Fireball XL5: The Vault

4 - Scripting/Space Magnet

Scripts were soon required for the new concept in order to begin pre-production, costs, characterisations, storylines, themes, and well, generally the entire production itself.

*was the first to use it on TV.

The typescript of the screenplay filled the page between the left and right margins, as do some scripts of today work. Headings, descriptions of settings, characters, and the narrative action were written on the left margin, whereas dialogue was written on the left margin too, but indented with an inch and a line spanning no more than 3.5 inches, differentiating the dialogue. For the SUPERMARIONATION productions, Anderson developed a different script that was more distinguishable to show dialogue. Previously from Supercar, the Andersons decided to take a step back from writing and became the script supervisors for the series, writing only two stories of the series; Planet 46 and Space Monster. A group of three writers worked together to produce the remaining 37 episodes; Alan Fennell, Anthony Marriott, and Dennis Spooner.

Alan Fennell, Born in 1936, Fennell has a vast writing career for the Andersons for Fireball XL5, Stingray and Thunderbirds before he left to continue to edit TV21.  Fennell began his writing career scripting comic strips for the Fifties publications Radio Fun and TV Fun. In the early 1960s, he joined the staff of TV Comic as assistant editor and one of his responsibilities was securing licenses to publish strips based on popular children's television shows. His first acquisition for the comic was Gerry Anderson's western puppet series Four Feather Falls, and Fennell's subsequent work on the TV Comic strip was his first induction into the Anderson world. Fennell first met with Anderson when he was working for TV Comic, which sent him to negotiate for the rights to use Supercar in the comic. The two men got on well, and Fennell's writing experience led him to work with the writing team. Although a major provider of Anderson's scripts, Fennell's love was mainly for publishing. Founder of City Magazines TV Century 21, or TV21 comic, he included regular comic stories and headline news stories inside the magazine. 

He shared an agent with Terry Nation, creator of the Daleks from Doctor Who, who (the metal pepper pots from Skaro) appeared in the strips from 1965-1967. As well as writing many TV scripts, Fennell also wrote many Stingray, Lady Penelope, and Thunderbirds strips, and after leaving TV21 he returned to write for two episodes of UFO, ESP and Sub-Smash.  Late in 1970, he was hired by Independent Television Publications to edit a new TV-based children's magazine, originally to be titled Magpie (after the Thames Television children's series) but launched in January 1971 as Look-in. Here, Fennell commissioned strips and articles based on the ITV network's children's television series, such as ATV's Timeslip, Southern Television's Freewheelers, LWT's Catweazle and, later, Thames's The Tomorrow People. Fennell contributed to both the Timeslip and Freewheelers strips, and also wrote a four-part Freewheelers text story which led to a commission for a pair of Freewheelers novels for Piccolo Books, The Sign of the Beaver and The Spy Game. He returned to the world of Gerry Anderson, writing Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet-themed books in the 1990s when interest exploded back in British culture. Fennell died in December 2001. 

Anthony Marriott was previously an actor who worked in repertory stage theatre, had been part of the BBC Repertory Company, and made a few small TV appearances. He wrote an episode of the ITC/Rank co-production Ghost Squad before writing 11 scripts for Fireball XL5 - his only work for the Andersons. He also created the long running series Public Eye with Roger Marshall which was made by ABC Television (aka Thames Television) from 1965-1975. He also wrote the long running stage play, with Alistair Foot, of No Sex Please, We're British, which ran for 6,761 performances (more than double the previous record holder) on the West End stage.

Born 1932 in Tottenham, London, Dennis Spooner first submitted scripts to AP Films for Supercar, which remained unused when production ended on Supercar and work began on Fireball XL5. After forming a partnership with future scriptwriter Tony Williamson when the two were stationed together with the RAF during their National Service, Spooner became a comedy performer and later went into writing. He worked with comedy actor Harry Worth and wrote for Coronation Street and No Hiding Place. Spooner later worked on Stingray and Thunderbirds. He would later return to write for The Protectors episode The Bodyguard, as well as writing the new scenes for the Space: 1999 compilation movie Alien Attack.  Spooner has a vast writing career from Man In A Suitcase, The Champions, The Avengers, The New Avengers, Thriller, The Adventurer, The Professionals, The Baron, Department S, Jason King, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). Bergerac, The Baron and Doomwatch. He wrote the Doctor Who serials with William Hartnell; The Reign Of Terror, The Romans, The Time Meddler and parts of The Daleks' Master Plan. As well as having an uncredited role as script editor for The Power Of The Daleks - Patrick Troughton's first story as the Doctor as well as script editing from the episodes The Rescue up to The Chase. He died in 1986 in Hertfordshire. His writing was very witty and laughable which helped to make him a famous name and a valuable asset to the writing team of Fireball XL5.

Anderson always insisted that his programs were not made solely for children. He wanted to appeal to adult audiences, and therefore the writing on his shows although played with childish action, adventure, and fun, still remained enjoyable for adults and sometimes included very topical and meaningful themes into his shows. These programs are still enjoyed by adults and children today, proving that Anderson's programs still last the test of time sixty years and beyond from when they were made.

SPACE MAGENT;

Written by Anthony Marriott

Directed by Bill Harris

Original UK Airdate: 27th October 1963 (ATV London and Ulster)

Additional Voice Cast:

Ken Ross John Bluthal Super Solar David Graham

This is the first appearance of Zoonie's and Captain Ken Ross. This story, before the closing credits, briefly plays the "Fireball" theme. It makes a suitable episode if this was aired last, being not only a strong episode with interesting parts to the story, but also the end music makes it feel as if it could be the finale. It was originally shown as the last episode on its first transmission. In the production order of the series, this was Zoonie's debut. The moment of the grabs taking Professor Matic and him calling for help always makes me smile, and is interesting to see what other space items and equipment are being taken in the pipeline. The invisible aliens may save on using new puppets, but the fact that they're invisible helps to set fire the imagination, like the creepy Suventian brain from Hypnotic Sphere, to exactly what the aliens could look like.