During the 1960s and 1970s, the ITV regional broadcasters arranged their own purchases of individual ITC titles for screenings in their areas. This applied to repeat transmissions or first time premiers, resulting in multiple premiers in different regions. In 1981, London Weekend Television initiated a new purchasing arrangement with ITC whereby one region bought a package of several series on behalf of the network and then made that content freely available to other regions for off-peak broadcast.
After over a decade off the screens in British TV, and without a video market platform for the series to enjoy as of yet, Fireball XL5 returned to British television screens in January 1985. With the formation of Fanderson helping to promote Anderson's older series and newer ones such as Terrahawks. ITV had begun reshowing various ITC series since 1981; Stingray, Thunderbirds, and Joe 90 just as the fan organisation had been set up which helped encourage new fans into the group. The purchase of ITC programs for repeat runs proved successful and paved the way for more shows to be repeated. Both Space: 1999 series were shown againfrom 1982, as was The Protectors, The Champions, Return Of The Saint and The Adventurer in 1984. The Baron and Man In A Suitcase began repeat runs in 1985, and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Hammer House Of Horror began in 1986. Both Fireball XL5 and Captain Scarlet were purchased by Granada in late 1984 for the network, totalling a rerun of 71 episodes in each region between January 1985 right up to November 1987.
It was the first time some viewers would have had a chance to see these episodes since at least 1974, probably the early 1970s. Now, however, video records were available in order to record live episodes on VHS or Betamax tapes such as this example above. Fans could therefore make their own recording of episodes on their own tapes, allowing them to watch the series with it at any time they please. The impact of the video market cannot go ignored and how it revolutionised how people watched their programs. In the case of Fireball XL5, these reruns and recording your own tapes of episodes was the only way of watching the series. Some episodes would not have been made available publically until the release of DVD in 2003!
MYSTERY OF THE TA2;
Written by Dennis Spooner
Directed by John Kelly
Original UK Airdate: 31st March 1963 (ATV London and Ulster)
Additional Voice Cast:
Harry Denton John Bluthal Jinco David Graham 2nd Iceman John Bluthal
The shot of Colonel Denton's ice palace is stock footage of Kudos's palace from Last Of The Zanadus. One of the greatest things with the storytelling of the Anderson shows is that they're always so varied from story to story. You can go from stories set in the desert with Aztec temples to underwater adventures and to outer space invasion episodes. The appearance of the cold iceworld enables a totally different episode for the series to go into, helping to avoid repeating a usual run-of-the-mill episode. With a whole universe to explore, the variation between planet to planet, or starliner to asteroid or star, should be easy for writers to create. The Icemen in this story are another intriguing alien design for the series, and I also like their gait the puppeteers make them appear with as it looks almost elegant and free in their world of ice. The plot is once again highly enjoyable and engaging to watch. And finally, the set and costume design for the planet Arctan, as always with the AP Films film-makers, were once again, highly detailed and realistic.
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Fireball XL5: The Vault
Non-FictionFireball XL5 was the second of legendary Gerry Anderson's to go out under the iconic banner "Filmed In SUPERMARIONATION". Set between the years 2062 and 2063, the series told the heroic adventures of Colonel Steve Zodiac and the crew of Fireball XL5...
