Gerry Anderson

The Complete UFO Megaset

UFO was Gerry Anderson's first live-action TV series after a decade of producing such children's animated classics as Stingray (1963) and Thunderbirds (1964). The premise of UFO, which ran for a single season of 26 episodes in 1970, was like a more serious version of Anderson's Captain Scarlet (1967): in the near future of 1980, a high-tech secret organization, SHADO, waged covert war against mysterious alien attackers. Ed Bishop played the American head of SHADO--he had been previously featured in Captain Scarlet and Anderson's Doppelganger (1969)--though in all other respects this was a thoroughly British production. As with all Anderson series, UFO evidenced remarkable technological inventiveness and groundbreaking production values, coupled with startling lapses in fundamental logic too numerous to list.

Much more adult in story and content than earlier Anderson productions, and surprisingly dark with its pragmatic view of human nature and downbeat endings, the show now seems like a forerunner of The X-Files and the equally short-lived Dark Skies (1996). Barry Gray's memorable theme and atmospheric music greatly enhanced the overall impact. Stylishly made, though terribly sexist by current standards and featuring eye-catching costumes more fitted for a campy dress party than the front line of a futuristic war, this cult classic eventually evolved into Space: 1999 (1975).

The UFO DVDs have been beautifully designed and produced. The mono sound is exceptionally strong, and the restored and remastered picture is almost unbelievably good for a 1970 TV show. With barely a flaw anywhere, the episodes look so clear, colorful, and detailed that they could have been filmed last week. This eight-disc megaset features all 26 episodes. --Gary S. Dalkin

Fireball XL5 - The Complete Series

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

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.

Captain Scarlet - The Complete Series

First broadcast in the United Kingdom in 1967, Captain Scarlet was the most grownup of all Gerry Anderson's SuperMarionation adventures. Of course there are gadgets and toy-friendly machines galore--like the Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle, the Angel Aircraft, and Cloudbase itself--but, unlike the colorful fantasies of Stingray and Thunderbirds, this series' concern with an implacable, vengeful enemy, conspiracies, and double agents drew its inspiration from James Bond and the cold war spy dramas of the 1960s. Special effects whiz Derek Meddings instills the action sequences with a truly Bondian grandeur and, like the sinister SPECTRE of the Bond films, the Martian Mysterons seem all the more hostile for their unseen presence, their agents infiltrating every organization dedicated to their destruction, just as it seemed the Soviets were doing at the time. The indestructible Captain Scarlet is killed then resurrected every week (though not like South Park's Kenny), and more often than not the Mysterons emerge triumphant, and always undefeated. The varied cast of Spectrum agents and their voice characterizations also aim at verisimilitude (Captain Scarlet, voiced by Francis Matthews, sounds like a grim Cary Grant), while the puppetry is more realistic than ever. Now with newly remastered picture and Dolby 5.1 surround sound for the DVD release, Captain Scarlet still looks and sounds like the epitome of '60s cool. For Americans, this is the first time the show--consisting of 32 episodes--has been available. --Mark Walker

"This man will be our hero, for fate will make him indestructible." Earth is under attack by the ultra-powerful Mysterons and one man holds the key to survival--Captain Scarlet! During a mission to Mars in 2068, agents of earth's Spectrum security force start an interplanetary war when they demolish the ancient city of the Mysterons, an invisible race with the ability to assume the form of any object or person they destroy. But their attempt to take over Spectrum's top agent--Captain Scarlet--fails, and he becomes their most powerful and implacable enemy.

With stunning special effects, a new generation of realistic "Super-marionation" puppets, and a darker, more serious tone than its predecessors, CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE MYSTERONS was producer Gerry Anderson's (Space: 1999, Stingray, UFO, Thunderbirds) most ambitious series. This exclusive DVD set includes all 32 episodes, available uncut and digitally remastered for the first time.

Supercar - The Complete Series

Thunderbirds Megaset (Complete 12 Volume Set)

"Filmed in VIDECOLOR [explosions, drum roll, music builds to a climax] and SUPERMARIONATION"! The opening sequence of Thunderbirds is itself a master class in Gerry Anderson's marionette hyperbole: who else would dare to make a virtue out of the fact that (a) the show is in color and (b) it's got puppets in it? But everything about this series really is epic: Thunderbirds is action on the grandest scale, predating such high-concept Hollywood vehicles as Armageddon by 30 years and more (the acting is better, too), and fetishizing gadgets in a way that even the most excessive Bond movies could never hope to rival. Unsurprisingly, the visual effects are by Derek Meddings, whose later contributions to Bond movies like The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker echo his pioneering model work here.

As for the characters, the clean-cut Tracey boys take second place in the audiences' affections to their cool machines--the real stars of the show--while comic relief is to be found in the charming company of Lady Penelope and her pink Rolls (license plate FAB1), driven by lugubrious chauffeur Parker, whose "Yes, milady" catchphrase resonated around school playgrounds for decades. (Spare a thought for poor old John Tracey, stuck up in space on Thunderbird 5 with only the radio for company.) The puppet stunt work is breathtakingly audacious, and every week's death-defying escapade is nail-bitingly choreographed in the very best tradition of disaster movies. First shown in 1964 and now digitally remastered, Thunderbirds is children's TV that still looks and sounds like big-budget Hollywood.

The Thunderbirds Mega Set contains 32 complete, uncut, and digitally remastered episodes on 12 DVDs. Bonus features include production stills photo galleries, two original 1965 "The Making of Thunderbirds" featurettes, the History of Thunderbirds, character biographies, and a Gerry Anderson biography/filmography. --Mark Walker

Thunderbirds 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition Megaset

Packed with every moment from all 32 episodes of acclaimed producer Gerry Anderson s (Captain Scarlet Space: 1999) sci-fi supermarionation tour de force this exclusive collection also includes a special new bonus disc containing two rare pop-up episodes an exciting quiz and a never-before-seen interview with the series creator Anderson. Don t miss a minute of adventure--the THUNDERBIRDS 40TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR S EDITION is a masterpiece of marionettes and the ultimate collector s item. System Requirements:Run Time: 1664 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 733961773064 Manufacturer No: AAE-77306

Thunderbirds - Set 3

Jeff Tracy and his All-American Boys of International Rescue are back with six more episodes of the strangest special-effects adventure ever created. Thunderbirds sets a new standard for the term "wooden" with its slow-moving, rather lifeless marionette stars, but then the characters are really only the support staff for the real stars: the cool sci-fi vehicles they pilot into daring rescue missions. While Thunderbird 1 (the jet) and Thunderbird 2 (the massive sky-born equipment transport) get most of the assignments, you can see the underwater Thunderbird 4 in action in "Day of Disaster" (saving astronauts trapped in a submerged rocket) and "Desperate Intruder" (battling a submarine manned by their vaguely Asian archenemy "the Hood"). Other episodes in this collection include "End of the Road" (a mammoth road grader hangs off a cliff in the South American jungle), "Edge of Impact" (the Hood sabotages an experimental Air Force jet), and "30 Minutes Before Noon" (a raging fire masks a terrorist plot to blow up London). The corker of the collection is "Terror in New York City," where they save the Empire State Building from toppling when it's moved during an urban renewal project. --Sean Axmaker

Space 1999, Set 4

Isaac Asimov reportedly described Space: 1999 as "scientifically preposterous." That hasn't stopped Thunderbirds creators Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's 1975 British series from gaining a devoted cult following. Still, after watching the six episodes included on this two-disc set, one has to concede that (entertaining though they are) Isaac may have been on to something. In "The Troubled Spirit" Moonbase Alpha Commander John Koenig (Martin Landau) resorts to a little "bell, book, and candle" to exorcise a crew member's destructive spirit. "Space Brain"--or, as it is known to series aficionados, the one with all the foam--finds the Alphans desperately seeking a way to communicate with a cosmic intelligence. As Professor Bergman (Barry Morse) observes, "This is either a practical joke or something very interesting." You be the judge. Leo McKern (Rumpole of the Bailey) guest-stars in "The Infernal Machine" as the aged companion to Gwent, an odd-looking plundering spacecraft. In the "can't we all just get along" episode, "Mission of the Darians," guest star Joan Collins looks good for a 900-something alien, one of 14 who survived a mammoth ship's nuclear-reactor explosion. The same can't be said for the other onboard savages whom the Darians use for transplants. "Dragon's Domain" puts new life into the ancient myth about St. George, as crewman Tony Cellini is reunited with a real-life nightmare in the form of a tentacled beast. In "Testament of Arkadia," which closed out Space: 1999's first season, crew members Luke and Anna are determined to live as a futuristic Adam and Eve and "make fertile" a barren planet. As for Moonbase Alpha, it would drift through the universe for just one more season. --Donald Liebenson

Academy Award winner Martin Landau and Emmy winner Barbara Bain star in one of science fiction's lost masterpieces. Premiering after Star Trek and before Star Wars - Space: 1999 offered TV audiences cinema styled special affects, grand expansive set design, and sleek ultra-modern costumes. Combining storylines both adventurous and cerebral, Space: 1999 has claimed a worldwide following - finding life beyond its titled date and securing its place in the 21st century and beyond.

The Protectors - Season One

The world is a messy place, full of devious minds and dastardly deeds. Which is exactly how THE PROTECTORS like it. Harry Rule (Robert Vaughn) is a London private eye with an affinity for high-profile clients. The Contessa di Contini owns an Italian detective agency specializing in fine art crimes. Paul Buchet is a suave young Frenchman who always seems to have the inside scoop. Working for any government, company, or individual that can afford their services, the trio jets across Europe, unraveling convoluted mysteries and thwarting international villains. Produced by Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds, Space: 1999), THE PROTECTORS marked Vaughn's return to the small screen after the success of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. This DVD collection includes all 26 episodes from the first season, digitally re-mastered and presented in their original UK broadcast order.

Space 1999, Set 2

When it was first broadcast in 1975, there had never been a more lavishly produced science fiction TV series than Space: 1999, a British production whose budget for the first of its two seasons ran an astounding 3.25 million pounds. What keeps us fans enthralled after all these years has only partly to due with the first-rate production values, the plausibly constructed spaceship models, and expert special effects. The tone of the show is one of scientific dispassion, setting it apart from its TV sci-fi predecessors such as Star Trek, whose mood was more convivial. Our heroes here are in dire circumstances that require cool heads as a survival trait. Those circumstances: the 311 crew members of Moonbase Alpha experience a cataclysm that causes the moon to break away from Earth's orbit and travel endlessly through space, turning our heroes into unintentional explorers. No TV series has created a more palpable feel of hard science fiction than this. This set includes the episodes "Missing Link," "Guardian of Piri," "Force of Life," "Alpha Child," "The Last Sunset," and "Voyager's Return." --Jim Gay

Episode 7, "Missing Link": Commander Koenig's soul is captured after his eagle crashes and is scrutinized by an alien on the planet Zenno, where humans appear to be their missing link. Guest star: Peter Cushing.

Episode 8, "The Guardian of Piri": The planet Piri is discovered to be hospitable to humans, promising a potential home for the wandering Alphans. But there's a catch: on Piri, humans are lured by the promise of eternal, zombie-like happiness, and only Koenig knows how to rescue his crew from their hypnotic captivity. Guest star Catherine Schell would later join the regular cast as Maya.

Episode 9, "Force of Life": Technician Anton Zoref becomes possessed by an energy being that feeds on heat, making everyone on Alpha a target to its icy touch of death. As the body count rises, Koenig must order that Zoref be killed... But will his orders be carried out in time to save Alpha?

Episode 10, "Alpha Child": Unto Alpha a child is born, but soon joy will change to fear as every Alphan must bend to the will of its newest resident. The newborn swiftly transforms into something totally unexpected...the leader of an alien invasion.

Episode 11, "The Last Sunset": A miracle has happened: the moon has an atmosphere, which has been emitted by a satellite from the nearby planet Ariel. It seems as though Alpha will become a permanently habitable home for its human occupants--but will this surprising gift signal the final days of Moonbase Alpha?

Episode 12, "Voyager's Return": Sent from Earth years ago, the Voyager One probe is returning to Earth propelled by its innovative "Queller Drive." The probe's memory banks provide valuable data for Moonbase Alpha, but a fleet of alien ships arrives to condemn all of humanity for unleashing the "Queller Drive" as a destructive force in the galaxy.