Fireball XL5: The Complete Series

Some may see this as crude but this was positively state of the art in 1962. Considering the size and low resolution of the average television screen back then, the production standards far exceeded what was required, so much so that when viewed on a large screen TV today it looks pretty amazing. Keep in mind I am not a big CGI fan however and my eyes see anything done with models and film as much more realistic than CGI could ever hope to be. One of the things I appreciate most about Gerry Anderson productions are how well many of the sets and scenes completely fool the eye into appearing full-scale and real. Sure there are a few comical moments such as the exhaust clouds of Fireball XL5 casting a shadow upon the sky as fireball takes off, and wires galore, but all in all I still think it holds up as a spectacular achievement and without a doubt say no one could recreate anything half as good today. Even though Fireball XL5 was geared towards children I still find the stories and action quite compelling and enjoyable today. The fine voice actors bring the Supermarionation puppets to life to the point after the first few episodes you almost don't notice them being puppets at times. Barry Gray's music was years ahead of its time and the pop tunes were solid enough to probably have charted nicely had they been released as singles. When I originally watched the show in the 1960s my favorite part was Robert and watching the show today I find it very amusing that the only noticeable British accent in the show actually belonged to the robot.

I love Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation shows, and while Thunderbirds is the one everyone talks about and remembers, I'm actually a bigger fan of Anderson's earlier black-and-white series, Fireball XL5. Very much a classic sci-fi series that was influential on so much of what came later, the rapid pacing, creative character development, and set design show just why Anderson was such a visionary when it came to children's entertainment in England in the 1960s. I was extremely disappointed to learn that this release would be Region B Locked, but I saw other comments on various spots online claiming these would work in American players, with the Region B notice disappearing after a few seconds and the menu screens loading up and working fine. Upon having received the discs, I'm happy to say this is true. You'll get the Region B notice, but it disappears a few seconds later... and they play fine! Image quality is amazing, even putting to shame the old DVD version (which actually didn't look half bad). Only complaint is a lack of bonus features, though the bigger DX set has a disc of them (why wasn't that included here?) Fireball XL5 is a great show and I'm so glad to see these amazing looking discs work in American players. Absolute highest recommendations!

Nothing to dislike-- just as I rembered the show

...I'd only heard of "Thunderbirds," and saw a bit of one episode on Canadian TV when I was a kid. We didn't get NBC (which ran some of the Anderson's creations), and I wasn't aware of what I'd even seen until clips started showing up on "Whose Line is it Anyway?" Well, a friend commented on "Fireball XL5" and I had to have a go. I have to remind myself this is for kids, but I think at times even children would feel their intelligence insulted by some of this. Set 100 years after the premier in 1962, the Space Patrol is like a Coast Guard, traveling through sectors of space. Col. Steve Zodiac is your typical command pilot, handsome, suave and self-assured. Dr. Venus is the beautiful but brilliant physician (who has to also be a scientist and really a Jill of All Trades), while Dr. Matic is the expert navigator and inventor, though he is painted as a befuddled old doof for comic relief. You have the officious Commander Zero, the young Lt. Ninety as his junior, plus a Scottish engineer (Hm...maybe that's where Gene Roddenberry got a certain idea), plus a bipedal, bear-like creature named Zoonie, Venus' pet, plus a robot that begins smoldering when he gets flustered. The stories are pretty much the same: Zodiac and the gang explore planets, with Steve impetuously heading into danger, and usually taking his fellow officers with him. The good guys on other planets are clearly good, while the bad guys (most of the aliens) are ugly and loathesome. Rescues have to be made, improbable space walks with oxygen pills, and a lack of security on the base makes one think nearly everybody would be up before a review board for their actions. There were some good developments of character; Zodiac and Venus' relationship is strongly hinted at, and the latter must deal with what today would be called blatant sexism. Matic is devoted to duty, to the point he lives on XL5, we get to see Commander Zero's family, and two episodes focused on Ninety, including his efforts to gain certification. In addition, Zodiac invokes a version of the Prime Directive, when he refuses to change the status quo on another world. Later comics made the characters more realistic, and I would love to read some of those. In any case, we see the evolution of Supermarionation, the ingenuity, and the love people put into these shows. The 2014 documentary of the Andersons and those involved was wonderful, and I highly recommend it. The overall reproduction is well done, and anyone involved in the creative process can look back and see how it was once done.

I bought these out of nostalgia, having watched Fireball XL5 as a kid in the 60's, and in hopes that my 4 year old grandson would enjoy them. I was amazed at good these episodes were! Sure, they're marionettes, and you can see the strings (which lends a kind of "Team America" goofiness), but the writing, sets and dramatizations are quite good. And the science is often very accurate, considering that this show predated the US moon launches by about 10 years. One funny quirk is that when the characters leave the spacecraft, they don't wear spacesuits. They simply take an "oxygen pill". This seemingly also makes one impervious to an absolute vacuum and temperatures of minus 270 degrees. Oh well, they are just puppets ... Overall, I am very happy to note that a show I thought was really cool when I was 4 is still fun for my grandson. The stories and production have really held up well over the past 50 years!

Después de sus muy encomiables pero rupestres inicios, como Torchy y Supercar, en esta serie Gerry Anderson ya se encaminaba a lo que sería su "sello de casa": es decir, los rostros que resultarían tan familiares en Stingray, desde luego Thunderbirds y todavía en Captain Scarlett, aparecen aqui, en esta serie filmada en blanco y negro, con aventuras en el espacio. Hablo de los rostros de grandes ojos, labios carnosos, etcétera. Una nave cósmica que se acopla y desacopla con facilidad, unas píldoras que permiten respirar sin casco protector mientras se explora el espacio sideral, un robot que habla más con voz de marciano que de androide, y sobre todo, una pareja candentísima formada por Steve, el rubísimo capitán de la nave y su guapa (y peinada a la moda de los sesenta, claro) Venus. A quien le corresponden también labores como servir el café... Sin comentarios. Por cierto, es muy curioso saber (dicho por el propio Anderson en una entrevista) que el muñeco de Steve fue reutilizado para interpretar a un cantante de rock and roll, ya no con rubísima melena sino con cabellera negra, en un capítulo de Stingray, la serie que siguió a Fireball XL5. Esta una serie que se disfruta mucho, aunque se vean los hilos (imposible ocultarlos, si el fondo escenográfico casi siempre es la negrura del universo). La canción de salida fue un hitazo en disco de 45 rpm y es irresistible no ponerse a bailar twist, que es el ritmo con el que está escrita. Muy buena, muy entretenida, muy gozable.

All the episodes of Fireball XL5, beautifully transferred to DVD. The quality is excellent, and what a joy it is to watch one of my favourite childhood programs again, but much clearer than on the old black and white TV! The packaging is great and completes the long treasured memories of posters, comic books, and Annuals with its punchy colours and retro look! I'm so happy!

Love it and looks great and definitely something I'd recommend to fans of the show

Schade, Regionalcode 1 . Die Box sollte eigentlich aus GB kommen (CODE 2) und nicht aus USA :( In der Produktbeschreibung habe ich keinen Hinweis darauf das es sich hierbei um eine DVD Box mit dem Regionalcode 1 handelt. Da meine DVD Player das nicht abspielen kann bin ich sehr entäuscht. Hatte mich schon gefreut. Also warten und weiter suchen.

Esta serie junto con "Super Car" son las series de mi infancia, me traen grandes recuerdos. son muy simples pero con muy buenos guiones. Deberían relanzarse para los peques de ahora.