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Fireball XL5 - The Complete Series

starring: David Graham, Sylvia Anderson, Paul Maxwell, John Bluthal, Gerry Anderson

: Fireball XL5 - The Complete Series
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9780767051392
Format: Animated, Box set, Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
ISBN: 0767051394
Label: A&E Home Video
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
Number Of Items: 5
Publisher: A&E Home Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: February 25, 2003
Running Time: 1014 minutes
Sales Rank: 19168
Studio: A&E Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: October 05, 1963



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Editorial Review:

Description:
In the year 2063, the World Space Fleet is extending mankind's reach beyond the solar system. Leading the charge is the incredible spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by the dashing and daring Colonel Steve Zodiac. With his steadfast crew--the brilliant professor Matt Matic, the lovely space doctor Venus and Robert the Robot--Steve patrols the vast reaches of Sector 25, where strange races inhabit distant planets.

In 1962, legendary producer Gerry Anderson (Space: 1999, UFO) turned his attention to space for the first time. The result was FIREBALL XL5, a rarely-seen gem that paved the way for later supermarionation masterpieces like Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons. This definitive collection includes all 39 black and white episodes of FIREBALL XL5, digitally restored and presented in their original production order.

Return to Galactic Sector 25 as FIREBALL XL5 flies again in this DVD set.

Amazon.com:
Producer Gerry Anderson is something of a legend in his native England, based primarily on the popular TV series Thunderbirds, its various spinoffs, and this, its 1962-'63 predecessor. All were produced in 'Supermarionation'; i.e., they're puppet shows--not especially sophisticated ones (to say the least), but ones that many viewers seemed to adore. This five-disc boxed set contains all 39 episodes of Fireball XL5, totaling nearly 17 hours (plus extras).

The stories concern the efforts of captain-hero Steve Zodiac and his crew (including Steve's love interest and a talkative robot, voiced respectively by Anderson's then-wife Sylvia and Anderson himself; the pair were also cowriters) to protect 'Sector 25' of the solar system from alien invasion. They battle killer rays and alien criminals, visit mysterious planets, and escape from all manner of perilous circumstances... they use ray guns and fly around with 'thrust packs' and on 'jetmobiles' (reducing the need for walking, which puppets don't do so well)... in other words, typical sci-fi fare. But while the animation is laughable (little attempt was made to disguise the strings that hold up puppets and props alike) and the effects primitive, there's no denying the show's campy charm (indeed, people who study such things consider it to be an important influence on the sci-fi genre in general). Is it a bit too much of a good thing? Probably not for anyone willing to make the investment. DVD extras include photos, a couple of featurettes, and audio commentary on two episodes (voice actor David Graham on 'The Doomed Planet' and director Alan Pattillo on 'Space City Special'). --Sam Graham



Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Get this now!
I am a fan of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's work, and while this is "early" Anderson, it's well worth ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Better than it was the first time...
Man does this bring back memories. I was just a little space squirt when this series originaly aired. ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - I Remember the Days
In the days of this series, life was simple. I would make sure to watch the episodes each Saturday on ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Ultra-cool cult classic!!!
Superb Classic 60's TV- What I loved the most about this show, when I was a kid, was the music-I feel it ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Takes you back
If you were a kid in the 60's this show was a Saturday morning must-see. The DVD (without commercials) allows ... Read More

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Copyright ©2003, Mark Carey.