Fireball XL5 (TV Series 1962–1963)
Fireball XL5 is a science fiction-themed children's television show following the missions of spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol. The show was produced in 1962 by husband and wife team Gerry and Sylvia Anderson through their company APF, in association with ATV for ITC Entertainment.
The show featured the Andersons' Supermarionation, a form of puppetry first introduced in Four Feather Falls (1960) and Supercar (1961) and used again in their subsequent productions such as Stingray and Captain Scarlet. Thirty-nine black and white half-hour episodes of Fireball XL5 were made on 35mm film: all future Anderson series were produced in colour.
Several Anderson series have been shown in syndication in the US, but Fireball XL5 is the only Anderson series to have run on a US network. NBC (the National Broadcasting Company) ran the series in its Saturday morning children's block from 1963 through to September 1965.
Setting
Set between the years 2062 and 2063, the series featured the missions of spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol. The crew included glamorous Doctor Venus, a doctor of space medicine; middle-aged navigator and engineer Professor Matthew Matic and co-pilot Robert, a transparent anthropomorphic robot who would most commonly proclaim ON-OUR-WAY-HOME.. Robert was the only character in an Anderson series that was actually voiced by Anderson himself, albeit with the aid of an artificial larynx.
In the series, the World Space Patrol is based at Space City, located on an unnamed island in the South Pacific, headed by Commander Zero. Zero is assisted by Lieutenant Ninety. For unspecified reasons the 25-storey T-shaped control tower at Space City rotates; in one episode a character inadvertently makes it rotate fast enough for those inside to suffer from vertigo.
Fireball XL5 patrolled Sector 25 of charted interstellar space (although there only appeared to be three sectors marked on the space chart seen in the Space City control room). The patrols were missions of three months duration but the ship was also on call when at base.
[edit]Fireball XL5 space ship
The patrol space ship Fireball XL5 takes off utilising a mile-long launch rail that culminates in a 40-degree incline, or sky ramp, which Anderson claims was inspired by an old Soviet design, a concept also used in the film When Worlds Collide.
The World Space Patrol included a fleet of at least 30 'Fireball XL' ships (an XL30 is referred to in The Firefighters episode), of which XL5 was the most famous. The ship itself is made up of two detachable sections. The winged nose cone, known as Fireball Junior contained the cockpit and separated from the main body to land on other worlds. The rest of the ship contained a navigation bay, laboratory, huge lounge, workshops and separate crews quarters, along with fuel and main nutomic rocket motors for interstellar travel. The ship would generally remain stationed in orbit after arriving at an alien planet. When Fireball XL5 returned to Space City, the whole ship would land horizontally (i.e. without separating) using its wings and retro-rockets. In the episode 'The Forbidden Planet', the aliens use a form of transporter (similar to that used in Star Trek, but of course pre-dating it) but this technology was not available to the World Space Patrol.
Inasmuch as the series used many classic early 20th-century science fiction themes reminiscent of the space opera of E. E. "Doc" Smith and because it was a children's show, it was not intended to be realistic. Fireball XL5 managed to travel handily around the galaxy without going faster than light (until the episode Faster than Light). The series observed few of the limitations of rocketry and only informed viewers that the ship's rocket motors were powered by a Nutomic reactor and that XL5 could safely travel at speeds of up to Space Velocity 7, which enabled her to reach the outlying star systems of charted space within a few months. Furthermore the crew never wore space suits; instead they took "oxygen pills" to survive in the vacuum of space, where they manoeuvred in zero gravity with the aid of thruster packs. They used neutroni radio, which allowed virtually instantaneous communication within the sectors of charted space. XL5 and her sister ships were fitted with gravity activators that generated artificial gravity fields within them.
Character voices
Regular characters were voiced by Paul Maxwell, Sylvia Anderson, David Graham and John Bluthal. In common with many of the Anderson puppet shows, most of the important characters have American accents, with some notable exceptions: Dr. Venus is French, Jock the engineer is Scottish and some of the aliens have remarkably sedate British accents (e.g. episode 33, the Day the Earth Froze). Language issues between alien races and Earth were rarely encountered as most races appeared to speak perfect English!
Theme song and merchandising
Fireball XL5 had separate opening instrumental theme music and a closing theme song. The closing theme, Fireball, written by Barry Gray and sung by Don Spencer, became a minor hit in Britain. Gray would have a long relationship with the Andersons' productions, writing themes for such series as Thunderbirds and Space: 1999. Don Spencer would become Australia's premier children's entertainer and founder of the Australian Children's Music Foundation. A group, The Flee-Rekkers, produced by Joe Meek, came out with an instrumental version in the style of Telstar.[1]
In addition to the theme song, the series spawned a number of other licensed merchandising spin-offs including toys, an MPC playset with rocket ship and figures, model kits including a plastic kit of Fireball XL5 itself, puppets, ray guns, comic strips and annuals. In Britain, a 2-page black-and-white Fireball XL5 comic strip appeared in the weekly TV Comic between 1962–1964 before moving to the newly launched weekly TV Century 21 comic in January 1965 for another 5 years. The strips that appeared between 1965–1968 were in colour only reverting to black-and-white in 1969. Four hard cover Annual books were published in Britain by Collins between 1963–1966 featuring colour and black and white comic strip and text stories, while in the United States Gold Key Comics printed a single-issue colour comic book in 1963. Little Golden Books published a hard-cover colour illustrated story book in 1964 (later released as 'Fireball XL5 – A Big Television Book' in Britain).
During the mid 1960s there were also three soft cover colouring/puzzle books published in Britain and one soft cover colouring/story book published in the United States.
Home video releases
Like most of Anderson's Supermarionation series, this one was given a "complete series" release in Region 1 by A&E Home Video.[2] A Region 2 version featuring new bonus material was released on DVD in those territories in 2009, superseding a 2004 release with no extras. On 22 October in Region B territories, an individual Blu-ray featuring a colorised version of the episode A Day in the Life of a Space General was released. The disc also includes an episode of Four Feather Falls and an extended version of the Wonderland of Stardust documentary released as a bonus on the Region B box set released earlier in 2009.
Cast of characters
Colonel Steve Zodiac, pilot and commanding officer of Fireball XL5 (voiced by Paul Maxwell). Commander of Fireball XL5. Zodiac was awarded Astronaut of the Year in the episode "Space City Special".
Doctor Venus, Doctor of Space Medicine, of French origin. Personally chosen to be part of his crew by Steve Zodiac and with 5 years of service on the XL5 according to the episode "The Last of the Zanadus" (voiced by Sylvia Anderson).
Professor Matthew "Matt" Matic, engineer, navigator and scientist of XL5 (voiced by David Graham, speaking in a voice similar to the actor Walter Brennan).
Robert the Robot, co-pilot of XL5, a transparent robot invented by Professor Matic and Earth's most advanced mechanical man (voiced by an uncredited Gerry Anderson using an artificial larynx and the only main character Gerry Anderson ever voiced in one of his series).
Zoonie the Lazoon, lazy, semi-telepathic pet of Dr. Venus from planet Colevio (voiced by David Graham). During his first appearances, he couldn't say anything but "welcome home" but his vocabulary grew as the series progressed, often due to him mimicking other characters.
Commander Wilbur Zero, Operational Commander-in-Chief of the World Space Patrol and Space City's Chief Controller (voiced by John Bluthal). Despite his gruff exterior, he cares deeply for his subordinates and respects them, especially Steve.
Lieutenant Ninety, Assistant Space City Controller (voiced by David Graham). Ninety is young, inexperienced and the character most often on the receiving end of Commander Zero's scathing attitude. Despite the seeming high tension between him and Zero, Zero called him "the best lieutenant Space City has."
Jock Campbell, Space City's Scottish Chief Engineer (voiced by John Bluthal). He makes it clear he doesn't think too highly of women but when Venus saves his life during an ill-fated mission, he starts to have a change of heart.
Eleanor Zero, Commander Zero's wife (voiced by Sylvia Anderson)
Jonathan Zero, Commander Zero's young son (voiced by Sylvia Anderson). According to the Little Golden Book 'Fireball XL5' story book published in the USA in 1964 young Jonathan was lucky enough to be a passenger aboard Fireball XL5's maiden voyage which included an unscheduled stop at the planet Geminy.
Recurring villains included space spies Boris and Griselda, with their antiquated space ship S.S.Thor (S.S. stood for Space Spy) and the evil green alien Subterrains of Planet 46.
Planets
Many episodes of Fireball XL5 were set on exotic planets:
Amazonia – a planet mentioned in the episode Prisoner on the Lost Planet as being a member of the United Planets Organization alongside Earth and which had banished its mad queen to an unnamed planet of active volcanoes.
Aridan - the desert planet that once had water but is now an arid wilderness seen in the episode "Space Pirates"
Conva – a regularly featured planet first introduced in the episode "Space Pen" as a planetwide prison for criminals and featured prominently in the episode "Convict in Space", in which one of its convicts escapes.
Granatoid – home of the Granatoid robots who appear in "The Granatoid Tanks" and described (though not seen) as having a completely technocratic society, led by a robot voiced by an uncredited Gerry Anderson.
Granvenia – a planet mentioned as the destination of fuel tankers that are being diverted to the planet Suventa in the episode "Hypnotic Sphere".
Hedera – a planet rich in plant life that was visited in the episode "Plant Man from Space" and home of a rampant strain of Ivy called Hedera helixa.
Herbos – a jungle planet seen briefly in the episode "Last of the Zanadus".
Magneton – a planet visited in the episode "Space Magnet" and inhabited by the invisible Solars.
Membrono – a planet that was nearly destroyed (by another, unnamed planet) in the episode "The Doomed Planet". An advanced alien race lived on Membrono's moon.
Minerra - a planet rich in radioactive minerals needed for earth resources seen in the episode "Space Pirates"
Mirana – a perpetually burning planet seen in the episode "Hypnotic Sphere".
Monotane – a desert planet inhabited by a space monster in "Space Monster".
New Earth – a planet with a thin atmosphere and little gravity that was to be colonised by the crew of the spaceship Mayflower-3 in the episode Space Immigrants until spaceship Fireball XL7, sent out to prepare for the arrival of the Mayflower-3, was captured by megalomaniacal aliens.
Planet 46 – home of the Subterrains and a barren planet with an oxygen atmosphere; introduced in the pilot episode Planet 46 and appearing in numerous other episodes.
Planet 73 – a planet colonised by Earth and attacked by the Granatoids in the episode The Granatoid Tanks.
Planet 82 – a planet renamed Robotvia by Professor Al Himber.
Platonia – a planet featured in the episode Planet of Platonia and revealed to be rich in Platinum and inhabited by silver-skinned aliens who eat 23-course meals. A trade agreement with Earth had created a power-struggle on the planet, which the XL5 crew was sent to calm.
Rajusca - A desert planet featured in the episode Sun Temple, in which the Earth is attacked by sun worshipping Rajuscans living in the desert.
Suventa – an ice-planet that is home to an unnamed brain-creature which hopes to use hypnotic satellites to take control of the universe.
Triad – a planet featured in the episode, The Triads, which is almost identical to earth in every way, except for being three times its size.
Consequently, everything on it, plants, people, animals, etc. is three times the size it is on earth, also. The gigantic human inhabitants are friendly, but are at least 100 years behind earth technologically and were just attempting their first space launches when the crew of the XL5 visited.
Zanadu – a planet that featured a mysterious temple in the episode Last of the Zanadus.
Zofeit – a planet whose inhabitants, the Zofeits,were almost wiped out (only two males surviving) by a lone alien in the episode XL5 to H20. The crew of XL5 rescued the two survivors, who were evacuated to Earth.
Episode Guide
Season 1
S1, Ep1
Oct. 28, 1962 Planet 46
A spacecraft carrying an atomic device much more powerful than a hydrogen bomb approaches Earth. The World Space Patrol sends Fireball XL-5, piloted by Steve Zodiac, to intercept. It turns out the spacecraft is manned and is carrying out a suicide mission. Zodiac destroys the spacecraft and is instructed to travel to the craft's source -- Planet 46.
S1, Ep2
Nov. 4, 1962 The Doomed Planet
While dodging a runaway planet out of its orbit, the crew of Fireball XL5 discovers it is on a crash course to the planet Membrono. Assuming the planet is deserted before the crash, Steve discovers after seeing a flying saucer that this planet needs help to avoid the fatal impact...
S1, Ep3
Nov. 11, 1962 Space Immigrants
A duo of wacky aliens, the Lilispatians, captures the commander of XL-7 for hostage to trap the upcoming "Mayflower 3" immigrant spaceship, in order to turn the occupants into slaves for their planet.
S1, Ep4
Nov. 18, 1962 Plant Man from Space
The evil Dr.Rootes provoke an incident at Space City Power Plant in order that an alien space ship bring a plant seed which invades the planet. Steve, Venus and Matt must accompany Dr.Rootes to Planet Hedra in order to get an antidote to this sudden vegetal invasion...
S1, Ep5
Nov. 25, 1962 Spy in Space
A rogue spaceship wrecks the Space City patrol rockets including XL9. Steve, Venus and Professor Matic comes to this spaceship, to discover a couple of weird criminals, Boris and Griselda, known as "Space Spy", who attempts to steal XL5 from them
S1, Ep6
Dec. 2, 1962 The Sun Temple
Unsatisfied with the destruction of meteorites around their planet, the evil Rejuscans use their planet's Sun to destroy the missiles. Once Fireball XL-5 Jr. comes to the planet to see what's going on, the aliens abduct Venus and put her for their next sacrifice to their Sun rays...
S1, Ep7
Dec. 9, 1962 XL5 to H20
An amphibian alien tries to kill the survivors of a water planet. As they received the call for help, Steve, Venus and Professor Matic comes to their rescue.
S1, Ep8
Dec. 16, 1962 Space Pirates
While babysitting Commander Zero's son, Venus tells him the story of some Space Pirates, who are living in a desert planet, stole some water from Space City, and also abducted Steve for ransom to get more water.
S1, Ep9
Dec. 23, 1963 Flying Zodiac
While Steve recalls his family circus days, Venus dreams of a circus show, where Steve would perform as a trapeze artist. However, the Space Spys Griselda and Boris, dressed as performers, are plotting to kill Colonel Zodiac and let invade a clan of Space Gypsies into Space City...
S1, Ep10
Dec. 30, 1962 Space Pen
Space gangsters rob Steve's apartment and the isotope warehouse in Space City. Steve, Venus and Professor Matic must go to the Pen Planet to deal with them, but they might be up for a deadly surprise.
S1, Ep11
Jan. 6, 1963 Space Monster
The pilots of XL-9 are stranded on a planet where their spaceship got wrecked by a giant Space Monster. Receiving their call, Steve and the crew, including Zoonie, are up to get the stranded pilots while trying to dodge the vicious monster's attack.
S1, Ep12
Jan. 13, 1963 The Last of the Zanadus
Returning from a 10-year space exploring mission, a friend of Steve's is unaware that he is under mind control to the last of the Zanadu people, who sworn revenge on the Lazoons. He tries to kill Zoonie by poisoning the creature. However, the only cure is to go to a remote planet where the explorer was abducted by the strange alien...
S1, Ep13
Jan. 20, 1963 Planet of Platonia
Bizann, leader of Planet Platonia, wants to trade the precious Platinum deposits with Earth. However, his enemy Ginerva makes several attempts on his life. Steve and the crew arrive on the planet, but an unsuspecting aide, Volvo, attacks Robert the Robot on guard and plants a bomb in Fireball Junior.
S1, Ep14
Jan. 27, 1963 The Triads
The World Space Patrol sees some rockets exploding in a planet outside Sector 25. Commander Zero asks Steve and his crew to investigate on Planet Triad for the cause of these strange explosions.
S1, Ep15
Feb. 3, 1963 Wings of Danger
To avenge the capture of their chief on Planet 46, the Plutonians send a radio controlled metal bird to Space City in order to kill Steve Zodiac with Radium capsules.
S1, Ep16
Feb. 10, 1963 Convict in Space
Space Rogue Devlin stole secret plans in a base and is captured by Steve Zodiac. The latter takes XL-5 to bring him to Space Pen, however, they meet the Space Spys Boris and Griselda, who set a trap in a camouflage ship and abduct Professor Mattic. As they got Devlin, who promised to share the plans with them, they go to a volcanic planet which is about to erupt to take the plans and abandon the Professor to a fiery destiny. Can Steve arrive in time to save the professor and arrest the Space Rogues ?
S1, Ep17
Feb. 17, 1963 Space Vacation
While on vacation, Steve must cope with rulers of rival planets Olympus and Kymber, in which an incident might cost lives of Venus and mostly Professor Matic, held as hostages by each of the rulers...
S1, Ep18
Feb. 24, 1963 Flight to Danger
Lieutenant Ninety is learning to be an astronaut with Steve's help. His last test is a solo orbital flight around the Moon. However, the test spaceship has its atomic control out of order, which puts it on fire during the flight. Steve and the crew must attempt to save him from the fiery capsule...
S1, Ep19
Mar. 3, 1963 Prisoner on the Lost Planet
As they received an help call transmission from an unchartered planet, Steve and the crew go outside Sector 25 to a volcanic planet, where an exiled Amazon Queen is held as a lone prisoner.
S1, Ep20
Mar. 10, 1963 The Forbidden Planet
Professor Matic and Dr.Stamp are working on a space station capable of observing other planets. However, the close planet of Nutopia does not like this kind of intrusion and abducts both men. It's up to Steve, Venus and Fireball XL5 to come and rescue them...
S1, Ep21
Mar. 17, 1963 Robert to the Rescue
Professor Matic founds a planet on his new telescope, though it is not caught on the World Patrol space scanner. Steve, Venus and the Professor take XL5 to the so-called planet, which is a metal star inhabited by evil aliens, who abducts the crew, and try to get rid of Robert the Robot...
S1, Ep22
Mar. 24, 1963 Dangerous Cargo
Exploring the crumbling planet Pharos where a Ciluvium mine used to be, Steve and the crew obtain permission from the World Space Patrol to blow it up with a dangerous explosive called Vesuvium 9, so dangerous that Professor Matic is afraid of it. Taking a mischievous Zoonie with them, the crew does not know that some enemies of Steve Zodiac, the aliens of Planet 46, awaits for them for a deadly cave-in with the bomb itself...
S1, Ep23
Mar. 31, 1963 Mystery of the TA2
Back from a patrol, Steve and the crew discover the wreck of Rocket TA2, which exploded 50 years before. Assuming that the lost pilot, Colonel Delton, might be alive, they go to a remote icy planet where other perils await them.
S1, Ep24
Apr. 7, 1963 Drama at Space City
Steve and Venus leave Zoonie to Commander Zero's son Jonathan while on vacation. However, one night, Jonathan and Zoonie go on board Fireball XL5 while the Professor's deep asleep and accidentally orders Robert to blast off the spaceship.
S1, Ep25
Apr. 14, 1963 1875
Professor Matic is building a time machine and tested Robert to go back to 1875. As he wants to keep it a secret, he leaves the key to lieutenant Ninety. However, curious Commander Zero, Steve and Venus persuade Ninety to give out the key. As the explore the new machine, a rather negligent Zoonie press the button and they are sent to 1875 in a Western town.
S1, Ep26
Apr. 21, 1963 The Granatoid Tanks
On Planet 73, a couple of mineral researchers are about to be attacked by Granatoids using tanks to destroy everything on the planet. Steve and the crew take Fireball XL5 to rescue them, but they must also cope with an unlikely stowaway on the spaceship...
S1, Ep27
Apr. 28, 1963 The Robot Freighter Mystery
Some robot freighters were reported sabotaged in some mysterious ways. Commander Zero suspects a Salvage Company in which their freighter always accidentally gets in the area and gets bounty for the salvaged cargo. To find out proof that the owners, the Brigg Brothers, are behind this, Zero puts Steve in charge of this case...
S1, Ep28
May 5, 1963 Whistle for Danger
To restore vegetation on a contaminated deserted planet, the crew of Fireball XL5 let explode a bomb into their atmosphere. However, the resident aliens are in doubt of this procedure and captures Steve, Venus and the Professor during a meal while Zoonie is playing with a whistle on board the space ship, unaware he released accidentally a deadly gas...
S1, Ep29
May 12, 1963 Trial by Robot
Sudden disappearances of robots from planets are reported to the World Space Patrol. Though a robot expert like Professor Himber can be harmless, he is suspected of these abductions. To try to trap him, Robert the Robot is sent into space, where he is lured to a planet called Robotvia. Steve, Venus and Professor Matt follows the robot at their own risk, unaware that the planet's Master might be someone they know...
S1, Ep30
May 19, 1963 A Day in the Life of a Space General
Tired of Commander Zero's fiery behavior, Lieutenant Ninety dreams that he is a General in charge of Space City and the World Space Patrol, and having Zero under his command. However, his overruling might cause trouble that he never thought before...
S1, Ep31
May 26, 1963 Invasion Earth
A mysterious cloud roam into Space. Having destroyed XL18 then XL24, it comes to Earth as the Aliens invade Space City on arrival. The crew of Fireball XL5 is waiting in Space for the right moment for its move to stop the invasion.
S1, Ep32
Jun. 2, 1963 Faster Than Light
En route to Space Station 9 to bring supplies, Fireball XL5 has unstable engine trouble and goes faster than light speed. Steve, Venus and the Professor along with Zoonie goes out of range and finds themselves in a uncharted space field.
S1, Ep33
Jun. 9, 1963 The Day the Earth Froze
The crew of Fireball XL27 arrives to Space City on a coma status. A note indicates that Planet Zavia is a threat to Earth and Steve, Venus and the Professor take Fireball XL5 to this icy planet. However, the inhabitants of this planet are planning a revenge on Earth men by sending a ray powerful enough to block Sun rays on Earth and start a new Ice Age...
S1, Ep34
Jun. 16, 1963 The Fire Fighters
A mysterious cloud sends fiery balls to Earth and causes fires to many areas. While investigating this, Fireball XL5 is victim of one of these balls and is out of order. Professor Matic has an idea to use a device to vacuum the cloud before it causes more damages, like Venus' beach house....
S1, Ep35
Jun. 23, 1963 Space City Special
The Aliens of Planet 46, wanting to destroy Space City and take revenge of Steve Zodiac, abducts and brainwash a Supersonic plane pilot which is about to bring a General for a special ceremony. Little they know Doctor Venus is on the same flight and suspects the behavior of the pilot. In the meanwhile, a TV crew is making a news report on the World Space Patrol, an idea that does not please Commander Zero...
S1, Ep36
Oct. 6, 1963 Ghosts of Space
Fireball XL5 brings explorer Fraser to Planet Electon, where there is sediments of Electric rock. However, he has to stay in a Ghost Town. Three months later, as Fireball XL5 comes to bring him back to Earth, Fraser has become very greedy due to its discovery and refuses to leave without its share of rocks. In the meanwhile, Elf-like aliens from neighboring Planet Globeris are probably behind some strange happenings done in the Ghost Town in order to harvest the precious electric rocks...
S1, Ep37
Oct. 13, 1963 Hypnotic Sphere
A strange sphere passes by spaceships and puts pilots in a trance. After an incident with tanker EF24 in which the pilots were in this state, Steve and the crew must inquire this strange phenomenon, especially that it might come from an icy planet where a "brain" tries to conquer Space with these balls...
S1, Ep38
Oct. 20, 1963 Sabotage
Coming back to Earth after a patrol, Fireball XL5 is sabotaged by a bomb. While the crew tries to repair the spaceship, a gamma ray sent by an alien from Planet Electra paralyzes them and are brought over there, where a so-called advanced alien civilization tells them of their plans to conquer Earth.
S1, Ep39
Oct. 27, 1963 Space Magnet
Super magnet grabs XL7 and the moon. Steve Zodiac and XL5 track them to Magnetic planet and an alien race - the Solars.
