Supermarionation Primers | The Story of Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Captain Scarlet & Joe 90

[@GerryAndersonTV]

Apart from Thunderbirds (covered in another video) which is your favourite Supermarionation series? Let us know!

[@LadyNi365]

All except Joe 90.

[@OdeeOz]

@@LadyNi365 Agreed

[@OdeeOz]

Too many for me to pick just one, Jamie. It starts at 4 Feather Falls onward. But ... The ones I still watch are Captain Scarlet (Old & New), Thunderbirds & Fireball XL5

[@RWSCOTT]

for me, it's close. Captain Scarlet has terrific effects & action, but Stingray edges it out for pure campy fun.

[@bettyleeist]

Say,I have an idea……has anyone ever wanted to ✍️ write about;Doppelgänger,or,Journey to the far side of the Sun,but,in book 📕 form?Then,we “could see” the script!Or,is this too much to ask for,here?

[@mikethecabbie8476]

I had the pleasure of driving Sylvia Anderson in her final years. Having lived these series as a child, we had some wonderful conversations about them! The impact she and Gerry had on 1960's kids cannot be overstated. Truly, she was one of the most joyful passengers this taxi driver ever had.

[@lifehappens7511]

I was born in 1949, and raised in the center of California. Until I stumbled upon this great documentary today (April, 2022) I had never even heard of any of these shows or characters. I now intend to see to it that my grandsons...8 and 3...don’t suffer the same deprivation. Thank you for a great documentary!

[@zuutlmna]

I was born in '51. And up here in Redding, California, it was either Chico's station Channel 12 or Redding's Channel 7 that broadcast some of these programs. They aired on Saturday mornings. And I managed to see some of them. When I first saw one of the programs, I remember being seriously amazed that mere puppetry skills could be taken to such a level of skill and resourcefulness. I still think they're all absolutely wonderful!

[@petestanton1945]

Excellent plan, Life! I was fortunate enuf 2 catch UFO in early syndication on PBS as far as I can recall. The DVD set of that show is pure gold

[@maddog8621]

Love the fact that we're separated by thousands of miles but connected by puppets!

[@zuutlmna]

@@maddog8621 Got that right!!

[@raypurchase801]

I'm British ('58) and I was brought up on these shows. Courage, understanding technology, knowing right from wrong. Simple stuff which has gone out of fashion.

[@duncanmckenzie2815]

I was a Fireball XL5 and Thunderbirds kid and at aged 66 years now it's wonderful to go down memory lane. Thank you for putting this documentary together.

[@albertenvajohannes2649]

Yeah, Robby the robot, on our way home, on our way home!

[@albertenvajohannes2649]

Oh, Gerry Anderson's Four Feather Falls was also a good watch!

[@HowardWimshurst]

I was born in 1994, and I watched a lot of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlett and Stingray as re-runs on TV with my dad - who was born in 1956 and watched the original releases as a boy. I absolutely love these series and they have been an early influence on me as an animator and film maker. Gerry Anderson had an amazing intuition for knowing what kids want to see in a story. My personal favourite Thunderbirds episode has to be the Alligator episode.

[@Navek15]

I know a lot of these comments are from people who grew up watching these shows, but I want to let you guys know that even youngsters like me (if you can call being 30 a youngster) really appreciate the work of Gerry Anderson and co as well. Not just for the influence it’s had on one of my favorite franchises (the Ultra Series), but because if I could, I would bring my own sci-fi stories to life with model effects and other such practical means.

[@garyrigelseven6929]

Wonderful stuff ! Barry Gray got his musical scores just right. The Thunderbirds 'march' is understandably the best remembered and loved, but it was always the closing titles of Joe 90 that did it for me as a kid. The briefcase and contents were a boys dream, and the music was absolutely the perfect way to close a show about a 9 year old spy. Thank you !

[@isaganipalanca8803]

As a child growing up in the Philippines in the Sixties and often visiting Hong Kong with family, It was lucky for me that ALL the above series - including the later live series, were aired in the Philippines and Hong Kong as they came out in the UK. Some of my earliest and fondest childhood memories included Supercar, Fireball-XL5, Stingray and the Thunderbirds! The Gerry and Sylvia Anderson series with Barry Gray's superb, iconic music enriched not only my childhood, but my entire life, as they had fired my imagination and creativity! An especially fond and vivid memory of mine is of watching the Thunderbirds episode "Terror in New York City" involving the toppling of the Empire State Building (what a grand conceit!) on Christmas Eve 1965 before a Christmas get-together and the most brilliant Christmas of my and my brother's childhood!!!! Of course we had all the Fireball XL-5, Joe-90, Captain Scarlet, Thunderbirds and Joe-90 vehicles as toys, bought in Manila and Hong Kong... The live series beginning with UFO came when we entered our teens and were also being shown in Germany in the mid-Seventies, when we emigrated there... The German dubbed versions helped us learn the language...it's safe to say that these series are cultural treasures!!!!

[@stefantrnacek1394]

Thank you for a very in-depth and fascinating video. I am 62 andgrew up watching these fantastic shows and I am still watching them. It is so great to now being able to find out all the history of these amazing shows. Please keep the great work coming. I had not heard of "The Secret Service" but I quickly looked for the DVD and was able to buy one so I look forward to watching it.

[@rotax636nut5]

This was my childhood back in the 60's, as I grew the shows matched my increasing years in increasing sophistication, I loved every minute of those wonderful 'Supermarionation' episodes and I remember them often to this day especially Fireball XL5 and Stingray, Thunderbirds was of course the best and I think much modern military thinking stemmed from what young boys saw on that show. Thanks for the excellent review of a very important part of my childhood..

[@tracynottage356]

my dad was a fan of thunderbirds, that is why my name is Tracy, I was named after the Tracy brothers ,I just wanted add this to the comments because thunderbirds/gerry Anderson has a sentimental meaning to me also ,especially thunderbirds ❤😊

[@mauricedavis2160]

What a great connection to the show!!!🙏👍👻

[@silversurfergw]

fab

[@williebowen2965]

STINGRAY, Supercar, Thunderbirds, and Captain Scarlett & The Mysterons are my favorite Marionette TV series from Gerry Anderson

[@johnnygoodman2003]

Bomber x and Team America. ... just kidding.

[@raypurchase801]

Stingray's title sequence still sends shivers down my spine, as it did when I was six.

[@albertenvajohannes2649]

If you get photo of a Ford Consul Capri. It reminds me of Stingray and Supercar.

[@barrymurphy1337]

What a lovely way to spend a cold, dreary Saturday afternoon! Thank you.

[@concorde1793]

One of the best put together docus I've ever seen....humour, pathos, and informative to the fine detail. Brilliant.

[@stefeniedavidmusic]

Man did this ever bring back memories of 60 years ago when I was 7 years old. Used to watch all the early series every Saturday morning, then my son watched Thunderbirds in the 90s. Thanks for posting this.

[@tonyadigitalnorway1155]

I think it's fair to say Gerry Andersons prolific output shaped my childhood and then some. My first crushes must have been Venus & Marina. The quality and details of these productions (and this documentary) are first class and it's so good to see these masterpieces being enjoyed by new generations.

[@magistrumartium]

"Stingray" has one of the best opening themes of any TV show, ever.

[@danalaniz7314]

I remember watching Thunderbirds and Stingray in the USA. Don't remember the other series but was very please to see the entire range of programs. Thanks!

[@janus1958]

I have fond memories of getting up early on Saturday morning so I could watch Fireball XL5 when it was on NBC in the US. ( I'm 63 now)

[@larrycooper7261]

I grew up watching Supercar, and absolutely loved it. I bought the DVD set several years and watching it takes me back to those days 60 years ago when life was much simpler.

[@Neil070]

The theme of Joe 90 became "cool" and was played at a pub disco I was at over a decade later. Still induces goose bumps.

[@brianhepke7182]

Yes.. it became popular on the Northern Soul scene back in the early 70's.

[@tomblack6965]

What a brilliantly put together documentary ! Can't believe how often I laughed. Thanks and have just subscribed.

[@ActionPanda-g5n]

What a magnificent production this doc. is!!! Superb writing, editing and voice over. Even though these shows are 50 years into my past, they were brought to life by your professional work. Kudos.

[@davidpeters6536]

I was a huge fan as a kid. I watched everything from Torchy, Twizzel (and Space Patrol), Four Feathers, XL5, Stingray, T'birds to UFO and I used to get the comic too. By the time they went with actors though I had become a Star Trek fan. I still say: "Anything can happen in the next half hour".

[@Geoduck.]

I'm 67 and clearly remember watching Fireball XL5 every week.

[@sabitanathkrishna-biswas9232]

I can't thank you enough for this history lesson, May god bless you for ever and ever. From a 62 year old fan!

[@MrClingclong]

Happy days! I was born in 1964 so Gerry Anderson was very much part of my childhood. His productions were fabulous, the attention to detail amazed me, even today. Compare it to the ropey BBC crud of the time and Anderson's work stands head and shoulders above the work of everybody else. Thanks for posting.

[@scronx]

OMG -- why'd I have to watch this? Now I'll have to get and groove on at least the FIreball XL5 series -- used to enjoy it and LOVE that closing theme as a kid in New Jersey (still do). I see Don Spencer is still alive at age 85! Thank you for sharing this beautiful tribute (despite the sexist reference to sexism).

[@maddog8621]

My God! Yes!! Joe 90 would be screwed by GDPR now. A perfect documentary! Excellent content and tone. I love revisiting those wonderful days and layering the background content to give greater depth to those cherished memories

[@gerardstephens58]

Came for the nostalgia, stayed for the writing & editing. Thoroughly cheesy fun.

[@markohara5146]

Watched SuperCar as a kid (still my fav) but also watched Stingray. As an adult I have watched all of his work. Space Precinct was cool also.

[@charlesachurch7265]

Great presentation, brilliant editing. I remember all these and was a subscriber to Century 21. It was like being part of a secret society.

[@rogersmith7396]

So you grew up to be a real estate agent? A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

[@lukegreen5341]

Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons And Stingray Are My All Time Favourite Gerry Anderson Television Series Of All Time And This Is Before Thunderbirds. Thunderbirds Are GO. Happy Easter Mate. X

[@lancelot1953]

Hi Everybody! I was fortunate to live in northern Vermont (USA) where we had the opportunity to pick up Montréal (Québec, Canada) TV stations. Canadian TV (CBC and CTV networks) were routinely showing a nice selection of European-produced shows (England and France) which was great for us. I was fortunate enough to watch the Anderson's productions from Supercar on... Nearly 40 years later I discovered Mrs Sylvia Anderson's address and sent her a thank you not for all the hours of joy she provided me in my youth and for orienting my life towards becoming a military Jet pilot. She took the time to send me a nice "you are welcome" letter stating how happy she was that her productions help me fulfilling my life dream - what a Lady! It is hard for the millennials to understand how amazing and futuristic, the Anderson's break-through Supermarionation puppetry was compared to what was available to viewers at the time. Incidentally, before falling for Annette Funicello (as I was getting older), I had fallen in love with Atlanta (from Stingray)! Thank you for your great channel, thank you for bringing me back to a time of innocence, freedom and peace (before the war, that is), Ciao from USA, L (Veteran)

[@JSB1882]

Man! Fireball XL5 was my favorite show as a kid. I had all the toys and one of the greatest tragedies of my childhood when I Steve & Venus with their flying bikes in a sand hill. I think I spent ten years trying to find those toys again. lol

[@denphillips3402]

I can honestly say that I've never really felt old.... I do now ❗ Sadly, I don't have any recollections of Supercar, only flashes of XL5 & few memories of Stingray.... Thunderbirds & Captain Scarlet have been huge favourites.... So much so that I'd bought both of their box sets and frequently revisit... Never really connected with Joe 90... Thanks so much for this fabulous post.... Nostalgia, eh 🤔 👍

[@jstevenson7121]

Exactly my experience. Born in 1958?

[@denphillips3402]

@@jstevenson7121 No, I'm the pup in this correspondence... Close, though.... '59... Probably why I missed Supercar and only minor recollections of Fireball XL5. I did see quite a bit of Stingray, but as you've correctly pointed out Thunderbirds overshadowed, IMHO, everything before it. The storylines, were well scripted and structured with ample content and totally captured my imagination. It's funny, but I've never realised just how much darker Captain Scarlet was, until visiting this post. Maybe when I revisit these old classics, I might watch those episodes with a more cynical eye, but I think it's all about revisiting the past and still watching it as a 6 to 8 year old. For me, it's about reawakening my inner child. 👍

[@jchapman4842]

Enjoyed your video very much! Takes me back to the days of my youth. I also got a chuckle on how much the Stingray boat's propeller looks like a shower knob! (21:07 mark) 🤣👍🏼

[@nicknewman7848]

Derek Meddings is also known for his model work on the James Bond series and the original Superman films.

[@jchapman4842]

My brother and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the THUNDERBIRDS! It was our program! It was fantastic. We still reminisce about being kids and watching the THUNDERBIRDS. I especially loved the futuristic looking vehicles. I recall getting a futuristic wired controlled car carrier for Christmas. It reminded me of the THUNDERBIRDS vehicles with multiple wheels! The truck part was a two toned metallic blue body with a white top. The trailer was gray with two side by side rows on each level for cars! It came with loaded with Ford Falcons and Rancheros! What a five minute blast I had with that thing! It crapped out and never worked again! That was back when Japanese products were crappy. Mom, ordered it from a catalog. It'd be worth a pretty penny today if I'd held on to that futuristic looking vehicle working or not! Anyone recall those types of toys?

[@iamanisland]

I remember watching everyone of these shows religiously everyday coming home from school; although I’d completely forgotten about “The Secret Service” one. As for my favourite, It’s hard to choose only one but I think it has to be Captain Scarlet.

[@bettyleeist]

My favorite 😻 Gerry Anderson serie’s was;Fireball X-L five,The Thunderbird’s,Captain Scarlet(and,I saw this,year’s later,but,enjoyed it,(although,I would’ve missed this back in the late 1960”s).And,I still like;Ufo!On occasion,I watch;Journey to the far side of the 🌞 Sun.Now,that film 🎥 is a classic from 1969!

[@davidcottee2808]

Great stories. I used to make Fireball XL5 out of empty greaseproof paper tubes. Love it how Captain Scarlet has 7 letters in each word. The music was fabulous too. Hard to choose a favourite.

[@stephenpochly7003]

It's where it all started for me. 65 now and still a lifetime fan of the Anderson universe

[@scofair5551]

Wonderful presentation on history of Supermarionation.

[@Nico-yi2bi]

I have fond memories of really loving a very violent marionette tv show as a young child. I forgot it was called Captain Scarlet. Thanks for the memories.

[@martinhambleton5076]

Loved them all Fireball XL 5 may also be worth a mention. Thunderbirds was for me the best.

[@indiana2096]

I didn't have the pleasure of seeing any of these when I was a kid, not even sure if any of them were on TV here in the US. I first heard about these in a book about sci-fi TV that my sister gave me for Christmas when I was in high school. When I found them on DVD not too long ago, I picked them up and have been fascinated by them, I just got a double feature of the Thunderbirds movies about a month ago and that just about completes my Gerry Anderson collection!

[@GerryAndersonTV]

How about the live action series?

[@indiana2096]

@@GerryAndersonTV My dad was a big fan of Space 1999 so I did see that here in the US when I was a kid and I loved it, I had not seen UFO until I bought the DVDs, and I really liked it. I did see Space Precinct on late night TV when it was out, kind of quirky and I got a big kick out of it. I haven't watched it yet, but I have the DVDs of The Protectors and didn't even know this was a Gerry Anderson show until recently. I would have a hard time choosing a favorite, although I would say after Thunderbirds it would be Captain Scarlet and Space: 1999 for the live action!

[@RoarOfWolverine]

Watching all of these shows as a kid really primed me for Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s Team America. I think that the younger audiences, not familiar with shows like Supercar or The Thunderbirds, just couldn’t wrap their head around that movie. I love the way Stone and Parker didn’t see the unrealistic walk cycle as a problem, they just moved them along, dangling on their strings. No problem for them, since no character on South Park ever took a step, but rather just wobbled side to side as they scooted across the scene. I believe the very first South Park character to actually have an animated walk cycle was the character of Russell Crow in “Fighting ‘Round The Wold”

[@davidpeters6536]

That was a skit, very funny though but don't watch it with your kids.

[@BackToTheBlues]

This was a treat to watch; well made, witty script and great choice of clips - I did laugh when Nicholas Parsons popped up to say hello. My mum told me Gerry Anderson was responsible for the first word I ever said. I was a very shy, quiet child when I was very young - my aunt used to call me Noddy as I'd tend to respond to being spoken to with nods or shakes of my head. I was two years old when Supercar began being shown on TV, and mum said one evening when we settled down to watch it the theme tune started, and in time with the stentorian voice proclaiming the name of the show a dark brown voice from my corner of the sofa joined in with an almost perfect '"Oobergar!"

[@betty4gators]

I am not usually into this type of series but Thunderbirds hooked me and now I love them all.

[@bradmad8346]

Very interesting history lesson, I loved Super Car and Fireball XL5, I was about eight years old for Super Car, perfect audience age in my mind. We sure don't have anything like this now.

[@n.miller907]

I don't have any clear memory of Supercar, but after seeing the clips shown here, I'm almost sure I've seen episodes of it as a very young child. Fireball XL-5 is something I certainly do remember quite vividly! The theme song always enthralled me right to this very day. As for the rest of these shows, Thunderbirds came around much later and started losing interest in children's programming by that time. In any case, thanks for walking me down memory lane. Excellent documentary.

[@randalmontgomery4595]

I bought the 45rpm record at the time, it was in the top ten. Still is a good song.

[@terencejay8845]

Wonderful. As a kid, I was glued to every episode of those brilliant series, though I have no recollection of Secret Service. I have the 'Aqua Marina' song on a MP3 compilation. My first crush perhaps. I still say now and then, faced with a problem, 'Anything can happen in the next half hour.. "

[@iandeeley9033]

My other favourite series apart from THUNDERBIRDS are CAPTAIN SCARLET, STINGRAY and JOE 90!

[@hektor6766]

Loved Supercar and Fireball XL5, didn't pay much attention to the other two. The Fireball XL5 with the detachable nose capsule was one of my favorite toys; it stood up to my fiendish abuse almost as well as the metal Tonka trucks did, and that's quite an endorsement.. And yes, I did wonder how they recycled those trolleys (and why they didn't come up with a better launch system).

[@kennedydpk]

They were all a progression of entertainment and technology, of course given I was born in the late 50's, everything up until Joe 90, I considered to be "state of the art". However if I had to pick a favourite it would have to be Thunderbirds, closely followed by Captain Scarlet.

[@BoldRam]

Oh I wish we had The Secret Service in New Zealand in the 70's. I was always a Thunderbirds fanatic but loved Joe 90 for it's short run too. Such a fantastic evolution to see. 🙏🙏

[@kiwitrainguy]

The secret Service was shown in New Zealand, it was Gerry Andersons lamest effort so far.😂😂😂

[@galier2]

I've seen the secret service series. RTL in Luxemburg was one of the rare Networks that broadcasted that show on its Wednesdays afternoon youth slot (RTL being French speaking its programs were adapted to the French school schedule which had the Wednesdays free of school).

[@Jibs-HappyDesigns-990]

pure genius!! the family jumps in the car, it get's thrown around for an hour!! love it!! still in use today! I hope someday, they bring them back 2 life!!

[@samuelgates5935]

So did Gene Roddenberry get his Scottish Chief engineer, "Scotty" from Fireball XL's Scottish Chief engineer Jock Campbell?

[@synthdude]

The opening phrase of the Thunderbirds theme uses a pentatonic scale (5 notes - like the 5 black keys on a piano) and there were 5 Thunderbirds... The 7 note riff between scenes in Captain Scarlet - S.C.A.R.L.E.T Good old Barry Gray, probably some other gems hidden in his scores. Bloody genius 😎

[@TheBigMclargehuge]

I think you're reaching a little far

[@synthdude]

@@TheBigMclargehuge Are you a composer? I mean, the opening of the Thunderbirds theme *is* pentatonic. Hmmm....5 Thunderbirds, 5 note scale. Yeah, probably just a coincidence then.

[@TheBigMclargehuge]

​@@synthdude 5 and 7 are two of the most commonly occurring numbers in literature and media both presently and historically. Western music generally uses either pentatonic or heptatonic scales. It's clearly a coincidence. On top of all that you're saying that a music expert is writing with arbitrary numbers rather than by what evokes the proper feeling. I don't hear a pentatonic scale and think "oh wow, that sounds so much like 5 of something." Oh here's a good one. "We used a chromatic scale for the theme of 12 angry men because the chromatic scale sounds really twelvy".

[@synthdude]

@@TheBigMclargehuge Actually, 3, 5, 8, 13 from the Fibonacci sequence are far more common in music: chords are made up of 3rds and 5ths, there are 8 notes in a major/minor scale and 13 notes in an octave. (Even the bass clef is a representation of the Fibonacci spiral.) How about musical cryptograms that use letters of the musical alphabet as inspiration - like Bach's motif where he literally uses B.A.C.H. ("B" = Bb and "H" = B in German btw) as the starting point of a Fugue, Gigue and Sinfonia. Is that "arbitrary" enough for you? This same motif was also used by Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, Rimsky-Korsakov even Webern! I mean, Webern - right! When Beethoven wanted to create a "reflection of nature" in his Pastoral symphony, he used depictions of bird calls, running water, thunder etc. which you can hear upon listening to it. Harry Nilsson was inspired by a telephone busy signal for his intro to "One". Talk about "arbitrary". Composers such as Mozart and Debussy used the Golden Ratio to help shape motifs, phrases even entire compositions. Topping everything off would be Iannis Xenakis, who pioneered the use of mathematics, statistics and physics in musical composition. I could go on, but the point is there are countless examples of composers using non-musical ideas (like numbers…) as a starting point for composition. Additionally, in the world of TV/Film, time is of the essence, and you don't have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike, so you grab what you can and make it work. So to answer my original question, no, you're not a composer. But I appreciate the conversation 😎

[@TheBigMclargehuge]

@@synthdude Aside from the fact that I said in literature and media, not in music, that completely fails to demonstrate the fivey sound of a 5 note scale or why a musician would choose to parallel the number of notes in a scale to the number of main characters in a show. So yeah, music nerds exist. So what? They are outliers, real musicians write to evoke a feeling. Once you demonstrate that cryptograms and mathematic parallels consistently evoke a similar emotion then you'll have an argument. Otherwise you're just showing off how much useless knowledge you have. As far as composing, I write to evoke a feeling, not appeal to smug music geeks like you. I bet you even pretend to enjoy Varese.

[@emersonschoeppner8197]

I have always been fascinated with Marionation since seeing thunderbirds, It made me look at toys and life differently, as an American, I approve, has what we love, guns, bigotry and sick vehicles

[@OnASeasideMission]

Given the choice of 'Any' fictional spacecraft, I'd still opt for sitting up front in a fireball on the launch rail.

[@rogersmith7396]

Right on!

[@surferdude4487]

I got to see Thunderbirds and Joe 90, but i've only heard of the other series. And yes, I tuned in every week to see them. Until today, I had no idea that the same people were responsible for UFO and Space 1999. I watched those too.

[@martingrey2231]

"Well...I read it in a newspaper." "Brilliant!!!"

[@sjTHEfirst]

@9:17 “the STRING of successful Super Marionette series” Pun intended?

[@richardbarth918]

If you miss most of these series check out Big Finish they have audio dramas for stingray, thunderbirds, and more.

[@luisugalde6956]

I am going to start collecting these series on DVD and BD (y).

[@BoiseFan66]

Loved Stingray, Capt Scarlett & Joe 90, it was the subtle touches i always remember, the drums on Stingray when battle stations mixed in with launch stations was sublime and the change in Captain Black's face when he became a mysteron , great memories from my childhood, I have to mention UFO too, the episode The Sound of Silence still gives me the creeps some 50+ years on

[@brucesharpe1079]

I grew up with these series in the 60s they were brilliant stingray and fireball XL5 were some of my favourites it was a great time for animation i had models of these Series thunderbird is a great series as well thanks for showing this 👍🏻

[@rextrek]

97th - well as a kid born in 60' .....I loved it.....and most Marinaton shows,,,,,Captain Scarlet was my Favorite

[@LordBillington42]

One of my art teachers was modeller for the marionettes. I remember her telling me how she was nearly killed by puppet shrapnel when they put too much pyrotechnics in Captain Scarlet.

[@Daniel_1060]

Well... he is indestructible, you've gotta use a lot of explosives

[@annoyingbstard9407]

The first record I bought as a kid was the theme from fireball XL5. Saved my pocket money for weeks…from memory it was 4/11.

[@Neil070]

No one under 60 is going to understand 4/11 (25p)

[@brianhepke7182]

Yes great tune... I liked that they pulled in local pop acts to sing the themes. It helped to boost the popularity of the programmes. It was the same for Stingray.

[@robertduff9058]

Super Car is my favorite also loved watching Stingray and Thunderbirds as a youth and still watch them today. SUPERMARIONATION Thankyou for sharing! Regards; Robert

[@bernardroth7200]

Without a doubt the most fascinating video I've seen in a long time I'm going to have to see if these are available

[@GerryAndersonTV]

They are indeed: gerryanderson.store in the US or shop.gerryanderson.com elsewhere

[@bernardroth7200]

@@GerryAndersonTV thank you I currently live in Japan in the Blu-ray box set here seem to vary from the American version in regards to duration of episodes

[@jackbambury7680]

Really like to see live action adaptation of Gerry Anderson’s hidden gems like super car, firefly, stingray and even captain Scarlett sometime in nearer future.

[@sporg]

Your videos are excellent: love the dry delivery: "a walking advertisment for the dangers of drug abuse".... And at 27:24 is that an early shot of Kryten from Red Dwarf?

[@Neil070]

I thought that too!

[@llanamejia]

I am 68. Gerry Anderson productions are the British equivalent to Bugs Bunny/Looney Toons cartoons: we all grew up with them and they form part of our DNA

[@JohnWaldron-cm7ce]

Loved watching Thunderbirds and Stingray when they were syndicated in the US!-John in Texas

[@thomaswhalley2320]

When are going to see more beyond Anderson series

[@frankfurter63]

I really liked Fireball xL5 and wondered how it was made. This is really interesting.

[@brettsalter3300]

I remember being half fascinated and half scared silly at Fireball XL5, in my young 6 year old mind, were these things human? something was not quite right, but the spaceship and robot were fantastic.

[@tyrssen1]

I loved Supercar and Fireball, as a kid in the 60's. The live-action movie "Thunderbirds are Go" was great, too.

[@pirobot668beta]

I watched for scenes where the characters hands were shown in detail! Nothing like the fun of seeing human hands turning a dial or pulling a lever... Perfect manicure, every time.

[@rogersmith7396]

Were they hairy?

[@hhvictor2462]

Supercar, Stingray and Captain Scarlett were favorite after school TV shows.

[@monicaritvo]

Many people here who commented about watching these series probably don't think that they have been watched by kids in so many different countries where English isn't the official language. As a 70's kid,at end of this decade I watched Thunderbirds and Joe 90 in Brazil (dubbed,of course),I loved the missions and adventures the marionettes had and I was dazzled how real their movements looked.

[@pigwashtroughology4235]

A good deal of the success of these series was down to a Lancashire musician, composer, arranger and conductor: Barry Gray. His theme songs for the Anderson series brought them to life.

[@markboon341]

The end credit images of Captain Scarlet are still amazing. I collected the series of cards with the thin bubble gum that came with them.

[@johnbockelie3899]

When I was a kid, the only shows I saw was , Super car, Fire ball XL- 5, Thunder Birds, and Sting Ray . This was back in the early 1960's.

[@jamesjensen6155]

Wow just this morning I was watching thunderbirds are go. I remembered SUPERCAR!!! hahahaha, I loved this as a kid!

[@Renegade2786]

7:13 - 7:20 Hold up, hold up. That was a similar plot for the Star Trek Voyager episode *Waking Moments*

[@slimeydon]

Super car was one of the first shows I remember loving when I was a young kid, I also remember thunderbirds and captain scarlet as well

[@julianp2868]

Oh this brought back childhood memories, me and my brother used to slide down the kitchen wall on the lino in our socks and singing Stingray theme tune, I remember fond fond memories but it also challenged our thoughts for the future, it was if the makers knew the future. Captain Scarlet we used to use a torch for the double Rings of the Mysterons. Who could not like Angels 1,2 & 3. Joe 90 was a music thing just loved it. However UFO really was a must everything boys needed for lust lol lol and that's me over n out with those bob cut hair styles. Geez xxxxxx

[@adrianjames3815]

The ones I did watch was fireball XL5 stingray Thunderbirds captain scarlet Joe 90 but supercar wasn't repeated so I didn't see it.

[@johnp8131]

Fireball for me, I can remember Supercar and other earlier ones like Twizzle but no not clearly?

[@MultiSmurf67]

i enjoy the gerry anderson shows, i have most of them on dvd.

[@williamstephenjackson6420]

I had never hard of Supercar! I love it! Loved Thunderbirds!

[@GerryAndersonTV]

That’s why we’re here! To help you find and enjoy more Anderson goodness

[@aidanshingler4927]

Fire Ball Xcel 5 - Captain Scarlet...I fell in love with Marina ;-)

[@altfactor]

While all.of Gerry Anderson's "Supermarionation" shows were seen in the United States, only "Fireball XL-5" was on a network (NBC from 1963-65, on it's Saturday morning schedule). All.of the other Supermarionation shows were distributed in America through syndication to individual TV stations.

[@altfactor]

Although "XL-5" was shown in Britain as a single 39-episode season, it's understanding that in America, the series' broadcast was split, with the first 26 episodes shown from September, 1963 through March, 1964, and the last 13 episodes broadcast from September through December, 1964.