One of the highlights of any Anderson series is the soundtrack, and the releases of those soundtracks are always warmly received by fans! In recent years Network have released Space Precinct and New Captain Scarlet soundtracks, while Fanderson have been releasing many comprehensive albums of Anderson scores for its members since the late 1990s. For those who aren’t members of …

Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, Thunderbirds fans would have occasionally found themselves faced with another television series also claiming to be an iteration of Thunderbirds. While it certainly featured an organisation called International Rescue, a flotilla of futuristic rescue vehicles known as the Thunderbirds, and was even occasionally promoted using the same Thunderbirds logo as the original television …

Captain Scarlet fans watching in the ATV London region on December 23rd 1967 were in for a special treat when the title character himself appeared on the Christmas edition of popular game show The Golden Shot! Hosted for most of its life by comedian (and Thunderbirds are Go voice artist) Bob Monkhouse, this series invited members of the public to …

To the casual observer, Harlington-Straker Studios may seem like any other bustling film studio you might expect to find in England, but only a select few know its true purpose; to provide cover for the underground headquarters of the SHADO organisation! While SHADO keeps the Earth safe from Aliens below ground, the Harlington-Straker Studios complex remains busy “up top” churning …

The Maximum Security Vehicle is one of the most important weapons Spectrum have in their ongoing efforts to protect the lives of those unfortunate enough to be targeted by the Mysterons. This bullet-proof four-seater vehicle is capable of speeds of up to 200 mph and, according to Spectrum scientists, is virtually indestructible! Designed by Mike Trim, we first see the …

Gerald Alexander Abrahams was born on April 14th 1929, at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Obstetric Hospital in Bloomsbury, London. His parents, Joseph and Deborah, were just two of the many thousands of Russian and Polish Jews who had found asylum in the UK and elsewhere after fleeing their anti-semitic governments at the turn of the century. Their original surname …

We’re sad to learn of the passing in January 2021 of Shaun Whittacker-Cook, who served as Special Effects/Visual Effects Director on some of the most popular Gerry and Sylvia Anderson shows. Born in 1935, Shaun had previously worked with special effects artist Les Bowie before joining A.P. Films during production of Thunderbirds. By this time the Supermarionation series was shooting …

1983’s Terrahawks saw Gerry Anderson return to television puppetry with Supermacromation – his first style of puppet to be fully operated by hand, as opposed to the string marionettes he was most associated with. However, few people realise that several of those earlier Supermarionation puppets had also been worked by hand from below the frame from time to time! For …

The Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle was one of the most important (and popular) weapons in Spectrum’s ongoing battle with the Mysterons, but only a select few of the organisation’s agents ever took the controls of these incredible machines! The SPVs were concealed in secret locations around the world, including most major airports and Delta filling stations, under the watchful eye of …

Across the 39 episodes of Fireball XL5 we followed the daring Steve Zodiac and his crew as they patrolled the spacelanes of Sector 25, helping those in trouble and grappling with all sorts of intergalactic villainy. However, the XL5 was just one part of the larger Fireball XL fleet operated by other members of the World Space Patrol, and we …