Celebrate the festive season with Jack and Ben! We’re talking about the incredible toys that would top our Gerry Anderson Christmas wishlist. Will we be asking Santa for a Tracy Island or an Eagle Transporter? And what is lurking inside the boys’ Christmas stockings?
Tag Archives: the secret service
Ep 8 – The Evolution of Supermarionation
What makes a Thunderbirds puppet different from a Captain Scarlet puppet? The marionette stars of AP Films and Century 21 changed considerably between each of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson’s exciting television series. Jack and Ben are going to chart the advancements of the Supermarionation puppets and choose some of their favourites!
Ep 4 – Short-Lived Sensations
The Gerry Anderson universe is littered with characters who arrive full of promise and then disappear after a few episodes. Jack and Ben are going to shed some light on the forgotten Anderson characters. Then, later in the show, we’ll be exploring everything that might have been if the final Supermarionation series, The Secret Service,Continue reading “Ep 4 – Short-Lived Sensations”
David Graham (1925-2024)
David Graham, the actor who brought us the voices of Parker, Brains, and countless other Supermarionation characters, has died at the age of 99. Grandpa Twink, Fernando, Red Scalp, Big Ben, Dr. Beaker, Mitch the Monkey, Zarin, Bill Gibson, Professor Matic, Zoonie, Lt. Ninety, Boris Spacespy, Oink, Aloysius Parker, Brains, Kyrano, and Gordon Tracy… ThoseContinue reading “David Graham (1925-2024)”
Cor. A look back at 2023.
Want a taste of everything you might have missed on Security Hazard this year? Yes, even the chunky bits that smell a bit off but are still within their sell-by date. Come on, there’s loads to get through because I’ve actually been quite busy for the past 12 months…
The Secret Service – 13. More Haste Less Speed
This is the big one. Not just the finale of The Secret Service but the end of an amazing decade for the crew of Century 21 Films in Slough perfecting the techniques of Supermarionation filmmaking. Once this episode was in the can, the puppet stages on Stirling Road closed for good on January 24th 1969 … until Thunderbirds returned to the trading estate in 2015 for the production of three episodes to celebrate its 50th anniversary, but that’s another story.
The Secret Service – 12. May-Day, May-Day!
There’s a quite a bit to like about May-Day, May-Day!, and yet this is always the episode of The Secret Service I have the hardest time remembering anything about. That could be because it’s sandwiched between what are arguably two of the series’ standout episodes, School For Spies and More Haste, Less Speed. Or, it could be because the story is quite a run-of-the-mill assassination plot. Or, it could be that I’m getting forgetful in my old age.
The Secret Service – 11. School For Spies
On paper, School For Spies is an episode with no downsides. Father Unwin is up against a gang of crooks who also happen to be using the priesthood as their cover for sabotaging military equipment. One man of the cloth fighting many. It’s an intriguing dynamic. A version of BISHOP that works for the forces of evil. What could be juicier than that?! The head honcho is known as the Archdeacon for goodness sake! Talk about drama. So why was I left with a slight feeling of disappointment when the credits rolled on School For Spies? More precisely, why did I finish the episode feeling like I didn’t quite get it?
The Secret Service – 10. The Cure
When I was a youngster at the age of about 10, and I saw The Secret Service for the first time, The Cure was my favourite episode. I couldn’t get enough of it. I thought it was the funniest thing since sliced carrots.
The Secret Service – 9. Recall To Service
Ever seen the Captain Scarlet episode Point 783? The one about a runaway unmanned tank attacking the wrong building thanks to a rogue military officer messing with the program? Yeah we’re treading on dangerously similar territory here with Recall To Service. I think that’s okay though. Mainly because I rather prefer the way the plot is tackled here in The Secret Service. I find Point 783 a touch dry because it’s an early episode of Scarlet and the show is still finding its feet. In comparison, I think Recall To Service is The Secret Service really firing on all cylinders.
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