Category Archives: Reviews

Stingray – 2. Plant of Doom

Bizarrely, this second episode which follows on directly from the plot of the pilot episode, was broadcast incredibly late in Stingray’s first run on television. It was common practice back in the day to push early episodes to later in the broadcast order, with the supposed reasoning that initial episodes weren’t as good as later ones. So to keep viewers tuning in during those crucial first few weeks of broadcast, heavy hitters from later in the production order of episodes would be brought forward. In the case of Stingray, it was decided that the episode Emergency Marineville be broadcast second, and Plant of Doom was moved all the way to slot number 34. While fairly nonsensical in terms of the plot and it’s bearing on other episodes of the series, is this indicative of the quality of the finished episode itself? Let’s dive in…

Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The work of Gerry Anderson has been, and continues to be, thoroughly documented across books, films, events and more. Historians and researchers work hard to unearth fascinating information surrounding the Anderson productions. The story of Gerry’s career and his works will be told and updated with new knowledge and insight so long as there is a fascination with the magic of film. The legacy of his work will continue to live on with each new generation that discovers it. But the story of Gerry himself – the man, the son, the husband, the father – sadly came to an end on December 26th, 2012.

Thunderbirds: Terror From The Stars REVIEW

Released in May 2021, Thunderbirds: Terror From The Stars is a full cast audio book based on John Theydon’s 1966 novel ‘Thunderbirds’. Is it a remake? Is it a reimagining? Is it an attempt to throw out the original series and start again? Nope. Of course not. That would be silly. In short, Terror From The Stars is a new 1960s Thunderbirds episode, expertly produced to transport your ears back to the original series.

Nebula-75: Filmed in Superisolation, but keeping the “Super” in Supermarionation

What happens to Supermarionation if you take away the lavish sets, dozens of background characters, multiple explosive special effects, and the generous financial backing of Lew Grade. Is it still super?

Investigating The Investigator

One of the key purposes of a pilot episode is to answer questions that viewers (and financiers) may have about the format of the series. It can set up a few mysteries to engage the viewers for the rest of the series, but for the most part, a pilot  should intelligently impart exposition through an exciting and intriguing plot. The Investigator, Gerry Anderson’s 1973 return to mixing Supermarionation with live action, has baffled fans for years. It’s a bizarre concept filmed in an equally bizarre way. We previously reviewed the film in full and essentially concluded that it raises more questions than it answers.

Captain Scarlet – 50th Anniversary Sets From Big Finish!

Big Finish have been very busy making sure Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons gets the 50th anniversary celebration it deserves. There’s a lot of fantastic audio drama on offer, and we’ve been lucky enough to review the Captain Scarlet 50th Anniversary Box Set, and Spectrum File One.

Captain Scarlet – Attack On Cloudbase

Directed by Ken Turner Teleplay by Tony Barwick First Broadcast – 5th May 1968 There is one thing that Supermarionation series are notoriously bad at by today’s standards – ending. There isn’t a single final episode of a Supermarionation series that draws anything to a conclusion, or does anything to particularly stand out. In theContinue reading “Captain Scarlet – Attack On Cloudbase”

Captain Scarlet – Lunarville 7

Directed by Robert Lynn Teleplay by Tony Barwick First Broadcast – 15th December 1967 We’ve previously established that most Captain Scarlet episodes fall into one of two categories – either someone is going to be assassinated, or something is going to be destroyed. Well it’s time for me to eat those words because Lunarville 7 doesn’t conform toContinue reading “Captain Scarlet – Lunarville 7”