# Another Supermarionation DVD Box Set.



## gcutler (Mar 23, 2002)

Probably one of the Last Gerry Anderson "Supermarionation" Boxsets "JOE-90" will be released at the end of July (only lesserknow series are left in the genre).

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00009RXJ0

This is a pretty good series, about the 9 year old son of a scientist being used to carry out spying for the government. The scientist has experimented with the kid so he can learn anything immeditately (pilot, sailor, diver, etc) and carry out a mission.

A strange twist, Only on minimal consideration do you really realize that this would be considered major child abuse to

1) Medically alter a 9 year old to be able to quickly absorb whatever skills are needed.
2) Send the 9 year old on a mission like to steal a Soviet Mig and then have the kid fly a dogfight with other soviet aircraft to complete the mission.
3) Oh, the kid is adopted as well, twist the blade...
Ah, the days before political correctness when this didn't blink an eye  ...

But if you liked Thunderbirds or Captain Scarlet, this is worth a look.


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## HarryD (Mar 24, 2002)

Did this ever make it to the states? I have heard of it but have never seen an episode.


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## gcutler (Mar 23, 2002)

I had only seen it as a rental in a video store like 10 years ago (I liked what I saw). I don't think it did make it to the states in syndication, Since Sci-Fi channel aired Stingray, Captain Scarlet, UFO and Space 1999, I had figured they would air it eventually in their morning slot, but they never did.

But I believe it did reach Canada in Syndication, so I suspect that the majority of people ordering will be either US collectors (of everything Gerry Anderson) or Canadians who saw the show.


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## HarryD (Mar 24, 2002)

And I thought I was the only one that liked this stuff. So far I have Captain Scarlett, Thunderbirds I and II, UFO I and Fireball XL5. I'm glad A&E did this (agreement with Carlton UK to import these DVDs). 
Would like to know how sales are progressing.


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

HarryD said:


> And I thought I was the only one that liked this stuff. So far I have Captain Scarlett, Thunderbirds I and II, UFO I and Fireball XL5. I'm glad A&E did this (agreement with Carlton UK to import these DVDs).
> Would like to know how sales are progressing.


No, lots of us grew up watching Gerry Anderson. My favorite when I was a kid was Supercar. This just came out last month, the complete series thanks to A&E. The crazy thing about all of this is that there being released first in the States. People in the UK where the series was produced and has a real cult following are shut out till they decide to release a region II series for Europe.

I am having a blast watching old puppet shows on DVD.

Now if only they would put out Lost in Space on DVD!


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## HarryD (Mar 24, 2002)

Are you sure that some of these series haven't been released in the UK first? I thought I read somewhere that Captain Scarlett was out in England long before it got to the US.


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

HarryD said:


> Are you sure that some of these series haven't been released in the UK first? I thought I read somewhere that Captain Scarlett was out in England long before it got to the US.


Your correct,

Only Supercar and Fireball XL5 appear to be unavailable still in the UK.


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## gcutler (Mar 23, 2002)

But the british have had the VHS of these series for quite a while, so if they really wanted to see the shows they could have (and they do get repeated on the british channels as Anderson is always a big draw. For many in the US this is the first time seeing the show or the first time in 30+ years.


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

gcutler said:


> But the british have had the VHS of these series for quite a while, so if they really wanted to see the shows they could have (and they do get repeated on the british channels as Anderson is always a big draw. For many in the US this is the first time seeing the show or the first time in 30+ years.


I picked up some NTSC converted copies of Supercar and Fireball on eBay some time ago. They were OK for copies and even then they didn't put out the complete series only like season one. To own the complete series of these parts of your childhood in DVD quality is pretty darn cool IMHO. You can put one in and be transported back to 1965 in a heartbeat.


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## gcutler (Mar 23, 2002)

I believe these are all digitally remastered, although with Supercar and Fireball XL-5 being in B&W. 

A friend of mine (who loved Space 1999) said he can't get into the puppets, I said but the woman who plays the Dr. in Space 1999 (Barbara Bain) can be outacted by most of the Supermarionation puppets, so thats why I like the puppets better


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## HarryD (Mar 24, 2002)

It would have been nice if they colorised XL5 and Supercar!


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## gcutler (Mar 23, 2002)

HarryD said:


> It would have been nice if they colorised XL5 and Supercar!


For that amount of units sold, I wonder if that would have been cost effective? And the purists might have had a problem with it? But I know people who refuse to watch anything in B&W (To Kill A Mockingbird and other classics, let alone a kiddie TV Series).

I assume if I tried to make my nephews watch Supercar or XL5, they probably would not stay still long, where as Thunderbirds, Stingray and Captain Scarlet will keep their attention with all the colors and everything.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

ibglowin said:


> Now if only they would put out Lost in Space on DVD!


I thought Columbia House had it as one of their disc of the month clubs. It may have been VHS but I thought I remembered seeing it offered somewhere.


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

BobMurdoch said:


> I thought Columbia House had it as one of their disc of the month clubs. It may have been VHS but I thought I remembered seeing it offered somewhere.


Yea, that was a few years back. They are now OOP. Some of the more popular LIS tapes are fetching $75 each with copies selling for $35 each on eBay.

Amazon somehow has a few early ones but only around 10 episodes again on VHS.

VHS just doesn't cut it anymore. DVD and 60" widescreens have made it history. :welcome:


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## gcutler (Mar 23, 2002)

BobMurdoch said:


> I thought Columbia House had it as one of their disc of the month clubs. It may have been VHS but I thought I remembered seeing it offered somewhere.


If a series is going to be transfered to DVD, Lost In Space will definately get there. But I guess the issue is who has ownership and how much investment money do they have to outlay an Authoring and initial production run of the DVDs.


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