missed the episode! No recording of programmes back then. How did we survive?

[@tonybmw5785]

I'm old enough to have seen from Thunderbirds through to Space 1999 on first showing on the telly. After that motorbikes tended to attract my attention until I hit my 40's and rediscovered Anderson after watching a Capt Scarlet with my nephew. He went nuts when he saw my Dinky SPV :)

[@Wessex90]

Trapped In The Sky DEFINITELY changed my life!

[@hankmessaros1835]

At 51 I got to see most of these shows when I was very young and loved all of Anderson's shows. Glad I found your channel

[@tonyallen3889]

First memory UFO Ordeal cause of the the ad break where Forster in a alien space suit where the helmet fill up with green liquid, had nightmares and my mother wouldn't let me watch any more , most likely reruns on STV on Sundays. First full episode Breakaway on a Thursday night been in love with Space 1999 ever since.

[@iandeeley9033]

First EVER Gerry Anderson episode I watched was of course the first one of THUNDERBIRDS!

[@a.g.marshall2191]

I go back to Supercar. I don't remember which episode I watched first, but I still know the words to the theme song. I loved all of the Supermarionation shows, Fireball XL-5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet...but hands down my favorite Gerry Anderson show was UFO. I still get a rush watching the intro. Best theme music ever.

[@trevorrandom]

Lovely memories and that's what I absolutely love about Gerry Anderson's work FAB!

[@QuizWriterMark]

Had a copy of The Cham Cham and Security Hazard on vhs; whilst one was just a clip show I’m kinda glad I had it because you got to see highlights from the main missions. Cham Cham is still one of my favourite episodes. I work for ITV now and all the Gerry Anderson stuff is in their archive so I’m watching it all the time myself

[@fredf7457]

Wow ! What a collection you have there !!

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

- Stingray: Pink Ice (I believe. Not 100% on this one). -Thunderbirds: Thunderbirds are Go! - Captain Scarlet: The Mysterons. My introduction to Anderson as a whole was the Thunderbirds are Go! DVD from the early 2000s, a bit of an odd place to start, but once I saw Zero-X's stupidly long but oddly gripping assembly sequence, I was hooked!

[@masterbondofox8982]

So that's what you look like! My first exposure to Gerry Anderson was UFO when it was first run, remember little about it but *loved* the opening theme. After that was Space: 1999 where I never missed an episode nor a rerun, and wrote a couple of fan fictions I sold (with Gerry's permission, I met him by chance at the first ever Save:1999 convention). At that first convention I finally got to see some scenes from Thunderbirds (Ricochet) and bit of Supercar. And loved it, but never got to see another until a Thunderbirds movie on Home Box Office "Thunderbirds to the Rescue". I wouldn't see Thunderbirds in its entirety until this year, 2020, on the box set. Now playing catch-up on Fireball XL-5.

[@DRATproductions1]

Living in the States... mine was hit and miss with any of G Andersons series. I do have fond memories of Stingray... Kind of remember Supercar, but not that much. The Capt. Scarlett was shown and I was hooks on that one! Then the last one would have been Space 1999, LOVED that show! Now I just search on KZbin for other series that were made. Looking forward to the new one being made now, hope it will be shown here... I'm 60 now and still enjoy all of his series....

[@stevepochly7784]

First Gerry Anderson show I remember is Supercar.I joined The Supercar Club for my 4th birthday,still got the pilots licence and badge ,but have lost over the years the plastic 45rpm record that came with it.

[@class87fan54]

First episode of Stingray I ever saw was the pilot during BBC 2's run of the series in 2001, first episode of Thunderbirds I saw was "City of Fire" during BBC 2's run in 2000, first episode of Captain Scarlet I saw was "The Mysterons" on the Captain Scarlet vs the Mysterons VHS tape. First episode of Joe 90 I saw was "Splashdown" during a supermarionation week end on the Sci-Fi channel in 2008.

[@joeluvs2danceify]

I don't consider myself old. But when you say you caught the repeats and I saw the original. Then I have to rethink how old I really am!

[@SiVlog1989]

My first exposure to anything by Gerry Anderson was seeing a reshowing of Thunderbirds Are Go at my local cinema. This would have been the early 1990's, around the same time when the original TV series was being repeated to great success on BBC. Needless to say, I was immediately hooked and it also changed my life. I enjoyed the show so much that it never occurred to me at the time that he produced shows before and after this only with time have I been able to appreciate his other shows. My first experience of both Stingray and Fireball XL5 was a promotional VHS by ITC. The episode of Stingray shown was The Ghost Ship and the Fireball XL5 episode was A Spy in Space. I first heard of Captain Scarlet again around the early 1990's, having seen Point 783. The first exposure I had of Joe 90 was Talk down, where Joe is given the brain pattern of a test pilot who is terrified of landing. It wouldn't be until 2007 when I first encountered both UFO and Space 1999, on the 70's cult show repeats on ITV4. The UFO episode I saw was Court Martial, where Paul Foster is wrongly convicted by military court about exposing SHADO secrets. Unusually, the first Space 1999 episode I saw was Breakaway, which I didn't know was the first episode at the time, because I didn't know much about it. I did my best to watch New Captain Scarlet, but not the rest of Ministry of Mayhem (with difficulty, due to the idiotic scheduling of Ministry of Mayhem). I only saw one episode of Lavender Castle, but I can't remember the episode title. I only saw The Secret Service for the first time in the last couple of years, when all 13 episodes were briefly uploaded on to KZbin. I'm still yet to see episodes of Terrahawk and Space Precinct

[@allenjones3130]

The Gerry Anderson pilot episodes I remember seeing are the pilots for "Space:1999", "Stingray", "Terrahawks", "Thunderbirds", "UFO", and "Fireball XL5".

[@techno4514]

Thunderbirds Path of Destruction Still my favorite episode from Season 2. Though I have no idea what exactly makes it my favorite. Probably Nostalgia if I’m being honest.

[@astonmcneil762]

First I can recall was Thunderbirds (either Cry Wolf or The Imposters) when I was about three.First full episode was The Mighty Atom when I was a bit older (Interrupted by Capt Scarlet; Model Spy and Joe 90; King for A Day (I think)).First ever pilot episode was UFO (Identified)

[@ulysseslee9541]

My 1st: Thunderbirds: Pit of Peril + City of Fire

[@colinp2238]

The most outstanding first episode to me was the very first Stingray in late 1964. I was an avid follower of Four Feather Falls, Supercar and Fireball XL5 and shortly after my 10th birthady I was run down by a car and had a broken leg and so I was in hospital for a spell. On my return to home, still in a plaster cast, I spent my evenings in an arm chair in frony of the television and there it was, a new serirs released from Gerry Anderson about a submarine named Stingray. I don't remember the details of the episode because at that age I was more interested in the craft than the stories but I will say that the Aquaphibians have always been my favourite alien characters, a sort of Gerry Anderson meets Bill and Ben. BTW please explain how they made the sounds of the BIGRAT operating.

[@nigelcarren]

Interesting video mon ami. My favourite philosopher/comedian Stewart Lee did a routine once, describing the joy he used to experience traveling around the country with a folded piece of notepaper in his wallet, which contained a list of ALL of the rare records on his wish-list. After each gig he would trawl the record shops in a pre-internet age looking for these. Then, some 20 years later he described when coming admittedly 'late to the party' now with dial-up internet (remember?), he found and ordered every single elusive record on the list in less than one hour. Your video made me both nostalgic and slightly sad that now perhaps the thrill of the hunt is lost for so many... such fun and sweet anticipation they will never know.... Unexpectedly thought-provoking stuff on a Friday morning whilst watching the Gerry Anderson channel when I SHOULD be banging rivets (not a euphemism!). Best wishes to you, see you all in the field. 🚀

[@adriansherlockdamondark.1094]

It was Identified from UFO, but my most vivid memory is of the premiere of Space:1999. In fact, I remember the trailer for Space:1999 as a new show coming soon. People diss these things now, but I can say without a doubt that my young self found UFO and Space 1999 utterly chilling and unnerving at the time.

[@APAMVs]

First episode was Thunderbirds 30 minutes to noon. Classic for me. I rewatched it recently and I love how it has crime in it as well. First captain scarlet episode (which could be my first I'm not sure ) was renegade rocket

[@edcola6671]

BBC Two- home of great idents and Anderson Supermarionation shows.

[@deopersad2915]

Hi I'm older but when I did get to see these awesome programs, the first Thunderbirds, Sabrina , Joe 90, then UFO was a evening program and then space 1999 I was about 4, - 7 years old then after they played reruns on tv we only had 2 channel's in New Zealand at that time and Saturday morning tv was great but also they played them after school, U.F.O was great plus also space 1999 is amazing, 👍🏾 I just finished watching all of UFO now doing space 1999 will do captain Scarlett again as well, as thunderbirds and Stingray, was thrashed 😑 I wounder if that's where they got part of the story for toy story? 👍🏾

[@TwoBeatsApart]

the compilation of trapped in the sky and operation crash dive on vhs was what got me in (the hood terrified me, I had to hide behind the sofa) then pink ice was what got me hooked (it was my mums favourite)

[@EllenTracy]

All I remember is that my first episode of Thunderbirds was Move - And You're Dead. It was from repeats in 1999-2000. I had no clue who anybody was, didn't realise Alan was Jeff's son, I thought he was just a random kid they knew. I missed the first 10 minutes and swore I wouldn't miss any others.

[@raychambers3646]

I saw torch, 4feather,supercar,xl5,and the rest first time round! Scary what?

[@RailRocketRicky]

My first episodes: * Thunderbirds ~ Vault Of Death (5th November 1991) - that kicked off the whole world of Supermarionation, and therefore the World of Gerry Anderson for me. * Stingray ~ Plant Of Doom (1992) * Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons ~ The Mysterons (1993) * Joe 90 ~ Lone-Handed 90 (1994) - weirdly, the only episode I saw in the 1990s revival!

[@josephadam291]

Space precinct was my last show i saw this year 2019

[@robinfalkner-wedge824]

I don't remember most of the first episodes I saw, but I *think* the first episode of Stingray that I saw was The Big Gun. At the very least, that episode seems oddly nostalgic even among the other episodes of stingray. New Captain Scarlet on the other hand, I'm fairly certain it was the one where Skybase gets attacked by nano bots or something. I don't remember the name but I vaguely remember the plot.

[@mullany]

Where did you grab that tee-shirt from? ...and can I score one? 😬

[@darrensmith6999]

Your man cave god its like a mirror image of mine The saint ,Start Trek ,Star Trek Continues ,UFO on the walls haha. Im 54 the enthusiasm dose not lessen haha. Great Memories.

[@kijiku2006]

I believe fighter air plane Angel is inspired Cosmo 0 and Cosmo Tiger which is Space Battle ship Yamato carried weapons. I love Jerry Andersson's world.

[@MyKharli]

fireball xl5 at a m8s house , we didn't have a telly . I thought I had arrived in heaven . 1966 ish

[@MarkSW]

My first episodes: Fireball XL5: Planet 46 Stingray: Stingray Thunderbirds: The Mighty Atom Captain Scarlet: The Mysterons Joe 90: Most Special Agent The Secret Service: A Case for the Bishop UFO: Identified Space 1999: Ring Around the Moon Terrahawks: Expect the Unexpected Space Precinct: The Snake Lavender Castle: In the Beginning New Captain Scarlet: Instrument of Destruction

[@APAMVs]

Has Chris ever heard the audiobooks of any series ? I recently heard the 5 captain scarlet ones from many years ago and it was a treat

[@dogwalker666]

Check out big Finnish they make new ones and terrorhawks and re did space 1999 breakaway

[@MichelleUS66]

Thunderbirds - “Traitor”... (Yes, I now know this is actually a Captain Scarlet episode, but for years I was *convinced* it was from Thunderbirds. It wasn’t until getting the Japanese LD sets in the 90s that I realized my mistake.) UFO - “Identified”. I tuned in late, but in time to see the doctors remove the plastic shells off the alien’s eyes. My young mind had thought they actually removed his real eyes, and it really traumatized me. (As a result, I would close my eyes when the Century 21 stinger came on screen until after the theme music started.) Space:1999 - “Breakaway” WCVB-TV in Boston ran the series instead of the ABC network’s offering.

[@nybfbg9442]

In English, probably the first episode of Stingray in the 70's. At first TV started at 18h00, but then in a radically progressive move the timeslot changed to 17h30 starting with Stingray on Mondays (I think).

[@stephenpochly7003]

I remember watching Torchy and Twizzle.Little did I know what was to come.To my mind both Gerry and Sylvia should have been knighted for their work.After all these years as the "Bond" theme says nobody does it better.

[@trainlover16]

I’ve only seen a few Gerry Anderson shows in full episode form, but here are some of them. Thunderbirds- City of Fire. (Still my favourite episode to this day.) Terrahawks- Operation Zero. (Last episode I know but still.) Fireball XL5- A day in the life of a space general. (Of course, it’s a popular episode.) Lavender Castle- Galactic Park. (Eh, one of the more weaker Gerry Anderson shows in my opinion.)

[@FireStormDel]

Fireball XL5 - Spy in Space - Came on a VHS with the below Stingray episode, I have no memories of this episode, from what I did remember was wrong, I remembered Steve and Venus landing on a planet while two villains tried to hijack XL5. Stingray - The Ghost Ship - This came on a VHS with the above Fireball XL5 episode, all I can remember is Troy using laughing gas to incapacitate the enemy. Thunderbirds - City of Fire - On a VHS release with an episode I can't remember, though looking up what it could have been, I swear that City of Fire played first in that video since the Thunderbirds wiki says it was Pit of Peril. Captain Scarlet - The Mysterons - Via the "Captain Scarlet VS The Mysterons" compilation movie, so I also saw Winged Assassin, Seek and Destroy, and Attack on Cloudbase, though we also had "Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars", so I also saw the four episodes put together on that release, even if Shadow of Fear doesn't really fit into the later story of Mysteron moonbase and the power crystal taken from it.

[@ryanstephenkristoferkearns1319]

I remember that vhs it was a pocket money video and XL9 was attacked by S.S Thor and the 2 were Mr and Mrs Spacespy. In Stingray the ghost ship I remember that Phones and Commander were on the Galleon another brilliant episode too.

[@astonmcneil762]

Will try and keep it short Thunderbirds (Cry Wolf or The Imposters)/Capt. Scarlet (Model Spy)/Joe 90 (King For A Day)/UFO (Identified)/Space1999 (Collision Course S1 & The Beta Cloud S2)/Terrahawks (Expect The Unexpected Pt 1)/Space Precinct (Protect and Survive) All of the above were when they were first broadcast and are the first full episodes seen. So Force of Life and The Lambda Factor with regards Space 1999 doesn't count in my case. Stingray (Treasure Down Below) was in the 1970s on LWT as part of a double bill (The Big Gun being the other episode) Fireball XL5 was in the mid 1980s on Thames (Spy In Space). All remaining shows from 1990 onwards were videos/DVD and hence were the respective pilot episodes. That is all (Phew)

[@tonyskinner1643]

All depends on your age I suppose but for me it was more which TV region you were in. As not all were networked some were only on ATV Midlands Mon to Fri or ATV London Sat/Sun neither of which regions I was in, being in East of England (Anglia) though sometimes we could get with atmospheric irregularities. I am talking 405 line b&w TV channels 6 to 13 here prior to bbc2 and the start of general colour with 625 lines after 1968. As to the answer I haven't got a clue, most would have been episode 1 or possibly2 from the networked ones.

[@lintonkenneally7954]

Thunderbirds: The End of the Road. Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons: The Mysterons. Joe 90: The Most Special Agent. UFO: Identified. Space 1999: The Metamorph. Dick Spanner: Im not quite sure as I was young and they were repeats. Lavender Castle: I can't pinpoint but most of them.

[@josephadam291]

In the future i bring the colorized clips from fireball xl5 and Super car to itv

[@josephadam291]

Thunderbirds trapped in the sky fireball xl5 planet 46 and ufo identified are best ones and stingray way back in 2000s

[@KKDWTotalObelisk]

Twizzle: Obvious, seen at a Fanderson convention Torchy: Topsy Turvy Land, same convention right after Twizzle. Four Feather Falls: First Train Through, saw this right after Torchy I think. Supercar: the White Line, again Fanderson convention. Fireball XL5: don't remember. Did have a VHS with episodes recorded on it so I assume the first episode on the tape was the first one I saw. Just don't remember which it was. Stingray: Another recorded VHS, this one I do remember the first on the tape was Count Down. I don't remember my first viewing but that was all the Stingray we had when I was a kid. Thunderbirds: Had a few tapes of Thunderbirds and once again I don't remember a first viewing. But one tape did open with Trapped in the Sky so hopefully that one. Captain Scarlet: I do remember a time when I first saw Scarlet, and did start with the first episode. Joe 90: Don't recall. Did have a recorded VHS of a few eps, I think the first episode on the tape was Project 90. Secret Service: Again, convention. But I don't remember which episode it was (I haven't watched the series that much since). Though I think this was also my dad's first time seeing the Secret Service, and he grew up watching some (though not all, born in 1965) of the Anderson series as they were coming out. UFO: I don't remember. The Protectors: First saw this either earlier this year or last year on ITV4, the episode was Sugar and Spice. Space:1999: Again, I don't remember. Terrahawks: Another convention. This one was Ma's Monsters (yep, the first episode I saw was a clip show!) followed by Two for the Price of one immediately after. Space Precinct: Though I caught snippets on broadcast I never saw a full episode until (you guessed it!) a convention, Two Against the Rock. Lavender Castle: Now this one I did see on broadcast. It would've been right after school for this as well, however school and home are only a two minute walk so no problems there. New Captain Scarlet: First episode on broadcast once again.

[@simonedwards9450]

Four feather falls: how it all began Super car: Rescue Fireball XL5: Planet 46 Stingray: hostages of the deep Thunderbirds: attack of the alligators Captain scarlet: place of the angels Joe 90: most special astronaut The secret service: a case for the bishop UFO: identified Space 1999: breakaway New captain scarlet: swarm

[@brianmason2378]

I wish they had done a remake of Fireball XL5 Don't think I ever saw any of them.

[@josephadam291]

Let me know about twizzle please Jamie Anderson

[@chrisc1553]

first I ever watched was Supercar The White Line

[@josephadam291]

Well Joe 90 after i was tidy the up someone's grave i saw first episode of Joe 90 it was great tv show but On my 30th next year I will watch it again on blue ray But in 2003 i show couple episodes to people from Lewisham

[@YorHighness]

Spectrum is Green.

[@josephadam291]

Space 1999 was alright and the protectors second series brilliant than first series of supercar

[@steveroberts2793]

So, buddy... you're admitting you've got a hard drive full of bootlegs? Um... is that OK now..? Are we cool with bootlegs? Just askin...