The Carlton Visual Entertainment, as it was known since 2002, agreed with Granada (a British conglomerate better known as the parent from 1954 to 2004 of the Manchester-based Granada Television to merge together. Essentially, it was all ITV but were like different divisions of it. All forms of releases would from now on go on as Granada, and then as ITV DVD and then ITV Studios Global Entertainment. From Product Enterprise, a deluxe model, now out of print and highly sought after, Fireball XL5 was released as a die-cast model rated age +14, which was released in 2004. The Carlton DVD was deleted soon after, and the next release of Fireball XL5 came in the Gerry Anderson: The Monochrome Years set, an impressive set from 2006 comprising all the episodes of Torchy The Battery Boy, Four Feather Falls, Supercar, and Fireball XL5. On 3rd May 2006, the series was released in a 5 disc set in Australia, which contained a stills gallery, and trailers by Umbrella Entertainment, who also released various other Anderson programs into Australia on DVD like UFO. Hermes Press issued My Fab Years by Sylvia Anderson in 2006 which featured many rare new photographs. Lee Allwood's replica puppet heads of SUPERMARIONATION characters appeared on 2nd July 2006 in the Sci Fi and Fantasy Modeller - Volume 2 magazine. The same year, a Sci Fi and Fantasy Modeller that produced models of cult sci-fi series was made available to order online.
A set from December 2007 was also released in Australia which complied Supercar, Fireball XL5, and The Secret Service into one set. Some Supercar and Fireball XL5 colour footage was included on the set but Fireball XL5 did not a full colourisation of episodes. The ITV 50 Cult Themes from 2005 included various tracks of Stingray, Joe 90, The Protectors, and edited versions of the Fireball XL5 opening and closing themes. The CULT TV THE GOLDEN AGE OF ITC by Robert Sellers was released in 2006, which covered everything ITC related across the three decades of filmmaking. The Stand By For Action comic from 2007 and 2008 also issued reprints of the original comics. Comics International included a special version of their issues solely dedicated to the comics of Gerry Anderson in 2008, and it was written by Shaqui Le Vesconte. An updated version of THE COMPLETE GERRY ANDERSON THE AUTHORISED EPISODE GUIDE by Chris Bentley was released in August 2008. A new book about Derek Meddings was released on 2nd October 2008 by Shubrook Brothers titled Special Effects Superman: The Miniature Effects of Derek Meddings.
THE ROBOT FREIGHTER MYSTERY;
Written by Alan Fennell
Directed by David Elliott
Original UK Airdate: 28th April 1963 (ATV London and Ulster)
Additional Voice Cast:
Slim Briggs David Graham Joe Briggs Paul Maxwell Edmundo John Bluthal Emergency Call Tape David Graham
The music playing when act 2 begins and when Steve Zodiac infiltrates the shack is from Crossroads to Crime. Probably one of my least favourite episodes of the season, I don't seem to remember this story very well. Edmundo is a cool character, whose accent I think is really cool, making him an interesting character. "HE'S NOT BLUFFING... SHUT IT OFF! SHUT IT OFF!". I actually think as well the Slim Briggs puppet is repulsively ugly, but this is deliberate because, after all, these are two nasty crooks in this episode. The two men however get their just deserts. The countdown where they appear to be about to be blown up, even when the men confess to their actions as the countdown is unstoppable. Cleverly, however, it turns out, in the end, to be merely a music box.
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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...
